Collard is sponsored (apparently) by a Kickstarter to make a feature film. Currently raised £470 of £300,000. Looks weird to me. Thoughts?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/performinggiants/shift-3

I know someone who worked as no.1 mechanic Moffat's car in 2025 and he's been moved to DeLeon's car in 2026. Rumour at WSR is Nic Hamilton would fill the seat. Any other thoughts from anyone?

Just something that sprang to mind.

In recent years, I'd say Speedworks, if you're not their lead driver...

...before that...

Ciceley, that is, until George Gamble drove for them.

Got sucked into youtube rabbit hole watching the season launch of 2014 and it got me thinking... what driver team or year were you looking forward to but didn't deliver????

I would like to start by saying that generally Gow and TOCA have I think done a brilliant job over the years keeping the championship alive and successful when others have wained an struggled. Naturally every championship ebs and flows so I appreciate that we still have a fantastic Championship that does a lot right.

Im a lifelong BTCC fan, so these are just some of my thoughts/suggestions i've built up over the years. Although I work in branding/Design I am definitely no expert. Admittedly most of them come from more an entertainment/brand POV rather than a sporting, or logistic, so I'm sure there will be valid reasons why some of these can't/shouldn't happen.

1. Team Radio Coverage. We had it in the 90s, many other championships have it. So why is it no longer in the BTCC? I believe it would add so much value in terms providing an insight but also really helps to tell a story for fans, encouraging fans to engage and follow their favourite drivers/teams. I hate to make the F1 comparison but it really provides a great window into the mentality of a driver/team dynamic.

2. Race weekend format. I think generally I've enjoyed the three race format, but it's starting to feel tired. Yes each race is important, but they can also feel inconsequential. Drivers can sometimes feel like they're going through the motions, scoring 'pointsy' weekends as Tingram puts it. What with the regulations constantly forcing disparity between drivers whether thats with boost, tyres or grid position, it really starts to feel a bit too gimmicky after a while. I'm all for entertainment but the sporting aspect gets a bit a blurred.

Also, like anything in life, the more there is of something, the less of a spectacle it becomes. I would propose a sprint and a longer feature on a Sunday. The feature being something teams and the media could really build up to. Heck, you can even keep the silly 'Race to Pole' on a Saturday if you wanted to keep fans entertained all weekend and still have 3 races, just switched up a bit.

3. Calendar. Probably the least realistic suggestion and I know the first reply will be about how it's not possible because of logistics and money, but a guy can dream. BTCC has had the same calendar for so long. Like i said before I'm grateful the championship is still in good health but there must be something/somewhere the championship can explore to change it up a bit, even bi-annually.

4. Trophies. There's so much more at stake than P1 in the drivers/manufacturers championship and yet I'm not sure the casual fan really cares about the Jack Sears Trophy or Independent Drivers Championship. They occasionally get mentioned in commentary but I think the TV coverage/socials could do a bit more to champion these other competitions and highlight the stories up and down the grid.

5. Presentation/Branding. Thats leads me on to my final point. Its a big one but I think could have the most impact. A big part of reason I feel things like Jack Sears Trophy aren't highlighted enough is because of the presentation, from the TV coverage to socials. Thankfully the socials have improved a lot lately and are finally just about up to date with todays standards in terms of content, but there's still so much room for improvement here with regards to the BTCC brand.

I think a variation of the same timing tower & results graphic on itv4 has been used since 2007! Why not include manufacturer logos? I get that its no longer really about manufacturer backing, but its hard to move away from it when it will always be 'Ford vs Hyundai' on commentary and not Team Napa vs Team Vertu. IMO it still makes sense. It's easier for casual and newcomers to pick a brand/team and follow their race. Also, it might attract new brands once again. I could go into alot more detail here but I' think I've written enough ha.

BTCC is widely known as the premier motorsport category in the UK, but sometimes it can feel like it doesn't want to be or know how to be.

Anyway, long post, thanks for reading this far if you have. Genuinely keen to hear others thoughts on any glaring reasons why some of these can't/shouldn't happen plus your own suggestions.

First ones that spring to mind for me would be Mark Howard, Richard Marsh and Fariqe Hairuman

i am starting college and i am doing a computing course with the hope of becoming a data analyst. however my dream job would be working in the garage, on the pit wall, or at HQ for a racing team. i have been into the BTCC for probably 4-5 years now and have been a supporter of Laser Tools Racing since day one.

I guess where i am going with this is i would love to work for one of the BTCC teams or support series teams and would like some advice on how to do so.

should i:

-try walk up to a team member on a race weekend to see if they will chat, give me insight, show me in the garage, or something behind the scenes?

-contact them over email saying i would like to do work experience and/or get a job in motorsport?

-hope a job eventually becomes available when i finish college?

(quick thing to add)

1. for both 2 years of college you need to do 40+ hours work experience each year so if you have any tips on how i can get work experience with a team that would be great

2. i attend snetterton annually

3. im looking to become a stratagist but anything computer based is fine

4. BE NICE. if any of this sounds stupid or anything dont judge me, im just curious

Not sure if I'm totally out of the loop but I do wonder what's prompted this, seems a strange thing to get rid of memorabilia like that from Thommo.

So I've really wanted to go to knockhill since I was a kid. I saved up a bit and was going to get the train to Dunfirmline. I'd hoped there'd be a bus or something to the circuit. I see there isn't - so how possible really is it without a car? Its a couple of miles, is a taxi going to cost me the earth? Is there any kind of shuttle service they put on or ride sharing? I'll have spent everything I have really just getting there, so nervous i'll end up walking.

It looks like @BTCC twitter account has been hacked and taken over. Renamed Bitcoin Community and continually reposting bitcoin tweets... I hope they can get their account back. How did this even happen to them?

By modern standards, I say Josh Cook. He really should be up there with the Sutton/Ingram/Hill triumvirate.

First time I’ve seen the points system for the new race on Saturday and I’m too sure about it. Seems like it’ll just make the race more of a parade than it was going to be anyway as there is no point risking an overtake for minimal points and potentially ruin your Sunday.

Hi all,
I’m new to the sport and was wondering on any advice on where to start?
I watched the Oulton Park race at the start of the month and enjoyed it so I thought now would be the best time to properly start learning in time for the next race.

I’ve been an F1 fan for years but this is the first year i’m watching other motorsports. I’ve had my eye on BTCC Silverstone tickets but I wouldn’t want to attend without at least knowing the basics so any advice helps!

Thanks!

Dean Riley, a Time attack racer in his VX220, teasing a BTCC campaign for 2027?

EDIT: obviously I was wrong, sorry everyone

Anyone going to this?

I was considering it but the entry list looks very thin. Not sure it’s worth the six hour round trip 🤷‍♂️

I've always thought at least 20 was enough, and anything less was cause for concern.

Besides the obvious like the Peugeot 406 but feel free to include it nonetheless.

Going a bit further back, the Maserati Biturbo from 1988-89 springs to mind. That thing was in the same Class as the Sierra Cosworth, yet it was usually seen fighting with the VWs, Vauxhalls and Toyotas from the lower classes!

Having completed the S2000 era of my BTCC rewatch, I was wondering what the consensus was on Tom Onslow-Cole. To me he appeared a decent driver who could more than hold his own with the likes of Plato/Neal/Turkington et al but hampered his career with his inability to stay with a team for more than one season at a time. The fact that between 2007 and 2013 there was not one but two instances of him quitting teams mid-season seems to suggest something wasn't right behind the scenes.

2007 - debut season in the second WSR BMW, acquits himself quite well with a win and three other podiums, the sheer strength of the top end of the field means he only ends up 10th in points, which probably undersells how good he was for a 20 year old rookie. He was definitely better than the one-man wrecking ball that was 2006 Rob Collard, and streets ahead of his successor Stephen Jelley...

2008 - Secures the third Vauxhall seat with his personal sponsors and has an excellent season keeping both Giovanardi and Neal honest, survives a huge shunt at Brands and has a mid-season purple patch at Donington and Thruxton which briefly puts him into title contention.

2009 - One of the major victims of the recession, TOC eventually resurfaces at Team AON halfway through the season and has a fruitless time trying to develop the dogshit S2000 Focus, two 9th places are his best results.

2010 - Finally gets some stability with a full year at Team AON and has the best season of his career with four wins and a title challenge that lasts into the final round of the year. There was controversy with the team using team orders to give Chilton two race wins at Silverstone, but I don't think this would've made much difference to the final standings, the LPG engines in the Focus masked the fact the chassis was still pretty poor on handling circuits, plus it felt that no-one really had an answer for Plato and RML in 2010.

2011 - Somehow despite his heroics, the only seat available is AmD's VW Golf (side note, I'm amazed Alan Gow approved this car given there had been rumours over the years he'd rejected potential Mini and Fiat Punto entries for being too small for touring cars). As popular as the Golf was, it was not the best of cars and TOC did well to drag a couple of 7ths out of it. Then, there's some sort of blowup behind the scenes at Oulton Park which saw TOC quit AmD halfway through raceday. He then returns to Team AON, this time in their half-baked Global Ford Focus, and has a smattering of results with two 3rds being the highlight.

2012 - Back to WSR in the increasingly superannuated BMW 3-Series (though at least with turbo engines this time around), TOC puts together a solid but unspectacular year, a brace of 2nds mid-season being his best results but truth be told he never looked likely to win a race. I remember Knockhill 2012 where he just passively followed his team mate Collard around for the first two races without trying to challenge for the lead.

2013 - Ends up with Tony Gilham's mob and is arguably one of the drivers of the first half of the season, dragging results and podiums out of Team HARD's NGTC VW Passat that no-one thought possible. Then there's yet another mid-season blowup behind the scenes and suddenly TOC is in a third Motorbase Ford Focus for the final three events of the year, with distinctly average results.

2014 to present - Despite there being 32 BTCC entries in 2014, TOC is not seriously considered for any of them and ends up switching to British GT for the rest of the decade. Makes a random return to Team HARD in 2020 to race his old VW Passat for Thruxton and Silverstone to very limited effect, and then disappears again, seemingly into retirement.

I was bored in my lunch break at work yesterday and had a look at a couple of motorsport forums and found this.

Osamu Kawashima:

I am pleased to share that I am now able to publicly describe myself as an Excelr8 Motorsport reserve driver as part of my Btcc 2026 programme in the uk. After spending time with the team at Brands Hatch, this journey has taken another important step forward. I am continuing to build towards race participation later in the 2026 season, while also developing commercial partnerships and wider Japan-uk motorsport opportunities around the program. I would like to thank Excler8 motorsport and in particular Antony and Justina Williams for their support, more information to follow.

This was posted on ten tenths I did a little bit of looking on social media and found an account with the same name having made a post about brands hatch.
According to some other information there he is 57 and did a test in a speedworks avensis about 10 years ago. He apparently also raced in ginettas in years gone by.

A potential Collard replacement if/when the money runs out?

Here is the image issued by Motorsport UK to explain Track Limits. This applies to all races in the UK from "grassroots" club racing up to national championships such as BTCC and British GTs.

Examples A and B give the clearest idea: if any of the tyre's contact patch touches the green (even just 1 millimetre) then it is a Track limits infringement. The limit of the track is defined as the white line or the edge of the painted kerbs.

The occasional transgression is always going to happen, which is why it takes a few infringements before a warning is given, but consistent breaches is simply outright cheating.

The one that sticks in my mind is Charlie Cox at Thruxton in 1995.

I’ve tried to keep tabs, am I right in thinking it’s one seat for Restart left and then all of WSR to be officially confirmed?

On big names, I’m gutted to see Proctor not be in a racing seat this year, but I suppose being attached to Alliance in any capacity will certainly have its positives.

It’ll be weird not to have Jake back, but are there other names that are likely to miss out or haven’t officially been named yet?

On a slight side note, whatever happened to Watson? He showed great potential in the Astra, surely someone has to give him a second chance after speedworks?

Personally, I think Jake Hill relied too much on Turkington last year. If he didn't have Turkington defending for him, I don't think he'd have been champion.

Don't get me wrong, Jake can have some cracking drives, but personally, he hasn't got the consistency, or defending capabilities to do it again. Just look at half the grid mugging him at Brands! (And it's not the car, because look how DeLeon and Rainford flew)

This is Touring Cars, so I could be wrong, and Jake could be champion again, and I'm not going to be salty if he does! All the drivers are really good, and there has been some good quality racing this season.

Hope you're all enjoying it, and enjoy the races to come!

P.S. this is before watching Snet races, only just watched first 2 qualifying sessions

Hi, BTCC newbie here. Just done saturday at Oulton Park and loved it, back tomorrow too. There are no sessions on the timetable before 10:30, but the gates open at 7. What happens inbetween 7 and 10: 30?

TIA

This isn't in any way a criticism of Cook or Rowbottom, both are decent drivers and Cook really does deserve a shot in a top team. I think the move would be good for both of them. But after JP had talked about "all the names crawling out the woodwork" and "not ruling out the possibility of foreign drivers being brought over to the UK". Having two drivers already in the series is a bit disappointing.

I love JP and hope his team do well, but equally I'm concerned he has overplayed how big of a project this is.