Changes to the BTCC Regs for 2005

[rdjones]

Alan Gow and TOCA have today announced changes to Regulations for 2005.

The main changes are that Top Ten Reversed Grid Rule will now apply to race 3 instead of race 2.

Success Ballast will applied to the top 5 drivers in the championship for race 1, from what I can figure out and its quite complecated things will run along the same lines as this year.

Each driver will be allowed 16 tyres for each meeting. All teams both works and indy will be allowed 4 days of testing during the season.

The other major change is that teams will be allowed to build there cars to Super 2000 regs, even if they are not homologated buy the FIA.

The good news is that the drivers parade will be back for 2005 as well.

Full details of changes can be found here

[Craig]

I like the change to championship ballast - this is something that I mentioned to someone last year and we couldn't work out why it had never been adopted - a much much better system.

[Silk Cut Jaguar]

Seems to be an all round improvement. I would prefer longer races but I'm happy enough as it is.

[rdjones]

I do like the idea of having the reveresed grid in race 3 rather then 2, but it makes me wonder if that has been done for TV, as this year the 2nd race of the day has provied some of the best racing.

But all the changes are postive ones, IMO.

[Casseopeia]

I thought that the ballast system was in need of a change. I'm glad that it will be different in 05.

[Kicking-back]

I think the reversed grid for race three is sensible.

In 2004 you had two races affected by reversing the grid, given that race three gridded on the race two result.

[SALEEN S7R]

Yes the reverse grid rule for race 3 is much better than it has been this year. Might mean things arent as close as they have been this year though. I also like the new sucess ballast system, should make the title fight even closer.

[touringcarnut]

Much better for the reverse grid for race 3, good moves

It means that the heavy cars will be at the front for race 2, allowing for overtaking.

[codename_47]

I'm not sure I like the change of the reversed grid race to race three, as if you take it from a drivers point of view, if they won race 1 they treated race 2 like a qualifying race, trying to get as far forward to make for a good start position in race 3.

Now that's not going to happen. Though I guess there will be MORE reason to go all out in race three because there won't be any second chances to fall back on this time!

I'm undecided....get back to me after Donington!

[touringcarnut]

That's it Codename, just see how it works out.

At elast the BTCC is not in a F1 position where the regs seem to make the racing even worse!

[BootsOntheSide]

I think the change to the reversed grid is positive. Race two will see the best cars with ballast, and probably quite even on pace to the whole top 10. Race three could be slightly more processional than before, as the cars trying to fight through from 10th will be heavier, but I'd still expect lots of action, as well as a more representative set of results.

[Hazard]

It's also good to see that the championship leaders will start the weekend on the back foot, but will have ample opportunity to reclimb over the weekend. Albeit by the time they work they way up in race two, they'll be reverse flipped to the back of the top 10 - which may cause some disgruntlement.

Otherwise, I do certainly agree with the reverse race being the third race - giving the overall fastest driver of the weekend the best opportunity to score large points in the first two races. The racing will be fair - but potentially not quite as exciting as this year has seen.

But in the end, a more fair championship is a better one also.

[Alfa Fan]

Originally posted by Hazard
It's also good to see that the championship leaders will start the weekend on the back foot, but will have ample opportunity to reclimb over the weekend. Albeit by the time they work they way up in race two, they'll be reverse flipped to the back of the top 10 - which may cause some disgruntlement.

Otherwise, I do certainly agree with the reverse race being the third race - giving the overall fastest driver of the weekend the best opportunity to score large points in the first two races. The racing will be fair - but potentially not quite as exciting as this year has seen.

But in the end, a more fair championship is a better one also.

I think it will be better, more chance of a genuine reverse top 10, no drivers delibretly falling back. And moving the reverse grid to the final race is going to turn it into a bit of a destruction derby, that could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.