BTCC 2019 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Interestingly, Autosport's article on Matt Simpson states:

"He raced alongside Speedworks Motorsport in his maiden BTCC season in 2016 before allying himself with Team Dynamics for the '17 campaign, and owns the TOCA BTCC Licence (TBL) for his entry."

which implies HE owns his TBL not Simpson Racing and gets it aligned to teams

his team owns the licence. his team is an actual team and not just a sponsor team name like 'pirtek racing'.

[Alfisti]

So Autosport are running an article about JP the villain. With his blessing... he's up to something, he always has a motive when he opens his mouth. So is he after Alonso's seat? ��

[Nononsensecapeesh]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Do we know if Cammish is bringing as much budget as Sheds did?

Though I think they have some Shedden sponsors on the car/helmets.

True, he must have some funds for Team Dynamics to take him on as well as talent, he describes his Rockingham meeting as "character-building". That's an understatement, his whole season's been a real test of character, really tough.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

So Autosport are running an article about JP the villain. With his blessing... he's up to something, he always has a motive when he opens his mouth. So is he after Alonso's seat? ��

considering this social media silence up to Croft, yes he is up to something, without reading the article, id imagine this is him saying "im still here, look out next year"
All coinciding with his most competitive weekend for a while, out qualifying Ash and racing well, somethings given him some mojo

[S griffin]

The thing is Plato, does nothing when his car is only good for 15th

[Racer65]

Originally Posted by S griffin

The thing is Plato, does nothing when his car is only good for 15th

He states the reasons for that on the Adrian Flux blog.

[mark_l]

I do wonder how safe the KERS type system will be in a BTCC car.

In F1 the systems are not subjected to the bash 'n' crash of touring car racing.

The F1 marshals have to wear insulating rubber gloves and have to look at the indication on the roll hoop to see if the system is safe. The F1 drivers can also jump clear of the car in the event of the problem with the system, a touring car driver won't be able to do that.

If the BTCC car hits the bare armco barrier and the system malfunctions then the whole length of the armco could become live.

I know KERS is relevant to car manufacturers but I believe introducing it to the BTCC is solving a problem that doesn't exist.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by mark_l

I do wonder how safe the KERS type system will be in a BTCC car.

In F1 the systems are not subjected to the bash 'n' crash of touring car racing.

The F1 marshals have to wear insulating rubber gloves and have to look at the indication on the roll hoop to see if the system is safe. The F1 drivers can also jump clear of the car in the event of the problem with the system, a touring car driver won't be able to do that.

If the BTCC car hits the bare armco barrier and the system malfunctions then the whole length of the armco could become live.

I know KERS is relevant to car manufacturers but I believe introducing it to the BTCC is solving a problem that doesn't exist.

One at a time: In F1, the stresses involved in crashes are likely to be much higher than in the BTCC due to the speeds involved. The cars themselves are designed to destroy themselves in order to remove as much energy as possible from the survival cell, ultimately the rear end of the car (PU included) can separate from the tub. The connectors for fluids and electrics are designed to safe/dry break.

In prototype racing, where KERS is also used, the drivers have similar challenges with exiting the tub but they manage it safely.

If a car was to contact an armco barrier, which is buried in the earth, with an HV cable from the KERS system then there's a direct path to ground for the energy from the batteries. More than likely they'd discharge so fast that their fuses would burn out, leaving nothing live.

Mr Gow has already stated that they're not solving a problem at all; they're making the cars more relevant to both the manufacturers and the road-going public, and that it'll be used as a "push-to-pass" system.

So far as I can tell from the news articles, it's going to be a small pre-pack system which regenerates from and is likely to drive the non-driven wheels as a boost to the existing drivetrain. I think it'll be fun, personally.

[Sodemo]

I personally don't want to see a push to pass system.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I personally don't want to see a push to pass system.

Me neither. Unnecessary.

[Racer65]

Originally Posted by Evantra

Me neither. Unnecessary.

Not from a commercial standpoint. Just putting a battery and motor on there to boost all the time wouldn't be visible enough to the audience.

[Sodemo]

The cars already have batteries... they power the starter motor. Thats "hybrid" enough.

[Alfisti]

Giving the series some proper hybridisation, and making it a visible part of the story with push to pass, might interest some manufacturer involvement.

It may also save the series in the long run; kids today are having it drummed into them that petrol and diesel are nasty things and that electric is nice and fluffy. Ultimately today's kids will be the punters watching motorsport - or maybe not watching if they think it's dirty and uncool.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I personally don't want to see a push to pass system.

<insert_driver_name_here> already has one, especially at <insert_any_corner_of_any_circuit_here>

[Rob877]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I personally don't want to see a push to pass system.

I'll second that. While I can see that motorsport has to at least appear to be trying to be green, it just fills me with dread.

I think it'll massively spoil the quality of the racing adding a KERS style system to the cars. It was added to F1 to increase overtaking initially, BTCC really doesn't need to resort to that. I just don't want to see the art of overtaking lost because people are just blasting past other drivers on the straight.

I do accept it's a difficult balancing act trying to introduce stuff like this. There are so many things to take in to consideration, I don't envy the people making these decisions.

[Robin Marriott]

Originally Posted by Greem

So far as I can tell from the news articles, it's going to be a small pre-pack system which regenerates from and is likely to drive the non-driven wheels as a boost to the existing drivetrain. I think it'll be fun, personally.

This would be easy on the front wheel drive cars where you can bing it in the rear subframe and stick a driveshaft out of each side but not so much on the rear wheel drive as the engine would be in the way.

I’d have thought it would be between the engine and gearbox, like Honda’s IMA setup.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

from what I understand persons cannot have a TBL but teams

I believe people can have TBLs, not just teams.
Indeed I can think of at least one person, and maybe a second, who does have a TBL.

[medius]

Originally Posted by sceptic

I believe people can have TBLs, not just teams.
Indeed I can think of at least one person, and maybe a second, who does have a TBL.

James Cole is an owner, its only operated by his current team.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by medius

James Cole is an owner, its only operated by his current team.

The btcc.net article detailing the 2017 allocation explicitly states that Matt Simpson earned a TBL as part of his deal to have his car ran by Dynamics.

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by medius

James Cole is an owner, its only operated by his current team.

nonsense. James Cole has never owned a TBL!

[btccbloke]

Sorry there is no way James Cole has a TBL of his own being operated by Motorbase, he took the seat Mat Jackson had from Motorbase's existing allocation of TBLs

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

Sorry there is no way James Cole has a TBL of his own being operated by Motorbase, he took the seat Mat Jackson had from Motorbase's existing allocation of TBLs

Motorbase had two TBLs. It has three drivers. Someone brought a TBL with him.

BMR has two drivers, and now one TBL (having handed one back when Price went).

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Motorbase had two TBLs. It has three drivers. Someone brought a TBL with him.

BMR has two drivers, and now one TBL (having handed one back when Price went).

Tordoff bought his own TBL
Motorbase were "offically" running Chilton and Jackson when he joined in a 3rd car.
Those 3 were the official Motorbase line up for about a week before Jackson departed. They wouldnt have announced 3 drivers unless they were covered by 3 TBL's
Jackson didnt own a TBL or he would have easily got on the grid this year, James Cole took the existing spot he left

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by sceptic

BMR has two drivers, and now one TBL (having handed one back when Price went).

BMR had 3, now 2. https://www.touringcars.net/2018/07/team-bmr-sell-tbl-as-josh-price-departs-the-btcc

[touring fan01]

Originally Posted by sceptic

Motorbase had two TBLs. It has three drivers. Someone brought a TBL with him.

BMR has two drivers, and now one TBL (having handed one back when Price went).

nobody brought a TBL with them.
BMR had 4 TBLs.
motorbase own two TBLs. their third one is on loan from BMR
BMR sold their other one to power maxed racing who gave their loan TBL back to Toca

all of this has been reported in the media