2011 season BTCC thread

[Janner_Sy]

I remember alot of threads from guys watching the BTCC last season, so i thought we could start up a new thread just like the F1.

Qie a few interesting changes in the teams.

One close to all you golf fanatics and AMD fans. 

AMDMilteks Mk5 Golf GTI no longer has the crap underpowered engine of last season, and are now running a 2.0TFSI which they should be pretty familiar with.
On a more important note, they have changed driver, Shaun Holamby has moved out of the driver position and into the Managerial role, to be replaced with  Tom Onslow-Cole.  That can only be a good thing , because hes pretty handy behind the wheel of a good car.  Maybe a more competitive season is in the making for AMDMiltek http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2288

Dave pinkney is running a RWD Audi A4 TFSI for this season.  Shame 4wd cars are banned, as when the original quattro audi A4s joined years ago they wiped the floor with the field.


alot of guys staying put in their teams.  The honda civics seem to be leading the pre-season tests.

Round/   Circuit/                    Date/
1           Brands Hatch Indy   03/Apr/2011
2           Donington Park        17/Apr/2011
3           Thruxton                 01/May/2011
4           Oulton Park             05/Jun/2011
5          Croft                       19/Jun/2011
6          Snetterton               07/Aug/2011
7          Knockhill                   04/Sep/2011
8          Rockingham              18/Sep/2011
9          Brands Hatch GP       02/Oct/2011
10          Silverstone             16/Oct/2011

[rich83]

I heard that AMDs car now isnt even tuned by AMD... but by Lehmann!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90075

[Janner_Sy]

you might be right then. i though Lehmann were just building and supplying the engines to the BTCC spec for them.  I presumed AMD would do their own mapping

[CJ]

Seen this on FB earlier today hope it works out and they are a top contender...

[Hedge]

Lehmann supplied last years engines as well.

I thought the ECU were all controlled and sealed anyway. 

[Janner_Sy]

Lehmann supplied last years engines as well.

I thought the ECU were all controlled and sealed anyway.  

Maybe, but then the performance of the cars differ quite alot and the fact that guys use different engines would make that difficult surely. 

I thought the new sealed ECUs were what they were planning for the next generation touring car NGTC cars.

[Hedge]

These are NGTC Sy.

http://www.btcc.net/pdf/regulations_2011.pdf

[Janner_Sy]

from what i gather there a a couple cars running the new TOCA-NGTC turbo engines, but they will remain restricted until 2013 to remain competitive agaisnt the S2000 spec TC's.  From then on the S2000 spec engines/cars will become obsolete and the TOCA NGTC cars will be unrestricted.

Reading up on it, the NGTC has been designed to allow much more people to join the BTCC as the car can be fully built for £125k whihc is crazy cheap for a racing car when you think about it.  

Cosworth are providing the ECU, dash and data logging equipment for them.  Teams have a choice of leasing their engines from TOCA or developing their own engine tat conforms to the TOCA NGTC regulations.

[chungster]

and Shaun H is no longer driving the Golf this year...he's handed the seat over to the tame racing driver that is Tom Onslow-Cole.

Now that should really make it interesting!  

Lehmann builds engines for many race teams..they're quite well known. Shaun obviously likes them despite the S2000 spec engine they built for him last year and this year is intrusting them to build an NGTC spec TFSI based engine. I have a feeling VW Motorsport might be involved too in building that engine.

[Frodo-anni]

There is alos a GT race meet at Easter weekend at Oulton Park, with a few Volkswagen races, i got free tickets 

Perks of the in laws being race marshalls 

[NeilM]

I happened to be at AMD Essex on Friday and Shaun intoduced me to Tom Onslow-Cole who was setting up the car, I'm sure if the lad gets a sensible hair cut and an early night he'll do OK 

[Top Cat]

I happened to be at AMD Essex on Friday and Shaun intoduced me to Tom Onslow-Cole who was setting up the car, I'm sure if the lad gets a sensible hair cut and an early night he'll do OK 

You might be getting us tickets next year, how many free tickets do participants get. 

[chungster]

Not good news from the media day at silverstone. Golf did 1 lap...word is the newly built engine by Lehmann might have bent a rod.

The Leon using identical built engine survived 3 laps before having problems.

Shaun must be thinking not again.

Maybe time to buy the TOCA spec Toyota engine instead at least that shold be reliable.

[Janner_Sy]

was just about to ask if anyone knew what happened?

heres the lap times for all the drivers, and no TOm Onslow-Cole on it anywhere
http://www.tsl-timing.com/toca/2011/111241trg.pdf

[Hedge]

Not good news from the media day at silverstone. Golf did 1 lap...word is the newly built engine by Lehmann might have bent a rod.

Gutting. The old saying goes something like "in order to finish first, first you have to finish".

Seems that the Lehmann supplied engines were pants last year and they have built on that with the new ones.