Fair is fair

Since the end of the 2009 BTCC season it seems to me like politics in the popular national series have taken off.

Boost levels, turbos and rear wheel drive are all terms that seem to get banded around these days way to often.

The turbo issue has declined going into this season as all cars are now running to the same NGTC regulations but unfortunately it would appear that ToCA are continuing to adjust the boost levels.

In 2011 and 2012 the adjusting of the boost levels allowed the S2000 spec cars to be on equal terms with the NGTC cars. Which, although it at times became frustrating for the likes of Honda was a fair way to manage the issue. Now all the cars are running to the same spec why are boost levels still being tampered with?

At the last round at Snetterton the Honda of Gordon Shedden got a much better run onto the Bentley straight than Jason Plato, but the MG man pulled out 2 car lengths by the end of the straight. Living proof of boost disparity.

Jason Plato mentioned after the racing that he was concerned that he was the only front wheel drive car challenging the BMW of Colin Turkington. You can bet your bottom dollar that if they had the same straight line speed the Honda's would be up there too.

Plato has also recently been sharing his concerns that rear wheel drive cars are unbeatable in front wheel drive cars.

Yes, a BMW is leading the championship at the moment. But where are the other rear wheel drive cars? Rob Austin and Hunter Abbot have not been enjoying as many wins as the MG's and Honda's have. In fact Plato in his front wheel drive MG won the first two races of the day at Snetterton. The second with maximum ballest in a straight fight against Turkington in the 'unbeatable' BMW.

Plato gets away well in Snetterton opener

In a championship that Plato claims to be only for rear wheel drive cars 12 of the 18 races so far have been won by front wheel drive cars. That leaves 6 won by a rear wheel drive car. All 6 of those wins by Turkington. I think the drivers ability has something to do with it.

So enough ranting. How do we solve these problems?

Boost. Don't penalise cars for being good in the corners. You can't race without straight line speed. If an engine is faster then restrict it. But for all the teams that have to use it. That would mean that BMW would get the same restrictions as Honda get and vise-verse. That means that it's down to the team to set the car up and the driver to race it.

Rear Wheel Drive advantage? Well. Looking at the race wins this year and the fact that 1992 1993 and 2009 are the last 3 times RWD won the championship and all but one of the rest of them front wheel drive champions. All beating RWD on many occasions, I don't think there is an issue there at all.

Photography by James Clarke - https://www.flickr.com/photos/125463799@N02/