Teams endorse lap time boost adjustment

Alan Gow: As with almost any regulation, particularly new ones, they are 'tweaked' based on experience gained - and that's exactly what we are doing here...
Start, Jason Plato (GBR) MG KX Momentum Racing MG6 GT leads
Start, Jason Plato (GBR) MG KX Momentum Racing MG6 GT leads
© Jakob Ebrey Photography

At a recent meeting of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship's teams and organisers, it was unanimously agreed that the BTCC should continue with the lap time-based turbo boost adjustments for competing cars in 2013, albeit with some tweaks to the process.

The three significant areas of refinement to the methodology are:

*The amount of change (i.e. increase/decrease) in the turbo boost pressure adjustment will be reduced from the current level;

*Boost adjustments will be applied to either individual drivers or teams - yet to be determined - but not per car type/chassis as in 2012;

*The frequency in which the adjustments are calculated is also to be finalised - currently it is a 'rolling two-event' average.

"As with almost any regulation, particularly new ones, they are 'tweaked' based on experience gained - and that's exactly what we are doing here," explained BTCC series director Alan Gow. "As well, with S2000 cars now not having strict performance parity, the baseline boost levels on NGTC cars can increase and thus the profile of the calculation can alter.

"All the teams endorsed that the fundamental aspect of using the lap time analysis was the right way to go, but that we should refine those three areas in particular. In the coming weeks a working group, comprising a representative cross-section of the teams, will finalise those exact details."

The baseline boost levels for each car/engine will again be calculated and set prior to 2013's opening round, aided also by the data which was collated during the 2012 season.

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