Team halfords indy or not

[WSRfan82]

hi guys

right can some one help me.

ive been having a discussion with my dad about team halfords status over the 2007 championship regerding independent teams. im a lilttle confused over why team halfords (classed as a indy team) were not alowed to compete for the indy teams championship and neal and sheddon were not alowed to compete in the indy drivers championship yet were alowed to compete in the over all drivers and teams championships.

[nicemms]

They are not indy due to the fact that Honda give them a bit of financial support, which makes them ineligible for the indy. However they don't give enough support - technical and financial for them to be a works team.

[WSRfan82]

if the team are not indy or works what are they? i thought there were only two classes.

what rules are the team(team halfords), neal and sheddon driving under and if it is not clear what rules there are driving under how do they make their driving decisions.

[Iain]

Suppose you could call them semi-works, if you're looking for a term for their status.

[Dave Clark]

Yes, it seems a silly status to be in but same as the RouseSport Nissan Primeras of 1996 - they had support from Nissan, but were not entered as manufacturers but got too much support from Nissan to enter as Privateers.

In all they could only challenge for overall drivers and teams championships.

I would have thought that Team Dynamics will change that for 2008 though as they would have easily have been Independent Champions again for 2007 if they were registered.

[tin-top fan]

Didn't it come down to the fact that Team Halfords recieved more help to run civics than other teams would have (in terms of Honda helping them out), which meant they could no longer be an independant team. Without Honda paying the manufacturer entry fee though, they couldn't enter the manufacturers championship.....

[CroftPilgrim]

Didn't it come down to the fact that Team Halfords recieved more help to run civics than other teams would have (in terms of Honda helping them out), which meant they could no longer be an independant team. Without Honda paying the manufacturer entry fee though, they couldn't enter the manufacturers championship.....

That is exactly the situation. Team Halfords received significant support from Honda to help them build the Civic, of a quantitiy that meant it would be unfair to consider them an independant entry. However, to be offically classed as a works team, Honda had to pay the appropriate entry fee, which they didn't.

I'm not sure of the nature of this support, but it might not have been just financial.

Alan Gow explained this on the official BTCC forum earlier in the year I believe.

[WSRfan82]

well if they were not an indy team nor a works team why were they racing

[LiamM]

They were racing cos that what they do - Sponsors have given them their money to do so, and they still had championships to fight for! Its only like McLaren atm, they aren't eligble for the Constructors championship but they still go racing

It was announced way back in January that TD would be an official Honda entry this year, it seems they got cold feet and withdrew their money, leaving TD in a bit of limbo

[Iain]

well if they were not an indy team nor a works team why were they racing

To win the drivers and teams championships.

[m0rk]

The team received too much backing from Honda to be independant. However Honda didn't pay the (low) fee to register for manufacturers points

Hence no feet in either camp

[ATF]

Is the manufacturers championship more prestigious to win than the teams title? It seems strange how the BTCC has two similar titles - F1 doesn't have a constructors and an engine championship!

Also, if SEAT won the teams title (against all the works AND independent teams), then surely - in theory - they should have beaten Vauxhall in the manufacturers championship?! And the Honda Integra was the best touring car in 2005-06,yet Vauxhall won the manufacturers championship!

[m0rk]

Also, if SEAT won the teams title (against all the works AND independent teams), then surely - in theory - they should have beaten Vauxhall in the manufacturers championship?! And the Honda Integra was the best touring car in 2005-06,yet Vauxhall won the manufacturers championship!

Everyone can win team points, but only 4 cars could win manufacturers points this year

[ATF]

Everyone can win team points, but only 4 cars could win manufacturers points this year

I understand how the points are scored, I just don't understand the logic.

If SEAT finish 1-2 and Vauxhall finish 9-10, they would get 27 and 3 points in the teams championship - but 27 and 18 in the manufacturers championship. Surely that makes the manufacturers championship a bit less meaningful?

[m0rk]

Surely that makes the manufacturers championship a bit less meaningful?

that's one opinion........ just make sure you finish (in any position) and score points

[WSRfan82]

if there not indy why are thay classed as indy on this website