Gow explains why RWD is banned in NGTC

Many raised their eyebrows when it was announced in the new NGTC rules that rear wheel drive cars are banned. This excludes for example the manufacturer with the longest tradition in touring car racing – BMW. But series organizer Alan Gow is not worried.
“The reality is that the BTCC has not had a rear-wheel-drive manufacturer team for some 14 years,” said Gow to BTCC.net.

“It just doesn’t make sense to compromise a set of new, very clear technical regulations (and bring in other major issues of parity) just for the very remote possibility of perhaps including one manufacturer.”

Equalization has always been a problem within touring car racing. Different drivetrains have always been forced to be equalized with weights due to their respective advantages and disadvantages.

“Similar reasoning applies as to why diesel engines also won’t be eligible; these regulations are designed to achieve a fair and ‘level playing field’, so therefore won’t be subjected to endless technical and sporting arguments as to the equality of some cars.

The last time a rear wheel driven car was entered by a manufacturer in BTCC was in 1996 with BMW. Since then all manufacturer backed entries has been with front wheel driven cars.

“The vast majority of manufacturers produce front-wheel-drive cars that fit these regulations, so all the teams will have a huge variety of differing makes/models to choose from. Besides, the S2000 BMWs currently in the series will continue – and on an entirely equal footing with the NGTC cars – for another three seasons.”