SHOULD THE BTCC BE WORRIED? Opinions on the 2024 BTCC Grid Losses

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2 ай бұрын

Alan Gow, the BTCC's answer to Bernie Ecclestone, did an interview with Autosport recently that was quite interesting. In the last few months, the sport lost 9 cars and re-gained 2, which means the grid drops from 27 to 23, and that had some worried.
So, is it about quantity, or quality? Gow seems to think the latter, and is himself not worried.
So let's then, look at the situation, and what it might mean for the BTCC, and why people were worried in the first place.
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@tomsumner7746 2 ай бұрын

A wider issue from a spectators perspective is the lack of value for attending the events. In 2019 you had that 30 car grid, wide range of manufacturers and an unrivalled support package. TOCA lost the Ginetta package to British GT and that was a huge loss, those support races were fantastic and now the support aren't as consistent/great. When weighing up what to see British GT is a no brainer for me. They've got a 36 car grid, record numbers of GT3, wide range of manufacturers, F3, F4 and the whole Ginetta support package and the tickets are ten pounds less for the day! Haven't bothered with BTCC since the finale of the 2019 season.

@KendyCar 2 ай бұрын

Fully agree with this. I went to Brands for the 2021 season finale - the BTCC racing was excellent, but also the amount and variation of the support racing through the whole day was brilliant. I then went to Thruxton last year and the whole event felt so lacklustre, through the diminished support races and poor racing in the main event too

@BungleBare 2 ай бұрын

Yep. I went to Knockhill in 2019 for the BTCC meeting. Both days were filled with fantastic racing. The low points were the Clio cup and F4 - not much chance of anyone outside the top three winning those races, but they were still OK to watch and added a bit of variety. Harry King put on a masterclass in the big Ginettas though, and the Ginetta Juniors were brilliant too. Losing Ginetta from the TOCA package was a big loss - both for spectators trackside and the ITV4 audience. The Legends that have come in to replace them are pretty good to watch though, but not present at every BTCC meeting. F4 seems to be having more stand-alone events now too, and not as tied to the TOCA package. Is there a merger with TCR and BTCC on the horizon? Some drivers have moved between the series, and outwardly the cars don’t look dissimilar. Similar competing series seems to be an own goal for both of them.

@OsellaSquadraCorse 2 ай бұрын

@@BungleBare Different rights holders - TCR is a Marcello Lotti / Eurosport property and is tied in with SRO (Global GT racing) as well. No reason why the BTCC wouldn't allow TCR cars in necessarily, but they would need further types of performance balancing between the two and TCR are not/yet onto hybrids due to cost so it would be a giant PITA. As for any type of other merger, TCR is a global category - there are TCR series around the world so you can run your car in the UK in TCR, than also in Britcar events, in Creventic ("24H Series") or go to the Nurburgring 24H if you want; then there's Bathurst events, Macau, the US, Asia, Middle East, and so on - so though TCR UK has small grid/car counts there's a lot of crossover, mirroring the way SRO's GT racing works. A merger would also (potentially) require the BTCC to have a 2-class system again, with roving TCR World Challenge cars popping up from time to time for good measure - back to the ETCC/DTM/BTCC of the late 80's - which Alan Gow and Peter RIches created the "Class 2" touring cars to get away from and would blow the 'franchise' system out of the water too. TCR has severely contracted though in losing the World Championship a couple of years ago - due to cost; so there's no way that they can realistically then bring in - and BoP the BTCC's hybrid cars, and which TCR series' would want them, with all the awkward performance balancing it would require?

@paulmaxey6377 2 ай бұрын

I agree, I think the organisers/governing bodies do get a bit greedy. I know they have to turn a profit, but it seems their answer is always put the ticket prices up and reduce the grids. We used to go to the British Motorcycle Grand Prix every year, but we haven't been since 1989 I think was the last one we went to. It is ok but if you have you, your wife, 2 or 3 kids (I know some allow kids in free but still) it soon becomes an expensive day out. Especially with the cost of fuel and everything these days. A day out can soon become a £300-500 day, and you can't do that every weekend as we used to.

@jackdunwell1444 2 ай бұрын

How about with the ballast point revert back to the old system and from 10th-15th with 15 laps of hybrid system then 16th to last whatever that number is have a full complement of hybrid power at every weekend as an equaliser no matter is they’re a paid driver a tick boxer or not this is just solely for the BTCC. Also have a competition longevity bonus like what F1 do with Ferrari and Mercedes so Vauxhall, BMW and Honda get the most as a brand but so it’s an incentive for them to stay in or rejoin and act as an incentive for more manufacturers to join the sport.

@FendtvandeBuje 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for giving me that input. As a German living in, you guessed it, Germany, I try to follow the BTCC with all their shambles. For me it is extremely impressive how the series lives on with all the issues they had over the past decades. I played TOCA and had a huge Volvo Poster on my wall in the late 90s (I think everyone loved Rydell at that time for some reason). If I look at the German touring car scene, with the downfall of DTM the rise Backup after the STW and DTC (Deutsche Tourenwagen Challenge) in 2000 and now the rebuild as a GT Series, I love how BTCC has lived through the times and kept on going despite the issues. The UK is truly the heart of Motorsport in Europe.

@Renard998 2 ай бұрын

I used to go to BTCC at Thruxton and Silverstone religiously and follow results even when I wasn't able to watch on TV. Lately, it's been over a year since my last track visit and if I missed a race last season, I didn't bother looking it up. Says it all for me. I'm just not feeling it anymore when it comes to the BTCC.

@TheLockbeard 2 ай бұрын

I’ve had that feeling of “I’m not feeling it” about the V8 Supercars for about 8 or so years. The only race I’ll put in effort to watch is obviously the Bathurst 1000.

@polycube868 2 ай бұрын

I haven't followed V8 Supercars since it came off of American TV.

@Ayresii1995 2 ай бұрын

I still watch V8 supercars. But even watching the highlights they post on KZfaq shows that the racing isn’t as good as it use to be. I started watching in 2012 and the racing between then and say 2018/19 it was great but then there were other manufacturers in it. But this season I definitely have that feeling of “I’m not feeling it” especially since they’ve cut the calendar down by loads

@fuller9x 2 ай бұрын

Same here. When they dropped the Holden and Ford silhouettes for the Gen3 bodies, it just turned me off. The Bathurst 1000 and Gold Coast are probably the only two now I'll actively search out

@marktucker208 2 ай бұрын

Yeah 100% im the same. Once the first lap is over theres not really much action. The same as BTCC in the last few years.

@AidanMillward 2 ай бұрын

@@marktucker208 doesn’t help the series is biased in GM’s favour either. Last season was a joke.

@fernandoarroyo3889 2 ай бұрын

That's funny that you said 1997 because I believe that that's the year when the best BTCC, NASCAR, and F1 races were held

@JSmith19858 2 ай бұрын

Clubs around here have been cancelling races, because there aren't enough entries, for two years. It was only a matter of time before it all caught up with the big boys. No one has any money and there is less and less money moving around our economy due to 14 years of mismanagement. I'll bet the 24 on the grid at the first round will lose a few more before the end of the season.

@gwcrispi 2 ай бұрын

From an IndyCar fan, quality over quantity is bullshit. Larger car counts make for better racing troughout the field. Also, and this is the most important thing, larger fields mean seats for up and coming drivers. How many Dale Coyne drivers are now at the "Big Teams" because they showed potential driving a backmarker?

@Mrmayhembsc 2 ай бұрын

I don't think the BTCC is doomed, but it needs sorting out. The media side and the lack of price money need to be fixed. One of the most significant issues at this moment is not the series but the world's economic situation. Napa and Repsol both chose BTCC to sponsor to market their new product. Bristol street motors spent money in the series. Excelr8 Motorsport entered in 2919 and has become one of the top teams. Shaun Hollamby and Pete Osborne brought the motorbase, which quickly became the best. We are also getting new hybrid rules in 2024 that will affect us, and I don't want ballast back. I'm really excited for the new season. It is still my favorite racing series, and I can't wait to see it in person in May. I agree with quality over quantity.

@muzallisam5068 2 ай бұрын

Bring it back to it roots. Let privateer enter. Don't make the entry level too steep.

@LJW1912 2 ай бұрын

As I'm a BTCC fan, yeah I am quite concerned. The last season was the first one I didn't enjoy as much for a while

@TassieLorenzo 2 ай бұрын

Should they bring back the ballast and reverse grids? That crazy (if artificially close) racing was what the BTCC was known for.

@LJW1912 2 ай бұрын

@@TassieLorenzo I'd say so, was it a little artificial? Perhaps, but it was a system that was relatively fair and consistent. It didn't feel arbitrary, but I'd say it worked to create great racing

@iluvfionaleggate 2 ай бұрын

The problem is we all know the grid is losing entrants because people can’t afford to be in it anymore. Look at the 2016 grid and look at this years, 2016 was a year of the small independents having a chance, now unless you are a manufacturer or a power house like NAPA or Exceler8 you don’t stand a chance. And that isn’t the spirit of BTCC at all. Like a lot of people, from 2001-2018 I would be distraught to miss the races live on ITV4, since 2019 I’m not really that bothered and happy to see the results on touringcartimes and last year was a snooze fest like F1, MotoGP and WSBK were. I’m actually liking the extended highlights of Indycar and V8SC more and more now because it’s far more interesting to watch.

@annamarietrindal1967 2 ай бұрын

Even NASCAR is more entertaining then btcc specially on the half mile ovals like Richmond and martinsville

@ripperevo2011rrchamp 2 ай бұрын

Well, the BTCC has been through worse periods before, the early 2000s for instance with the post-Supertouring/pre-Super 2000 era and the mid 1980s, especially after Austin Rover was retrospectively excluded from the 1983 season and promptly pulled out. 24 cars is hardly cause for concern compared to the eras mentioned above.

@JakePetrolhead 2 ай бұрын

It's certainly not time to reach for the panic button, but it should be concerning how many drivers have dropped down to series like the Porsche Cup - I worry the hybrid has made it too expensive for smaller independent outfits, and Team Dynamics deciding they'd had enough really should have set off alarm bells. RE: BTC-T - I agree with Matt Neal's take on it, the actual Regulations were bang on what was needed as you could build a car for about £100k, compared to several million for a super tourer, but Octagon did such a poor job of promoting it, combined with the FIA going down the Super 2000 route instead basically killed it off as a series - there wasn't anything wrong with the regulations themselves.

@OsellaSquadraCorse 2 ай бұрын

Team Dynamics were hosed by Halfords pulling their sponsorship 1 month before the start of the season; the fact that even a year after that they couldn't get sponsors to pay what was needed to run at the front, given the budget requirements, is more concerning.

@charamia9402 2 ай бұрын

I don't understand why we can't be here forever while you go through obscure facts and detailed rules? I like that stuff 😅 That being said, most of your videos are just about the perfect length to my liking - I just wish more things could fit in the timeframe lol.

@fuller9x 2 ай бұрын

I noticed it when they introduced the Hybrid system. It seemed to and still seems to favour TOCA Hybrid engines over the Team Hybrids so the disparity is clear to see. At least pre-hybrid with the TOCA vs Team engines with floating ballast you still had some unpredictability and sloberknocker racing. The hybrid era has taken that away for the most part. The support races and in particular the mini and classic mini are more entertaining than the main event now. So I'm not driving out for just that.

@jordannufcfan 2 ай бұрын

As a BTCC while I’m not too concerned about the smaller grid yet I do think the ballast system needs to come back as it just made the racing so much better especially for Race 3. Also team Vauxhall here for life so I absolutely don’t want them leave the series (Dad used to drive a Astra then a Vectra)

@alexcropper7179 2 ай бұрын

I don't feel overly bothered about a lack of different cars as long as the racing is good. I remember when I first watched the BTCC when it was essentially Sierra Cosworths only but the racing was great. I think stripping it back to basics may be a good thing for them to consider, take a car out of the showroom and essentially race it as is with only minor improvements (bit like the very early, c.1991, pre-aero super touring years)

@theocousins6386 2 ай бұрын

You’re referring to the Group A era, which was more advanced than ‘minor improvements on a car straight out of the showroom’. This was the same regulation set that the R32 Skyline was built to, and those same Sierras were competing against Godzilla on a regular basis in Australia and the 24H Spa - a combination of British and Australian ingenuity got the Fords to run up to 600hp with the turbo boost pressure fully cranked up. If you want to know what a purely raw BTCC would look like, take a look at the prior Group 1 era, which ran from the mid 70s until the early 80s. Those cars were literally as stock as possible, keeping the interior and everything. I saw a video linked in a Speedhunters article a few years ago which documented the factory Mazda team running FB RX-7s at Brands Hatch, and how they’d broken one of the cars in the first race and run out of spares, so they went to the car park and stole the necessary parts off of a spectator’s car to repair it for the second race!

@ADxWales81 2 ай бұрын

2004 was such a great year for the BTCC. It began the new format that still exists to this day. But 2005 was worrying, ten-twelve cars a round, quality is one thing but quantity helps sometimes.

@muzallisam5068 2 ай бұрын

10 12 cars a grid? A Sunday Cup race has more racers then that

@ADxWales81 2 ай бұрын

@@muzallisam5068 yup. Have a look for BTCC 2005 , donington was round one and the reverse grid was effectively the ENTIRE grid, and the guys at the back for race two didn't have the car ready for the start of race three. I'd have said that was more embarrassing than 2001

@JamesAnderson-fv3yo 2 ай бұрын

I'm defo a quality over quantity guy, and TBH losing some of the also rans from the back is no great loss. Would be a different story if one of the front running teams were to jack it in tho.

@IndaloMan 2 ай бұрын

Mentioning Croft reminded me of the late 60s when my mate's Dad used to race a single seater Ford Tojero (spelling?) there. He kept it in the garage next to us and prior to race days he would fettle it on the drive. He would let us sit in it and rev it! No Xboxes back then🤣 #goodolddays

@danesorensen1775 2 ай бұрын

Ever considered doing a video on Alan Gow and his career? Here in Godzone he's known as the man who got Peter Brock up off the carpet after the Polarizer scandal, but then he disappears to the U.K. and we never really hear from him again. I'd love to find out how he went from running a piddling privateer team in Australia (albeit one with the most famous driver in the country) to running one of the premier racing series in the world.

@caphowdy666 2 ай бұрын

Not sure when you made this video, but Team HARD are back in, using Aiden Moffats TBLs. but with only two cars this year.

@matthewhall7640 2 ай бұрын

I think the grid sizes should be fine, Restart Racing have proven that teams are willing to go over from TCR UK when the opportunity arises.

@swinny5797 2 ай бұрын

Just a quick point on the S2000 regs and factory backing, while the BTCC was very privateer populated, the regs themselves did generate manufacturer interest but outside of the country. 2005 WTCC was brilliant for factory support with multiple makers.

@ausajax 2 ай бұрын

It might be a good time for a video on whether hybrid power trains has been a positive for motorsport or not. There's the aspects of cost, manufacturer interest, the spectacle of racing and fan interest (relevance to road cars). Really enjoyed this video!

@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1 2 ай бұрын

8:48 all of those tracks giving me severe flashbacks to TOCA race driver/V8 Supercars 3

@robin_marriott 2 ай бұрын

I don’t think it’s a problem yet but I might eat those words in 2025. I think the series needs a bit of a shake up of the rules, 14 years is a long time for one rule set and even though they’ve been an incredible success, I think it’s time for a bit of a change. A big problem now is that because so much development has happened since NGTC day one, every tiny advancement now is orders of magnitude more expensive than it was back at the start. The teams are struggling to make gains year on year whereas before they could make large leaps throughout the season. I’m not sure what the answer is but having been a fan since the dark days of BTC-T, I do hope something happens before the series implodes.

@Gthornby 2 ай бұрын

The main issue I see is cost. The hybrid is costly (compared to just added some lead in) is there really going to be any development that would be passed down to production cars? (which is one of the main reasons new renovations are brought into racing) Not when all cars have to have the same hybrid system for continuity. The other issue is the ballast wasn't just adding weight to slow down the cars, it added extra tire wear that made a bigger effect on the cars over the race distance than hybrid does. Ballast was simple, cheap and worked, in my opinion.

@stevenmoran4060 2 ай бұрын

The hybrid experiment is a failed made for racing concept. I drive a hybrid Renault but, I can’t choose when to deploy the battery the car sorts itself out. In racing like F1, the drivers can charge the battery then deploy for more power, This can never be used as an excuse promoting technology for road cars as they will never be built this way, Nothing wrong with hybrid but in road use, cars generally set off on battery then switch to ice. No road car has a manually deployable battery element and I doubt it ever will. So, as the race cars don’t work the same way as road cars what’s the point of having them at all? Mind you, when the cars have equalised engine performance and or, a BTCC mandated engine, they are falsely impersonating road cars folk can buy. The series was at its best when Volvo, Alfa Romeo,Renault etc flat out racing and that did promote sales of road cars. I thought the point of tin top racing using facsimiles of road cars then the cars should be different under the skin and not just a standard car with different body panels attached.

@TheSurlySoutherner 2 ай бұрын

I don't get it either. Hybrid is a well established and understood technology now. Manufacturers aren't going to learn anything new from it's implementation in BTCC. It's just an extra cost for teams and has produced a more predictable race/championship outcomes.

@mikebate6719 2 ай бұрын

As a lifetime fan of the BTCC and someone who still attends the Thruxton event every year, I also agree that the package last season was a bit underwhelming. In addition to the points you raised here, I think one of the aspects that frustrates me a lot is that the series' social media presence is pitiful at best. I imagine a lot of it is due to the ITV links, but it feels that the series is miles behind others in terms of online presence. Of course, this is not the biggest issue and doesn't matter if the on-track product is strong, but when things are starting to slow down a bit, creating a bit more "buzz" could really help keep/gain eyes on the sport and maybe make it a more attractive prospect for drivers, manufacturers and sponsors.

@gordonwallin2368 2 ай бұрын

Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

@danbougourd 2 ай бұрын

Losing a 6 car Team Hard with a revolving door of pay drivers only with the cash to do a few rounds wasn't as concerning a loss as team dynamics was. That's like Ferrari dropping out of F1. The hybrid hasn't had the desired effect and will have only made the cars more expensive. The global rise of TCR regs makes me question whether they should have adopted those regs to make it more accessible for teams and drivers, but I must admit when TCR came out, I thought oh here we go again, another bunch of cars that will be old hat again in 3 years. As a huge fan, I'm not worried with Alan Gow still running the show. The guy knows what he's doing when it comes to touring cars and seems better at keeping up with the times than Bernie did towards the end

@elnoodel666 2 ай бұрын

Love the things Aiden. Truly, Thanks

@dadofoppo9966 2 ай бұрын

Really good video Aidan. I still live in hope that the hybrid system can work with the right tinkering

@stickdeath1980 2 ай бұрын

Got to say Aidan your pronunciation of pukekohe was really good mate.1997 was the golden era glad to been around for that.

@leonbrooke5587 2 ай бұрын

okay I am so interested in that BTC video you teased. all I know about it is it was intended to bring costs down but it brought interest down too

@Manc268 2 ай бұрын

its one of the best motorsports to watch.. BTCC has epic moments every race & many great drivers. Hope it does well

@Exponaut_R-01 2 ай бұрын

That bit with manufacturers not wanting to homologate worries me. With the corporate mindset for one reason or another leaning to cars that either have a center of gravity higher than 6 Jenga towers, or are electric, what does that mean for, every series not designing cars solely to race? It’s even worse for stuff like BTCC because, as far as I’m seeing in America at least, the supercars and the other expensive cars are safe, they’re usually halo cars or legendary names. The ~20-30k cheap-but-sporty stuff is what’s really endangered

@TheNewSchmoo 2 ай бұрын

I like this thing. Aidan always does good things with things. I even like that jazz thing.

@TheGolfingCrowe 2 ай бұрын

For a good number of years now I've felt like the BTCC needs to visit some other tracks across the UK maybe as additions to the current programs in which it runs alongside with (ginettas etc). We haven't any changes in the calendar for years and it's starting to get a bit boring

@BungleBare 2 ай бұрын

It definitely lost a bit of variety when Rockingham closed. Even a second visit to Oulton Park and using the longer layout would mix things up a bit. Silverstone also has alternative (albeit much longer and more involved to marshal etc.) layouts, and Knockhill runs races in the opposite direction. There’s plenty of scope to mix things up a bit even just by using the current venues on the calendar.

@TheGolfingCrowe 2 ай бұрын

@@BungleBare oh absolutely, but I always wanted to see places like Anglesey, Cadwell if it were possible, Pembrey again etc

@arturseversons3444 2 ай бұрын

@@TheGolfingCroweCadwell would be cool, but the infrastructure just isn't there

@custardcream3824 Ай бұрын

Having attended a very soggy Donington yesterday I have to say that the smaller grid did not affect the quality of entertainment at all. It actually made it easier to follow as it thinned out the trailers at the back anyway. I wouldn't want it to reduce any further but massive grids aren't necessarily a better day out

@BungleBare 2 ай бұрын

Idea for how to add a levelling system while improving the racing; have a carefully calculated formula where the front runners can choose to go for ballast, or a reduction in hybrid power, or a bit of both. Make it so that the regulators know what ballast (if any) is in the car, and what hybrid usage (if any) the team wants to use for a given race. Only make the information available on the timing screens once the grid sets off on the formation lap (or laps at Knockhill - they do two there as one lap is too short to warm the tyres). An instant variable, which can only serve to mix things up a bit. No money spent. No existing technology binned. With this you might get someone on pole looking at the weather forecast and thinking “I don’t need the hybrid system now if it rains - I’ll take the weight penalty instead, and the better traction that more weight brings”. The driver of the car behind them on the grid might think “they always run with ballast in the rain - I’ll run the car light and try and out drag them somewhere while there’s alternative lines available in a wet race”. A driver behind both might go for half ballast, half hybrid reduction, and judge it just right and grab a win on a drying track. And they’d only know each other’s tactics when the team sees it on the TV feed and tells them over the radio.

@CharlieT_PhotoG 2 ай бұрын

Very surprised you make no mention of the TCR UK. It's been seeing massive growth over the last years, and is currently in such a strong place. While I don't think it's going to take the name of the UK's premier motorsport anytime soon, I do believe we will see it rival the BTCC in some capacity. Some may call it "the series for BTCC rejects", but it's not like it doesn't produce great value for money for both the spectators, drivers and teams, as well as pushing so many drivers through the ranks of other series and up the ladder. Large portions of the young drives aspire to make it into these top saloon car series, and with the BTCC's current performance, so many more will look towards the TCR. Great video nonetheless, very informative, and plenty to think about.

@anthonyhastings5961 2 ай бұрын

The last time I went was World TCC at Donington in 1993 with Paul Radisich in the Ford. I used to love it back in the eighties when Dad used to take me to Silverstone watching with TWR racing Holdens and Andy Rouse in that monster Sierra

@markcraggs6471 2 ай бұрын

The only real loss has been the 3 One Motorsport cars, and they plan to be back in 2025 similar to how Power Maxed skipped 2020. 4 of the 6 Cupras are still there (2 with Restart and 2 with the new Team Hard, not to mention Toyota’s extra car). I’m fine with the 23 cars personally, and there’s mention another could come in to take it to 24. The dominance thing will only concern me if it continues as 2023 has been the first real non-competitive year since 2014. The racing was still great last year outside of Sutton really, there’s still 6 different cars (the same as Super Touring in ‘99), and the hybrid can be altered to try and restore some more parity (Gow’s been quick to act on dominance in the past, see the Subaru Levorg between ‘17 & ‘18). Give it a chance this year and then we can panic imo!

@CbriggsMotorsport 2 ай бұрын

Well the pros are certainly less than the cons. The problem is more the solution for me. It’s all well good mentioning that WEC and IMSA are having peaks with their regulations. Seriously, what can the BTCC do? The NGTC will be going in 2-3 years time, so would it be easier to drag the years out or get the new regs sorted earlier. So I think it not all doom and gloom 15 cars were part of the grid in 2005. Yet the 2000s was probably seen as good era in terms of drama and driver quality. Maybe not in terms of more cars and commercially. The BTCC doesn’t have a Matt neal or Jason Plato anymore which for me is the reason people forget about the poor grids in the 2000s. This is different matter I feel it’s not cars we lack it might be character for me.

@rogermaybank9345 2 ай бұрын

It's becoming a problem when the support card races have healthier grids than the headline event.

@AidanMillward 2 ай бұрын

Formula 4 is still a bit hit and miss tho. It’s still recovering from the pandemic.

@spingeon 2 ай бұрын

@@AidanMillward It's been on the up quite recently. With Hitech GP and Virtuosi joining in 2022, being big teams in F2, bringing attention back to the series, along with a brand new chassis for that year which featured a halo. As of this comment, there are 19 drivers and 8 teams confirmed for the 2024 championship.

@DannoAviation 2 ай бұрын

For me personally, I grew up loving the BTCC, never really enjoyed F1 anywhere near as much as I did the BTCC.. what’s missing for me (mainly) is the lack of variety, and I think the variety is why I always preferred BTCC to F1. Every engine either sounds the same, or IS the same. Back in the 90’s you had manufacturers developing their own engines in incredible variety whilst being within regulations… V6’s in the Mondeo’s being a prime example, nowadays it’s all too “uniform”. I still enjoy it, but not as much as I used to.

@Brad-S 2 ай бұрын

Here is to the thing.

@RubyRoks 2 ай бұрын

It's interesting you mention that RF2 series running both hybrid and ballast. I'm surprised more governing bodies of motorsport don't test ruleset changes in sims during the off season.

@dancollier9837 2 ай бұрын

I do like the idea of hybrid and ballast together but many could see it as a double penalty. You lose hybrid and add weight if you get that calculation even slightly wrong I can imagine you could make the winning car go from winning to uncompetitive rather than winning car can't quite stat with the top few cars

@harrydennison2733 2 ай бұрын

For the average fan, lower grids doesn't really matter. They only show the very back when there's a crash anyway. Though, there's an argument that a higher grid would bring costs down per grid slot for the new driver looking to break through.

@petesj26 2 ай бұрын

As nice as ballast AND hybrid would be it won't happen. The cars have a safe weight limit which is consumed by the weight of the hybrid system (about 80kg, the same as finishing 1st on the previous ballast rules). So if you add ballast after the hybrid system you are over the weight limit.

@FaithlessEmoRacing 2 ай бұрын

Is it a decline in all touring cars? As you said Ausie V8 isn’t as good as it used to be. DTM has lost its magic since becoming a GT3 category. BTCC feeling the same loss of teams and cant afford to be competitive.

@gerardcrabb4556 2 ай бұрын

TCR in Tasmania only got 13 cars then one protested over races results being scrapped in race 1 from another teams protest so sat in pitlane whilst race started...

@tomwells6770 2 ай бұрын

Restart racing are actually a new start from BTC Racing, nothing to do with Team Hard. They ran in TCR UK last year and have moved across from there.

@tacticalnuclearpingutv290 2 ай бұрын

Quantity over quality I think has its merits; lots of the second half of the grid weren’t competitive and weren’t going to be. Primary issue though is NGTC, as much of a wild success it has been, is long in the tooth and British GT is simply the more attractive series when you have the likes of Mercedes Benz sending centrally contracted drivers over. Not at all unlike the super touring era

@minibus9 2 ай бұрын

Excelent video, love BTCC and whilst i am not yet too concerned by the smaller grids, i do think the BTCC needs to asses what it wants to be in the future and make itself attractive to manufacures, not going EV seems potentially risky to me the way the wolrd is going.

@murphychris9811 2 ай бұрын

btcc fan here i always go to oulton park each year i notice each year it cost more money same race same track same food same staff same race cars just cost me more money its now not worth it

@lackcerebro 2 ай бұрын

it's a shame that the BTCC appears to be in a downward trend. never knew that i'd be in the minority on this, but last year was the most engaged in british touring cars i've ever been, going to my first meet in Thruxton and my second at Silverstone national. sincerely hope it gets better because the racing is still bloody brilliant despite the best efforts of the hybrid "ballast"

@kayto101racer 2 ай бұрын

I think the main issue with the number of cars is how many are being ran by a team. WSR and Napa are running four, as is now speedworks. And when you're asking 800k for a drive. The quality drivers won't pay up knowing that the Fords will have an advantage. So you get pay drivers to fill the void. If it is going FWD only. They'd be better to cut their losses and adopt the TCR regs. Yes it would lose the uniqueness of the cars. But the cars aren't a million miles away from one another. And it would cut costs too.

@donnypopovski7251 2 ай бұрын

You've had a crack at the class points system. But there's merit in it. It allows a wider range of cars to go for the championship and can reduce costs. With varying engine/power sources nowadays, you could have a good series with it now.

@bryanbrush2202 2 ай бұрын

Motor sport works when there is a narative to follow, like s soap opera. Plato vs. Neal or Max vs. Ham, for example. Whatever side you root for, it makes for dedicated viewing rather than the casual 8 minute summary catchups on YT.

@Wearenotreallyhere 2 ай бұрын

It’s the same with all motorsport sadly, the world is changing and we are not just being priced out of motorsport we’re being stigmatised out slowly but surely.

@GeneralCodeBlue 27 күн бұрын

Surprised the rise lf TCR regulations wasnt mentioned. Wouldn't be surprised to see a move towards those cars being used to replace the NGTC cars

@RantingBrummie 2 ай бұрын

The series needs new blood at the top. Alan Gow has been in charge of the series for a very long time and whilst he has done some good in reinventing the BTCC in times of crisis, it's his approach that has lead to the 'boom and bust' cycles that have happened in the past and what seems to be happening now. WRC is ditching Hybrid, maybe the BTCC needs to do the same.

@philllawrence1580 2 ай бұрын

1.7k!!!!! It's so close #Moreno

@eamonahern7495 2 ай бұрын

The thoughts I thought about the thing at the start were not the same as the thoughts I thought about the thing at the end. I was going to comment one thing early on but decided to hold off 'til the end to hear your opinion first. You covered pretty much everything I was thinking. I think quality over quantity will give the best value for money if the registration fee stays affordable by motor racing standards. But I think there will be a few fans who'll throw their toys out of the pram over grid reduction without thinking of the bigger picture because it's becoming "too elitist" no matter how well the BTCC deals with it.

@patwilliam543 2 ай бұрын

Yeah I used to love it basically pre 2020, went to multiple races per year. But if I’m honest BTCC hasn’t even been a thought in my mind this year until I saw this video.

@barneyward6448 2 ай бұрын

To be honest, it seems like all the things about British Touring Cars that made it so special and memorable in the first place seem to have been erased over the years. The harshly strict rules on track limits and even the slightest bit of contact which is what fans loved about the series, and also the Hybrid system to me has erased a lot of that unpredictability factor as well. As much as I enjoyed 2022 and being at both Brands Hatch meetings including the season finale to see Ingram finally win the title, I could only watch the first 2 or 3 rounds of 2023 before I fell out from the series, and I barely have much interest in watching any of it in 2024. Which is something I feel bad about doing as I loved Touring cars since I was a kid, but the way I feel about it now is similarly how I feel about F1, and I've fallen out of love a lot with F1 in the past year or so as well.

@AidanMillward 2 ай бұрын

I watched more F4 last year.

@barneyward6448 2 ай бұрын

@@AidanMillward Ah! I do find quite funny that the support series' can put on better racing than the supposed main draw for the crowds.

@adammoore4940 2 ай бұрын

similar to me, watched btcc without fail on tv as a kid in the 90s , and attended some races over the years but had been losing interest in last few seasons to not watching at all last year.

@AidanMillward 2 ай бұрын

@@adammoore4940 I might go to Donny this season to say I’ve done it. Even better if one of my co facts can get me in the paddock.

@rkkozu 2 ай бұрын

the reason why i love bttc is that the cars look so diffirent from one to other. imagine if f1 went all cars all white (or other color). it will be similar to f2.

@PuffTM 2 ай бұрын

Kind of reminds me of MotoGP in the mid 2010’s, I haven’t seen much of anything about it since Valentino Rossi and Yamaha were dominating the championship in the 2000’s.

@seandp85 2 ай бұрын

Well you’re not missing anything now because it’s a Ducati domination show now.

@steruss9481 2 ай бұрын

Also Infinti have withdrawn from the UK market.

@ashliehiggins 2 ай бұрын

About 6 years ago now, but there's still Nissan, but I don't want a Puke or qumquat as a BTCC car, Renault doesn't have anything to offer either, so that's Renault Nissan alliance out.

@stefencooke2574 2 ай бұрын

@ashliehiggins there could you the Dacia name there have a car that should work for the btcc thinking my be the sandero

@maza19 2 ай бұрын

I think they should go back to no aero rules. More resemblance to the road car = more manufacturer interest. And 1992-94 BTCC was amazing

@jameskerry5581 2 ай бұрын

Under the NGT regs all the cars are actually the same chassis - just paneled up to look like different model / make cars ........ bring back the old days where teams actually build bespoke racing saloons i say!

@stevenrose86 2 ай бұрын

I remember going to Donington in the 90s. I supported Ford, My brother was Renault, my mum was Honda, my dad was Vauxhall, my uncle was Volvo and my Aunty was Peugeot. I don't think we will see a domestic race series like that again in Britain

@stevenrose86 2 ай бұрын

FWIW My dad had a Cavalier and my Uncle had a 240...

@user-vl5xo8og8s 2 ай бұрын

I’ve always loved all competitive motorsport and I always give any series a chance for me to enjoy. Even all electric, but this I just can’t enjoy, and I’ve really tried but it’s not for me. Rally cross I enjoy plus some motorcycle racing. I’m not just a supporter but for years have competed in various events including International events. I actually enjoy some grass roots racing as this is much more accessible for the amateur and very competitive. I hope all series overcome the problems they have. They do need to listen to spectators as well.

@bjarulez 2 ай бұрын

32 cars at croft gonna be tricky? 23 plus the support cars would be tricky anyway, that pit lane is tiny, as is knockhill

@TheCyberSalvager 2 ай бұрын

Interesting stuff. I got into the BTCC around about 2016 after watching F1 for many years (To be honest I was put off with F1 when the pundits and wider media went on about Lewis Hamilton as if he was the only one on the grid!). It's interesting what you say about the number of cars in the championship, but I guess it has it's ups and it's downs like many other things in life. I say that because as a Toyota fan I noticed the numbers of Toyota cars on the grid went down from 4 to 1, and after a few years it is going back up to 4 again (Albeit with two divisions of the same racing team), so I guess it's all swings and roundabouts for the teams and manufacturers. I also like to watch some of the support races at the events and it all adds to the entertainment, so lets see what that brings for this season.

@benthomas4430 2 ай бұрын

I think 24 to 26 cars is plenty, however, I do think it should be 3 car team max. Get the manufacturers back in. 6, 7 years ago there were 13 different manufacturers represented in the series. Last year there was half. I'm still not 100% convinced by hybrid either and think ballast should be brought back.

@spinmeister1245 2 ай бұрын

The reference to v8 superstars is just incredible, what a fantastic program it was

@AidanMillward 2 ай бұрын

Mark Skaife shouting over everyone else live.

@tturi2 2 ай бұрын

you could balance with hybrid, or both, so a team could choose to have more ballast and have more hybrid power or less ballast and less hybrid power and turn off p2p, i think they should if they havent already look at what other successful series do and emulate that, as i watch btcc and nascar and v8sc and dtm and imsa etcetera

@philipkalin1928 2 ай бұрын

Feeling THAT with F1 for a few years now.. strange races.. too many races, booring races… andretti. Etc

@johniksushibar165 2 ай бұрын

i used to watch various forms of motorsport, 2 und 4 wheeled, and take part in clubman racing (MGOC) slowly the fun element drained away and left us with the corporate "we". i havnt watched anything for a couple of years now and i doubt i will be visiting a track any time soon....unless it,s a trackday at Coombe.

@wobbler6372 2 ай бұрын

Cost's and support races. Losing clio cup was a big loss . I can't see it surviving being honest . The only thing keeping it going is itv coverage

@murphybrown7445 2 ай бұрын

Compared to the hybrid systems of today, most of the old tech is quite easily reproduced, why then are so many of them still raced by private owners today? My point is that the drivers settled the championship on the track (unlike F1) and thats why to this day its still a legendary era. Warts and all its still the reason why people "aren't feeling" current racing series...not much to argue about here...

@touringolem9657 2 ай бұрын

This is interesting. For the first year in ages I didn't watch any btcc last year. Something wasn't right. Until then I had watched the full day not just the btcc.

@tommytoofar 2 ай бұрын

Also see under WRC

@paulmaxey6377 2 ай бұрын

Just a bit an enquiry, could they just bring the racing closer and less predictable by doing it on engine revs allowed like they do in some motorcycle classes? So allow more revs for the ones at the back and reduce the revs for the fastest. I know it is a bit artificial but so is adding weight to the front runners. You could even do both revs and weight and so no-one fiddles it review it every say 3 meetings and adjust it as needed.

@OsellaSquadraCorse 2 ай бұрын

IIRC the WTCC used to have that system as well in the S2000 days.

@lookitsdivadan 2 ай бұрын

I love tcr, if btcc used tcr cars then you *could* get more entries, you could get wildcards and it wtcr came over we might be able to have some uk drivers wildcard enter that

@ianelliott229 2 ай бұрын

OMG! Is your whole life consumed by motor racing? I’m not knocking it. A great source of analysis. Keep it up!

@AidanMillward 2 ай бұрын

Only three days a week. The other four I do anything but racing related stuff.

@neilbowers6956 2 ай бұрын

I used to go to Snetterton every year. But, last year and this year I didn't and wont be either. It's just not the same anymore and it's become very expensive.

@jayd2517 2 ай бұрын

Having been though the downturn in the dying days of the supertouring era I am definitely getting a bad feeling. If the grid drops much further I can see them adding a TCR class. On the subject of TCR, I am seeing lots of entries being announced for the TCR UK series.

@Tannim07 2 ай бұрын

Have to say I only watched the first race last season, could see where it was going with Sutton dominating and I have no interest in that. Taking away the ballast was a huge mistake as the Hybrid thing doesn't level the playing field at all. The lack of cars isn't necessarily a bad thing the lack of competition is imo.

@champmegahorse 2 ай бұрын

I’d be disappointed if the series didn’t have 28 cars - if it only gets 23/24 going forward, there might need to be a points system change. I used to love the privateer entries like Dave Pinkney and Bob Berridge more than the main drivers; it’s a shame that running costs are so high today and therefore deterring more entries.

@DaleSteel Ай бұрын

I use to sponsor rob austin a couple seasons through my company. I always remember Gowe matching down pitlane giving me a bolloking for having my 5 year old in pit lane. LOL. I didnt argue back he was 100% right pretty dangerous lol

@samuelgarrod8327 2 ай бұрын

I haven't followed it for about 10 years, I've tried but it just doesn't mash my spuds anymore.

@scsmith4604 2 ай бұрын

Without knowing a lot about this series it looks like the GT World Challenge to me which I enjoy. How can I watch this series in the US?

@scsutton1 2 ай бұрын

I'm not saying I'm falling out of favour, but I'm looking at going to the Women's FA Cup Final on the same day as the Brands Hatch Indy.

@AidanMillward 2 ай бұрын

Been to several England women’s games and they’re great to watch. So this is a perfectly reasonable comment.

@scsutton1 2 ай бұрын

@@AidanMillwardAlso, it's the last chance I may get to see an Emma Hayes Chelsea side win some silverware, so there is that.

@T_Mo271 2 ай бұрын

If you want manufacturers, and if all-electric is off the table, then you have to go hybrid.

@donQpublic 2 ай бұрын

I still like the TCR and TC formula’s here in the US.

@gwcrispi 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, but I want my BHA Hyundais to have someone to race other than Honda and independents.

@runawayplane6166 2 ай бұрын

For me, having a colourful grid makes a bit difference, visually. Most of the current cars a painted black and it gives it that ‘all looks the same’ vibes.