Is the BTCC too artificial....
Discussion
....or am I just loosing interest in National motorsport?
Success balast, a horribly contrived qualifying system, different regulations accross the grid with farcical 'parity' measures, amateur drivers, little manufacturer involvement and cars that are too slow and have too much grip.
These are the reasons that I believe are to blame for my flagging interest in what should be the premier saloon car series of a nation that has an unparalleled record in international motorsport. Or am I just being a grumpy sod?
Surely saloon car racing should be better than this? It supposed to be the best drivers and the best teams preparing the best cars available - all within a clearly defined set of parameters - and with the best package being allowed to win. Darwinism in action. Surely this is the essence of motorsport? The essence of competition? I days gone by it didn't matter if the racing wasn't particularly close - even though it invariably was - because the cars were so exciting to watch. Think Clark in the cortina, Rouse in the cosworth, Cleland in the cavalier. I'd like to see more powerful cars more closely related to their roadgoing counterparts in the chassis department - and a nice simple quali with no ballast. My thought for the day!
Success balast, a horribly contrived qualifying system, different regulations accross the grid with farcical 'parity' measures, amateur drivers, little manufacturer involvement and cars that are too slow and have too much grip.
These are the reasons that I believe are to blame for my flagging interest in what should be the premier saloon car series of a nation that has an unparalleled record in international motorsport. Or am I just being a grumpy sod?
Surely saloon car racing should be better than this? It supposed to be the best drivers and the best teams preparing the best cars available - all within a clearly defined set of parameters - and with the best package being allowed to win. Darwinism in action. Surely this is the essence of motorsport? The essence of competition? I days gone by it didn't matter if the racing wasn't particularly close - even though it invariably was - because the cars were so exciting to watch. Think Clark in the cortina, Rouse in the cosworth, Cleland in the cavalier. I'd like to see more powerful cars more closely related to their roadgoing counterparts in the chassis department - and a nice simple quali with no ballast. My thought for the day!
I have been watching the Aussie V8 touring cars recently & it is just awesome.
Maybe TOCA should do a deal with the Aussie teams, buy last years V8's, ship then to the UK hand them out on a random basis to the teams & let them race.......
V8 touring car racers - no turbo's, no weight penalties for winning races (isnt that one of the most stupid idea's ever thought of in racing?), all cars rear wheel drive & no messing about like what is happening in F1.
Put them all in V8's & let battle commence.
Maybe TOCA should do a deal with the Aussie teams, buy last years V8's, ship then to the UK hand them out on a random basis to the teams & let them race.......
V8 touring car racers - no turbo's, no weight penalties for winning races (isnt that one of the most stupid idea's ever thought of in racing?), all cars rear wheel drive & no messing about like what is happening in F1.
Put them all in V8's & let battle commence.
They should just get manufacturers cars, strip them, and let them race. Tough f
king titty if RWD have an advantage, or your 2.0 engine is better than their 2.0 engine, or their car is lighter, etc. Just let them race. By having all these penalties, and weight handicaps, it defeats the object of picking a better car. Bring back BTCC of the 90's.
king titty if RWD have an advantage, or your 2.0 engine is better than their 2.0 engine, or their car is lighter, etc. Just let them race. By having all these penalties, and weight handicaps, it defeats the object of picking a better car. Bring back BTCC of the 90's.ChiChoAndy said:
They should just get manufacturers cars, strip them, and let them race. Tough fking titty if RWD have an advantage, or your 2.0 engine is better than their 2.0 engine, or their car is lighter, etc. Just let them race. By having all these penalties, and weight handicaps, it defeats the object of picking a better car. Bring back BTCC of the 90's.
This!king titty if RWD have an advantage, or your 2.0 engine is better than their 2.0 engine, or their car is lighter, etc. Just let them race. By having all these penalties, and weight handicaps, it defeats the object of picking a better car. Bring back BTCC of the 90's.BTCC has turned into a joke, not helped by the std this and that bulls
t on the bogus claims of cost savings (for example, how much is the TOCA gearbox compared to other off the shelf ones?).the turbo engine situation is just laughable, and this is supposed to be a premier national championship.
as said, we need to get back to real cars that have been race preped to a set of tight regs, if that means a BMW is faster with it's RWD is faster, or an Audi with 4WD, then so be it.
I used to go to BTCC races 10+ years ago when it was real racing, these days it's just bumpercars
Steve H said:
There is a lot of meddling but would it be any more entertaining if you were 95% sure of the result before the start or even before the weekend of the event?
how so?if X car is the fastest, then what's wrong with every team running X car?
the days of touring car being manufacture based and all are dead, why attempt to keep the pretence?
if a manufacture want's to compete, they had better improve their road cars, simples.
(if you think about it, the post above suggesting Aussie V8's is exactly this, they just have two std cars which are almost identical)
For the first time in a long time I watched it at the weekend.
I liked the fact that it didn't seem to have its head up its arse (with the exception of Plato). It seemed quite homely.
I didn't like the to hear a car refered to as a Toyota Avensis when it seems it wasn't.
And I didn't like the poor driving standards.
I liked the fact that it didn't seem to have its head up its arse (with the exception of Plato). It seemed quite homely.
I didn't like the to hear a car refered to as a Toyota Avensis when it seems it wasn't.
And I didn't like the poor driving standards.
EDLT said:
when there was only three models of cars running everyone on PH was whinging about it. Now there is more variety on track the same people are complaining about parity regulations.
Hypocrisy on PH, you saw it here first.
How is it hypocrisy unless the people complaining complained about both? One does not speak for all, EDL.Hypocrisy on PH, you saw it here first.
Do you want to watch races where several people could win? Close racing?
Or do you want to watch a series where one, maybe two cars/teams will always win?
The rules as they are now allow a whole range of cars/teams to compete, costs have come down, we get to watch three races per weekend and the rules mean that we get to watch close racing with a number of potential winners across the weekend.
Its not suposed to be the ultimate test of who has the best car, if it was it would be boring as the best car would dominate and the new/alternative cars would never bother to turn up.
Or do you want to watch a series where one, maybe two cars/teams will always win?
The rules as they are now allow a whole range of cars/teams to compete, costs have come down, we get to watch three races per weekend and the rules mean that we get to watch close racing with a number of potential winners across the weekend.
Its not suposed to be the ultimate test of who has the best car, if it was it would be boring as the best car would dominate and the new/alternative cars would never bother to turn up.
Audi recieved ballast midway through the 1996 season.
V8 Supercars is now contrived. Fords and Holdens are made to run equal.
But yes, there's certainly something not quite right with the BTCC which is hard to pin down on. I prefer saloons, the turbos I'm struggling to warm to for some reason. The driving standards - some days its a guilty pleasure and there are its too much of a piss take.
The major plus are some of the young uns - Matt Jackson and TOC inparticular.
V8 Supercars is now contrived. Fords and Holdens are made to run equal.
But yes, there's certainly something not quite right with the BTCC which is hard to pin down on. I prefer saloons, the turbos I'm struggling to warm to for some reason. The driving standards - some days its a guilty pleasure and there are its too much of a piss take.
The major plus are some of the young uns - Matt Jackson and TOC inparticular.
Audi recieved ballast midway through the 1996 season.
V8 Supercars is now contrived. Fords and Holdens are made to run equal.
But yes, there's certainly something not quite right with the BTCC which is hard to pin down on. I prefer saloons, the turbos I'm struggling to warm to for some reason. The driving standards - some days its a guilty pleasure and there are its too much of a piss take.
The major plus are some of the young uns - Matt Jackson and TOC inparticular.
V8 Supercars is now contrived. Fords and Holdens are made to run equal.
But yes, there's certainly something not quite right with the BTCC which is hard to pin down on. I prefer saloons, the turbos I'm struggling to warm to for some reason. The driving standards - some days its a guilty pleasure and there are its too much of a piss take.
The major plus are some of the young uns - Matt Jackson and TOC inparticular.
Scuffers said:
and still as dull as dishwater..
But it's not now...so why would it be then?It's far more exciting to watch than the Porches, the Clios, and Formula Renault on the same weekends. It's always close racing at the moment. And that's what makes it exciting. And as the regulations settle in to one set it should stay close, but get faster.
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