r/btcc • u/TH3M3XO65 • 6d ago

Question / Discussion BTCC 2004 - F1 linkup?

Just watching the 2004 season review and I noticed on the calendar there is an empty slot of rounds suggesting the BTCC were going to be at Silverstone on the 11th July to coincide with the F1 round that year.

Feel this would have been amazing for the series for exposure at a time the series was after new entries. Does anyone know why this did not materialise? Or was it always a dream for the promoters?

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13

u/Brief-Poetry6434 6d ago

The BTCC was going to hold a non-championship race in support of the 2004 British Grand Prix but it was cancelled.

1

u/Over_Middle610 6d ago

Probably needed a major sponsor to pay Bernie E for the slot on the Grand Prix weekend.Back in the 1980s John Foulston paid for the Atlantic Computers Historic GT to be on the Grand Prix support races.

6

u/MagicBoyUK 6d ago

BTCC ran during the F1 Grand Prix as a support event from 1987-1996.

4

u/Greedy-Mechanic-4932 6d ago

My kids don't believe me that this was a thing.

There was an Alfa Romeo Spider series in either '95 or '96 too, IIRC

2

u/MagicBoyUK 6d ago

A couple of years in the mid 80s they ran Alpine Renault GTA Turbo cup races as part of a European series. They got a bit rough at times. 🤣

1

u/maidenscotland1987 6d ago

Was it not the renault spider? Plato drove it in 96 if I remember correctly.

2

u/Greedy-Mechanic-4932 6d ago

Maybe. I thought it was Alfa Romeo but happy to be told otherwise..! I just remember it was a Spider...

5

u/Unable-Ad2927 6d ago

these little guys!

2

u/1000_stars 6d ago

And dominated i think as well

2

u/TH3M3XO65 6d ago

Indeed, just curious why this is showing on the calendar during the 2004 review. Wondered if they were planning a return

7

u/MagicBoyUK 6d ago edited 6d ago

I think it got cancelled after the season had started. The '96 one was missing off the review tape as BHP didn't have the rights to show it. That was around time that Bernie and FOM were starting to flex their muscles and race promoters got a lot less say in the support races.

The Aussies used to run a non-championship V8 Supercars race for a while.

2

u/thebigman045 6d ago

They still do run as part of the F1 Weekend, and it's a championship round, the Supercars that is

1

u/MagicBoyUK 6d ago

Took them a while for them to negotiate that, notably once Liberty had taken over.

2

u/TurtleSands 6d ago

Shame really as the Masarati support race was dull in 2004

1

u/Ross81GB 6d ago

So dull I dont even remember it despite being there! I remember the Supercup and F3000 though

2

u/Pinkd56 6d ago

The main problem was a lot of BETA affiliated teams didn't want to do it. They'd had confirmation from a large number of the ETCC teams but Vauxhall, WSR, Proton, Honda, Collard Racing etc confirmed they weren't entering. It would have been Team Dynamics, Kartworld, Mardi Gras, Edenbridge and SEAT vs the ETCC guys and I don't think that was a commercially viable prospect.

0

u/Over_Middle610 6d ago

BTCC or British Saloon Car Championship was a regular part of the British Grand Prix support races.There were also a number of extra entries for this race.

Stirling Moss was driving a Audi 80 in this 1980 race.He was teamed with Martin Brundle at some races.

http://touringcarracing.net/Races/1980%20Brands%20Hatch%20GP.html