WTCC

[vr4red]

WTCC, as with all other sport, is about entertainment and enjoyment. We all have our own views but as long as the end result is fun surely that is important. I would not wish bad luck to anyone who is competing in this competition no matter what they drive or who they are. My main support will be for a UK driver, and Andy Priaulx has done a marvellous job in recent years, but seeing BMW win does not give me personally much enjoyment. Maybe JT can arrive late but still challenge for the title!?

[SEATFreak]

Couldn't agree more about Lada. I was chilling out having a coffee and reading my Touring Car book that I got for Christmas which was bought at a Marie Curie charity shop in Ulverston in Cumbria when I was on holiday late last year and quite a few things new to me really surprised me about the early years of the Super Touring era.

I was totally shocked when I heard Vic Lee had spend time for drug smugggling btw, but back to racing matters and I was more pleasantly surprised at what was happening as a result of this new era.
For instance the RML Ecosse Cavaliers apparently were as good as the works ones despite working on a fraction of the budget. One thing that stuck out was Andy Rouse's Carina. Forgetting about the likely numerous differences between the Lads WTCC cars and Andy Rouse's BTCC Carini from the early 90's Andy was able to finish third in a car with no racing pedigree. Though, despite being on the better Yokohama tires (which were apparently as good as the Dunlops at that time), it wasn't as agile it seems as the M3's or the Cavalier. Then theirs the Independently run Carina of Lee Brookes who in 1996 won the Total Cup. OK the competition was poor with only James Kaye as a serious rival but it to also did well for a car with no real pedigree.

I hope the Lada can do something similar. I also hope what I just said wasn't a load of bollocks and down will come the usual torrent!

[Rover V8]

For instance the RML Ecosse Cavaliers apparently were as good as the works ones despite working on a fraction of the budget. One thing that stuck out was Andy Rouse's Carina. Forgetting about the likely numerous differences between the Lads WTCC cars and Andy Rouse's BTCC Carini from the early 90's Andy was able to finish third in a car with no racing pedigree. Though, despite being on the better Yokohama tires (which were apparently as good as the Dunlops at that time), it wasn't as agile it seems as the M3's or the Cavalier. Then theirs the Independently run Carina of Lee Brookes who in 1996 won the Total Cup. OK the competition was poor with only James Kaye as a serious rival but it to also did well for a car with no real pedigree.

I hope the Lada can do something similar. I also hope what I just said wasn't a load of bollocks and down will come the usual torrent!

It comes down very much to who's developing and preparing the car, and whether they've got the budget to do the job properly. Those original Rouse Carinas were always going to be quick because they had a good team developing them, and Rouse had the money to do the job properly. Similarly, that Lee Brookes Carina in the '96 Total Cup will have benefited from the development on the Carina E that TOM'S GB had done as Toyota's factory-backed team from 1993-5- in fact that model was raced elsewhere, including Japan, so was a long way from lacking in pedigree, although it never had great success

If you had a proper budget and a team like RML to develop and run it, I'm pretty sure the Lada- or any other mid-size 2-litre saloon/hatch, even with no motorsport pedigree, could be made into at least a reasonable midfield contender

[kmchow]

For instance the RML Ecosse Cavaliers apparently were as good as the works ones despite working on a fraction of the budget.

Just to clarify, were the Ecosse Cavaliers developed totally independent from the factory? Or were they just running and further developing last year's spec cars?

It's a shame we never got to see how Rouse's Toyota Corolla would stacked up against the Works ST cars.

[SEATFreak]

Just to clarify, were the Ecosse Cavaliers developed totally independent from the factory? Or were they just running and further developing last year's spec cars?

It's a shame we never got to see how Rouse's Toyota Corolla would stacked up against the Works ST cars.

Looks like they had support from the factory.

This comes from the book about "Vauxhall Sport":

"Ray Mallock's RML form became involved in 1993 when, with more support from Vauxhall, Leslie (David Leslie) took three pole positions and a victory at Thruxton. RML tendered for the works' contract and built four cars for the BTCC and another for a Japanese customer"

Another piece states:

"After the Cavalier's championship success for John Cleland, Vauxhall moved on to the Vectra for 1996. RML was in charge of the Vauxhall Sport programme for the third year running...."

[LiamM]

I was totally shocked when I heard Vic Lee had spend time for drug smugggling btw

Currently, Vic Lee is again spending 12 years at her majestys pleasure, for yes you guessed it, drugs smuggling

[Iain]

Just to clarify, were the Ecosse Cavaliers developed totally independent from the factory? Or were they just running and further developing last year's spec cars?

In 1992, they ran ex-Dave Cook Racing Services (DCRS) cars. For 1993, they built and developed their own cars, featuring the clever column gearchange system.

[Yannis]

The Championship of 2008 seems to be very interesting. Today Seat made it well, Chevrolet is competitive and BMW is BMW. Let's see tomorrow!

[SEATFreak]

The Championship of 2008 seems to be very interesting. Today Seat made it well, Chevrolet is competitive and BMW is BMW. Let's see tomorrow!

Yeah. Three SEAT's are in the top 4 for today's opening first race. Augusto Farfus is the only non SEAT achieving third. Yvan is the SEAT runner on pole with Rikard in second and in fourth Gabriele. Nicola the fastest of the Chevy's in fifth. Augusto's teammate at BMW Jorg Muller claimed the sixth spot.

[philipbain]

I think going on current form we will see the BMW diesel debut at the start of the european season unless the FIA make some changes to equalise things.