New sprint race format official!!!

[runnyhunny]

Folks,

See http://tocatour.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=407

It's official!

Before anyone jumps to criticise, how about giving it a chance or three? (like the rest of this year's BTCC!!!)

[runnyhunny]

Just thought...

So what if a Production car is first past the flag?

Surely the points will still be separated between the classes? So, if for example...

1. James Kaye (Production)
2. Yvan Muller (Touring
3. Steve Soper (Touring)
4. Simon Harrison (Production)
5. James Thompson (Touring)
6. John B&Q (Production)

Then the championship points would be awarded like this...

1. James Kaye (Production)
2. Simon Harrison (Production)
3. John B&Q (Production)

*AND*

1. Yvan Muller (Touring
2. Steve Soper (Touring)
3. James Thompson (Touring)

Surely it's the only sensible way?!?!

Can anyone point me to the rules where this is explained?

[Craig]

Here's the press release:

TOCA ANNOUNCE NEW FORMAT TO BTCC SPRINT RACES


The 2001 www.theAA.com MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Thruxton for Rounds 3 & 4 this Bank Holiday Monday, with a new format announced for the Championship Sprint Races.

Following detailed discussions between BTC Production teams, BTC Touring Teams, Manufacturers, BMP and TOCA officials, an agreement was reached on Monday 30th May to merge the BTC Touring Sprint race and the BTC Production Sprint race into one BTCC Sprint race.

BTC Touring cars will race a distance of 16 Laps at Thruxton, as opposed to BTC Production cars that will race 15 Laps. The format means that the BTC Touring cars will effectively be forced to play catch up to the Production category from the start.

The grid for the Sprint race will be formed by the BTC Touring competitors in their order of qualification followed by the BTC Production competitors in their order of qualification. Production competitors will always form their grid behind the Touring class, irrespective of qualifying times.

The BTC Touring category will start the Sprint race first. After a time delay of 12 seconds, a flag will be used to signal the start of the race for BTC Production competitors. This time delay is subject to change, depending on the circuit.






Series Director Richard West commented: "The purpose for the change is to provide the most spectacular racing possible for the viewing public and live spectator alike. I believe that the amalgamation of the Sprint Races will do just that and whilst the new format continues to provide a platform for the Production cars to excel, the Touring cars, when driven hard through traffic, still have the potential for top place finishes. The new format offers the opportunity for thrilling action which I'm sure the fans will relish".

BTC Production Team Barwell Motorsport commented: "It's a very exciting prospect for us to have the chance to beat the Touring class cars and win the Sprint race outright. I think the new race format should make great viewing, with the stage set for a dramatic last lap battle for victory between the likes of Plato, Thompson, Muller and leading Production runners."

Mick Linford of Peugeot Sport is equally optimistic: "I think it's an excellent way of enabling the Touring and Production Class competitors to get the best of both worlds. It gives everybody the opportunity to lead the pack and gain good TV coverage. If anything can increase the Touring drivers' determination to win a race, the fact that they will be playing catch-up with the Production class certainly will. Once they have, they will then have to work their way through the Production pack, which is guaranteed to provide spectacular action for the crowds."

The new format Sprint race is scheduled to begin at 1.00pm on Monday 7th May. It will be BTC Touring team ABG Motorsport's first assault on the Championship when their rear wheel drive Lexus takes to the track, piloted by Kurt Luby.

JS Motorsport are expected to run the full squad of cars, with new recruit Tom Ferrier eager to put the Alfa Romeo 147 through its paces.

[redshoes]

Right, time to get the calculator out.

From the last Thruxton test the fastest BTC-T car was Plato @ 1m 17.704s, the fastest BTC-P Moen @ 1m 22.130s. Lets forget the tenths for now so call it 1:17 and 1:22.

15 laps @ 1m 22s = 20m 30s
16 laps @ 1m 17s = 20m 32s + 12 sec delay = 20m 44s

Now I know not every lap will be that pace but how much time will be lost overtaking the slower cars on lap 1 and lapping them again on laps 13/14/15/16 ?

This could be interesting !

[Les]

Hang on a minute - isn't that delay for the Production cars making them slower than the touring cars?

[redshoes]

<memo to self: read slowly next time>

oh yeah, ok then

15 laps @ 1m 22s = 20m 30s + 12 sec delay = 20m 42s
16 laps @ 1m 17s = 20m 32s

The Tourers are still going to have to work hard not to lose 8 secs in traffic

[Les]

Originally posted by redshoes
<memo to self: read slowly next time>

oh yeah, ok then

15 laps @ 1m 22s = 20m 30s + 12 sec delay = 20m 42s
16 laps @ 1m 17s = 20m 32s

The Tourers are still going to have to work hard not to lose 8 secs in traffic

<memo to Redshoes - when in doubt use calculator>

20m 42s - 20m 32s = 10 secs not 8!!!

but nice try anyway.

What gets me is why? Are they going to give extra points to Production cars that beat Touring cars? In this senario the P. cars just move over and let the T cars through - they are still not racing each other! It doesn't matter where the first T car finish - he still gets full points!

[WoodyTJ]

I do finance and I'm confused!

Does this also mean that we have one less race on the day?

Suppose your right runnyhunny wait until after the race at Thruxton to see how it goes

[redshoes]

Les, it was 8 sec when I though 30 + 12 was 40. Spotted and edited that mistake but not the other one. Still, I showed my working out so I still get marks for the. Double A-level maths and I still can't do simply adding and subtracting.

Woody, yes and no. We get 2 instead of 3 BTCC races but they've added an extra support race - see http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=9459

[Sodemo2]

I take it this "new format" will dissapear as soon as the BTCT entry list is boosted?

[GURRYP]

Desperate............

Very Very Desperate...............

What next I wonder ???????

[John Batchelor]

Can I sign up RIGHT NOW for runnyhuny's result 6th overall and third in class would be absolutely ripping!!!!!!! Yes I would like to win, but we are alittle down on power at pres, (No I'm Not making excuses).... I think the marketing people call it "managing expectations"

[runnyhunny]

John,

I thought you'd like my example, but I'm sorry - I don't/can't do requests! :-)

More seriously:

Do you know how the points scoring will work?

Out of interest, why does your Honda Integra have a 1.8 litre engine and not a 2.0 litre?

[John Batchelor]

I assume that the point scoring will work as previously set up i.e points will count first in the overall result of the championship and then second in the class result to the class b championship. But as the whole thing is new (and I do like the idea) we are waiting for details prior to the race.

We run a 1.8 because that was the car as homologated. It isn't really a problem, apart from Thruxton which exposes the overall deficit.

[redshoes]

A thought just struck me - we are missing one very important factor. Every race involving BTC-P cars so far this year has involved the safety car. Throw that in at any point in the race, even for just a lap, and all those careful thought out calculations go out of the window.

Hmm, a Peugeot to win the sprint race maybe. A red Peugeot that is

[BTC-P fan]

Or a yellow Focus

[hunttheshunt]

Or a Bawell Honda!

Anyway, i think its a bad idea-i think if the BTCC WANTS TO BE TAKEN SERIUOSLY IT SHOULDN'T HAVE 'FAIRGROUNBD' IDEAS WHICH ONLY CONFUSE THINGS AND IF A SAFETY CAR COMES OUT IT DEFEATS THE WHole object.

They should have had a combined sprint race but a conventional race. i.e. all BTCT and BTCP cars start in the order they qualified (we'll still get some BTCP Pugs/Focus' etc. ahead of JSM and ABG) and then 15 laps for both BTCT and BTCP.

Definately.

[ziggy stardust]

Yes, quite right - safety is stupid.

Let the buggers die !

[TheCat]

Did I tell you or what! See my post of 26th April in the Matt and Pug split thread.

[redshoes]

TOCA held a brief press conference about this on Monday. Unfortunely I missed the first part but the basic idea was that the one thing everyone has been complaining about was the BTCT sprint and whilst this isn't a long term solution it was clear that something needed to be done. Things like reverse grids were considered but never seriously. The Production teams I spoke to said that they agreed to it for the best interests of the series as a whole, and hoped it would mean them getting more coverage into the bargain.

One thing which threw me at first was the rules if a safety car is called out. Instead of picking up the leading Tourer it will pick up the leading Production car. Why, well because at that point the Production field is actually in the lead. Confused? Well although the Tourers and Productions have both done the same number of laps the Productions have one less lap to do so are closer to the end of the race. Think about it, it took me a minute as well.

Another point of interest - the extra BMW Challenge race. The series organiser was telephone on Tuesday and asked to put a race together for Monday. 21 cars in less than a week is pretty impressive.

[knowlesy59]

Originally posted by redshoes
the extra BMW Challenge race.

does anyone know if they will be at oulten park