BTCC 2019 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[S griffin]

Exactly, there's different types of wet races. A bit of wet running does help though, knowing how well your car works in the wet

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by SteveLevin

the thing is, wet races are always unique. the amount of water that's down, the intensity of the rain, etc. Once a driver has some experience in the wet, there's little more to be gained. I've never run two rain races there were alike. From torrential to more torrential to moist to dry, or moist to wet -- each has been different.



For the most part you take a stab at what tires and how much to soften the car (if you even can at the last second) and then use skill, experience, and foolishness to make a series a judgement calls around the track. And some times, you are less a fool than others. Other times...well, at least once my foolishness led me a lot of hurt. Let's leave it there


Steve

I totally get and agree with what you say (can't comment on the foolish part).

But given the age of the FK8, and that they will gather double the data in 2019, then surely having knowledge of how wet tracks affect the car is a good thing. Even more so when wet races are a less than rare occurrence?
I've regularly heard BTCC teams refer to not having a wet setup for their car as a reason for a lack of performance, so seems sensible to build some knowledge in that area?

[Akrapovic]

Wet races may all be different, but this will get you in the ball park. Look how badly Acura messed up at Sebring just yesterday.

Knockhill circuit hire might be cheap, but the extra Greggs sausage rolls required to feed the mechanics on the long journey might make Knockhill a completely unrealistic option...if you believe the teams, that is.

[thetool]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Wet races may all be different, but this will get you in the ball park. Look how badly Acura messed up at Sebring just yesterday.

Knockhill circuit hire might be cheap, but the extra Greggs sausage rolls required to feed the mechanics on the long journey might make Knockhill a completely unrealistic option...if you believe the teams, that is.

You've got to be realistic. Knockhill will be around a 10 hour drive each way for large, speed-restricted transporters as are used in the BTCC. So that's 20 hours driving already. A medium sized team is going to be taking around 15 personnel, so include their expenses for travel and hotels and your looking at having spent the best part of £5k before you even include paying for the track time or any of the other normal testing expenses.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by thetool

You've got to be realistic. Knockhill will be around a 10 hour drive each way for large, speed-restricted transporters as are used in the BTCC. So that's 20 hours driving already. A medium sized team is going to be taking around 15 personnel, so include their expenses for travel and hotels and your looking at having spent the best part of £5k before you even include paying for the track time or any of the other normal testing expenses.

A bit more than £5k!

[Alfisti]

Getting your gear + team to Spain is even longer though. Apart from the truck drivers everybody else can fly, increasing transport costs somewhat but potentially reducing pay costs.

[billy bleach]

So if I understand this thread properly the Teams are clueless about how to go testing and the inhabitants on here know how to do it - glad that’s cleared up and cannot wait to see how the Ten tenths entry gets on....!

[thetool]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Getting your gear + team to Spain is even longer though. Apart from the truck drivers everybody else can fly, increasing transport costs somewhat but potentially reducing pay costs.

Yes but the track they go to in Spain has a) almost guaranteed good weather b) exclusively for testing c) reduced chance of car damage.

[aland]

Originally Posted by thetool

You've got to be realistic. Knockhill will be around a 10 hour drive each way for large, speed-restricted transporters as are used in the BTCC. So that's 20 hours driving already. A medium sized team is going to be taking around 15 personnel, so include their expenses for travel and hotels and your looking at having spent the best part of £5k before you even include paying for the track time or any of the other normal testing expenses.

team dynamics will be at flash's house, matt and dan in the spare room, truckies in their cabs and the rest on the lounge and dining room floors, if the behave jillian might even cook them breakfast

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

So if I understand this thread properly the Teams are clueless about how to go testing and the inhabitants on here know how to do it - glad that’s cleared up and cannot wait to see how the Ten tenths entry gets on....!

[Akrapovic]

lol, unless Scotland has declared independence and sailed off into the North Sea, the argument of Knockhill being too far and too expensive so everyone should go to Spain doesn't really fly I'm afraid.

[auroan]

Originally Posted by thetool

Yes but the track they go to in Spain has a) almost guaranteed good weather b) exclusively for testing c) reduced chance of car damage.

Maybe not C. Didn't Simpson almost totally destroy his Civic when he went out there ?

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by thetool

You've got to be realistic. Knockhill will be around a 10 hour drive each way for large, speed-restricted transporters as are used in the BTCC. So that's 20 hours driving already. A medium sized team is going to be taking around 15 personnel, so include their expenses for travel and hotels and your looking at having spent the best part of £5k before you even include paying for the track time or any of the other normal testing expenses.

Taking 15 people to Spain, arranging/paying for travel from base to airport, return flights to Spain, 2 rental minibuses, hotel (2 per room except drivers, TM, race engineers), food for week, paying everyone’s day rate (the biggest single expense), one racetransporter and one support 7.5t truck via ferry - typical cost around £40k before you even go near a track!

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

lol, unless Scotland has declared independence and sailed off into the North Sea, the argument of Knockhill being too far and too expensive so everyone should go to Spain doesn't really fly I'm afraid.

Absolutely.

Ten Tenths Racing will be running JP and Matt in turbocharged Roman chariots pulled by Unicorns. No Scotsman will have seen anything like it into Duffus Dip!

[peebee2]

Anyway, Knockhill is currently under snow...

[S griffin]

So no point going there then

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Taking 15 people to Spain, arranging/paying for travel from base to airport, return flights to Spain, 2 rental minibuses, hotel (2 per room except drivers, TM, race engineers), food for week, paying everyone’s day rate (the biggest single expense), one racetransporter and one support 7.5t truck via ferry - typical cost around £40k before you even go near a track!

But that is for a week, compared to one day at Knockhill. You couldn't do a week at a single UK circuit, you'd have to travel around. Eg one day at Brands, one day at Silverstone, one day at Snetterton, one day at Donington, and one day at Oulton. How would the costs compare between 1 week in Spain vs 1 week touring the UK? And that's without the added logistical hassle of having to pack / unpack the truck every day.

[S griffin]

I think this is a good point. It depends what most teams do

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by redshoes

But that is for a week, compared to one day at Knockhill. You couldn't do a week at a single UK circuit, you'd have to travel around. Eg one day at Brands, one day at Silverstone, one day at Snetterton, one day at Donington, and one day at Oulton. How would the costs compare between 1 week in Spain vs 1 week touring the UK? And that's without the added logistical hassle of having to pack / unpack the truck every day.

The biggest single cost is the day rates for non-permanent personnel, so actually not as much difference as you might think.

You couldn’t do a UK tour like that anyway as you need to prep the cars each evening which you can’t do if you’re packing the truck and driving to the next venue.

Finally the whole point of testing like this is to develop the car so a different circuit and set-up each day would be a total waste of time and you’d learn very little,

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Anyway, Knockhill is currently under snow...

It's not...

https://twitter.com/AMD87TS/status/1107288688113995776?s=19

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

It's not...

https://twitter.com/AMD87TS/status/1...113995776?s=19

I see Dynamics are still getting their mileage out of those Dunlop number plates

[S griffin]

Well they should be preparing down here, not long to go to the season. Who cares about sponsor logos?

[MagicBoy]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Well they should be preparing down here, not long to go to the season. Who cares about sponsor logos?

Halfords as Honda's title sponsors are probably not so keen on giving the competition free advertising on their dime...

Its more a wry observation.

[btccbloke]

to be fair a potential fall out between the biggest team on the grid and the championships new title sponsor is a damn sight more interesting than some of the stuff we have discussed this off season

[MagicBoy]

Come media day it'll have the Kwik Fit plates on it. I'd expect there's no obligation to use the series sponsor decals outside of official events.