BTCC 2024 News & Rumours

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Pickles

I remember the bonnet on the 888 Vectra (Dave Newshams in particular) used to flex badly under braking but it certainly didn't look beneficial to aero

Flexing down under braking is beneficial.

[auroan]

As a racer in tin tops, and some one who builds and engineers their own cars, including doing some basic wind tunnel modeling..... the bonnet deflection on a touring car makes zero difference to the aero. The deflection is just because there is only a couple mill thick piece of sheet metal with near zero re-reinforcement via bracing or defined kinks in the metal.

On some fancy leman type prototype... maybe. but not a touring car.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by auroan

The deflection is just because there is only a couple mill thick piece of sheet metal with near zero re-reinforcement via bracing or defined kinks in the metal.

From the 2022 season - have a guess which bonnets 'flexed' and which ones didn't.

Then take a look at the road going equivalent for each of those models and something might surprise you......

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by auroan

As a racer in tin tops, and some one who builds and engineers their own cars, including doing some basic wind tunnel modeling..... the bonnet deflection on a touring car makes zero difference to the aero. The deflection is just because there is only a couple mill thick piece of sheet metal with near zero re-reinforcement via bracing or defined kinks in the metal.

On some fancy leman type prototype... maybe. but not a touring car.

I hear you, but I have worked directly with tin-top teams who have used deflection just as I said, with direct and measureable results.

Serious teams who have won professional-level championships.

[Craner Curves]

You know I prefer the old days when bonnets didn't flex and everyone used saloon cars which didn't have body roll.

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

You know I prefer the old days when bonnets didn't flex and everyone used saloon cars which didn't have body roll.

I wish they had more body roll, I’d like to see those wing mirrors scraping along the tarmac when cornering.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Sodemo

I wish they had more body roll, I’d like to see those wing mirrors scraping along the tarmac when cornering.

You almost see that every year as the attack the chicane at Knockhill!

[BtccLee]

Not quite sure it is 2025 thread time, but we have a (unchanged) calendar: https://btcc.net/

Good consistency, reckon we will see additional entries up to the 24 (likely) maximum and the new TOCA Junior series, which I can see proving popular if pitched correctly.

[Sodemo]

Bit of a shame there is not a layout change, Snet 200? Oulton Fosters? Etc?

[Andrew Abbott]

Originally Posted by Craner Curves

You know I prefer the old days when bonnets didn't flex and everyone used saloon cars which didn't have body roll.

At least there's less body roll with the RML spec parts than there was with the old GPRM components.

[Spanner monkey]

Originally Posted by peebee2

I hear you, but I have worked directly with tin-top teams who have used deflection just as I said, with direct and measureable results.

Serious teams who have won professional-level championships.

Maybe in the super tourers where they even went as far as having new panels made to look like the road car version to have the floor higher in the car so it can be run lower...

But not in NGTC. Manufacturers spend millions on aero, Then TOCA take a standard road car to the wind tunnel to fix the position of the rear wing for the team to use on the race car with a given amount of down force.

Teams these days don't have the ££££ to spend doing days of wind tunnel testing these days

[paulinhot]

Would it be within the rules for the BMW's to duct hot air over the tyres from the engine bay to create tyre temperature, which could then be redirected once the tyres were hot enough ?

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by Spanner monkey

Maybe in the super tourers where they even went as far as having new panels made to look like the road car version to have the floor higher in the car so it can be run lower...

But not in NGTC. Manufacturers spend millions on aero, Then TOCA take a standard road car to the wind tunnel to fix the position of the rear wing for the team to use on the race car with a given amount of down force.

Teams these days don't have the ££££ to spend doing days of wind tunnel testing these days

We might be surprised what the top budget teams do.

Anyway, you might even get better results with advanced photography, some fairly basic sensors and even, God forbid, a stopwatch.

[TinTopGrumpy]

All I know is the V8 supercars use four bonnet pins across the front of the bonnet rather than two. Assuming that's not a rule thing I would have thought they would have gone for the "gap" if there was a benefit.

Not very scientific I admit. For what it's worth whenever a bonnet on a race car I've had has moved like that I've been called in more than once for it to be looked at by officials.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by paulinhot

Would it be within the rules for the BMW's to duct hot air over the tyres from the engine bay to create tyre temperature, which could then be redirected once the tyres were hot enough ?

No

[BtccLee]

On 2024, has the new Sprint Challenge GB car been out testing yet? Really intruiged to see the new model but haven't seen anything as of yet.

[coffinpilot]

A couple at Snetterton tomorrow apparently.

[paulinhot]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

No

Cheers

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by paulinhot

Would it be within the rules for the BMW's to duct hot air over the tyres from the engine bay to create tyre temperature, which could then be redirected once the tyres were hot enough ?

Originally Posted by billy bleach

No

As stated - no.

For clarity, only three inlet ducts are permitted on the front of the car.
Two of these are for brake cooling only, and the other is for engine intake.

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

As stated - no.

For clarity, only three inlet ducts are permitted on the front of the car.
Two of these are for brake cooling only, and the other is for engine intake.

What about hybrid cooling? Where is that taken from?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by billy bleach

What about hybrid cooling? Where is that taken from?

Radiators mounted in the engine bay.

[antnee]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

As stated - no.

For clarity, only three inlet ducts are permitted on the front of the car.
Two of these are for brake cooling only, and the other is for engine intake.

It wouldn't be an inlet, it would be an outlet.

But in any case, it would probably be deemed as an active aero device which isn't allowed.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by antnee

It wouldn't be an inlet, it would be an outlet.

But in any case, it would probably be deemed as an active aero device which isn't allowed.

True.

There is also another part of the regulations that prevents any air being ducted into the wheel area for 'any function other than to deliver air to the front and rear of the disc, the calliper via the specified calliper cooling duct and the wheel' as well as the requirement that any duct entering the wheel area can only come from 'existing holes in the front of the Race Car or from the authorised holes in the front aerodynamic device'.

[coffinpilot]

Chris Smiley explaining inlets on the Cupra in this vid on Facebook.
The way he explains it sounds like there's more then three, but I suppose it's open to interpretation if the intercooler/general intake is classed as one?
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2931346050353856

[Ant25]

Will we see who’s the 4th bmw before brands hatch then! Any news about it anywhere?