2013 BTCC- Mercedes confirmed for 2014!

Woodski · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:20 pm

kart99 wrote:

AMD's Golf

James Kaye is the Stig.

kals · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:22 pm

kart99 wrote:

kals wrote:

hedgey666 wrote:

Not a single car from the alleged Gilham fleet present. Hmm.

I thought the same (hmmmm suspicious) but like kart99 says, they'd prefer to concentrate on completing the builds rather than take them out of the shop and lose precious prep time.

I'm suspicious, but I'm going to reserve criticism and "I told you so" until the first round.

I think it's important to remember as well. These guys aren't 888, Dynamics or RML. They are essentially newborns at building and developing new cars. It also takes time to strip the Insignia's down too.

Oh for sure. However I'd agree on that more if they weren't seemingly biting off more than they can chew and doing it while shrouding themselves in mystery and suspicion.

kart99 · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:26 pm

I suppose the only way we will really find out is when they start race 1 at Brands.

kals · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:31 pm

Exactly. Which is why I'm trying to resist the urge to question everything about them until Brands. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt right now.

kart99 · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:38 pm

Even if they don't turn up, I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this year. It's got all the ingredients to be a classic. We might even get 20 cars to Knockhill!

Woodski · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:40 pm

Something I've always wondered...why don't a lot of teams go to Knockhill? It's not like it's really that far away.

kart99 · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:42 pm

It's quite expensive to do Knockhill, especially with the price of fuel and hotels. It adds quite a few 1000's on the budget just to do that round alone. Its over 200 miles North of the next most Northern round.

Woodski · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:49 pm

Must be a geographical thing...because 200 miles really isn't that much to me.

Seems like the time from London to Knockhill is about 7 hours...thats how far I drive to go to my cousins house in VA, haha.

kals · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 3:50 pm

kart99 wrote:

Even if they don't turn up, I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this year. It's got all the ingredients to be a classic. We might even get 20 cars to Knockhill!

Definitely agree with you on this. I want Gilham to succeed. He's a popular character and he's pushing the envelope, which I like to see.

hedgey666 · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 4:58 pm

Woodski wrote:

Must be a geographical thing...because 200 miles really isn't that much to me.

Seems like the time from London to Knockhill is about 7 hours...thats how far I drive to go to my cousins house in VA, haha.

It always pissed me off when I lived back in Scotland just how many teams couldn't be arsed to make the trip. Wasn't such an issue in the super-touring era but in the early 2000s it hardly seemed worthwhile turning up as so few cars made the journey. Came to a head when that gigantic cock Richard West was in charge of the series and wanted every race to be within 20 square miles of Lahndan. :seethe:

pimmy · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:11 pm

hedgey666 wrote:

Woodski wrote:

Must be a geographical thing...because 200 miles really isn't that much to me.

Seems like the time from London to Knockhill is about 7 hours...thats how far I drive to go to my cousins house in VA, haha.

It always pissed me off when I lived back in Scotland just how many teams couldn't be arsed to make the trip. Wasn't such an issue in the super-touring era but in the early 2000s it hardly seemed worthwhile turning up as so few cars made the journey. Came to a head when that gigantic cock Richard West was in charge of the series and wanted every race to be within 20 square miles of Lahndan. :seethe:

It's always been the way, though. Even back in the '60s & early '70s teams used to skip the Croft meeting. Ingliston also received tiny entries for the couple of years it was on the calendar. Teams used to skip the Mondello Park round as well. And then you have to consider that Peugeot missed Knockhill in '92 and Renault did likewise in '93.

Think of it this way: Most of the teams are based in the southern half of England. Spa is closer to them than Knockhill is. They all want to travel the shortest distance possible.

The BTCC isn't the only series in the world that's ever had this problem, either.

Woodski · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:15 pm

pimmy wrote:

hedgey666 wrote:

Woodski wrote:

Must be a geographical thing...because 200 miles really isn't that much to me.

Seems like the time from London to Knockhill is about 7 hours...thats how far I drive to go to my cousins house in VA, haha.

It always pissed me off when I lived back in Scotland just how many teams couldn't be arsed to make the trip. Wasn't such an issue in the super-touring era but in the early 2000s it hardly seemed worthwhile turning up as so few cars made the journey. Came to a head when that gigantic cock Richard West was in charge of the series and wanted every race to be within 20 square miles of Lahndan. :seethe:

It's always been the way, though. Even back in the '60s & early '70s teams used to skip the Croft meeting. Ingliston also received tiny entries for the couple of years it was on the calendar. Teams used to skip the Mondello Park round as well. And then you have to consider that Peugeot missed Knockhill in '92 and Renault did likewise in '93.

Think of it this way: Most of the teams are based in the southern half of England. Spa is closer to them than Knockhill is. They all want to travel the shortest distance possible.

The BTCC isn't the only series in the world that's ever had this problem, either.

I can see Mondello Park, considering you have to get on a boat over there...but the fact so few cars make the measly 7-10 hour trip up to Scotland, which is still part of the mainland, in your countries top form of motorsport is appalling.

kals · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:19 pm

Since I've moved out to USA my mentality over driving long distances has changed. In USA, I don't mind a 3-4 hour drive that much. It's not overly laborious as most of the time you're moving and making progress. However back in England a 2 hour drive was a real arse-ache. I dread to think what a driving from Southern England to Northern Scotland must be like.

pimmy · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 5:34 pm

Woodski wrote:

I can see Mondello Park, considering you have to get on a boat over there...but the fact so few cars make the measly 7-10 hour trip up to Scotland, which is still part of the mainland, in your countries top form of motorsport is appalling.

That's still 7-10 there and 7-10 hours back, which often means adding another day onto the race weekend, meaning more accommodation costs. Then there's the additional fuel needed to get there, and that's a lot of money considering how disgustingly expensive it is over here. Not to mention the fact that most of the smaller teams are made up of weekend warriors who have full-time jobs and can't get the extra day off work for the event.

Slam · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:53 pm

Just got back from Donington. It was chuffing freezing. The front wheel drive cars were really struggling with rear tyre temps. Stood at Redgate when the test session started, and Jordan nearly went off straight out of the pits, but managed to do a massive slide around Redgate on opposite lock that a professional drifter would be proud of, lol. Typical Andy Jordan opposite lock action!

Saw James Kaye and one of the Dynamics Hondas have proper brown pants moments through Craner Curves when the rear suddenly broke away. And Newsham lost it completely at the Old Hairpin but didn't hit anything.

Loved some of the new liveries. Girling's Chevy was my favourite, but Morgan's and Griffin's cars also look great in the flesh. Can't say I'm a fan of the MGs. Sure, it look less confused than last year's scheme, but the white and red scheme just looks boring. And I don't really like the new Motorbase scheme. Looked much better in red than this shade of blue IMO.

Anyway, here are my photos if you want to see some of the cars on the track:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdunckley/sets/72157633055175784/

(By the way, keep an eye out for Scott's Seat, is it just me or is there a massive clearance between front wheel and wheel arch. Gives the impression the car is jacked up at the front, or the wheels are too small.)

kart99 · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:55 pm

Great photos there, thank you for sharing.

pimmy · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:07 pm

Nothing wrong with the SEAT there. They all look like that.

Good photos.

De Cesaris fan · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:41 pm

kals wrote:

I dread to think what a driving from Southern England to Northern Scotland must be like.

I did the whole thing in a day once, only getting out of the car to put fuel in it. Never again!

Some nice looking cars there. Big grid for the first race. TBK BTCC threads... I can't wait for next weekend.

Slam · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:49 pm

Well thank you kart99 for your fast service with the photos in the morning. Great job!
Saw a funny moment in the paddock before the test started. Nick Foster was trying to get in to the paddock suite where media were congregated, but the guy on the door wouldn't let him in. Overheard Foster say "Well I'm a driver", and the guy eventually let him in.
Oh and I had a bad couple of minutes in the afternoon when I dropped my phone and cracked the screen, then two minutes later I slipped over on some mud.

kart99 · PostPosted: Thu Mar 21, 2013 8:52 pm

Slam wrote:

Well thank you kart99 for your fast service with the photos in the morning. Great job!

No Probs!

TBK-Light.com

2013 BTCC- Mercedes confirmed for 2014!

Who is online