Failures

**Eurotech** · 17th January 2013, 20:07

John Batchelor in 2005 had some sort of plan with a Civic didn't he?

**BDunnell** · 17th January 2013, 21:27

Now here's a weird one. Wasn't there a report in 1998 that Jody Scheckter was considering a one-off outing for Vauxhall? I promise I'm not making this recollection up!

**cos** · 17th January 2013, 22:07

Originally Posted by Eurotech

John Batchelor in 2005 had some sort of plan with a Civic didn't he?

This one made it to the 2005 entry list - "Team FirstServe Group" entered the #33 S2000 Civic with a TBA driver. I think Batchelor planned to race it in rounds that didn't clash with his WTCC efforts (remember "Brilliance"?!)

**BDunnell** · 17th January 2013, 22:19

Originally Posted by cos

This one made it to the 2005 entry list - "Team FirstServe Group" entered the #33 S2000 Civic with a TBA driver. I think Batchelor planned to race it in rounds that didn't clash with his WTCC efforts (remember "Brilliance"?!)

Goodness, yes! Thanks for the reminder. What a huge surprise that they never made it. Almost as obvious a candidate for a no-show as was MG Rover's absurd idea of entering the DTM.

**Eurotech** · 18th January 2013, 00:46

The Edenbridge BMW S2000 project lasted all of about 3 rounds in 2004 too if I remember correctly...

**BDunnell** · 18th January 2013, 00:51

Originally Posted by Eurotech

The Edenbridge BMW S2000 project lasted all of about 3 rounds in 2004 too if I remember correctly...

Yes, with team boss Peter Briggs asserting that a BMW could never win a race in the BTCC with the rules as they were.

**Iain** · 18th January 2013, 12:26

Yes, was it not some sort of idea to get him out there alongside Warwick and Mansell in an old F1 drivers reunion? I think the link was made after he did the Silverstone Rallysprint in a Vauxhall.

Typically all these questions come up after I throw out every issue of Autosport between 1993 and 2008, apart from those with BTCC reports or features!

**BDunnell** · 19th January 2013, 17:47

Originally Posted by Iain

Yes, was it not some sort of idea to get him out there alongside Warwick and Mansell in an old F1 drivers reunion? I think the link was made after he did the Silverstone Rallysprint in a Vauxhall.

Exactly. Also, if memory serves correctly, John Watson had tested a Primera for the BBC, and Scheckter was up for a go with a BTCC car himself. Shame it didn't come off, but somehow I doubt Scheckter would have been all that competitive.

Anyway, a couple of others have come to mind. One team that did appear in a British touring car race, but not in the BTCC, was Yap Motorsports. It entered Eugene O'Brien in an Accord at the 1996 end-of-season Tourist Trophy, and planned to contest the 1997 series — see here: New Straits Times - Google News Archive Search Didn't happen, of course.

Going back a few more years, Robb Gravett and Mike Smith's Trakstar team, 1990 champions with Gravett, was to have run a works Audi effort in 1991. According to Smith on another forum, 'When we won the Championship we landed the Audi deal in the same month - 3 cars for Robb, me and J Palmer. We had the truck ready to go to Germany and collect the first shells etc. And then Audi Germany decided they didn't want to support a 2 litre Championship - they wouldn't underwrite Audi UK - and Shell backed off.' Hence the unsuccessful Trakstar Sapphire.

**Iain** · 20th January 2013, 14:13

Originally Posted by BDunnell

Anyway, a couple of others have come to mind. One team that did appear in a British touring car race, but not in the BTCC, was Yap Motorsports. It entered Eugene O'Brien in an Accord at the 1996 end-of-season Tourist Trophy, and planned to contest the 1997 series — see here: New Straits Times - Google News Archive Search Didn't happen, of course.

That's one I was trying to think of the other day. I knew 'General Accident' was to do the driving.

Having just watched a rally clip on Youtube, I saw Paul Bird, the motorbike racing team owner competing. He was rumoured to be linking up with Jason Hughes to run a two car MG team, but it never materialised. Then every couple of years, it's reported he's interested in running a BTCC team.

What about Noel Edmonds being involved with the works Mazda team in 1994, under the banner of 'Crinkley Bottom Motor Club'? For whatever reason, it never happened and the team folded mid-season. Perhaps he put his money into the Panoz Le Mans project instead.

A link to that team was the Team Magic Mazda 323 for 1995. After building a 323 for Team Dynamics to race in the 94 World Cup from the internals salvaged from Matt Neal's Xedos crash, RD Motorsport built another one for 1995, to be driven by Slim Borgudd. It was even on the entry list, but never appeared, although the car did exist and has done some club racing, then featured in the Silverstone Classic last year. Super Touring Register : Mazda Lantis / 323F