TBK-Light.com

beaten again

I do apologise .

Thats good news. The grid is steadily growing.

Any ideas when Jason Hughes might be back out? I'm missing having the MG out there. It's a comforting presence.

BTCC announces new cost cutting rules.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/75778

Turbo's

No rear wheel drive BMW's

And the big announcement for today is that the BTCC will introduce new rules from 2011, basically outlawing the BTC-spec cars from that date. Furthermore, the new rules will ONLY permit FRONT WHEEL DRIVE cars to the series, i.e. NO BMW's from 2013. The current spec s2000 cars will run with the new NGTC (New Generation Touring Car) until 2013, when the NGTC will recive a substancial power hike. The series will also be based around Turbo-Charged engines. It is also estimated in the articles listed below that costs will be reduced by about 50% in some areas, for example engine and gearbox. All the details are listed in the artciles, including an interview with Alan Gow.

http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=1490

Complete specification of the NGTC here:

http://www.btcc.net/html/geralnews_detail.php?id=1489en

And the interview with Alan Gow

http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=1488

EDIT:Just beat me Gaara.

That is my only sad thought about these rules, but I quite like the announcement. It should allow far more entrants to develop cars like there used to be in the 80's and before.

Not too keen on the "push to pass" mention in there - the BTCC doen't need circus gimmicks like the KERS in F1.

Otherwise, the cost reductions look pretty good - cutting the costs of the cars can only be a good thing while the technical regs dont seem to make the series less interesting.

No more BMWs is a shame.

But faster cars at half the price sounds good.

Interesting direction they've gone for. Cheaper is good, looks like diesels are banned too.
Are they planning for no manufacturer involvement? There's not many manufacturers who use 2 litre turbo petrol engines, and there will be a generic engine and supplies avaliable for privateers. Guess it's safest for the long-term stability of the championship, but it'll be a strange BTCC without major manufacturer involvement.

Another good move by Gow.

Hopefully the new regs will allow stronger suspension components, as the suspension on S2000 cars is so flimsy it's dangerous.

Gow's no fool. He's probably the best thing to have ever hit the BTCC...

So when he proposes rules like this, you gotta ask yourselves: who has he been consulting with and who said they'd be more likely to enter a championship under these rules??

I doubt he would be proposing these rules hoping the manufacturers like them and praying they decide to enter....I imagine there'll be some announcements soon enough about manufacturers entering the series.

A shame about BMW but they'll still be around until 2013 at least, I guess.
I do love the idea of turbo boosts...I'm sorry it's just something that appeals to me. Kers is awesome and has helped in F1 this year, hopefully this'll do the same in BTCC.

Didn't know where to post this, but former World Super Bike rider Aaron Slight is gona race in the British Carrera cup at Croft

That is great news. It will be good to see someone of Aaron's calibre back on the BTCC bill. Is it right that this will be his first BTCC meeting since driving the Barwell Astra back in 2002?

No idea tbh, I recall he had a crack at a Supercup Porsche a Silverstone a few years ago, he also raced in the NZ GT3 Cup enduro's that were held during the A1GP weekend here, I've actually uploaded video's of the races here if you want to have a looksey viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1954&start=0

Jelley crashed in testing yesterday.

http://www.crash.net/btcc/news/149489/1 ... shunt.html

That actually looks like quite a sizable shunt. Not his first this year either.

Whoa, no wonder he said it dazed him

I notice it is all quiet on the Volvo front...

Wasn't Snet supposed to be the round they were going to run as a test this year ahead of a 2010 assault?

No news isn't good news in this situation.