Triple Eight withdrawal on the cards?

Triple Eight Racing (VX Racing) has put up for sale all three of it’s Vauxhall Vectra S2000 cars, perhaps putting an end to speculation the squad will run the cars as an independent next season.

Vauxhall had announced earlier in the year that it was to withdraw from the BTCC in 2010, citing the financial crisis as the key factor in the decision.

At that point, the then General Motors owned brand was up for sale along with German ‘parent’ Opel – and his since been sold to Canadian firm Magna International.

The Vectra is itself an out of production road vehicle in the UK and Europe, having been replaced with the slightly larger Insignia. This perhaps offered foresight into Vauxhall’s withdrawal, but then it wouldn’t have been the first time Triple Eight ran an out of production car for the Vauxhall brand, having competed in the 2004 championship with the Astra Coupé for a fourth consecutive season despite the new shape Astra already being released.

Triple Eight then switched to the new shape Astra Sport Hatch in 2005 which ended Vauxhall’s four year run of drivers titles as the Honda Integra and Team Dynamics proved to be the dominant force that year.

The sale of the team’s cars opens two threads of thought. Firstly, who may buy and enter the Vectra next season? This year the car is in close contention for the title, but the Triple Eight squad and manufacturer’s backing are probably the main proponent of that performance, or indeed just Italian star Fabrizio Giovanardi himself – as the Vectra is clearly being overshadowed by the Chevrolet Lacetti and BMW 320si this season.

Also ex-Triple Eight Vauxhall’s have rarely featured near the front, with second hand Astra’s often propping up the rear of the field rather than the front as cars like the Chevrolet Lacetti, SEAT Leon & BMW 320 seem to.

The second is whether we will see the Triple Eight team at all in the BTCC next season. The team has competed since taking over the Vauxhall works contract from Ray Mallock Ltd. in 1997, running then team owner Derek Warwick and Vauxhall veteran (and now WTCC commentator) John Cleland in it’s first season.

But it wasn’t until the Super Touring era ended in 2000, and the new specification came into force in 2001 that the team surged up the field, and took their first championship with Jason Plato winning 25 of 26 races as a team.

It seems unlikely that Triple Eight would be entering the BTCC as an independent with a new car without manufacturer backing – so will a manufacturer deal be announced shortly? (Kia has been rumoured and spotted in the BTCC paddock this season) – or will they be soon to confirm that their 13 year stint in the British Touring Car Championship is about to end?