SEAT pulls out of BTCC at end of year! Not a joke!

[BDunnell]

Dear god..... this proves nothing. I somehow doubt any of these people would have beaten Menu on a good day with them both being in Laguna's.

That's such a hypothetical point as to be absurd.

If the BTCC was so great as people are suggesting then why is Seat pulling out? Why not pull out of the WTCC. Surely it's better to compete in a "world class competition where the transport costs aren't so high?

You clearly don't understand marketing. Which is better — to be able to publicise victory in a world championship or a British championship?

Racing like this just doesn't happen anymore.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXkWU...eature=related

And it didn't happen every weekend back then, either. It was a one-off — that's why it was so wonderful and exceptional. I got pretty much the same excitement from watching the endless scrapping at Knockhill in 2004, Turkington beating Giovanardi at Donington in 2006, or Mike Jordan braving it out round the outside of Giovanardi at Croft this year.

Even 5 years ago people on this forum used to go ga-ga for it and people used to religiously go to each round and meet up with other forum people and there was a whole social thing around it.

Who cares about that when the crowds and TV viewing figures are bigger than they were five years ago?

I don't like success ballast and reverse grids either, but what I love most of all is competitive, exciting motor racing, and I've seen it every time I've ever watched the BTCC in the last few years.

[Daniel]

Daniel quit trolling please.

You mean quit having an opinion?

If you go over to the WRC forum I've said the very same things. If I have an opinion and someone disagrees with it I have the right to justify my opinion. No one on the WRC forum tells me to stop trolling

In fact here's my latest "I hope the WRC dies soon" post

would love to see Subaru in the wtcc. Hopefully the WRC dies soon.

[MattL]

You mean quit having an opinion?

I think I'm going to go and check IPs to make sure you're not SEATFreak under a pseudonym!

If you haven't got anything constrcutive to say, then don't say it. You don't get a 10-post per day average without spouting an awful lot of crap!

[Daniel]

I think I'm going to go and check IPs to make sure you're not SEATFreak under a pseudonym!

If you haven't got anything constrcutive to say, then don't say it. You don't get a 10-post per day average without spouting an awful lot of crap!

Ha ha

You can check IP's all you want I just hope you don't find my duplicate account under the name of Caroline

[Daniel]

That's such a hypothetical point as to be absurd.

You clearly don't understand marketing. Which is better — to be able to publicise victory in a world championship or a British championship?

And it didn't happen every weekend back then, either. It was a one-off — that's why it was so wonderful and exceptional. I got pretty much the same excitement from watching the endless scrapping at Knockhill in 2004, Turkington beating Giovanardi at Donington in 2006, or Mike Jordan braving it out round the outside of Giovanardi at Croft this year.

Who cares about that when the crowds and TV viewing figures are bigger than they were five years ago?

I don't like success ballast and reverse grids either, but what I love most of all is competitive, exciting motor racing, and I've seen it every time I've ever watched the BTCC in the last few years.

Success ballast and reverse grids make for manufactured racing. Sure a lot of the big boys have to pass slower cars and there ends up being excitement. But it's fake and manufactured. It's like combining WWF/WWE with racing. I recall one F1 race at Suzuka (99?) where Michael had to go to the back of the grid because he stalled and fought his way through. It made for great viewing but it wasn't contrived because of sporting regs designed to penalise faster drivers/cars. This is not specific to the BTCC of course but for me it's the last nail in the coffin of the ever expanding list of reasons to not watch the BTCC.

[MBailey06]

Then don't watch it. Don't keep telling us whats wrong with it.

[Daniel]

Then don't watch it. Don't keep telling us whats wrong with it.

I generally don't watch it!

This is a thread about Seat leaving. I'm only saying in my opinion why Seat isn't getting a return on it's investment and is leaving the BTCC which is a valid point. This is a discussion forum and we discuss things here. If you don't want to hear anything bad I hear www.btccsycophantism.co.uk is available Why not buy the domain and start up a forum where no criticism of the BTCC is allowed and I promise not to bother you. That's not a dig or anything but if you come on a discussion forum and expect only positive things to be said about anything then you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.

The press release in the first post in this thread said this.

Now, with the brand’s image continuing to develop, SEAT UK is looking to broaden its appeal through its marketing strategy. The company will be utilising the resource that would otherwise have been used in British motorsport in areas that will continue to boost brand awareness and vehicle sales.

Which is just marketing speak for "We've poured millions into the BTCC and despite what some see as exciting and close racing" it's not providing us with value for money.

The problem is you have a works team (Seat) competing against and being sometimes by teams with names like Team RAC, Team Halfords and Motorbase Performance. Now what does it say about a Works team when a non works team beats them? Now I know it's not that simple because if not for reverse grids and success ballast the works teams would probably have a clearer gap to the team with less funding but from a marketing perspective it looks very bad. It's just like the GT2 class in GT racing. BMW unveiled their M3 GT2 earlier this year and Porsche and Ferrari aren't happy about it.

£50 M3 beating or even matching a £170+ Ferrari 430 is not what the Ferrari marketing people want and Seat don't want to spend countless millions just so they can have their bumpers chewed by drivers who aren't quite as accomplished as Jason and whose cars aren't without ballast equalisation as good as the cars which Seat pours millions into developing.

[BDunnell]

Whatever.

[VkmSpouge]

BTCC can still cut it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MZDdA4CQfo at 3mins 30 into the video I get sexually aroused! Five abreast around Church corner

Well that's that clip spoilt for me. I'll never be able to watch that clip again without thinking someone is being turned on by the racing :

[BDunnell]

That race only happened once.

BTCC can still cut it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MZDdA4CQfo at 3mins 30 into the video I get sexually aroused! Five abreast around Church corner

And who comes out on top? A (then) 49-year-old privateer, rather than one of the international superstars or some ex-F1 driver. Absolutely brilliant.