2008 British Touring Car Championship

[Matthew Parr]

AWWWW i dont like that :'( i love seat init not to bothered about Seat cupra champ but thats a real BIG Shame

 

[Marty Pierce]

btcc

I wished they showed more of this series in the us. Its really good racing.

 

[Edward Leake]

Seat are pulling out? Oh dear!

 

[Jon Trotter]

Marty - if you want to download them to watch try RACING UNDERGROUND. I use it as I like to download the Swedish Touring Car races so I can watch them, and other bits and pieces of motorsport:wink:

No Erkut as well now for next year (he will be back in 2010) but he's shipped his 2004 Astra Coupe that he uses in the Turkish Touring Cars so that he can race that this weekend at Brands Hatch.

That's 3 cars certain not to appear next year, however (Clyde Valley Racing) Carbon Zero Racing will be racing 2 ex-works SEAT Leons next year for Dan Eaves and someone else, Motorbase look like they will run a 3rd BMW, and Rick Kerry should be back next year with the BMW 1 series as well as a second car for Nick Leason.

 

[Darren Gardner]

Seat are pulling out? Oh dear!

ahhh no ahhh:evil:

 

[Chris Noble]

Very nice!

Big question is who will Plato be driving for?

See Mat Jackson has won 2 awards for being the fans favourite driver well deserved too, definately going to be a champion in the future I reckon!

 

[Simon Bacon]

Anyone going to Brands Hatch on Sunday? I'm going on a spur of the moment, ticket at the gate sketch.:thumb:

 

[Chris Noble]

I am not going as went 3 weeks ago for the DTM when it was there!

6 hours driving in 1 day to get there and back

Going for the WTCC next year and I think quite a few others are going from here too.

 

[Jon Trotter]

Stephen Jelly has just stuck the 2nd Team RAC BMW on pole :shocked: :thumb:

His best qualifying had been 7th before today.

1. Stephen Jelley BMW - Team RAC
2. Mat Jackson BMW - BMW UK
3. Darren Turner SEAT Leon Tdi - Seat Sport UK
4. Matt Neal Vauxhall Vectra - VX Racing
5. Gordon Shedden Honda Civic - Team Halfords
6. Colin Turkington BMW - Team RAC
7. Rob Collard BMW - Motorbase
8. Adam Jones SEAT Leon Petrol - Team Aircool (GR Asia)
9. Steven Kane BMW - Motorbase
10. Jason Plato SEAT Leon Tdi - Seat Sport UK
11. Fabrizio Giovanardi Vauxhall Vectra - VX Racing
12. Tom Onslow-Cole Vauxhall Vectra - VX Racing
13. Tom Chilton Honda Civic - Team Halfords
14. Andrew Jordan Honda Integra (BTC) - Team Eurotech
15. Jason Hughes MG ZS (BTC) - Team KWR
16. Michael Doyle Honda Civic (BTC) - In-Tune Racing
17. John George Honda Integra (BTC) - TH Motorsport
18. Martyn Bell Vauxhall Astra Sport (BTC) - Arkas Racing
19. Alan Taylor Honda Integra (BTC) - Robertshaw Racing


No times:

20. Chris Stockton SEAT Toledo - BTC Racing
21. Mike Jordan Honda Integra (BTC) - Team Eurotech
22. Erkut Kizilirmak Vauxhall* (BTC) - Arkas Racing
23. Harry Vaulkhard Chevrolet** - Robertshaw Racing

* Erkut's 2004 Vauxhall Astra has broken down, so the team are on their way back to base to pick up the Astra Sports Hatch he normally uses.

** - Vaulkhard's car failed the ride height twice, so he was not allowed to set a time.


Full timings can be found here: http://www.tsl-timing.com/toca/2008/83803trg.pdf

 

[Chris Noble]

John George has just had a major accident in the final race! hopefully hes ok, but looks worse than Onslow coles accident last year, happened in almost similar ways to his as well.

 

[Steve Elson]

A good end to the series. George was ok too.

 

[Jon Trotter]

And that's it for another year.

I'm glad John George is ok - as that was a nasty crash, the car was somersaulting front to back in the air and got some serious height.

Well done to Gio, I loved the clip in race 2 of Gio and Plato chatting and watching the race over a cuppa.

Pleased that Turkington won the independents. Nothing against Jackson, who is a fantastic racer but his car apparently goes back to RBM after every race weekend for them to work on, so he gets more help then it appears when people say its a family run team (if what I read on another forum is true).

Regardless of that - it is great to see Mat finishing second overall and managing to push Plato down to third overall.

There are a lot of questions about what will happen next year -Turkington as it stands does not have a contract with Team RAC next year, Jackson says he doesn't know where he will be, BMW rumoured to be running a works team - could be interesting, seeing as all 3 BMW teams have been rumoured to be possibly getting the works BMWcontract.

2008 was a great year again - let the 2009 rumours begin.

I don't know if the Ford rumour will materialise next year, I think it is more likely we will see Honda racing as a manufacturer. Another manufacturer mentioned on the BTCC forum the past few days has been Volvo?

 

[Chris Noble]

Yes a good end to the year.

Would be ace to see the 2 factory seats run as a private team next year.

With Matt Jackson, Last year it was him and his family running the car (Jackson Motorsport) which they bought from Andy Prauix.

This year its got into a bigger team with BMW Dealer Team UK, which I believe IS/OR CLOSELY LINKED to Andy Prauix. One Possibility for Matt is to go into the WTCC, but I would have thought he would want to try and be champion in BTCC first.

I cant see Ford entering, They dont have any money and been having problems.

Honda, well that guy made it sound like they are quite involved with Team Dynamic's? But could be interesting? wonder what car they would go with? Accord, Civic or Integra?

Volvo, could be a very good choice, The C30 hasnt been long out and busy promoting the C30 R Design model so they might do it!

Can anyone remember who was the manufacture in BTCC between 2001 and 2004 bysides Vauxhall?

 

[Simon Trendell]

Proton had a factory team for a couple of years..

 

[Jon Trotter]

Can anyone remember who was the manufacture in BTCC between 2001 and 2004 bysides Vauxhall?

I'm guessing at the years - as I am work but I think:

There was Peugeot who were a works team for at least 2001 (can't remember if they were works in 2002 or not)

MG entered towards the end of 2001 with WSR, until the end of 2003. They were independents from the start of 2004.

Honda entered with Arena in 2003 and 2004 (I think it was 2003)

Proton raced from 2002 (until 2004?)

SEAT joined in 2004

I don't think I have missed anyone have I?

 

[Simon Trendell]

Wikipedia Rules

2001
2002
2003
2004

 

[Matthew Parr]

BTCC @ Brands Hatch

Hi Guys,
I went to BTCC yesterday at Brands at WHAT A WAY TO FINISH THE YEAR:thumb:I loved it racing was brilliant especially in BTCC!
Well the drive home was Crap to put it in nice words it took us 2.5 hours to do what it would normally take to do 1 hour Anyway after we got on the M4 a a 5 series Bmw came past us(Not sure what engine) about 110mph so dad pulled in and chased it we caught up not to long after and We just drove past him doing 120mph then we had a little race,then we caught up a Accord like ed leacks and this guy joined in we looked at the clock and the needle was pushed up as far is it could go 145mph abouts! i love the drive to Brands and home Anyway some pictures are attached it took of the racing

 

[Chris Noble]

Yeah I like Brands Hatch.

Its a very nice setup,I went to see the DTM there a month ago and that was very good.

Its a long drive though! took 3 hours to get there and even longer to get back due to heavy traffic!

Aload of us are likely going to Brands Hatch for the WTCC next year and I will be making the wise decision of staying the weekend in Brands Hatch!!

 

[Steve Elson]

I personally loved the volvo years.

 

[Keith Peppiatt]

i enjoyed this season - lets hope that 2009 is just as competitive!