[BTCC] BTCC News & Rumours 2025

[Spanner monkey]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

I would guess NAPA at £500k to £750k - no more.

I believe Halfords/Yuasa or after Halfords/Cataclean were putting in close to £1m for a season with Dynamics

[Pickles]

So to summerise: Restart have moved HQ, Vortx have moved in, will be running 2 Cupras, one of which is Sumptons and the other presumably purchased from Restart. But Smileys car has gone to Un-Limited. And One are listed as TBL holders but that doesn't matter as they'll be running as Vortx, only they won't as Vortx don't actually exist and One will be back using the Civics that haven't turned a wheel for a year.

[Matt K]

Originally Posted by BTCC frog

Gordon Shedden in a Restart Hyundai, perhaps?

Can't see it happening. Besides, Shedden seems like belongs to BTCC's past, can't see him troubling the sharp end of the field of he'd ever returned. If you ask me, I'd rather see someone younger with greater prospects for the future in that car.

[AJD]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Can't see it happening. Besides, Shedden seems like belongs to BTCC's past, can't see him troubling the sharp end of the field of he'd ever returned. If you ask me, I'd rather see someone younger with greater prospects for the future in that car.

I think his confidence took a massive hit when he went onto the world scene and never looked back to his best when he returned.

I wouldn't mind someone like Senna-proctor having another crack. Another one that showed flashes of real pace and had some decent results.

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by Matt K

Can't see it happening. Besides, Shedden seems like belongs to BTCC's past, can't see him troubling the sharp end of the field of he'd ever returned. If you ask me, I'd rather see someone younger with greater prospects for the future in that car.

Can't see Shedden ever coming back, think he's fine doing historics now. Will be interesting to see who Restart have lined up as well as who takes the final Excler8 seat if the Autosport rumours about Adam Morgan going there are legit.

[SV8Predator]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

Can't see Shedden ever coming back, think he's fine doing historics now. Will be interesting to see who Restart have lined up as well as who takes the final Excler8 seat if the Autosport rumours about Adam Morgan going there are legit.

EXCELR8 has today (2 December) confirmed it has entered into a multi-year collaboration with the Restart Racing team that will see two additional Hyundai i30 Fastback N cars join the 2025 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship as part of a customer programme.

https://btcc.net/restart-to-run-hyun...-with-excelr8/

[RoadFool]

The financial side of the BTCC has always intrigued me. I’ve often wondered who have no issues at all finding the funds, and who has to scrape every last penny together to get themselves on the grid.

[coffinpilot]

Just thinking. Rory Butcher, I wonder how his situation is, but, if Rowbo is not quite ready for the start of the season, would he be good for a shot with NAPA I wonder.

Would love to see him back if he could get a drive, certainly has shown speed and ability to win, would like to think he considers it all as unfinished business.

[VIVA GT]

I'm not so sure abut Rory nowadays. Initially he was very quick in the Focus, but as the season went on he seemed to get more desperate and make more mistakes (which appeared to make him more desperate & so on).

[InYourMirrors45]

Originally Posted by Spanner monkey

I believe Halfords/Yuasa or after Halfords/Cataclean were putting in close to £1m for a season with Dynamics

Almost certain NAPA would be more than that when you factor in all the other various bits and pieces they do.

[Protonman]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I'm not so sure abut Rory nowadays. Initially he was very quick in the Focus, but as the season went on he seemed to get more desperate and make more mistakes (which appeared to make him more desperate & so on).

Like a few others Butchers spell at speedworks was very mixed . On his day both quick and a race winner but struggled to overcome car deficiencies . With many other names in the hat already I don’t see him getting a top draw drive and don’t think he fits the profile sort by many smaller teams . Then again Taylor Smith was seen as washed up a few years back .Should the Dudman/cook partnership see the light he would be a good choice for the 2nd Car but that’s very long odds. Ditto for Shedden and other once regulars . Once you spend time away it often proves twice as hard to return and find forgotten speed .

[techspeed]

Originally Posted by MarcusH26

Can't see Shedden ever coming back, think he's fine doing historics now. Will be interesting to see who Restart have lined up as well as who takes the final Excler8 seat if the Autosport rumours about Adam Morgan going there are legit.

In light of how much Josh Cook struggled with the Civic with the Neil Brown engine, I think Shedden deserved more credit for his performances in 2021 and '22 than he got at the time.

[coffinpilot]

Originally Posted by techspeed

In light of how much Josh Cook struggled with the Civic with the Neil Brown engine, I think Shedden deserved more credit for his performances in 2021 and '22 than he got at the time.

I truly think that's the case. Cook had a lot to say (for him at least!) in a few interviews towrds the end of 2023 and over the last off season. BT/One went down a better route for development it would seem - it seemed to be more than just a car not suited to the driving style of Cook.
I suppose it could be a case of Dynamics pushing forward to develop their way out of a handling problem, instead of rolling back and going another direction. If the stuff about changing the position and distribution with the engine is true, not an easy thing to put back.

That car in 21 and 22 looked evil trackside compared to when Neal and Cammish raced in before Covid.

[MarcusH26]

I'd be a bit surprised to see Butcher back on the grid , not that I think he's not capable of being a race winner or anything like that , more that I'm not sure honestly where he'd go bar possibly Excler8 or Restart?

[aland]

flash and rory are busy with the day job of running knockhill now that derek butcher has finally retired

also re budgets, factor in accommodation, travel costs and sustenance. a lot of guys have rv's so 100k plus servicing, tax, insurance, fuel etc or hotel costs. call that 20k per season. costly business

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by aland

flash and rory are busy with the day job of running knockhill now that derek butcher has finally retired

also re budgets, factor in accommodation, travel costs and sustenance. a lot of guys have rv's so 100k plus servicing, tax, insurance, fuel etc or hotel costs. call that 20k per season. costly business

Unless you get sponsored by a motorhome company, like Colin Turkington.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Evantra

https://btcc.net/restart-to-run-hyun...-with-excelr8/

Didn’t have much confidence in the Cupra then! Another good seat opens up there. Don’t think the article actually confirms Smiley but assumedly he’ll be staying.

Smiley now officially confirmed, to no surprise. Guess they wanted an extra article out if it!

https://btcc.net/smiley-confirmed-at...yundai-switch/

[MarcusH26]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Smiley now officially confirmed, to no surprise. Guess they wanted an extra article out if it!

https://btcc.net/smiley-confirmed-at...yundai-switch/

Yeah this is one of those " let's tell people what they already knew" articles

Other seat will be very interesting, think they want a race winner or someone that can mix it inside the Top 10 regularly and there's plenty of options out there who would be interesting.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Unless you get sponsored by a motorhome company, like Colin Turkington.

Or Hill or Shedden.

And you don't buy a new motorhome every year, so that cost can be spread over multiple seasons.

[coffinpilot]

I thought they all got their RV's for free (or reduced rates) from Empire RV?
Mind you it's not good advertising, they all seem to be full of dead flies in their windows with manky stained curtains - and their tractor units are a pain coming to pick them up on a Sunday night - especially down that narrow lane leaving Oulton!

[touringlegend]

Originally Posted by RoadFool

The financial side of the BTCC has always intrigued me. I’ve often wondered who have no issues at all finding the funds, and who has to scrape every last penny together to get themselves on the grid.

I guess stating the bleedin obvious but the ones that seem to have no issues either have a good sponsor, or a personal backer. The likes of Lloyd who I think has to go out and sell sponsorship genuinely are the ones that have the issues.

Matt Neal stated on a recent 90s BTCC podcast that the business model for the the championship is broken / doesn’t stack up anymore, which I guess is why I Dynamics aren’t there as a team anymore.

[coffinpilot]

Restart seem to confirm they've spoken with One about the Honda here with it saying as a quote from their boss "There are other cars out there that are now returning to the grid that I had conversations about."


https://touringcarmagazine.co.uk/202...e-top-in-btcc/

[Ant25]

Originally Posted by coffinpilot

Restart seem to confirm they've spoken with One about the Honda here with it saying as a quote from their boss "There are other cars out there that are now returning to the grid that I had conversations about."


https://touringcarmagazine.co.uk/202...e-top-in-btcc/

Looks and sounds like we will have the Hondas back with one motorsport and that vortx thing just seems strange now! It does to me anyway

[Steel Wheels]

Originally Posted by Ant25

Looks and sounds like we will have the Hondas back with one motorsport and that vortx thing just seems strange now! It does to me anyway

Maybe there had applied for TBL’s but One beat them to it, being more experienced etc. Gow opened up applications for one ‘new’ two car team, so in theory One filled that.

[coffinpilot]

Autosport this morning writes that One are staying tight lipped, the Civics look likely and Cook has 'slipped out of reckoning with other teams on the grid.'