Nice find, he is totally right about the BTCC. The BTCC series over the last few years has become a joke and the poor crowds reflect that. The poorly maintained tracks are also an issue in the UK.
I didn't know the WTCC was that bad, i always though it was up there with DTM.
STCC i don't know enough about, I did a few years ago or maybe still do own the STCC2 computer game, which was great fun.
The WTCC is really bad, the change the rules nearly ever race. Chevrolet couldn't get on the pace so they went to the organisers and said they were pulling out unless they got some rule changes to make their car more competitive. Then SEAT did the same, and now any time one car make starts winning loads of races the other manufacturers threaten the organisers with pulling out unless the get a weight penalty to slow them down a little. It's a joke, and it will ruin the championship if they don't sort it.
I do agree with Jan that most tcc's have silly handicap systems built in to prevent good cars and drivers from winning with a margin, and that DTM2008 might be a good sollution for that (*). But DTM is not a touring car series, its a sihlouette series with prototypes.
I realy want touring cars to be souped up street cars (but sadly I fail to see a competetive series in such cars)
* This is proved by V8SC where the homoglation process produces two almost identical cars one marked Holden one marked Ford.
I also agree that there is a need to show the track audience (that might be too far from the jumboscreens to see the standings) who has pitted an who has not. (I was on STCC a month or so ago and it was alot of guessing in the end about the standings in the midfield and back)
What all the TCC's need is to go back to the Super Touring rules and leave S2000 behind, limit the presens of factory teams to two cars only, regulate the minimum weight and weight to horsepower factor and then leave them alone for a season, no rule changes at all.
In fact, no team, be it factory or privateer team, should be able to show with more than two cars. and manufacturers points should only count for factory teams.
After a season, they should evaluate the championship and fix the things that need fixing and go at it again.
DTM needs another manufacturer, simple as that. The 2005 season may have been a disaster for Opel, but after they quit, DTM became nothing but a very expensive game of Ludo.
Flash hits the nail on the head, I think. I can only speak about the BTCC, since I never saw DTM or STCC in the flesh, but he's absolutely right about the BTCC.. and about British tracks in general. They're a shambles.
The STCC here (where Janne 'flash' Nilsson is racing) is the Swedish Touring Car Championship. If you don't mind listening to a crazy language, or you are Norwegian or Finnish or can speak/understand a little Swedish, go to www.svt.se and you can find highlights of all the STCC races.
Duke, what the hell man, are you so proud of your country? The BTCC is utter shit. Nobody good races there. You find more talent in the support races. The cars are bad. The Seats for one, and the Honda's are just cast offs. Loose ends. The BTCC's regulations regarding the cars, are very similar to STCC, so Jan knows what he is talking about. Have you ever watched an STCC race? Have you ever watched a DTM race? I tell you what mate, both STCC and DTM are better than BTCC. and WTCC is just above STCC i think, but as he said, DTM can't be good, if they are too busy making Mercedes Vs. Audi political, and not just on the track.
Another guy on the 10/10 forum said DTM offers no Overtaking :S What is HE smoking? BTCC and STCC are supposed to be at the pinicle of the national technology. That means there should be Diesels, and hardcore aerodynamic parts, making the cars look alot like DTM cars, DTM cars are about as fast as GT2 cars, so if you're telling me that almost no tracks are liscenced to run GT2 cars, you got some thinking to do.
And why isn't the best touringcar championship out there mentioned? Danish Touringcar Championship is the best out there, with drivers like Jan Magnussen, Henrik Lundgaard and John Nielsen.
Michel Nykjær recently won the championship - two weeks later, he won the European Touringcar Cup in Adria, Italy - in front of Tomas Engström, Emmet O'Brien and other great drivers.
I think Mr. Nilsson should do some better research
Never heard Danish Touring cars mentioned on an International Level... so whether it is the best or not.. Nobody knows anything about it. So it is your own fault it is not mentioned on Jan's LIST!
Hmm... Well, I don't know what you guys hear outside Denmark, but it's known to be better than STCC and BTCC to watch - and the racing is definately tough.
I'm going to see if I can make a clip or two from the last race.. Really great racing!
Edit: BTW: The FIA has stated that the DTC is the best national touring car championship in Europe at the moment
Got to agree and I was suprised Flash never mentioned DTC. Still, since DTC also use the S2000 rules, it also suffers from the built in drawbacks in that system, just as all the TCC's out there.
Bring back the Super Touring damn it...
