British Touring Car Championship teams could be racing alongside the new TCR International Series at the Macau Grand Prix weekend later this year.
Motorsport News reports that BTCC Series Director Alan Gow was contacted about the offer by the event's organisers, which he has since passed on to the teams. It comes as the World Touring Car Championship moves from having its season finale at Macau to Qatar's Losail circuit for 2015. TCR was conceived by former WTCC boss Marcello Lotti as a cheaper alternative to that series, and will take over providing support races to the Formula 3 Grand Prix. If BTCC teams are also there, they will become multi-category races.
Gow, however, wasn’t sure how many teams would go to Macau, since many are small, lower-budget independents: "The reaction has been positive, but I think they will only bring a handful of cars,” he told Motorsport News. "The organisers haven't had direct contact with the teams so they are just fishing around to see what is available." But it has been suggested that freight and travel costs at least could be covered by the organisers for any teams wanting to race on the Guia street circuit.
It’s not exactly unprecedented for the BTCC; for example in the late 90’s, its cars could be seen running alongside Australian equivalents in the Bathurst 1000. But that was during its Supertouring glory days, when it was among the world’s most important racing series. The BTCC isn’t at those dizzying heights nowadays, but in recent years it’s been going from strength to strength, with bumper grids and big crowds at every race. Racing at the Macau weekend, one of motorsport’s prestigious events, could boost that revival further.
The Macau Grand Prix is currently scheduled to take place on November 21st-22nd.
