LOOKS LIKE NASCARS ARE COMING TO OZ WHAT THE????

[mick]

Who the f*** does this kelvin think he is apart from a home wrecker of austalian motorsport this is an AUSTRALIAN race class not nascars

Major Rules Overhaul Put More Grunt Into V8 Supercars
Release Date: 21/05/2004
The Touring Car Entrants Group Australia Pty Ltd (TEGA) today announced a major overhaul of the Technical Regulations governing V8 Supercars, a move designed to put more emphasis on driver skill, ensure tighter racing and contain costs for all teams.

The sweeping changes are arguably the biggest single introduction of across the board modifications including the limiting of adjustable aerodynamics, extending engine use time, using a sequential gear shift and controlled brakes.

The planned integration of the new regulations will commence in 2005 and continue through until the introduction of new models in the Championship, expected to be in 2007/8.

The reduction in aerodynamic effectiveness from the start of 2005 will give the immediate and very obvious benefit of an enlivened racing spectacle on the race track.

Technical stability post regulatory change is a TEGA commitment to provide a stable platform for the efficient and effective operation of teams.

?What this means for fans of V8 Supercar racing is close quarters racing, a greater emphasis on driver skill, and overall improved racing and entertainment,? TEGA chairman Kelvin O?Reilly said.

?The cars will look and sound the same, they will just perform in an even more entertaining manner than the current crop of V8 Supercars as a result of reduced aerodynamic effectiveness.

?Successive TEGA Boards have considered the issues of cost containment and enhancing V8 Supercar racing in a non-contrived manner and the decisions reflect the responsible natural progression for our sport.

?This is great news for V8 Supercars and great news for our fans.?

No significant areas of the cars have escaped review. The final rules with precise specifications will be released in the coming weeks.

?The cars will utilise a mixture of controlled components, tightly controlled specification of components, individual team homologated components and model specific homologated components,? O?Reilly said.

The major initiatives are:

Aerodynamics

Minimal working aerodynamics solely to achieve parity. The cars are to have the same external appearance.

? Removal of front under tray from 1 January 2005
? Rear wing to be fixed or with minimal adjustment from 1 January 2005

Brakes

? Control brake rotor from 1 January 2005
? Control brake pad from 1 January 2005
? Restricted list of specified calipers available for use in 2005
? Control brake caliper from 1 January 2006

Data logging / telemetry

? Live car to pit telemetry is to be banned from 1 January 2005
? Control dash unit from 1 January 2005
? Reduction in the duplication of data collected from 1 January 2005.
? Reduction in the number of channels of data available to teams from 1 January 2005.

Transmission / driveline

? Immediate consideration of gearbox specification ? sequential/h pattern shift. Any change to be effected 1 January 2005
? Control specification of internal gearbox components from 1 January 2005
? Minimum flywheel weight from 1 January 2005
? Control carbon clutch from 1 January 2005
? Control crown wheel & pinion from 1 January 2005
? Minimum rear axle (drive shaft) weight ? solid component from 1 January 2005
? Minimum tail shaft weight and gauge of metal from 1 January 2005. To be a TEGA recommended part.

Engine

? Engine specification will be adjusted to provide extended life.
? As many engine components as is practical and possible are to have a minimum weight and specification applied to them from 1 January 2005
? As many engine components as is practical and possible will be reviewed and specified as a control component (either by specification or supply) from 1 January 2005
? Maximum valve lift to be stipulated from 1 January 2005
? Specified number and size of piston rings from 1 January 2005
? Restricted list of specified engine peripheral components together with designated position requirements from 1 January 2005.
? Engine peripherals to be control components from 1 January 2007
? Minimum engine block weight for both Ford and Holden to be identical from 1 January 2007

Suspension

? Restricted list of specified shock absorbers available for use from 1 January 2005
? Control sealed shock absorber from 1 January 2006
? Individually team homologated stub axle to be available for use and sample logged with TEGA from 1 January 2005 - control component from 1 January 2006

Wheels

? Control aluminum alloy wheel from 1 January 2005. All other wheel specifications to remain unchanged. Current stock of wheels to be marked.

General items / non-performance components

? As many non-performance components as is practical and possible will be control components for any new car that is built from 1 January 2005
? Control fuel tank in all new cars built from 1 January 2005.
? Specified identical location of the fuel tank in all new cars built for application with the introduction of new model cars.
? Control on board jacks in all new cars built from 1 January 2005.
? Control rattle guns and associated equipment from 1 January 2005

 

[Rob 18]

Most of it sounds fairly sensible to me other than the aero package. 2 points about the aero package: #1 I remember the Mike Burgman incident & that was apparently caused by lack of downforce & #2 , it took them near on 10 years to get some sort of parity & if they cut all the undertray out of them how long will it take Ford to get an even share again? Another 10 years.

 

[Mitchell]

3 years ago i wouldve said 'bring it on', but what's wrong with the racing, at the moment? it's the closest it's been for as long as i can remember, and if it wasnt for this silly point system, it would be even closer...

 

[Doug]

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it seems that as soon as the Blue Oval gets its head above water and actually starts to steal the limelight from the General, a rule change in some form gets initiated, and we are back to square one again - makes me despondent if not a lil angry. (ps - good post mick - not that I understand a lot of the tech stuff)

 

[JB-17]

Hey Doug,

Any chance on hearing Dick`s thoughts on these reforms?

 

[Doug]

good idea - I will talk to Chalks in the coming week to try and maybe get some comments from DJ - Posted in the mainframe.

 

[JB-17]

Was about a 15 second interveiw with DJ on RPM about the reforms. He basically said that the dollars they`re hoping to save will not make any difference to the teams.

 

[mick]

Hi all hmm Doug i think your right the genral must have more of an influance than we all think. Back in the glory days of the shopping trolleys and the skyline they, the genrals could not keep up with the tech and maybe they have cryed again and won the argument only by a nose.The changes they are going to make will not really afect a budget but will in another way. I will use the shocks as an example controlling shocks to one brand will be a big bonus to the teams that are using them already and have that relevent track data,than those that dont. At this point the series is great so why not just leave it alone as soon as thing,s are going all well the apparent brain,s in charge go all american on us

 

[Doug]

Not that I understand the mechanics of a supercar, but I always thought that the Ford suffered more from front end grip than its red cousin -so surely removing the undertray enmasse will give the blue oval more curry than it will the holden.

 

[mick]

they can stick the chages up there ass as far as i am concerned the major rebuild of the v8 sereis is good, nascars came to oz and was the worst thing i have ever seen at the mountain someone should tell this moron that yes we already do have a sports sedan class and yes a production class as well for those that are suffering if the frying pan is to hot then get out of the fire maybe this idiot should have asked the fans after all we are the people that pay money and go and watch the thing,s not get in on freebie,s becouse i am the ****er that gets in for nothing and get,s paid to go and **** it all up and then turn around and say why are the attendance numbers down then do a complete u,turn and then say ten years later we made a mistake let,s change it back

 

[Keith]

Mick I can see where you are coming from & agree with you. I can see savings could be gained where all teams used a standard rim & the likes as pointed out on V8 SuperStars. However for Ford & holden to start running TEGA developed (more) parts to suit both Cars is not on. I guess that is why I liked the Group C Racing the team owner & most times it was the driver could tinker with parts to gain the upper hand. All these new Rules are only going to prove really is who is the Best Driver & not so the Best Team over all. The Racing is that close now it is the best it has been for a long time. We have spoken about Race craft & like you I believe that both driving & putting the car together is what it is all about.

 

[mick]

HI all just had a TEGA brain storm go and get chassis built identical from a chassis builder, and then give the teams the choice of what engine they want either ford or holden get TEGA to get them, build them as well then seal them so they cant be touched at all then just get the relevant ford or holden body panel,s put them on and that would be parity ....they not Tega done this to a speedway series class called the grand nationals which went to the thunder dome made nascars look very slow and sloppy and now are NOT around anymore the powers to be changed the class to super sedan,s and based it on the same rough outline, so the good old wedges died because of an idiot that killed that class of aussie motor sport

 

[Doug]

Hey Mick - after re-reading the new regs - wouldn't it be cheaper for all the teams to start running Aussie Legend Cars with either Ford or Holden bodies - it's pretty well the same thing, mind you how the heck would one M.Skaife fit his ego inside the tiny shell??

 

[mick]

Doug i think his nose wouldnt fit never mind his ego hmm but TEGA would probally dissallow the skaife aero pakage

 

[Doug]

hehe Mick, and I purposely avoided the snout comment - but in all seriousness its really going to become a One make series combined with a bit of crossdressing -and I personally cannot see it working - if you have a fairly good driver in a really good team, he still has a chance - these new regs will see him putting on his "thexton suit and mask" and disappearing into the sunset.

 

[ROB17]

quote:Originally posted by Doug

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but it seems that as soon as the Blue Oval gets its head above water and actually starts to steal the limelight from the General, a rule change in some form gets initiated, and we are back to square one again - makes me despondent if not a lil angry. (ps - good post mick - not that I understand a lot of the tech stuff)

Doug, I don't believe that Ford has it's head above water at present. Yes I am a DJR and Ford supporter, but I believe that the Holden's have a performance advantage. It appears to me that the set-up envelope is much bigger for a Commodore, and as a result, the PWR, HRT, KRT and Richo cars are on the pace at ALL tracks. Only SBR have appeared to consistently master the BA set-up, and at each meeting 'other' Ford teams appear to come and go. At Barbagallo, the Holdens appeared to have much better turn-in into Kolbe corner, and better power-down coming out. Lowndesy mentioned this when he was commentating and JB has mentioned rear-aero before.

I also don't understand how it took HRT, KRT and CPR a year to start getting some consistent speed out of their VY's, yet PWR are on the pace from the word go. I think there is much more to the Holden Ownership situation than we are lead to believe. And how does Holden vigerously lobby for a new engine due to a supposed Ford HP advantage, yet after nearly 2 years, we still don't have all VY's running an 'Aurora'. A bit of a farce I think!

Anyway, with reference to the current topic, I think some changes are ok and will reduce costs, but I think if all proposed changes do go ahead, teams will continue to spend big $$ trying to get that slight advantage. I am also not a fan of the sequential gearbox. Keep the H-pattern box!

 

[Doug]

Hi Rob

Good point about the rear aero and the Aurora engine - why even intro it if they don't have to run it. Time will tell about the rest, however I think the major teams will still spend $$$$ tryinmg to create a better mousetrap when the new regs kick in.