2019 TCR Australia Silly Season

[Mrpop123]

https://twitter.com/JASMotorsport/st...061456384?s=09

[Mixer]

Lynk and Co open up orders for their car:
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2019...heOo2Z7PLMJaOg

Bang on the 130k Euro cap price, and "priority will be given to Chinese orders" with deliveries to start in 2020...

How's that work with the 90 day rule?

Surely they are taking the ****.

[Langers]

What is the 90 day rule?

[Petoli]

Originally Posted by Langers

What is the 90 day rule?

Under TCR Rules
For certification the minimum race car production will be 10 units in 12 consecutive months starting with the date of the
application. After the certification the cars have to be offered on the market with maximum 3 months delivery time.

So should anyone order a Lynk and Co on the 19th September which as the order books are open they can the latest the car can be delivered is 19th December.

[Umai Naa]

They've built several spare chassis outside of the 4 that are being raced.

So potentially, the build quota has been met.

[Mixer]

Either the whole thing is a sham.

[Umai Naa]

MPC are running the Britek Golfs this weekend, thus all associated branding with MSR/Alliance Autosport has vanished off the cars.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Either the whole thing is a sham.

The Lynk complies with the regs. Why do you keep pushing this barrow?

[Mixer]

It has only started to comply when pressure was applied.

It's not my barrow.

They willl not sell a car outside of China for the next year. Mark my words.

But TCR was so keen they don't care. They have only forced them to comply in some sort of paper sense when Hyundai got up about it.

Go find me a picture of one of these road cars that an owner has posted?

[Petoli]

Originally Posted by Mixer

It has only started to comply when pressure was applied.

It's not my barrow.

They willl not sell a car outside of China for the next year. Mark my words.

But TCR was so keen they don't care. They have only forced them to comply in some sort of paper sense when Hyundai got up about it.

Go find me a picture of one of these road cars that an owner has posted?

Are you suggesting that their is not a production road going version of the Lynk & Co.

Despite the fact that for a car to be eligible for TCR Competition 5,000 have to be built within 12 consecutive months.

[Mixer]

Manufacturer claims to sell between 3 and 4 thousand a month. But there are no dealers.
They should have already had the car on sale to customers in order to be eligible to compete, now they are saying they will begin sales in 2020 and Chinese customers will get priority. So there is no transparency here, this is likely a full factory effort and I don't believe they are making any genuine effort to comply with the rules.
I think potentially there should be a rule preventing entry into WTCR without some other TCR entries to stop the gaming or the BOP.
Time will tell if we see any of these in another series next year or ever in the hands of genuine customer teams. I am deeply skeptical. The Chinese will make up their own rules if the rule makers don't enforce the rules.
And increasingly TCR rules look rubbery.

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Manufacturer claims to sell between 3 and 4 thousand a month. But there are no dealers.
They should have already had the car on sale to customers in order to be eligible to compete, now they are saying they will begin sales in 2020 and Chinese customers will get priority. So there is no transparency here, this is likely a full factory effort and I don't believe they are making any genuine effort to comply with the rules.
I think potentially there should be a rule preventing entry into WTCR without some other TCR entries to stop the gaming or the BOP.
Time will tell if we see any of these in another series next year or ever in the hands of genuine customer teams. I am deeply skeptical. The Chinese will make up their own rules if the rule makers don't enforce the rules.
And increasingly TCR rules look rubbery.

When was the GT500, 50+ years back? The Group A Volvo 240/BMW M3/Sierra - am I missing something?

[Mixer]

The Volvo is a good example, because the homologation cars never really existed.

I am not aware of issues with the rest.

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by Mixer

The Volvo is a good example, because the homologation cars never really existed.

I am not aware of issues with the rest.

Ok technically, my scepticism is of 'legality'.

M3 disqualification, Commodore win at Monza?
Sierra disqualification at Bathurst?
Availability of GT500 Cortina.


Been happening since Adam gridded up !!

[chavez]

Originally Posted by cavvy

Ok technically, my scepticism is of 'legality'.

M3 disqualification, Commodore win at Monza?
Sierra disqualification at Bathurst?
Availability of GT500 Cortina.


Been happening since Adam gridded up !!

Dodgy HSV cars Bathurst '88.

All brands have bent or broken the rules at times.

Does not make it right however.

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by Mixer

The Volvo is a good example, because the homologation cars never really existed.

I am not aware of issues with the rest.

Sorry Mixer but you well wide of the mark, the FIA audited 505 Evolution "Flat Nose" 242T cars that were all retro fitted with intercoolers, the bigger T3B Turbo's, water injection kits, etc prior to the FIA inspection, which was also witnessed by the head of BMW Motorsport as an interested party.

The fact that none of the 505 were sold to end customers with the homologated parts, except for the intercooler, was a decision taken by the USA importer who decided that the resulting turbo lag from the bigger turbo was unacceptable for the USA market, and all of the turbo's and water injection kits were removed, and shipped back to Sweden were they were sold as part of the official Volvo R Sport aftermarket parts program.

FYI. None of the 505 Evolution cars were ever used by VMS to build the factory GpA cars because all 505 cars were fitted with sunroofs, instead they used the 1983 billy basic 242 DL body shell's for the factory VMS GpA cars.

It needs to be understood that the FIA only required that a minimum of 500 Evolution cars had to be built, there was never a requirement that they had to be sold! You can call it cynical but Volvo played by the same rules as did all the other GpA manufactures cars.

Cheers,

Mark Petch.

[Mixer]

Mark, the audit was a sham. Pretty well documented now that only 30 cars were built, the rest had all the parts in the boot. Loophole if you like and far from the only one but the 240 was not legally bomologated as was intended.

[Mark Petch]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Mark, the audit was a sham. Pretty well documented now that only 30 cars were built, the rest had all the parts in the boot. Loophole if you like and far from the only one but the 240 was not legally bomologated as was intended.

Sorry to have to say this Mixer, but clearly you don't know what you are talking about. I am not going to repeat what I had already said in some detail but happy to produce evidence to the contrary if you pm me your email.

Your statement that there was only 30 ever built is also misleading unless you are talking about actual log booked GpA Volvo 240T race cars, and that figure could well be right, if you take in the home built specials like Lauri Hazzelton's ex Repco Rally 240GT car, that raced in only one Australian GpA race, Oran Park in 1987, and DNF, due to a heavy crash.

FYI. There were only 12 VMS serial numbered works supported cars ever built, but a great deal more GpA complying 240 race cars were built up by privateers from ex Volvo Turbo Cup cars.

You are no doubt aware that a tell all book is soon to be published, written by the late Goran Sallstrom [Project Engineer at Volvo AB and the so called father of the 240T GpA cars] assisted by Bjorn Ohlson, and myself, with the Australian chapter. Perhaps you might like to reserve any further comment on the subject until you have read the book.

You are also no doubt aware I still own one of the original 12 VMS works car's, ex Thomas Lindstrom. ex Eggenberger, ex RAS, ex John Bowe and the actual car that crossed the line at Oran Park, driven by Robbie Francevic to win the 1986 ATCC.

Cheers,

Mark Petch.

[JAFA851]

Mark, please keep us updated when the book is released, sounds like it will be an interesting to read, just like the Allan Scott / TWR books.

[Mixer]

Mark, I will find you the reference material I read. You know I know who you are but that is immaterial to this moment in 83.

No doubt the paperwork exists for 505 cars. There were 505 cars on the dock. But the vast majority of the flathood, never had the homologation parts fitted. Apparently 7 cars were.

If you want to believe 470 cars had parts removed, on the docks in the USA before they were sold rather than a swifty being pulled by one person or the other, go ahead. It doesn't change history. But now long enough has passed that these stories are out.

[Just Do It!]

Who was the manufacturer, all those years ago, who put the parts in the boot of your new car to comply with the rules?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Just Do It!

Who was the manufacturer, all those years ago, who put the parts in the boot of your new car to comply with the rules?

Alfa Romeo, in their 155, for the adjustable front splitter for SuperTouring

[chavez]

Originally Posted by Just Do It!

Who was the manufacturer, all those years ago, who put the parts in the boot of your new car to comply with the rules?

Alfa Romeo for their 155 Super Tourer.

[Forda]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Alfa Romeo, in their 155, for the adjustable front splitter for SuperTouring

HSV also did this for their VL Group A, for practicality reasons.

They got away with making something like 302 homologation units of the VN Group A, when Group A regulations required 500 be made.

[champcarman]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Tipping at least 4 cars out of the MPC stables.

Have six ATM , room for two more of Audi and VW .