Pit-stop debate rumbles on.

Plans to make races in the 2001 British Touring Car Championship half an hour in length are being discussed by team-owners and British Motorsport Promoters, the new controlling body of the series. If the plans become part of the sporting regulations for next years revamped series, pit-stops and the One Shot Showdown could be a thing of the past.

Currently the BTCC operates with one qualifying session that decides the grid for the longer feature race, which includes a mandatory pit-stop in which at least two tyres must be changes. The shorter sprint race, held earlier in the day has no pit-stop and drivers take to the circuit one by one for a single flying lap which decides their grid position.

The new plans, circulated around the paddock at Donington Park, found both supporters and detractors with the idea that one half hour qualifying session would decide the grid for race one while the second race grid is decided by the finishing order from race one. This system is already used in the new DTM series.

With more than 20 cars promised for the championship next year, some people believe that pit-stops will no longer be needed as there will be enough action on the track to keep crowds entertained for an entire race. Pit-stops were introduced in 1998 when interest in Super Touring first began to decline while the One Shot Showdown has proved to be a hit with most drivers.

The factory BTCC teams have grown very adept at performing to the highest standard in the pit-lane and Gabriele Tarquini's feature race win at Donington Park owed a lot to the slick pit work from his Honda crew.

Current BTCC factory team Triple Eight are planning to enter up to six Astra's next year and would have an advantage over many of the new teams that are planning to step up to the category.

Vauxhall's Motorsport Chief Mike Nicholson told leading publication Motoring News that the BTCC "needs pit-stops next year" as it attempts to regain its lost popularity amongst manufacturers. Nicholson added "They offer an element of unpredictability, personally I'd like to see them stay until the new regulations get off the ground."

However opinion is still divided over the matter and a final decision is unlikely to be made until BMP can confirm the grids for the series. If numbers are down on what they are predicting, pit-stops may earn a stay of execution to avoid races becoming processional.