TOCA introduce racing licence system for 2014

British Touring Car Championship organiser TOCA will introduce a licence system to manage team entries in the 2014 season, following a season where the maximum of 32 entries were filed but were not fully utilised, though the grid size still remained one of the largest in the Championship’s history.

The system bears similarity to the Racing Entitlement Contract system used by the Australian V8 Supercar Championship, where teams hold a racing licence which is often leased if not being used for each car in the Championship.

The licence is called the TOCA BTCC licence (TBL), and 30 will be allocated to teams entering the 2014 season in the following priority:

– Existing teams that have competed in at least 50 per cent of the 2013 BTCC season with Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) machinery will have automatic entry for the same number of cars in 2014, subject to fulfilment of the pre-registration requirements by 30 November
– Existing teams with two or more NGTC cars will have priority for one additional entry subject to validation of the entry by TOCA
– Existing cars
– New entries

The TBL will secure entry for three seasons, which may be sold, gifted, leased, assigned or loaned on a season-by-season basis only, subject the approval of TOCA.

Possession of a TBL requires the team to contest all rounds of the season entered. If the team misses a round, the TBL will be voided, and a team that misses two events will have its entry rescinded for the balance of the season.

Teams are also not allowed to change their driver more than once during the season, except in the case of force majeure. Replacement drivers must have completed 300km of testing in an NGTC car unless TOCA grants permission otherwise, which will only be granted for drivers who are recognised to have extensive experience in touring cars or of a high repute.

TOCA has also clarified that force majeure does not include financial issues.

TOCA will retain two TBLs which it will loan to suitable entrants, but will not be available for permanant allocation, and may also grant up to two additional cars to compete in selected rounds on an ad-hoc basis for promotional or R&D purposes.

TOCA has also confirmed that the boost level adjustment system will remain in 2014, as approved by the teams in a recent meeting, but the level of boost adjustment will be further reduced as it was for this season.

The six-place grid penalty awarded to drivers who earn three reprimands over the course of the season has been revised and will now see the offender sent to the back of the grid for the next race, with further news on penalties to follow before the 2014 season begins.

These changes will resolve various issues seen throughout 2013 which saw the entry for the season full, but with in effect more than three vacant spots at each race of the season.

Teams which changed drivers on a regular basis in 2013, most notably Tony Gilham’s Team HARD operation, which fielded ten different drivers over the course of the season in its four cars, will be most impacted by the changes announced by TOCA.