2009 World Touring Car Championship

[helterskelter]

This is what I know from my contacts:
Entry List:

5 Works BMWs - Priaulx, Muller, Farfus, Zanardi, Hernandez

5 Works SEAT - same lineup as 2008 - Y Muller, Monteiro, Gene, Rydell, Tarquini

3 Works Chevrolet - Menu, Larini, Huff

2 Works LADAs - Jaap van Lagen, Kiryll Ladygin

2 Proteam BMWs - A French driver from WSR and a Spanish driver from GP2

2 Team Engstler BMWs - Engstler and Poulsen

Sunred SEAT - At least 1 car (for the SEAT Eurocup round winners). Coronel is set to continue

Honda (Campos)- At least 1 Accord, Porteiro will be the driver, works entry from 2010

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Rumours that I have seen, but I can't remember if they are definates:

2 more independent LADAs
Wiechers Sport BMW - I read a rumour of D'Aste possibly being in a car. (I've seen no confirmation about this, d'Aste will confirm his plans in mid-January)
Not heard anything on Pierre-Yves Corthals, but he quit after the european season for budget issues

 

[Ryan Mortimer]

bring on the new WTCC season

 

[Edenilson Penco]

Would be nice to see a VW at WTCC, but if it is true that they will run STCC maybe is a test for the future and we may see VW at WTCC fighting against Chevys and the others.
I don't find a TV that show STCC for the world but WTCC is easy to see even here in Brazil.

 

[RaceFreak]

wasn´t there a rule to have 4/5 Doors on a car to be allowed to use?

 

[Edenilson Penco]

wasn´t there a rule to have 4/5 Doors on a car to be allowed to use?

Don't think so.

 

[Robert Wiesenmüller]

The 4/5 door rule applies to WTCC entrys.

However, this Scirocco only has a national (swedish) homologation, and it seems to be fine for STCC, if you look at the Volvo/Peugeot.

There were already two-door cars in WTCC, but they couldn't score points (like the volvo this year in Brands Hatch).

If VW would come with a works entry for WTCC with this car, the FIA would probably make an exception. They don't have big problems in making exceptions

BTW: The STCC-Scirocco will be driven by Patrik Olsson and ex-champ Frederik Ekblom!

 

[Eckhart von Glan]

Seat = VW

with the current money crunch and Seat being a VW daughter, I don't see a realistic chance of a VW anytime soon in WTCC. STCC makes sense, since there is no works SEAT team if I remember correctly.

 

[Tom Blackett]

bring on the new WTCC season

Bring it on, can't wait.

 

[Derek Tatters]

I agree with Eckhart. It would not make sense for VW to compete against a compant it owns.

 

[Jamie Ralfs]

Its a shame that P Corthals might not race in WTCC this year.
Liked him when he drove in his SEAT in 2007, he drove well there.

 

[Luke Chard-Maple]

i heard tom coronel is moving to btcc (autosport)

 

[Wido Rossen]

N-Technology has been put in to liquidation after a meeting from the company's Board Of Directors. The team will not be on the grid of the World Touring Car Championship 2009. The Spanish team Campos Racing will take over the two Honda Accord's and equipment for a possible participation in WTCC 2009.

N.Technology is currently finalising the preparation of its two Honda Accord cars, updating them according to the Championship’s 2009 specifications as already planned by the company’s engineers, to enable the Campos Racing team’s presence with the highest levels of performance from the first WTCC event scheduled in Brazil on 8 March.

The decision for closing down the activities of N-Technology is reported to be: "...taking into consideration some of the manufacturers decisions to postpone the terms of participation into the sporting activities under discussions, as well as the worldwide critical economical state."

As we have reported earlier Félix Porteiro, who drove for BMW Team Spain last season, is likely to be one of the drivers in the possible Campos Racing WTCC-program.


( source Touringcar Times )

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

What a big loss for the WTCC. This team has done so many good the last years. Prepping the old Alfa's to superspeed and they made the Honda a competitive car in less then one season in '08!
RIP N'tech

 

[Mark Guy]

Really bad news all round.

 

[Dave Stephenson]

Bad News. I suspect though that when the climate improves the people behind the venture will return under some guise or another. Good racing folk have it in their blood, thankfully.

 

[Xosé Estrada]

Too bad... well, at least I spect Campos to enter and have a spanish team in WTCC and still mantain the Honda's.

 

[Josh Healy]

What do you think?
Should Australia get a WTCC round?
Even one, doesn't matter what track....just one race.

They race on every other continent, why not the one with the best track in the world? (Bathurst )

Add the into the V8 race and have multiclass racing again
(Wont happen but would be cool)

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

For the competition yes. It would make it a real world championship. But it will only happen if a big national broadcaster will support it (entire series) because now the big backbone of the WTCC is Eurosport, and they dont have any interest in Australia.
Nevertheless a few rounds have been raced outside Europe (Macau mostly out of commercial reasons for the big car brands, same as for Puebla and Curitiba).
A second big problem is that WTCC is not suited for Bathurst at all. Spectators would fall a sleep on such a big track. For the same reason Monza has been taken of the calendar.
If Australia has a small city track, with lots of potential viewers then it might happen. Shorter version of surfers paradise maybe?
A third problem is that the cars are S2000 specs and i dont think you guys on the other side of the world are interested in buying 4 cylinder frontwheeldrive Seats, Chevy's, Honda and Lada's. Maybe only interesting for BMW as an exclusive RWD brand with status

 

[Rhys Gardiner]

I love the idea of WTCC racing here in Australia, but there are quite a few problems keeping it back: SEAT has no prescence here, the Chevys would need to have Holden badges slapped on them , and I'm not too sure if many Aussies (aside from us who play the game and read about the championship) would even know about the WTCC. Still, it has a lot of appeal for me.
For a potential track, they could use the upcoming Homebush Bay Street Circuit - Millions of people know about Homebush because of the Olympics, and best of all, the V8s are going to be racing there!

 

[Warren Dawes]

Rhys hit the nail on the head. If it were to happen here, Homebush would be the possible location. Honda's are big here, but they are dropping out of WTCC aren't they? I doubt BMW would gain too much from it, although they heavily support the MINI Challenge here. I think it's unlikely though, they also wouldn't like playing support act to the V8 Supercars.