[BTCC] BTCC 2018 Rumours & Silly Season

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Snett clashes with Super GT in Thailand

Ha, that's spoilt all the fun!

[BobJones]

Everyone at Brands today for a collective pre-season test. Here's the timing. http://livetiming.tsl-timing.com/181342

Cook currently fastest but not near the pole time from last season.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Ha, that's spoilt all the fun!

Hartley or Ghasly available?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by BobJones

That's one heck of a splitter.

In the end, the sills are much slimmer than other cars. Overall, some strange and trick aero details.

Trackside at Brands it looks huge compared to the other cars. Also looks to have less ground clearance (but that could be braking heavier into paddock).

[crmalcolm]

The placement of the Dunlop stickers on the Civics of Norlin and Eurotech caught my eye. The difference suggests that Norlin are running the TD variant of ducting at the bottom of the bumper, whereas Eurotech have a different approach?

I would have thought - given the links in the past - that they would follow TD's design?

[antnee]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

Snett clashes with Super GT in Thailand

Whats the time difference? Could a quick plane get him there in time?

[BLiTZ]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

The placement of the Dunlop stickers on the Civics of Norlin and Eurotech caught my eye. The difference suggests that Norlin are running the TD variant of ducting at the bottom of the bumper, whereas Eurotech have a different approach?

I would have thought - given the links in the past - that they would follow TD's design?

They've always had their own take on things. They were running different bonnet vents last year compared to the TD cars.

[redshoes]

Looks like Norlin are running the same bumper/vent as last year's Dynamics cars, which makes sense as they are using last year's Dynamics cars. Eurotech are using the same set-up as they used last year.

Did Eurotech use that duct/vent set-up last year as they were running the Swindon engine, which will have a different requirement to the Neil Brown engine?

However, just to shoot my own argument down, Eurotech are now using Neil Brown engines so would have expected them to use the Dynamics set-up, and Norlin are suing the Swindon engines so need the Eurotech set-up.

[gregc]

Re. the Honda splitter - just been having a look at my photos, and the size of the 'extra' splitter is the same as the other cars in terms of how far it protrudes in front of the original bodywork. It just looks massive because the Civic already has it's own one as part of the shell.

[crmalcolm]

Smith - understandably - not testing.

No Alfa though?

[RS67]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Everyone at Brands today for a collective pre-season test. Here's the timing. http://livetiming.tsl-timing.com/181342

Cook currently fastest but not near the pole time from last season.

Only 30 cars hit the track this morning. No sign of Rob Austin, haven't worked out who else is missing.

[Robin Marriott]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

The placement of the Dunlop stickers on the Civics of Norlin and Eurotech caught my eye. The difference suggests that Norlin are running the TD variant of ducting at the bottom of the bumper, whereas Eurotech have a different approach?

I would have thought - given the links in the past - that they would follow TD's design?

The Norlin cars and the Eurotech cars have exactly the same bumper. Norlin have cut two circular holes in the ‘foglight’ area presumably for brake ducts, if Eurotech’s are anything like they were last year, the brake ducts are behind the main lower grille.

Looking at last year’s Dynamics car, they had a flat blank where the fog lights would be, the same as Eurotech do this year.

Most of the air from the lower grille is ducted through the radiator then up through the intercooler, so Norlin MAY have a slight advantage there as they’re not stealing some air from there for the brakes...

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

The Norlin cars and the Eurotech cars have exactly the same bumper. Norlin have cut two circular holes in the ‘foglight’ area presumably for brake ducts, if Eurotech’s are anything like they were last year, the brake ducts are behind the main lower grille.

Looking at last year’s Dynamics car, they had a flat blank where the fog lights would be, the same as Eurotech do this year.

Most of the air from the lower grille is ducted through the radiator then up through the intercooler, so Norlin MAY have a slight advantage there as they’re not stealing some air from there for the brakes...

Are you sure it's that way around? Usually the air goes through the (cooler) intercooler first...

[Robin Marriott]

On the Eurotech cars the intercooler is at the top, like the picture in this (old but relevant) article http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/10/btcc-2/

Edit - though this may have changed with the Honda engine over the TOCA one.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

On the Eurotech cars the intercooler is at the top, like the picture in this (old but relevant) article http://www.speedhunters.com/2012/10/btcc-2/

Edit - though this may have changed with the Honda engine over the TOCA one.

OK Robin, thanks for that. I'd assume though that there will be a split feed so some of the air goes (directly) the the water radiator, the rest (directly) to the intercooler. Otherwise the air exiting the radiator would actually warm up the incoming air through the intercooler.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by RS67

Only 30 cars hit the track this morning. No sign of Rob Austin, haven't worked out who else is missing.

I make it 23 from the timing. Unless someone ran without responders or something strange like that.

Smith, Austin, all three Subarus, all four VWs absent.

[Craner Curves]

Originally Posted by BobJones

I make it 23 from the timing. Unless someone ran without responders or something strange like that.

Smith, Austin, all three Subarus, all four VWs absent.

30 cars were in session 1. Austin and Brett Smith were absent. Check out the pdf on the tsl page for the test.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

30 cars were in session 1. Austin and Brett Smith were absent. Check out the pdf on the tsl page for the test.

Ah cheers, was looking at the 'live' website results from the afternoon.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by BobJones

I make it 23 from the timing. Unless someone ran without responders or something strange like that.

Smith, Austin, all three Subarus, all four VWs absent.

With the weather, a lot of teams decided to run less in the afternoon due to the risk of damage.

[luckn002]

Apologies if I'm a little too eager, but is the Annual Prediciton game happening this year...?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Robin Marriott

Looking at last year’s Dynamics car, they had a flat blank where the fog lights would be, the same as Eurotech do this year.

They had holes in the bumper - as shown on Simpson's car below. This is also present on the Norlin cars this year.

[3marinadrive]

Originally Posted by luckn002

Think the changes to the JST will see a great improvement. Should be really close between Hill, Bushell, Thompson, Cammish and Proctor.

Proctor not eligible as he won it last year;

JST for 2018;

Cammish
Jackson
Smelt
Oliphant
Butcher
Caine
Thompson
Bushell
Hill
Smiley
Smith
Simpson
Price

[RS67]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

With the weather, a lot of teams decided to run less in the afternoon due to the risk of damage.

The Subarus didn't come out in the morning until it started raining. Bit of an odd move. Track was wet but not raining when the afternoon session started. No idea what the weather did after 2:30 as I had left.

Perhaps Subaru were given half their days testing fee back and asked not to go out in the afternoon, just like the bloke the previous day who had gone on a track day in his works van.

[AmD Tuning]

Wonder if any of the posters on here, who seemed to go out of there way to criticise our BTCC MG programme over the winter, will have the balls to say something positive now that we've presented well prepared cars, good drivers and Top 10 pace? Doubt it.

We can't guarantee the results but I suppose if it was easy everyone would be doing it?!

Cheers Shaun

[850Estate]

Originally Posted by AmD Tuning

Wonder if any of the posters on here, who seemed to go out of there way to criticise our BTCC MG programme over the winter, will have the balls to say something positive now that we've presented well prepared cars, good drivers and Top 10 pace? Doubt it.

We can't guarantee the results but I suppose if it was easy everyone would be doing it?!

Cheers Shaun

You can't?

Pffftt, what sort of team are you?

All the best Shaun - good to see Mr Boardman back in the series.