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Everyone ready for btcc 2008

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
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Another not yet confirmed is Adam Jones who ran the Toledo last year with Team AirCool and GR Asia support. It's possible he might run a Leon this year and GR Asia may look to enter a second Leon too. But as yet this is just rumour and nothing is confirmed.

Motorbase have not yet sold the Toledo's - but another team or privateers maybe looking at them.

There are still rumours that the ageing MG's may still make an appearance, but Kartworld would be much better investing in newer machinery.

Potentially the BTCC are expecting a maximum grid in 2008 of 32 cars. Whether that will happen or not we'll have to see, but the grid will be healthy.
 

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
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Nope no idea as yet. Motorbase obviously decided to go with customer BMW's instead.

SEAT still have yet to confirm whether they'll run the TDI's in 2008. Unless they have some new petrol engine up their sleeve with more grunt!! Without TDI powered Leon's they will be on the backfoot I fear.
 

F2 Stu

I. Am. Legend.
Oct 4, 2001
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Crawley, UK
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The strength and reliability of the engines of the leons was cited as reason for not opting for the Leons as well as aqquiring spares for the toledos proved difficult as they needed substantial repairs after each meeting.

No serious interest in the toledos as yet
 

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
27,787
33
Clanfield, UK
Nope no idea as yet. Motorbase obviously decided to go with customer BMW's instead.

SEAT still have yet to confirm whether they'll run the TDI's in 2008. Unless they have some new petrol engine up their sleeve with more grunt!! Without TDI powered Leon's they will be on the backfoot I fear.

I'll put my neck out here

if they make no changes from the 2006 spec of the car, they may as well not bother.

888 developed the car over the year, making various changes - and the performance change was marked.
 
Jul 17, 2004
1,829
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West Lothian
Has there been much that they've been able to change on the BTCC Leon, given that most of the mods to WTCC car are special dispensations like the flat floor and the higher compression engine? The only visible change I've noticed was when the 2006 spec front splitter was fitted mid 2006 on the BTCC car.

It's a shame that there aren't more Leons in the BTCC in private hands, but then again SEAT Sport are busy running a race team in Spain, as well as building cars, so don't have the time to devote to a customer car programme. Not like BMW who have a separate facility manufacturing the kits, then have race teams to run all the cars for them.
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
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Another not yet confirmed is Adam Jones who ran the Toledo last year with Team AirCool and GR Asia support. It's possible he might run a Leon this year and GR Asia may look to enter a second Leon too. But as yet this is just rumour and nothing is confirmed.

A second Leon?

Am I right in thinking one is Emmett O'Brien ran till Anderstorp, which Gavin Smith, and at the season finale by Rob Collard, ran and the other is possibly one from the WTCC possibly, Sadredinov's or Krylov's??

Or is it one that SEAT has sold or will sell to GR?
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
369
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Who thinks that the gaps of the races are to long?

How do you mean? Don't you mean the gaps "between" the races?

Because I would agree with that. Though theirs a lot of TOCA support races they aren't as exciting as the BTCC.
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
369
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Say, who do you think will spring the biggest suprise on our favourite team?

I see it being Team Eurotech. I was lucky enough back in October to find in the book department of a Marie Curie charity shop in Ulverston in Cumbria, in the basement, BTCC book from back in 1997 which was put away for Christmas. It says the very team behind the engine in BMW M3 of VLR who had Wil Hoy and Ray Bellam as their drivers back in 1991 was Team Eurotech. At the time VLR's drivers were apparently as good as those at the Prodrive run works beemers.

I really don't know whether that has any bearing on their current good success but I cannot help but think their time in the BTCC in 1991 and what they did to the engines in the VLR BMW M3's certainly has helped.
 

Boy

270 BHP WOW
Oct 11, 2007
109
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Somewhere
Say, who do you think will spring the biggest suprise on our favourite team?

I see it being Team Eurotech. I was lucky enough back in October to find in the book department of a Marie Curie charity shop in Ulverston in Cumbria, in the basement, BTCC book from back in 1997 which was put away for Christmas. It says the very team behind the engine in BMW M3 of VLR who had Wil Hoy and Ray Bellam as their drivers back in 1991 was Team Eurotech. At the time VLR's drivers were apparently as good as those at the Prodrive run works beemers.

I really don't know whether that has any bearing on their current good success but I cannot help but think their time in the BTCC in 1991 and what they did to the engines in the VLR BMW M3's certainly has helped.

Not sure
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
369
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7 - Honda
4 - Vauxhall
2 - SEAT
2 - Chevrolet

Does anyone find that a little sad? The under-representation of the manufacturer in the BTCC. Mainly for the manufacturer really more than the thrill of seeing other SEAT's in the field which are not all the time a SSUK Leon. Though it made me happy to see GR Asia for the final few meetings last year.

I mean I heard either on the teams main website or on crash.net Jase' saying something like the team or manufacturer is in the BTCC to sell cars.

If the sales of SEAT's via the BTCC stretches to independent entries then the fact theirs so far no Independent entries running SEAT's is not good.
 

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
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Cheshire
www.seatcupra.net
No point running extra cars if your stretching yourself too thinly and harming your championship though.

Early days anyway, lets see how things pan put over the next couple of months. Autosport later this week, and then the BTCC media day in mid March. We will all get a much clearer picture of what is going on by then.

Adam Jones is still to confirm his entry, and after a successful season in the Toledo, I'd like to see him in a Leon in 2008. This obviously depends if he is poached by one of the other teams such as Team RAC.

Surprises me that the Toledo's haven't sold to an independent/privateer, Jonesy proved they are still front running cars. Much better than some of the aging BTC spec machinery, and also seem to work far better than the Alfa's.

SEAT Sport are of course still to confirm whether they will run TDi's. Whether they have put the existing Leon's up for sale or have simply had them converted is still to be confirmed.

When they say sell cars, they mean road cars! Whether you have 2 or 12 cars on the grid at a racetrack, the aim of a manufacturer is to sell cars in a showroom. Race on a Sunday! Sell on a Monday! Having more or less entries makes little difference in my opinion, if you win races then your getting your point across.
 
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