Bartrum Confident About BTCC Future
Motorbase Team Boss, Dave Bartum, today backed the 2010 MSA British Touring Car Championship to be a success despite it being the first season to have no manufacturers competing after Vauxhall followed SEAT out of the championship at the end of last season.
Speaking to Crash.net, Bartrum said “I think the BTCC is a very resilient championship,” he said. “We have lost some key players but hopefully some other people will come along. With manufacturers gone, people need to be a bit more free-thinking about how they get their budgets and tighten their belts. You need to look at what you spend and spend it wisely. It’s very difficult as the recession attacks everyone and we need to show we can deliver value and that we can look after commercial partners.”
“There will definitely be a transitional period because when you announce a radical new set of rules like the BTCC has, it will take time to get to where the organisers want things to end up. I think Alan Gow and Peter Riches are looking at it as an ongoing project and nothing is set in stone, they will listen to ideas from people and then make sure the championship grows helpfully and isn’t obstructive.”
“There will be a transitional period as things settle down and the big thing this year in the NGTC engine. That looks like it will help with budget if people go to it and we’ll have to see what happens with the Vauxhalls [of Andrew Jordan and Dave Pinkney] as they are the first cars to have it.”
Motorbase enjoyed a relatively successful season in 2009 securing 2 race wins as well as a podium finish taking the team to 4th in the team standings. However the team was landed a blow at the end of the year when Alan Gow introduced a new rule which meant that rear wheel drive cars would have to run a longer first gear to ensure that they don’t have the advantage off the line.
Speaking about the rule change, Bartrum remarked, “I don’t like anything where I have to spend more money as its more money I have to find! I would prefer to have stayed as we were and we’ll see how it pans out, but it is very important that they monitor and maintain things to keep it fair and give everyone a chance. History dictates that they will do that.”
“ I don’t think we needed to make changes (talking about the gearbox), but it isn’t my choice. I think we had a fantastic championship last year and you couldn’t have scripted the final race. It was anybodies championship and I think they had it right anyway. I know the BMW has a bit of advantage off the line in people’s eyes but I didn’t see it that way as we got off the line quick, but had cold tyres. I felt that over the course of the races, it sorted itself out and was an even playing field by the end.”
Photo Credit: Pete Mainey
James Mappin
