TOCA implement new breaks for S2000 cars

BTCC organisers TOCA have implemented a set of weight breaks for cars running to the Super 2000 regulations in the championship from the next round of the championship at Oulton Park.

All front-wheel drive S2000 cars base weight is dropped 25kg to 1145kg. That covers the Chevrolet Cruzes of Silverline Chevrolet and Tech-Speed Motorsport, as well as the Chevrolet Lacetti of Team ES Racing.

All rear-wheel drive S2000 cars, which at present are just the two BMW 320sis of West Surrey Racing, receive a reduction of 10kg to 1140kg, but will also benefit from the removal of regulation 5.2.21.1, which limited the first gear ratio of the BMWs. This was introduced in 2010, which neutralised the BMW’s standing start advantage.

These new changes differ from previous implementations to equalise the performance between the normally aspirated S2000 cars and the turbocharged competitors, with the changes focussed on increasing the performance of the normally aspirated cars rather than adding restrictions to the turbo cars.

However, TOCA have kept a fail-safe in reserve should these news changes be insufficient by also instructing all cars powered by the Next Generation Touring Car spec engine that they must reduce their boost levels by 0.05 bar from levels run during the last meeting at Thruxton. This change is suspended however, and as a result can be introduced at TOCA’s discretion during the weekend.

Regulation 1.11.2.a requires that TOCA give the teams 24 hours notice before implementing any technical changes, but that notice is effectively waived with this advance notification of a potential new boost setting.

This is the latest round of changes after all NGTC-powered teams were made to reduce their maximum boost levels by 0.1 bar at Rounds 7-9 at Thruxton, after it was deemed the normally aspirated S2000 cars were not on a par with the NGTC-powered competitors, a parity which TOCA have mandated will happen throughout the 2011 and 2012 seasons.