BTTC on oval tracks

[MrSal]

After watching the best afternoons racing in years on the Rockingham track, what are people's opinions on the BTCC boys running on the full oval track. Do you think the drafting and close racing improve what we saw, or was it the combination of banking and the infield that produced such a good race?

[gttouring]

A bit of both- i would welcome Oval racing where there is an OVAL especially BTCC- Ovals starteD in europe and just hung on in America. I would love to see a double header weekend an oval race followed by the infield race maybe on 2 dates? Its great fun.
The banking for sure helped, in a road course banking would help grip alot this was prbaly the case, the infield is a good mix of corners, I just like the Rock Facilities anyway.

[rdjones]

From what I witnessed today I think it would work and I think you would get some close racing. Hopefully next year it might happen.

[RollingThunder]

Well the old former Super Touring journo paid a visit to the modern BTCC this weekend, mainly becasue it was at the Rock, the one place I tend to watch motorsport these days. I knew the venue would make for potentially good action, but the racing exceeded my expectations. I thought it was excellent with loads of close battles, all of which we could see (one of the advantages of Rockingham).

Personally I'd love to see an oval BTCC race, because in my (highly personal) opinion the more series that make use of Rockingham's oval the better. But it's not just a case of moving the barriers and lettign everybody go. There are technical issues to address – the engines would be much more highly stressed bascially spending rather more time at full power, I beleive that's a major part of what is delaying the British F3 series staging a race on the full oval.

My other major impression, and don't forget I'm looking with the rose-tinted spectacles of someone who was closely involved with the series in the mid-90s, is that while the Hondas are quick, and the Peugeots bright, they're not touring cars! If the modern series is so much cheaper and thus avoids the costs that brought about the downfall of Super Touring, then let's apply that rationale but still not let hot hatches in! Honda produces a Civic Coupe for example - to me a Touring Car should be of a reasonable size with a bit out the back!

Andrew Charman

[ascarracinguk]

problem i safety...ASCARS are much stronger than BTCC cars due to the fact they run on ovals.....we all know what happened to aiello in germany...

[KA]

Originally posted by RollingThunder
My other major impression, and don't forget I'm looking with the rose-tinted spectacles of someone who was closely involved with the series in the mid-90s, is that while the Hondas are quick, and the Peugeots bright, they're not touring cars! If the modern series is so much cheaper and thus avoids the costs that brought about the downfall of Super Touring, then let's apply that rationale but still not let hot hatches in! Honda produces a Civic Coupe for example - to me a Touring Car should be of a reasonable size with a bit out the back!

Andrew Charman

Andrew- I've had this discussion a lot over the last couple of years ,and have never totally got it- maybe it's from remembering Group A in the 80's when a very wide range of cars were used- including hot hatches (MG Metro turbo!), and even the Mazda RX7- my perception has always been simply that if the rules of the time say it's a touring car, then it's a touring car....

[gttouring]

well touring cars have in my memory best been described as 4 door saloons-now the BMW CSL batmobile was called a touring car not a GT car, as was the TWR jag coupe. BUt the four doors, are the touring car we all know it rubbish on the hatches and the coupes. MONDEO-S40-ACCORD-PRIMERA these are real touring cars..Ford COrTINA anyone?

[KA]

Originally posted by gttouring
well touring cars have in my memory best been described as 4 door saloons-now the BMW CSL batmobile was called a touring car not a GT car, as was the TWR jag coupe. BUt the four doors, are the touring car we all know it rubbish on the hatches and the coupes. MONDEO-S40-ACCORD-PRIMERA these are real touring cars..Ford COrTINA anyone?

In Europe at least, 4-door saloons are a bit of an exception, in that it's only really the Supertouring era (other than Australia with the Commodores & Falcons) in which they became predominant- in the past, when there was a choice of 2 or 4 door version, you'd often go with the 2-door because the shell was stiffer- they didn't build a 4-door Lotus Cortina.

About the only widely-used 4-door I can think of in the Group A era-apart from the Commodore- were the BMW 528i in the early 80's, the Rover and the Alfa 75, (none of which were made in 2-door form) otherwise it was predominantly 2-doors or coupes.

Apart from that, arguably one of the all-time great touring cars- the Mini, certainly wouldn't fit the 'decent-sized 4-door' idea

I'd better stop before I hijack the thread in a whole new direction.....