• Welcome to Motorsport Forums, the ultimate hub for motorsport fans since 2000! Click here to register. It is completely free, takes just a few seconds, and you can sign in instantly with your Google account.

Failures

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!
 
Eurotech said:
John Batchelor in 2005 had some sort of plan with a Civic didn't he?
Click to expand...

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"?!)
 
cos said:
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"?!)
Click to expand...

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 said:
The Edenbridge BMW S2000 project lasted all of about 3 rounds in 2004 too if I remember correctly...
Click to expand...

Yes, with team boss Peter Briggs asserting that a BMW could never win a race in the BTCC with the rules as they were.
 
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!
 
Iain said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
BDunnell said:
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.
Click to expand...

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
 
Iain said:
What about Noel Edmonds being involved with the works Mazda team in 1994, under the banner of 'Crinkley Bottom Motor Club'?
Click to expand...

Also touted as running Mondeos at one point, I think.

Iain said:
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
Click to expand...

Surprised how modern that car still looks today — so long as you can't see the horrible nose!
 
Iain said:
Confirmed: Super Touring Register : Renault Laguna (SC00294)
Click to expand...

Very good. I haven't been able to find out whether MCT ran the BMWs for Harvey and Bell (the latter also having been a possible driver, along with Hardman, for the MCT BTCC effort?) in the Asia-Pacific series.

Talking of Lagunas, it must also be recalled that there were suggestions of Alain Prost driving one of the works cars, I think in 1994 or '95 — not denied by Prost himself.
 
cos said:
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"?!)
Click to expand...

Ah yes that Brilliance entry, at one stage wasn't Anthony Reid linked to driving it? Clearly the WTCC organisers allowed a Brilliance road car to be put on display at the beginning of the season right between the RML Chevy and the Schnitzer BMW http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/122086.jpg

For the 2004 BTCC season didn't Bachelor originally plan to upgrade his two production-class Peugeot 307s to Super 2000 spec?
 
VkmSpouge said:
Ah yes that Brilliance entry, at one stage wasn't Anthony Reid linked to driving it? Clearly the WTCC organisers allowed a Brilliance road car to be put on display at the beginning of the season right between the RML Chevy and the Schnitzer BMW http://pix.crash.net/motorsport/360/122086.jpg
Click to expand...

VLR were meant to run the cars... once Vic got arrested early 2005 the Chinese probably got scared off!
 
cos said:
VLR were meant to run the cars... once Vic got arrested early 2005 the Chinese probably got scared off!
Click to expand...

Vic's arrest also had a knock-on effect for the BTCC in 2005, I think VLR was going to run its two Peugeot 307s converted to run on LPG for John George and another driver.
 
Jason Hughes allagedly replacing his MG for a Honda Integra in 2008 can also be classed as a failure I guess...
 
NZFMR_2971.jpg

If only....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top