Touring Car discussion - WTCC, BTCC etcTouring Cars 

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Citroen and Lada left WTCC so there are only 2 manufactuers left? Will WTCC eventually die? I remember when I first watched WTCC in 2014 as Citroen entered, but oh god even more boring than F1 with Mercedes.
 
In other news, Tom Chilton is going to combat the boredom of the WTCC with the BTCC.
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127559

Wonder if he'll turn off the lights when everyone else has left.


Have a laugh at this: http://www.motorsport.com/wtcc/news...re-in-portugal-and-morocco-wtcc-races-855741/

“The ‘joker’ lap works so well in rallycross, so why would it not open up strategies in WTCC street races?”
Yes. Exciting races and close cars works in the BTCC and TCR. Thought of that idea yet?
 
jake2013guy
TCR Germany is probably the best national TCR series. Would be a good watch if I could in the UK.
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Let's face it - it will succeed in Germany. For all of it's success in providing global motorsport with talent, top teams and manufacturers Germans are yet to crack the championship front. I don't know if it is still going or if it has been swallowed up by the TCR Germany series but I saw 5 minutes of an ADAC Procar race about two years ago and I don't think I saw a single person there and the list of entries was the most pitiful I have seen. And the DTM isn't a proper Touring Car Championship. The only series in Germany that seems to be top notch is the championships organized by the VdeV.
 
jake2013guy
In other news, Tom Chilton is going to combat the boredom of the WTCC with the BTCC.
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/127559

Wonder if he'll turn off the lights when everyone else has left.


Have a laugh at this: http://www.motorsport.com/wtcc/news...re-in-portugal-and-morocco-wtcc-races-855741/

“The ‘joker’ lap works so well in rallycross, so why would it not open up strategies in WTCC street races?”
Yes. Exciting races and close cars works in the BTCC and TCR. Thought of that idea yet?
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Joker lap has been used in Argentina's Super TC 2000 at their Mendoza round. It's honestly not THAT bad.
 
FireEmblem62
Joker lap has been used in Argentina's Super TC 2000 at their Mendoza round. It's honestly not THAT bad.
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I know but it doesn't fit with Touring Cars. Joker laps offer strategy to very short races like in RX. This is just an obvious gimmick to improve the unbelievably dull racing.

Plus, that's already exciting.
 
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On the Italian version of Motorsport.com, there's an article about how Leopard Racing are in crisis with financial difficulties. It's in Italian so not really that useful.
 
mustafur
Google translate?
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Leopard Racing in crisis, at risk of WRT 2017, Comini and Vernay?
The sponsor has economic gradients still tied to the season in 2016 and the team of TCR Champion expects answers for months, but the participation in the next year remains in doubt, as confirmed by Claudio Berro.

The starting grid of the TCR International Series 2017 may not have the Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR of Leopard Racing.

German cars in 2016 were put on track by Team WRT, enjoying the economic support from Leopard, who has also chosen to set up the racing team for the TCR after its commitments shown in the MotoGP (Moto2 and Moto3 class).

The problem, though, and financial, since there are disputes associated with last year that have not been paid.

In today's world of motorsport have often obstacles like that, but for the TCR International Series is likely to have more weight, since we are talking about the team that won the drivers' title with Stefano Comini, while his team-mate Jean-Karl Vernay he finished third.

All this stems from personal problems Flavio Becca, head of Leopard Racing, who have created several problems for the Luxembourg managers, who currently holds the signed contracts of the Moto3 team, while the TCR is only a statement words with direct involved.

The troubles and non-welded payments date back several months ago, but have not yet been clarified things, even though the 2017 season around the corner, as confirmed by Claudio Berro to Motorsport.com.

"Unfortunately there are not new, I am months that I try to see if you can unlock the situation, but at the moment I know nothing - said the Italian manager who took charge of the management and Leopard Racing Team WRT in 2016 - Definitely trouble personal Flavio Becca are affecting negativmente on sports programs, in particular on our way. "

"The Moto3 program should start almost certainly because he has already all signed contracts, while the TCR in words confirmed he would like to do so, but has yet to pay off compensations of 2016 and to date no one knows anything. We are all in a stalemate, the team WRT, Volkswagen and the drivers. "

Among other things, the situation in Luxembourg Becca is making a stir. A magazine article Lëtzeguerg Privat even portrays him in the role (of course fictitious) of an intention homeless begging.

It has not escaped Berro, who meanwhile continues to work behind the scenes, hoping that something will smuova.

"I saw the picture on the internet, a sign that the situation is not the best. My agreement with Leopard Racing ended in December, by January end I wish you had clear ideas because the season is planned. I remain at your disposal for any thing, but first must be welded the gradients of 2016, then you have to sit at a table to understand the intentions about the year 2017. at the moment we are all on standby, and we also look around us and alternatives ".

In the same situation, there are also the drivers, Comini and Vernay, who in turn must also figure out whether to change team to continue the adventure in the TCR, however, after Volkswagen itself has entrusted to them the development of the Golf.

"After a successful season as it was the last, WRT has full support from Volkswagen, which wants to focus a lot on the TCR and believes in the ability to Comini and Vernay. Everyone wants to get ahead, you have to understand if Leopard has this going. we need a demonstration of the will of intent, the total absence of communication from the top of Leopard Racing leaves us in limbo, "says Berro.

Comini its part, having no news on the situation, continues to wait. But patience is running low.

"The problem of total silence on the part of those involved does not help - the Swiss admits to Motorsport.com - My main contact is Claudio Berro, because with those of Leopard Racing was not able to speak, despite having us tried for weeks. The situation disturbs and annoys a lot, I personally am very distressed because I've had offers to race, as this is my job I can not risk that all teams can complement and me to stay on foot. for now await the development of things, we will see how They will evolve. In fact, if you evolve ... "
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http://www.touringcartimes.com/2017...ies-of-their-four-audi-rs-3s-for-tcr-germany/
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^^ To go with that, the lone Audi RS3 TCR that is racing in the Dubai 24H right now was shipped directly from the factory to Dubai and participated in 2 short races and the practice sessions and qualifying to go with them, and is now running in the 24H race and leading it's class by 2 laps.
 
05XR8
That's a bit scary.
So much TC everywhere this year. Love it.
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Some guy they interviewed during the race (edit: during the Dubai 24hr) said there has been roughly 300 TCR cars built globally so far - and by the end of 2017, they're expecting roughly 15 manufacturers to be involved.
 
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twitcher
Some guy they interviewed during the race said there has been roughly 300 TCR cars built globally so far - and by the end of 2017, they're expecting roughly 15 manufacturers to be involved.
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That's what I heard as well. Unbelievable numbers for 2 full years of competition. Just shows the idea is working.
 
jake2013guy
That's what I heard as well. Unbelievable numbers for 2 full years of competition. Just shows the idea is working.
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Because it makes so much damn sense. Obviously, it has detractors, and some of them have valid points. Overall though, to have a class of relatively cheap TCs that can be used basically anywhere in the world, is good for motorsport.
 
twitcher
Confirmation that the first round of TCR International will be from Georgia, at the Rustavi International Motorpark.
http://tcr-series.com/index.php/news/item/signature-of-agreement-for-the-tcr-event-in-georgia


Here's some onboard footage I could find.


Obviously T1 and T2 look like Oschersleben, but the rest of the track actually seems pretty decent.

I'm calling it now though, T1, Lap 1, Race 1 of the seaso will have an accident :lol:
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At Oschersleben, the track is much tighter.
 
JC_Dude
What even is the point of WTCC being a thing? TCR is objectively far superior.
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There are some of us (and by us, it's probably just me and six other people) hanging on to a very thin sliver of hope that this season won't be as bad as the last. ...or the year before. ...or the year before that.
 
JC_Dude
What even is the point of WTCC being a thing?
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The FIA want a world championship for every discipline of motorsport. There's a world championship for open-wheel racing - Formula One - for endurance racing, for rallying and for rallycross. Since touring car racing is a popular discipline around the world, the FIA naturally want a world championship for touring car racing.

JC_Dude
TCR is objectively far superior.
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I wouldn't be surprised if, in a few years, TCR takes over from the WTCC as the world championship for touring car racing. But it needs to have long-term stability before that can happen. Making TCR the world championship will likely see the WTCC collapse, and if TCR doesn't have stability, there's a risk that it will collapse, too.

The other hurdle is that some of the major touring car championships worldwide - like the DTM and Supercars - have cars that are more powerful than TCR cars. If TCR were to become the world championship, the FIA would probably want it to be able to compete with those powerful cars. That means an overhaul of the rule book, and developing more powerful cars will likely be expensive, threatening the stability of the championship.
 
With TCR making a National championship in UK under BTCC it would be weird to have the WTCC based on it in the future, without some changes.
 
mustafur
With TCR making a National championship in UK under BTCC it would be weird to have the WTCC based on it in the future, without some changes.
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What sort of changes? The reason the WTCC never took of is because it had different regs. If you create a national championship with TCR then you can create a regional championship with the same cars and then a World championship. You have a clear path from each to the next. It naturally grows into a legitimate championship.
 
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