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Old 18 May 2000, 00:52 (Ref:2610)   #1
kmchow
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Autosport reports at their site

BTCC format hangs in the balance

Teams await decision on formula for next year.

The format for the British Touring Car Championship will be all change by the end of this week. New Championship Promoter BMP will choose between a Superstars category, proposed by Brands Hatch owner Octagon and a ‘Super Touring ‘92’ formula.

Superstars is based on an equality formula using more prestigious cars, such as the BMW 5-series. The series has more scope for innovation stemming from the use of engines between 2.5 and 4.0 litres and the choice of front, rear or four-wheel drive.

The scaled down ‘Super Touring ’92‘ harks back to the cars of the beginning of the last decade. The rules would prevent the use of splitters, wings and expensive materials such as magnesium and carbon fibre, thus keeping costs down.

Support for both formats remains divided. Manufacturers Honda and Vauxhall are both behind a ‘bargain-priced’ series. Roland Dane, boss of the works Vectra squad, said: “We’ve got to have a situation whereby teams that operate on smaller budgets can compete on a relatively level field.”

Ford team boss David Richards, however, is a supporter of Superstars and believes it has more support than many would imagine. “People will be surprised. I know of five manufacturers committed on an international level,” he said. “We have an audience to appeal to – that’s what Superstars will do. On the basis of everything put forward, the principles are sound and sensible.”

BMP have promised a decision within the next few days.



[This message has been edited by kmchow (edited 18 May 2000).]
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Old 18 May 2000, 00:56 (Ref:2611)   #2
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Personally, I would support a return to the '92 ST or Class 2 rules!!! What do you think? I guess '92 ST is similar to the proposed '01 rules? I think the '92 ST rule return is even better than the latter as there are no requirements for shared suspension parts? I wonder if that includes RWD and Quattro?

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Old 18 May 2000, 01:30 (Ref:2612)   #3
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SUPERTOURING '92 !!!!

THIS is what I've been saying all along! Yes!!! Nearly everyone on this forum has agreed at some point or another that their favourite period of modern BTTC History is from the early '90's!

SuperTouring, pre-aero!
Big rims, custom suspension, big cages, No DGH's, screaming four-pots, and NO SPOILERS!!!!! OR CUTAWAY WINGS!!! Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!

As somebody else wrote a few days ago, big saloons are OK, but don't appeal to a mass market like the regular 2-litre, four-door saloon does.

SUPERTOURING '92 !!!!

I'm a little excited, OK?

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Old 18 May 2000, 12:57 (Ref:2613)   #4
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Crash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridCrash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
I'd hate to be different, but i like the look of the late 90's variety. They look meaner, and they look like racing cars. If i wanted to see a mondeo in standard trim i would go down stairs. People watch F1 because they are far out and whacky (that's why, isn't it??) if they said that F1 were for standard road cars, it would be a joke...

Meh, well what would i know? I like sport sedans, and they are closer to F1 than road cars..

If they are in standard trim, let them stuff around with the suspension, or at least make sure they have soft suspension, so we can see some 2 wheel action...
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Old 18 May 2000, 13:15 (Ref:2614)   #5
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That's just it CT, there will be plenty of scope for modification:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Big rims, custom suspension, big cages, screaming four-pots...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They're pretty much as they were back then!
Remember Cleland and Allam in the Cavaliers, Soper in the BMW, Andy Rouse in the Mondeo...

I CAN'T WAIT!
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Old 18 May 2000, 13:26 (Ref:2615)   #6
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There needs to be something in the middle. Maybe a class that could have, only looking at BMW for the moment, 3-series and 5-series competing for the lead. If you can get that to happen then people will want to watch and manufacturers will want to get involved.

You could have the Volvo S60 vs BMW 328 vs Merc CLK vs Holden Commodore vs Ford Falcon (so people don't think I'm biased to one or other) vs Vauxhall Vectra vs Ford Mondeo vs ...well you should get the idea by now. Writing the rules might be a bit of a nightmare though.
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Old 18 May 2000, 22:48 (Ref:2616)   #7
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Crash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridCrash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
But i want wings and flame throwers
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Old 18 May 2000, 23:54 (Ref:2617)   #8
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Crash, have you noticed I've eventually replied to your topic in the Technical Forum?!

Go look see!
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Old 19 May 2000, 00:13 (Ref:2618)   #9
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Crash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridCrash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
I know i know

Thinking of doing up another one for next month's edition of Accelerate ( http://www.qrda.asn.au ) wink wink
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Old 19 May 2000, 01:11 (Ref:2619)   #10
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Crash test wrote:

&gt;But i want wings and flame throwers
&gt;
Wow, when did flame throwers appear? ;-) But that would be so expensive!! How about compromising? We'll give up the wings and add the flame throwers!
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Old 19 May 2000, 02:46 (Ref:2620)   #11
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I've found some more info on the ST '92...

Lap times are likely to be reduced by up to six seconds on an average (?) circuit, due to the reduction in downforce, and the engines power down to 260 bhp. ('92 levels)

Vauxhall and Honda are fully behind the proposed regs. However, Ford/Prodrive's Dave Richards believes that the Superstars category is the way to go...

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Old 19 May 2000, 04:59 (Ref:2621)   #12
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Can't wait! (let's just hope that they don't bring back Frank Sytner! )

If you want flame throwers and wings, go to Germany. The BTCC went downhill after wings, so we don't want them. OK!
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Old 19 May 2000, 05:56 (Ref:2622)   #13
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If Touring 92 regs are used, will the current cars still be legal if they conform to the new rules? (less wings, 300hp engines etc.)
If this years cars or even those a couple of years old don't have to be scrapped, it might help the grids next year.

Has anyone heard estimates of what a budget for a semi-competive single car effort might be under the proposed "new" rules?

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Old 19 May 2000, 10:57 (Ref:2623)   #14
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Crash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridCrash Test should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
Although i seem to be spending all of my time these days paying out on the rule makers of the class, V8 supercars are brilliant. They are big and noisey, have big wings, spit fire, lift wheels, really, if the same drivers were in V8s as the ASTC, it would still flop.

I really do pity you folk north of the equator....you really are missing out here...
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Old 19 May 2000, 16:20 (Ref:2624)   #15
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Sparky wrote:

&gt;Lap times are likely to be reduced by up to &gt;six seconds on an average (?) circuit,
&gt;due to the reduction in downforce, and the &gt;engines power down to 260 bhp. ('92 levels)
&gt;
Though I expect the lap times to be reduced, I did not expect the hp to drop? Did or do(??) the '92 rules limit engine modification more than the present ST rules? I almost quite literally expected the teams to just remove the front/rear splitters, maybe swap a bit of carbon fibre stuff off the car and drive down to the starting grid!
=)
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Old 19 May 2000, 18:06 (Ref:2625)   #16
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KC should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridKC should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
I personally like the look and stance of the DTM formula, very similar to the SCCA Trans Am and old IMSA silhouette series. Tube framed chassis with easily identified production car based bodies. Hood (bonnet), roof, and trunk (boot) panels must be from the production car, fenders and door skins are modified to cover wider tires and roll cage. The use of 3.0 liter V6s and 4.5 liter V8s opens the ddor up to plenty of engine designs. Allow 3.0 liter cars to carry less weight than larger bore machines.
Check out Paul Gentilozzi's Mustang Cobra that competes in Trans Am...


or the Prototype Technology Group's BMW M3 from the ALMS...


or the wicked looking IMSA Audi Quattro from the 1980s



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Old 19 May 2000, 18:20 (Ref:2626)   #17
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Except now Gentilozzi runs a Jag body over the chassis.

I am just concerned over the loss of rear wings. imho, rear wings allow the body to remian more sotck cause to add downforce, they can just slap it on the boot instead of trying to shape the decklid (away from the stocik version) to make the spoiler more effective. For example, look at trans-am. This year teams are allowed to use spec wings instead of spoilers, and the cars look much more stock.
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Old 19 May 2000, 18:23 (Ref:2627)   #18
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Gentilozzi's team continues to run both. The Mustang shown is their 2000 model. You are right about the wings, it does give the cars a identifiable look.

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Old 19 May 2000, 22:47 (Ref:2628)   #19
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Heeltoe6 wrote:

&gt;This year teams are allowed to use spec &gt;wings instead of spoilers, and the cars &gt;look much more stock.
&gt;
But wouldn't a spec wing possibly favour one particular car over another? I am not aware if this prob has been raised by any Trans Am yet.

But yes, I am amazed how just a simple change of rear wing from the Nascar to FIA GT1 type has made me attracted to Trans Am. GT1 and ST wings just look too good!!

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