The organisers of the new B-TEC Development Series have made the decision to postpone the championship until 2017 due to a lack of entrants for the coming season, despite “unprecedented interest” in the series.
The championship has been created to house NGTC-specification touring cars running the GPRM components, which are being phased out of the BTCC in favour of new RML control parts.
Only one driver was confirmed for the championship when the decision was made, with former BTCC racer Kieran Gallagher set to race an ex-Team BMR Volkswagen CC with the Team BKR squad.
That came as part of a multi-year agreement between BMR and BKR to run their fleet of CC’s and Vauxhall Insignias in the BARC-run series. With those plans now on hold for a year, reports online are suggesting that BKR will instead target a late entry into the BTCC this season.
While the championship’s six weekend, fourteen race calendar has been canned for 2016, there are plans to run a number of on-track taster days this year to showcase the championship and cars to prospective drivers and teams for next season.
“Naturally we are disappointed to have to postpone like this, but that is all it is, a postponement,” said series director Ian Harrison.
“We want to ensure that we have the strongest possible grid when we start, and at the moment there are a lot of carrots being dangled in front of potential entrants from other categories.
“During 2016, we will be running some on track experience events for entrants to come along and driver the cars and to hear our 2017 plans. Hopefully this will confirm to them that the Development Series is a cost effective solution over an entire season.
“We will be announcing these events in due course. I would like to thank everyone who has put the effort in up to this point and look forward to working with them as we go towards 2017.”
