BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[Mike Harte]

Un-Limited shows as having one director and shareholder, a Mr Bobby Sharpless who has other businesses involved in property and building, although he registered another new business at the end of last year that has interest in motor spare parts and accessories. And there are no financial charges associated with this new company.

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Un-Limited shows as having one director and shareholder, a Mr Bobby Sharpless who has other businesses involved in property and building, although he registered another new business at the end of last year that has interest in motor spare parts and accessories. And there are no financial charges associated with this new company.

This was mentioned several pages back. Un-Limited Edition, whose name appeared on the promo shot when DeLoen was announced (not seen pic from today but assume it's the same), are fibreglass and carbon panel makers. They make the panels used on the Cupra, as well as Carl Boardley's hotrod and previously the Infinity Q50 BTCC car.

Un-Limited Motorsport is an off-shoot of that. The story was that it'd someone Gilham owes money too so the 'sponsorship' is a way of paying off that debt.

[coffinpilot]

The Un-Limited owner races in one of the (very many) MX5 championships if I remember right.
I'm sure he raced against Turkington at Silverstone last month.

[Matt K]

Have to say I don't really know how to feel about this year's grid. Yes, it's strong in terms of quality and that's what's probably the most important but at the same time the grid numbers dropped so sharply and so suddenly that you can't help but feel like it's an end of an era and beginning of lean years. With fourth WSR car still being TBA, a total and utter mess around HARD (or Unlimited, whatever), PMR slimming down, One Motorsport gone, etc etc there's a really feeling of the series going backwards by many years. It's good there's really strong teams and drivers remaining and such a massive drop is caused mainly by HARD going down (which is hardly a loss) but it'll take time to get used to such a 'small' grid. Guess we've all got a bit spoiled recently but tough times come for everyone.

[TinTopGrumpy]

The grid is literally only 3 or 4 cars away from the desired number that TOCA wants. Costs associated with racing have risen for everyone. Track fees are up, recovery fees are up, medical staff fees are up etc etc. In many cases rises of 30 to 40% and that's before you look at tyres, fuels, transportation and wages. With that backdrop I think the series has done incredibly well to get at least 20 cars on grid.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by TinTopGrumpy

The grid is literally only 3 or 4 cars away from the desired number that TOCA wants. Costs associated with racing have risen for everyone. Track fees are up, recovery fees are up, medical staff fees are up etc etc. In many cases rises of 30 to 40% and that's before you look at tyres, fuels, transportation and wages. With that backdrop I think the series has done incredibly well to get at least 20 cars on grid.

That's actually true but there are still teams like Alliance, Speedworks, WSR, Excelr8 which are absolutely top level but in current times, they can easily reduce to 3 or 2-car operations and that would mean further drop in entries as there's no real possibility of new teams joining. Of course no one says they will reduce, hopefully not and there's no indication for now (ok, apart from WSR which might be downsizing as early as this year) but that's just to show how fragile it's all become.

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by TinTopGrumpy

The grid is literally only 3 or 4 cars away from the desired number that TOCA wants. Costs associated with racing have risen for everyone. Track fees are up, recovery fees are up, medical staff fees are up etc etc. In many cases rises of 30 to 40% and that's before you look at tyres, fuels, transportation and wages. With that backdrop I think the series has done incredibly well to get at least 20 cars on grid.

Not to mention ticket prices!!

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Have to say I don't really know how to feel about this year's grid. Yes, it's strong in terms of quality and that's what's probably the most important but at the same time the grid numbers dropped so sharply and so suddenly that you can't help but feel like it's an end of an era and beginning of lean years. With fourth WSR car still being TBA, a total and utter mess around HARD (or Unlimited, whatever), PMR slimming down, One Motorsport gone, etc etc there's a really feeling of the series going backwards by many years. It's good there's really strong teams and drivers remaining and such a massive drop is caused mainly by HARD going down (which is hardly a loss) but it'll take time to get used to such a 'small' grid. Guess we've all got a bit spoiled recently but tough times come for everyone.

we have many 4 car teams now, if only one folds suddenly imagine the result

[SV8Predator]

Some pics from the Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport garage today:

[Pit Lane Lurker]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

we have many 4 car teams now, if only one folds suddenly imagine the result

You are correct here. But…. I’d say the risk of that is pretty low just now.

The 4 car teams we do have are all pretty stable, thriving teams who are all running well enough that I wouldn’t expect any not to make it through the season.

If we get to the end of the season and one of them decides to do a Dynamics for example though - then yeah that could get problematic.

[geordiecriag101]

Hey everyone, had a fun day at Donington Park for the Media day yesterday, despite the thunder & lightning & hail storm finishing the day an hour early ��. looking at the times it's going to be a super close season ������. Here's my trackside vid for anyone who interested:

https://youtu.be/d6ae6zgXk7U?si=pl-HsJ8gHYTPCt_h

[crmalcolm]

I find it interesting that a few years ago, certain posters were complaining about the quality of some of the drivers, and bemoaning the fact that there were too many drivers / cars on the grid that would be 'back-markers'.

It could be argued now that a lot of those 'back-markers' are no longer on the grid, the overall quality of driver has improved (on the whole) and now the complaints are about how few cars there are and the series is in crisis.

[jsmee]

After much searching, found a pic of the DeLeon Cupra

[houston]

Originally Posted by geordiecriag101

Hey everyone, had a fun day at Donington Park for the Media day yesterday, despite the thunder & lightning & hail storm finishing the day an hour early ??. looking at the times it's going to be a super close season ??????. Here's my trackside vid for anyone who interested:

https://youtu.be/d6ae6zgXk7U?si=pl-HsJ8gHYTPCt_h

Nice footage that thanks for sharing.

[S griffin]

It would be good if DeLeon got a team mate. As hard as he will no doubt try, it will be good if you could have someone experienced alongside him

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by jsmee

After much searching, found a pic of the DeLeon Cupra

Nice unique colour scheme at least!

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by jsmee

After much searching, found a pic of the DeLeon Cupra

Actually a very nice livery , it's going to stick out from the Restart liveries at least.

[coffinpilot]

I wonder if there will be any data sharing between HARD/Unlimited and Restart?

I did notice a few people wearing HARD gear from last season going in and out of the Restart truck at Croft (along with some faces I recognise from BTC/One) but couldn't tell you if they were engineers or what.

Gilham might be the bad man at the moment, but he has three years with the Cupra and not all former team members are enemies of his so there must be some useful data that can be exchanged.

Going to be hard (excuse the pun) for DeLeon, even with a half season in the car, to go on his own, unless his supposedly wealthy family can pay for Bobby Thompson to come along as a driver coach if WSR doesn't work out.

[coffinpilot]

Also, there's this to read.
Some interesting stuff in there about the future of touring cars, some good interviews too. Spoke to the editor at Brands Hatch TCR, good to see a tin top mag doing well, and good to see Autosport putting some effort in too with top ten features alongside a bit more stuff in the mag.

https://motorracinguk.com/2024/04/11...-for-free-now/

[Evantra]

Changes to the tyre rules: (I think this is new but apologies if it has long been known!)

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2024...of-new-season/

“the top ten finishing order in race one at each event will be forced to use the hardest available tyre compound in their next race. The introduction of this rule is to make achieving successive victories on a weekend even harder to achieve; something reigning champion Ash Sutton achieved on four occasions in 2023.”

Am I misunderstanding - so the top ten starters in race 2 will all be on the hard tyre? Which really isn’t any handicap to the winner because 2nd, 3rd etc. will have no extra advantage from that.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Changes to the tyre rules: (I think this is new but apologies if it has long been known!)

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2024...of-new-season/

“the top ten finishing order in race one at each event will be forced to use the hardest available tyre compound in their next race. The introduction of this rule is to make achieving successive victories on a weekend even harder to achieve; something reigning champion Ash Sutton achieved on four occasions in 2023.”

Am I misunderstanding - so the top ten starters in race 2 will all be on the hard tyre? Which really isn’t any handicap to the winner because 2nd, 3rd etc. will have no extra advantage from that.

It does mean that the last 9/10/11 finishers have the potential to make up more places if they are on softer rubber; however, that is often not possible when up against the likes of Sutton, Ingram and Hill.

[Adamcas87]

Originally Posted by jsmee

After much searching, found a pic of the DeLeon Cupra

Nice look to the car, interesting the guy in the black and green polo top works for Jamsport Racing

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

It does mean that the last 9/10/11 finishers have the potential to make up more places if they are on softer rubber; however, that is often not possible when up against the likes of Sutton, Ingram and Hill.

Exactly, it might be good around the latter half of the top ten but I’m not sure it’ll make much difference to the leader in itself if that was the intention.

[crmalcolm]

I personally don't think it will make too much difference either.

It is worth noting that the requirement is to use the 'hardest tyre remaining available to them at that event'.

So, when you look through the season:
At three meetings there is only a single compound being used anyway.
At Snetterton you have to use all three compounds through the day (so if you used Hard in R1, you are on Medium in R2).
At three meetings the Medium compound is the hardest available, and used in two of three races anyway.

[antnee]

I don't understand the Hard tyre rule, surely it will reduce the amount of strategies available?

If your in the top 10, you will use the soft in race 1 - banking on finishing inside the top 10 which will force you onto the hard for race 2.
If your outside the top 10 in qualifying, you either use hards in race 1 and aim to stay 11th or lower. Or go on softs to break into the top 10, then be forced onto hards for race 2