STEPHEN LICKORISH
“Westcoast interest shows TCR UK appeal”
It is still only two months since TCR UK was given the green light for 2018 and already an awful lot has been said and written about the new series.
It has created a buzz in national motorsport unlike any other category that has been born in recent years.
Right from day one there have been scores of teams interested in the series. British Touring Car Championship teams. Renault UK Clio Cup teams. GT teams. Single-seater teams. Although, dozens of outfits saying they’re interested is one thing, committing to the series is quite another.
But developments in the last fortnight or so have been far more significant than the earlier noise. This week there was the news that Westcoast Racing is looking at entering the series. This is massively significant. It’s one thing to attract British teams looking to expand their operation into what could be the next big thing. It is quite another to get a European squad already competing at the highest-level of the concept interested. That shows what the TCR formula is all about.
It’s a global, affordable touring car format and the theory behind it is that teams and drivers can run a car in the German series one week and the International Series the next as the regulations are shared. Now that teams already competing in this popular concept are looking at entering the UK category, it shows how seriously it is being taken.
The calendar and support package have also been announced in the last week. There are some very popular venues on the inaugural schedule and for one of the smaller circuits – Castle Combe – to have a place is great. With the addition of National Formula Ford 1600 to the support bill, already quite some package is being put together. FF1600 itself is on the up with the prize of a Mazda Road to Indy Shootout place for the winner meaning it is an increasingly good option for aspiring single-seater drivers with limited budget.
But should all of this worry the UK’S premier tin-top series, the British Touring Car Championship? No, not at all – certainly not yet. The BTCC has features that TCR UK can only dream of. It has 60 years of history – and with 2018 being the anniversary year, it is sure to be extra special. It has an incredibly loyal, and large, fanbase. And it has a peach of a TV deal with live coverage on a mainstream terrestrial channel. Even in this digital age, that is still important.
That doesn’t mean to say TCR UK won’t be successful in its own right. Even if only a quarter of the 47 interested teams enter that would still be a very good start for a new series. TCR Germany ‘only’ had 17 cars in its first year before booming to 42 this term.
Let’s forget about these comparisons with the British Touring Cars and instead appreciate the new TCR package for what it is. And that is something that we should all be excited about.