BTCC 2019 season discussion, News and Rumours!

[CroftPilgrim]

Originally Posted by antnee

Given that he is the most talked about driver on this very forum topic, he probably has more marketing power than any other driver on the grid.

Absolutely! Love him or loathe him, we talk about him...a lot!

[redshoes]

http://www.btcc.net/2018/11/14/rule-...9-btcc-season/
Reduced success ballast, adjustment to 'strike' system, tweaks to red flag rules

Snetterton adds another twist to tyre option - all 3 compounds have to be used during the day.

[jsmee]

Originally Posted by redshoes

http://www.btcc.net/2018/11/14/rule-...9-btcc-season/
Reduced success ballast, adjustment to 'strike' system, tweaks to red flag rules

Snetterton adds another twist to tyre option - all 3 compounds have to be used during the day.

Full expect a wet Snetterton weekend now to make that rule nul and void!

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[BobJones]

"the new hybrid power units scheduled for introduction in 2022 may be brought forward a year if all key parameters can be met in time for an earlier launch."
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2018...2019-campaign/

Even 2021 is too late. It's needed sooner rather than later to keep the series relevant, even if it's a mild application.

[Robin Marriott]

Originally Posted by redshoes

http://www.btcc.net/2018/11/14/rule-...9-btcc-season/
Reduced success ballast, adjustment to 'strike' system, tweaks to red flag rules

Snetterton adds another twist to tyre option - all 3 compounds have to be used during the day.

I think reducing the success ballast will make the racing worse. 54kg on the winner’s car will mean they win race 2 as well, I’ll put money on it!

[S griffin]

I think it’s a sensible rule, the field is close enough as it is. Also the new strike rule I think sounds sensible on paper, so you won’t get sent to the back for a little offence. Remains to be seen if it will work

[Racer65]

Red flag in quali rule makes sense in some ways but depends on how they classify the car that caused the red flag.

If a car smashes into a wall because another car spun it which one is deemed to have caused the red flag?

[Greem]

The one that caused the spin. The one that hit the wall will most likely be out anyway.

This is adoption of a rule which is widely used by club clerks.

[btccbloke]

I dont understand reducing the ballast, this will just make R2 a replay of R1 , the idea was to add weight to reign in cars at the front and nullify any advantage they had at a particular track, reducing the ballast will be going against this by not hampering them as much as previously.

We only saw twice a driver win both R1 and R2 in 2018, Croft where Sutton had a clear car advantage, and Brands where you could argue team play kept Neal behind a winless at that point Cammish so I would have said that ballast was already fair and if anything could have been tweaked the other way

[Cinghio44]

I hope that this hybrid solution won't have an high impact on the costs of the car. I don't understand this strong need of hybrid in BTCC right now...

Alan Gow said that it is relevant to manufacturers but at the end it's always a spec system, the same for all the cars

[antnee]

How much do people think hybrid systems cost? They really aren't that expensive you know, not enough to cause any real concern to the teams (BMR excluded )

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by Racer65

Red flag in quali rule makes sense in some ways but depends on how they classify the car that caused the red flag.

If a car smashes into a wall because another car spun it which one is deemed to have caused the red flag?

Most red flags in qualifying aren't a result of a multi-car crash, generally it's because someone has dropped it in the gravel on their own.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Greem

This is adoption of a rule which is widely used by club clerks.

Supercars, too.

[BobJones]

Originally Posted by Cinghio44

I hope that this hybrid solution won't have an high impact on the costs of the car. I don't understand this strong need of hybrid in BTCC right now...

Alan Gow said that it is relevant to manufacturers but at the end it's always a spec system, the same for all the cars

Me too, the reason it will be spec parts is to help reduce potential costs. I can't see a new manufacturer joining without some form of electrification. It also helps teams attract sponsors. Look at the way the car market is going and also look at how FE has gathered manufacturers and sponsors at a rapid rate.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Most red flags in qualifying aren't a result of a multi-car crash, generally it's because someone has dropped it in the gravel on their own.

This is true but you have hit the nail on the head with the word "most"


So Driver 1 bins it into the gravel through their own accident and the flags come out, we can expect will be punished, Driver 2 sets a time and a car problem means they are stuck on track or even park it sensibly at the side but its deemed enough hazard to bring the session to a stop - should they be punished the same? who will judge that?

And thats before we think about possibility of a weather related accident as well.

[Cinghio44]

Originally Posted by BobJones

Me too, the reason it will be spec parts is to help reduce potential costs. I can't see a new manufacturer joining without some form of electrification. It also helps teams attract sponsors. Look at the way the car market is going and also look at how FE has gathered manufacturers and sponsors at a rapid rate.

Yes, and so seems to me something more related to a politically correct move

With the spec hybrid system, manufacturers won't use their technology. So I don't see anything of relevant in this

The real focus I think will be to creat some sort of game gamble in the race (quantity of usage per driver etc). I hope it works but for me it wasn't necessary...

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Cinghio44

The real focus I think will be to creat some sort of game gamble in the race (quantity of usage per driver etc). I hope it works but for me it wasn't necessary...

i know BTCC can get a bit artificial anyway to an extent, but i hope they dont go the route of Formula E with the extra "fan boost"

[btccbloke]

TCR UK are going to Spa https://twitter.com/TCRUK_series/sta...23617115521024


... That will be a one up on Alan Gow just sticking a second outing to Thruxton into the premier series

[Alfisti]

So half a dozen to a dozen cars going to Spa. It'll be like a bunch of middle aged blokes going off to the Nurburgring for the weekend. Will be a dreadful 'spectacle' with so few cars on such a long lap.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

So half a dozen to a dozen cars going to Spa. It'll be like a bunch of middle aged blokes going off to the Nurburgring for the weekend. Will be a dreadful 'spectacle' with so few cars on such a long lap.

I'm pretty certain they'll be sharing the track with other TCR series'

[Racing Harz]

With TCR Europe.

[btccbloke]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

So half a dozen to a dozen cars going to Spa. It'll be like a bunch of middle aged blokes going off to the Nurburgring for the weekend. Will be a dreadful 'spectacle' with so few cars on such a long lap.

Suddenly becomes a bit more marketable tho, and we have all seen comments on here that BTCC should do Spa (tho not one I agree with)

Looks like the neighbours are getting a bit noisy

[CroftPilgrim]

Originally Posted by btccbloke

TCR UK are going to Spa https://twitter.com/TCRUK_series/sta...23617115521024


... That will be a one up on Alan Gow just sticking a second outing to Thruxton into the premier series

Why would Alan Gow want to consider Spa? Not going off the UK mainland keeps the costs down and Spa. although a great circuit, is just not the right sort of circuit for BTCC machinery. Too wide and too long.

[Robin Marriott]

TCR Europe is at Spa on June 9/10 so it’ll probably just be added to that grid.

[S griffin]

That depends if TCR UK survives the winter