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BTCC Memorable Drives: How to React to Progress (Or Not)
Image Credit: Touringcartimes.com/ PSP Images
Throughout the vibrant history of the British championship, there has always come a time when the organisers and race officials are faced with a dilemma. In any other walk of life, such a conundrum would be nothing but an occasion for celebration. However, when it comes to the delicate world of motorsport regulations, such happenings can never be so simple. For this latest edition of BTCC Memorable Drives, we shall delve into the world of how teams have pushed the boundaries of regulations. For those wizards of BTCC history, you will know I am talking about Alfa Romeo in 1994 and Audi in 1996 specifically.
It is not very often that you will find me discussing rules and regulations at any great length; there comes a point when I believe the very essence of a sport can be ruined when politics take hold. The modern Formula One championship springs to mind, but that is for another time. On very rare occasions however, when rules and regulations are applied more creatively by teams, they become the catalyst for change in championships. The British Touring Car Championship is no exception to such happenings. The first of these was the 1994 season and the infamous Alfa Romeo ‘wing debacle’ as I shall name it henceforth.
When the Super Touring regulations were first introduced, the specifications were as follows:
- minimum of 4.20 metres (13.8 ft) in length
- 4 doors
- No more than 2 litres engine capacity, or six cylinders were permitted, and the engine was required to be normally aspirated
- For homologation, initially at least 2500 units of the model used must have been produced
The introduction of these rules were meant to simply the previous multi-class racing that were in place up until the end of the 1990 season. For the first 3 years of their life, these regulations worked stupendously well, creating fast intense and action-packed racing that became globally famous. However, as 1994 loomed something was about to change. 1994 was the year of THAT Alfa Romeo.
The Alfa Romeo 155 Silverstone from 1994. Image Credit: Simon Lewis
After the Alfa Romeo (driven by Tarquini and Simoni) dominated the first 5 rounds of the season, Ford and Vauxhall made an official complaint to the FIA regarding the legality of the Alfa Romeo 155 Silverstone in the championship. The BTCC car had a move-able front spoiler, acting as a splitter, and an extendable rear spoiler, giving the car more downforce. Usually, such a combination would be disallowed. But this is where the genius of the Alfa Romeo team shone through. Alfa Romeo had also homologated 2500 155 Silverstone models to be sold in the UK, so that their 1.8 litre car with a higher rev limit could enter. Furthermore, this model was sold with the extendable spoiler brackets as extras one would have to attach themselves.
So technically speaking, Alfa had found a perfect sized loop hole in the regulations to make their car completely legal. However, the complaints made suggested that although the car could enter, it went against the spirit of the championship. As such, the FIA eventually banned the extra wings on the cars and decreed that the cars could only re-enter the championship if they ran with the spoilers in the retracted position. Eventually, Tarquini did still win the 1994 championship, but things would never be the same. In 1995, the regulations were changed so that all teams were allowed to use aerodynamic aids on their cars to iron out the performance disparity between the cars. On top of that, the number of production units increased from 2500 to 25,000 to reduce manufacturers producing homologation specials.
The officials must have been happy with that episode sorted out.. “Our problems our solved!”, they rejoiced. Or so they thought…
The all-conquering 4WD Audi of Frank Biela in ’96. Image Credit: Autocar
After the 1994 shenanigans, it was Audi’s turn in 1996 to do their best on taking the media spotlight. After entering its 4WD Audi A4, it came as no surprise to anyone that they utterly dominated the championship, with Biela taking overall honours. Unlike the case of the Alfa Romeo however, Audi were not twisting any of the regulations. Nowhere did it specify that Super Touring cars could only be powered by no more than 2-wheels. In a similar fashion to the RWD BMWs of previous years, for 1997 Audi were imposed with weight penalties in an attempt to even out the added performance of 4WD with the FWD and RWD cars.
Towards the latter part of the 1997 championship following an appeal the weight penalty was reduced, which gave Biela an end of season charge, but not enough to stop the eternally determined Menu from taking the title. The 1998 championship saw a new addition to the regulations which stated that all cars that entered the championship must be powered and driven by only 2 of their 4 wheels. As a result, the Audi A4 of 1998 was the FWD version instead of the previous 4WD machine.
Was it the forward thinking of Alfa and Audi that forged the Super Touring Era into the stuff of legend?
These two examples do raise an interesting area of debate; how should governing bodies react to instances such as this? As I touched upon in the introduction to this piece, in any other walk of life innovation is celebrated as progress ‘toward a brighter future’. However, when this is is a sporting occurence, the reaction is of course different. For the FIA, the rules are there to be adhered to. Or are they?
The classic saying ‘rules are made to be broken’ is more than applicable to this argument. If we were to approach this argument scientifically, then the actions of Audi and Alfa Romeo are almost completely justified. An old theory suggests that hypotheses are created with the aim of being disproved; it is only through critiquing the flaws that a concept can be improved for the future. In many ways, it was Alfa Romeo in 1994 that paved the way for the great racing of the late 90s. Furthermore, pushing the boundaries of the rules will inspire the other teams to work hard to catch up and come up with their own innovations. Similarly, the monstrous 4WD system in the Audi team forced the other teams to develop their own cars to match the pace of the Audis. Added power, performance and handling as a reaction to these people? Sounds like a good end result for me. After all, if rules were never broken, we could never move forward to more exciting opportunities.
On the other hand, the case made against Alfa Romeo by Ford and Vauxhall in 1994 does raise an interesting issue. Although everything Alfa did that year was within the scope of the rules, many felt that they did not adhere to the ‘spirit’ of the championship. I have always found this a fascinating phrase; they may not be written down but their power can often overthrow the legality of governance in the right circumstance. The BTCC has always been so special since its evolution from gentleman racers giving their cars a good run on a Sunday afternoon. That family feel has always been above the racing rivalries; a group of equally matched racers fighting for their deserved place on the podium. When Alfa came along in 1994 with their huge budgets and clever corner cutting, it almost took the fun away. It was utterly ridiculous how much of an advantage the Alfa team had in those first few races, and the races where Alfa had withdrawn the racing returned to how it always used to be.
And yes, it was the work of Alfa and Audi that paved the way for the late 90s BTCC memories. However, let us not also forget how else Alfa Romeo changed the BTCC. It became a global championship of big budgets, big names and a loss of that original BTCC magic of the 1950s. Independent drivers were forced out the championship simply through the budget needed to be competitive. The championship became much more corporate, driven by sponsorship and paid drivers. If it was not for Alfa Romeo in 1994, coming in with their ex-F1 driver and field destroying red rockets, then the championship may have retained its Super Touring status for longer into the 21st century.
1993, the year before everything changed. Image Credit: Pistonheads.com
I have been wrestling with this debate for quite some time now, and I will admit that I am still unsure of my viewpoint. I feel that the argument ‘everything happens for a reason’ is far too philosophical and too much of an easy excuse for me to get away with. On the one hand, I love watching people pushing the limits of what is possible, but on the other seeing a national institution transform into a corporate exercise as a result is not so nice. At the end of the day, I always love seeing BTCC teams take a brave step forward. The actions of the governing bodies are justified to ban teams or force them to change, as long as then they take that as a point of consideration for adapting the rules. However, as with the case of late 90s team budgets, care should be taken to make sure that it doesn’t then bring too many negative changes. For example, the added aerodynamic upgrades was a great leveler and made for some sensational racing, but the big money ex-F1 drivers replacing homegrown talent and driving the costs skywards did eventually spell doom for the Super Tourers.
…and then I remember that if it was not for the Super Touring era ending, the new look touring cars would never have arisen which of course led to the simple yet perfect NGTC regulations of today. There is a chance I may be over thinking this.
What would you do when faced with such a dilemma? Would you adapt the rules to suit the new forward thinking or retain the current rules and force these teams back into line?
Let me know your thoughts!
Follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
The Big Weekend: Bathurst 12 Hour and V8 Supercars Supertest.
The most anticipated motorsport showdown in Australia came to a head on February 8th, with Sydney Motorsport Park playing host to the V8 Supercars Supertest while Australia’s legendary mountain racetrack, Mt Panorama, was home to a large international contingent for the annual Liqui-Moly 12 Hour.
Politics aside. it was horses for courses as each event catered for their own audience; the Supertest showcased some world premieres, namely new livery, the debut of the final Australian Ford Falcon FG-X plus the new aero package for Nissan’s Altimas, new cameras mounted on cars and, importantly for the category, debuting the broadcast between the Ten network amd Fox Sports Australia, complete with new graphics and logos.
It was also the first time the testing had been held over two days, allowing the teams more data logging and a chance to utilise old tyres left from the 2014 season. It opened up a new format, with Saturday (a coolish day, as it turned out) having a three hour session to close out the first day before moving to the traditional track walk after a two hour opener then concluding with a full field shootout.
The aerodynamic changes to Nissan’s Altima (ironically, available with a four or six cylinder, only) appeared to pay off, with the Kelly brothers topping the time sheets, plus the overall gap between first and twenty fifth was well under two and a half seconds.
There’s some conjecture as to how relevant these times were, given the teams were using 2014 rubber and were restricted to using new tyres for the shootout only. Ford driver and co-winner of the 2014 Bathurst 1000, Chaz Mostert, was ultimately the quickest but by an incredible 0.008th of a second and just 6/100ths of a second off fourth place getter, team mate Mark Winterbottom, banking a cool $2500
.
At Mt Panorama it was a dream fest for fans of Aston Martin, Bentley, Audi, Ferrari, Porsche and V8 powered Mazdas, plus the circuit had the pleasure of the company of Felix Baumgartner. Don’t recognise the name? Perhaps thinking of someone jumping from a balloon a number of kilometres about the earth’s surface may help.
The race started just before six am and would soon see the return of Australia’s favourite hopping creature to the circuit, bringing out the first of what would be over twenty safety cars. The term “rubbin’s racing” would very quickly be seen throughout the race, with numerous contacts throughout the twelve hours, including racing royalty David Brabham being pushed into the wall by an Aston Martin. An Australian engineered MARC entry, one of the V8 powered Mazda3’s, had an incredible impact at Skyline, skipping straight across the “kitty litter” and impacting, at high speed, the tyre bundles, destroying the bodywork in a cloud of dust.
Nissan had entered here as well, with the GT-R; naturally whispers of the return of “Godzilla”, in respect of the early ’90’s beat that was almost unstoppable, started to circulate and so it was. With just ten minutes to go, a one lap safety car period bunched up the field, with a Bentley leading and desperately holding off a n Aston Martin, Audi and GT-R. On the final lap at the final turn, positions changed and the GT-R, driven by a young Japanese man, Katsumasa Chiyo, that had participated in an academy, an academy that took people that were good drivers in a console computer game, became the winner.
Shot with a Silver Arrow: Have Mercedes cracked the future?
Driving us into the darkness. The Mercedes F015 concept.
The recent New Year celebrations not only gave us the chance to wave a fond farewell to 2014, but it has opened our eyes to a whole new chapter. The past has been left behind. It is time to look forward into the abyss. It is the the single unknown that humanity cannot truly understand or predict; it is the future. In the dazzling lights of Las Vegas, surrounded by the vast Nevada desert the world has taken its first glimpse into what lies ahead. Mercedes have released the F015 Luxury In Motion concept that presents a vision of autonomous cars, powered by a hydrogen cell and electric motors. What I want to look into is not the technical specifications of this dream machine, but instead understanding the accessibility and utilization of future technologies. Have Mercedes cracked the future?
Specification Breakdown of the F015
– Development complete by around 2030
– 268 BHP, 0-62 mph in 6.7 seconds, zero emissions
– Theoretical range of 684 miles
– 4 doors
– Completely autonomous operating system that can be used instead of manual control
– Maximise the interior space through creating a lounge interior
– Interior to transform into a digital activity space through multiple monitors, sensors and cameras
– Launch of artificial intelligence to build trust between car and driver
– Control through gesture, touch and eye tracking sensors
– Exterior scanners and communication with pedestrians and other road users
The Digital Activity Space inside the F015 will revolutionise travel. Image Credit: motorauthority.com
In reference to this paradigm shifting concept car, Mercedes Benz boss Dieter Zetsche believes that this car will transcend beyond its role as a mode of transport into a complete mobile living space. The key to this evolution is the rise of artificial intelligence; the car will be able to operate fully by itself with no input from the driver through the use of sophisticated cameras and sensors that connect to the central drive system. If this concept can come to fruition, those childhood fantasies and films may finally become a reality. However, with all these technological advantages, humanity may be forced to put all their trust into a completely autonomous machine. Even though the car can be driven manually, when the car is in self-driving mode the ‘user’ does not have to worry about driving at all.
Speaking as a driver (through both necessity and passion), I believe that an autonomous vehicle will be met with a great deal of skepticism and a severe distrust. My first concern revolves around the reliability of any system, whether this be of the mechanical or computerized type. Online banking for example has eased the day to day stresses of banking, allowing us to check financial statements and make important payments on the move or in the comfort of our own home. However, online banking has opened up the avenues for computer hackers who steal our money right from under our noses without leaving a single finger print. If that example was not enough for you, then let us try this for size.
Have you ever been working away on your computer, Candy Crush-ing your brains out on your tablet or updating your Facebook status on your phone and the whole thing just well, stops? Computer systems are getting ever more elaborate and sophisticated, but every now and again they will still go wrong. I guess it is very similar to how the human body can operate at maximum potential for most of the time and then spontaneously you malfunction and you are hit with the snot-sneeze-snort-laugh-sick in the mouth. Could you honestly say that if you were left in the hands of a computer to drive you around, that you would not be worried about this computer having a snot-sneeze-snort-laugh-sick in the mouth? When a computer freezes, you can restart them, but what if a car froze at 70mph down the motor way?
Most importantly, Zetsche said that this new concept would change the car from just transportation into a mobile living space, but I believe that the F015 is not really needed for that. For anyone who loves driving, the car is already more than just a mode of transport; your car is an extension of your personality. Something magical happens when you get behind the wheel and you do feel a deep surge from within you. There is not much that beats that feeling, of you, the car and the road. Not only that, but one cannot forget the trouser crossing feeling you get when you look at some of the metallic goddesses that have been created; Aston Martins, Alfa Romeos and Morgans to name but a few.
The Google self-driving car is the anti-drivers car, in both look and feel. I will admit that the F015 is definitely an improvement, but despite its futuristic awesome look I would still take something like a Porsche 911 or an Aston Martin DB9 any day of the week.
If we are going to have self driving cars, let us at least get them right
I will never cease to be astounded by the classic German efficiency in dealing with issues before any one else even realizes they exist in the first place. And in the case of the F015 concept it is business as usual; the head of design at Mercedes Gordon Wagener has understood the concerns of the modern motorist and suggested theories to overcome this.
“Car makers will be differentiated by how they use the technology. There are lots of smartphone manufacturers, but only one Apple. At Mercedes we want to define modern luxury, and the technology cannot be overwhelming”
The key is accessibility and relate-ability of the technology to the customer. Wagener has suggested that the key to the future is harnessing the technology in a way that does not overpower or intimidate the passenger. The overall aim of course is to make Mercedes THE brand name you associate with this new technology. You don’t use a vacuum cleaner, you use a hoover. You don’t use a ball point, you use a biro. You don’t use a smartphone, you use Apple. Therefore, you don’t use any autonomous vehicle; you use a Mercedes.
Will we ever have a little car with a heart? Image Credit: herbiemania.com
If there were two key areas central to the development, they are of course design and materials. This may be the basic specifications, but Mercedes have understood that these variables must be linked by a rational constant; simplicity of interaction. The key to the success of this concept is the ease in which passengers can understand and use the car. In many cases, a great leap forward is often presented in a situation that may baffle and intimidate the user; it is an understandable reaction as there is an inbuilt human reaction to fear what we are not familiar with (or do not understand). Therefore, instead of multi-layered majestic complexity, Mercedes are aiming for minimalist simplicity.
“Our concept is about taking things away – having an overly exaggerated face or aggressive headlights won’t send the right message. You don’t want an autonomous car to look like it’s going to chase down the motorway; that doesn’t lend trust or look cool. Cars will need to look trustworthy and use all of the technology in a very useable way”
It is very easy to repeatedly add elements to blind your audience with the bright lights and the loud music; the real skill is being able to take things away in order to create a more finely honed finished product. If Mercedes are to succeed, then trust will be the final frontier they must conquer. Think of this like Iron Man; you can possess all the money and all the latest technology that the world can conjure, but until you receive the trust of those you are serving, you will never truly succeed.
We may be sometime from bringing the stories of Herbie and Knight Rider to life, but the world of artificial intelligence is closer than we think. As it stands the F015 is nothing more than a concept, and will more than likely fall into the invisibility of time like many of these designs do. However, if this truly is the future, it will change the world of motoring forever. And honestly, if there was one car manufacturer from anywhere in the world that may just pull this off, they would be German, and they would be Mercedes (or maybe Audi).
Let me know your views on autonomous vehicles! Follow me on Twitter @lewisglynn69!
Keep Driving People!
Peace and Love!
Where The Rubber Literally Hits The Road
Take a look at your average sized postcard. Not very big, is it? Now imagine four of them at the corners of something measuring about 3 × 2 metres or so. They don’t take up much of that space. However, in the typical car, this is the sort of area your tyres take up when they actually contact the road: roughly the size of a postcard. Of course, a fatter tyre will have more surface area contacting the ground – they don’t just look good.
Those of you who fell asleep in high school science class when they talked about friction had better wake up and pay attention now. Everything to do with staying safe on the road is to do with friction. Inside an engine or a car, friction is bad news. It makes an engine less efficient and wears things out more quickly – which is why you need to keep up the fluids and why you should check your oil regularly. However, you need friction and lots of it with your wheels to help your tyres grip the road and to help your brakes stop the wheels spinning.
It’s not all that smart to head out onto the road to get an idea of how lack of friction and low grip affects your turning ability. So try a simple experiment on a piece of smooth, freshly polished floor – a school corridor or a big kitchen will do. Set up a slalom course with lots of sharp twists and turns. Also include a track segment where you have to run full speed, then stop sharply. First of all, simulate ordinary conditions with good tyres by running this course wearing sneakers with lots of tread. Not too hard, is it? Next, have a go at simulating the effect of tyres with little or no tread: take your shoes off and do it in your socks. Sue yourself for damages if you fall over or crash into a wall. Lastly, pour water all over the floor and try again, either with the sneakers or without the sneakers. You can probably think of some other simulations to try, such as running the course in high heels (space saver tyres), pouring oil over the floor, having one shoe with tread and one without tread, etc. However, somebody’s probably going to complain about what you’re doing to the floor at this point. But you get the picture.
The point of this crazy exercise is to demonstrate that if your tyres are worn or if the road is wet, you are going to lose control or not stop in time when braking. Your car might have all the safety devices in the world – traction control, EBD, lane change warnings, collision avoidance systems, rollover protection and all the rest of it – but if you’ve forgotten to check your tyre tread, all these extra bits won’t do an awful lot.
There are four golden rules to making sure that your tyres stay on the road, gripping nicely during all the manoeuvres you put it through (heck, you bought a Porsche 911 because it was fun to drive around corners, didn’t you?):
- Check your tread depth. The grooves should be no less than 2 mm deep. A lot of tyre shops have little cards you can use to check tread depth, but you can also make your own by playing around with a ruler, a vivid pen and a tag off a packet of sliced bread. Do this regularly – it’s all too easy to forget to do it, but you should schedule it in. Maybe monthly?
- Make sure that your tyres have the correct pressure. Each car has its own preferred pressure. You’ll find this helpfully stamped somewhere around the car – under the fuel flap, on a plate in the driver’s door or in the vehicle handbook. This may need to be adjusted if you’re doing a lot of towing or have a heavy load to carry (or if you do a lot of high speeds – but if you’re a racing driver, you’ll have a crew that helps you in this department). Don’t guess – use a proper gauge. A lot of air pumps have good gauges on the hose thingummy.
- Rotate your tyres regularly. Different tyres wear at different speeds depending on your drivetrain, your suspension and where the loads are in your car. Rotating means that your tyres wear out more or less evenly and the ones that really do a lot of work will have plenty of tread. They day that every 10,000 kms is a good schedule for rotating tyres. Exactly how you rotate your tyres will depend (again) on your drivetrain and whether or not your spare tyre is a space-saver or a full-sized one.
- Keep up the wheel alignments – twice a year is recommended. This also helps the tyres to wear evenly, so you know that if you’ve got 2 mm on one part of the tyre, it’s going to be like that on all the other parts of the tyre, too.
Tyres are not something I’m ever going to neglect. Not since the time I was in a crash that happened because the car lost traction thanks to bald tyres. The driver wasn’t hurt and neither was I, but the car was written off. You don’t forget a lesson like that in a hurry.
Safe and happy driving,
Megan
Level 2, 9 Help Street