Touring Car Overload

Touring Car Overload

  May 06, 2007    MamaeyaYT

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This weekend features a total of no less than 4 touring car championship rounds. This being the two major ones the WTCC and BTCC and also the German Touring Cars and Swedish Touring Car Championship. Fastest Lap was right. Sometimes there's just too many racing championships to watch.

So far this season I've managed to catch the WTCC, BTCC and the Australian V8 Supercars. Out of the lot I have to say that the BTCC takes the cake as the best one so far. This weekend is round 3 of the championship in Thruxton. Since Alan Gow retook the reigns at the head of the BTCC, the championship has been transformed from a nearly dead post Supertouring championship into one that goes a long way to recapturing the glory days of 1990s.

If the first round at Brands was good, the next round at Rockingham two weeks ago was even better. Rather like the Indianapolis Formula 1 circuit, its raced partly on the oval and partly in the infield section. But it really is a lesson on how it ought to be done. For the action was extremely fast and furious. Bad luck to Matt Neal because I felt that he could have won again two weeks ago but for the hooligan antics of Tom Chilton (in the ever disgusting Vauxhall) which got Matt all over the place before slamming into the back of Colin Turkington.

Chilton, who looks like a member of a boy band should perhaps actually be in a bloody boyband and leave racing to adults. Look, I understand that in touring cars a little tap and a bit of argy bargy is perfectly acceptable but eejit takes it a bit too far and does it a little too often. He damned nearly t-boned Darren Turner's SEAT in the third race. But perhaps I'm just being biased because Chilton is a Vauxhall driver and I hate that stupid rep-mobile.

But then again, Chilton's teammate Fabrizio Giovanardi exudes class as well as pace. His tactics against Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden both in the Halfords Civics is an example of masterful defending, frustrating last year's champion Neal into a mistake that let Shedden through.

The BMWs look good in the BTCC despite being of 2006 vintage. Colin Turkington and teammate Onslow Cole certainly proving quite fast but the guy I am most impressed with is Mat Jackson in the Jackson Motorsport ex-Andy Priaulx BMW 320si. He's certainly got some speed in the car even if he is a little erratic at times. He reminds me a bit of Pedro de la Rosa and like the Spaniard, he tries really hard and is fun to watch. Matt Neal in fact thinks he is a contender.

Realistically though, this year definitely will be a battle between the Vauxhalls and SEATs for the drivers and team titles. But the beauty of the BTCC is that there are many dark horses. Matt Neal has shown pace in a brand spanking new, untried and certainly untested car. Mat Jackson if he can pull his socks up can certainly challenge the manufacturers as could Colin Turkington and Onslow Cole in the WSR prepared Team RAC BMWs. Its going to be a bloody good season no doubt.

The BTCC is definitely back, which is more than I can say for the WTCC. As I write this, I've just finished watching race 1 of Round 2 at Zandvoort on the telly. And like the Curitiba race, I'm left a little cold. Sure, the Chevrolets have provided a nice surprise this weekend and its great to see cars other than BMWs on the front row but the racing leaves a lot to be desired. The cars are bumper to bumper of course but perhaps its the world championship or perhaps they're all works teams but hardly anyone tries anything. Its early days yet in the championship so it all could improve. I hope it does, I have confirmed tickets to the season finale at Macau!

There are perhaps a number of reasons why the BTCC trumps the WTCC. First and foremost, the sheer number of privateers. All but two teams are private teams. And one thing about these guys, is that they try extremely hard. And privateer teammates seem to have no reservations about battling their teammates for position including all the attendant argy bargy. By contrast teammates in the WTCC try awfully hard not to tangle. There are exceptions of course but in general WTCC teams and drivers are a little shy. Well, this year at least.

Secondly, circuits. I love British racing circuits. Converting a whole bunch of ex World War 2 airbases to racing circuits was always a brilliant idea for those circuits end up being extremely quick. Then of course there's Brands which is a natural bowl and wonderful parkland tracks like Oulton Park. Somehow, the nature of British racing circuits always manages to produce some excellent racing. Surprisingly even the new Rockingham oval manages to produce the goods.

Third is the television coverage. Now, a lot of people complain about ITV's grand prix telecasts but if you compare Eurosport's coverage of the WTCC and ITV4's coverage of the BTCC, I'm sure you'll agree that the BTCC coverage is miles better with a lot more depth. And I much prefer the informal nature of the press interviews with the drivers. Ted Kravitz and Louis Goodman, like in Formula 1, go around the pits although in the BTCC the camera does follow them. In the box, 1992 BTCC champion Tim Harvey and Ben Edwards provide the commentary. And when they talk to the drivers, their questions are far more interesting. Compare that to a WTCC press conference. The lady who asks the questions sounds like she knows bugger all about racing and is merely following a script.

Added to the nature of the circuits, ITV4s camera positions also seem to convey a better sense of speed and puts one in the thick of the action. Whereas Eurosport's cameras make the WTCC cars look like garden lawn mowers, that is to say, they look unbelievably slow and from a telly viewers perspective, a yawn fest.

Apart from these touring car championships, I've also managed to catch highlights of the Swedish Touring Car Championship. I know what you're thinking. Sweden???!! Yes, but consider this, where else can you see BMW battling Mercedes and Audi in the same place. In addition to the big three Germans, there's Opels and of course, the local Volvo. Honda is represented and so is Alfa Romeo. The WTCC can only wish for variety of this sort.

However, I don't undestand a word of the commentary for naturally its in Swedish. Secondly, I have no idea who the drivers are and having just watched my first ever STCC I can't yet form any opinions on who's good and who's not. Third, I think the STCC has got it wrong by running a single race with a compulsory pitstop. They run to the same S2000 specifications as the WTCC and BTCC unlike these championships that feature 2 or 3 short sprint races, the STCC decides to be a bit different. From watching the first race, I think its not a good idea for it results in a spread field with little close racing action. As I said before, only Formula 1 can get away with things like that. But the Sturup racing circuit reminds me of one of those quaint Japanese racing circuits always featured in Best Motoring videos. Narrow and short they may be but perfectly suited for touring cars. I look forward to seeing the next round highlights nevertheless.

Finally, I've also attempted to follow the Australian V8 Supercar Development Series. I've heard so much about this that I actually want to like it. But it suffers two problems.

Firstly, there's no variety. There are only two makes of cars. It might as well be a one make championship. No matter how good the racing might be, I always feel there's just something missing.

Secondly, like the STCC, I have no idea who these guys are apart from James Courtney and Paul Radisich and only because these guys have raced in Europe. Craig Lowdnes? Who he?

But rather like Britain, Australia has some nice, fast circuits like Eastern Creek, Oran Park and Adelaide, so I will continue to follow this championship this season and look at developments.

This year's going to be a bumper year as far as watching racing. Eurosport is finally available on Astro, which is a relief since Astro Supersport and ESPN Star Sports are so bloody golf obsessed (fcuk Golf!!). But already I'm feeling a little overwhelmed trying to watch all these championships. GP2 is on my list and I haven't even started watching the Super GT yet. I don't think I'm going to bother with the FIA GT and Le Mans unless it happens to come on the telly when I switch it on. But I'm glad to see that the BTCC has returned in a big way. If grand prix racing goes pear shape, looks like the alternative is looking good, as it did in the 90s to Bernie E's chagrin.

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The Need For The Next Murray Walker

The Need For The Next Murray Walker

  April 08, 2007    MamaeyaYT

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In my opinion, Murray Walker was a bit of a moron. I mean, people complain about James Allen being short of grey matter and they may be right. But he's a bloody genius by comparison to the old man. Murray however, had his uses.

I remember back in day, I used to switch to Eurosport to watch grand prix. Sure, John Watson's commentary may be a little dry but at least it was informed whereas Walker would always babble on and on and sometimes that got quite tiring. Especially when the subject he was babbling on and on was his pet favourites Hill and Mansell. One simply got tired of the babbling biasness. If it wasn't for James Hunt I wouldn't be watching the BBC coverage at all. Finally it was the appearance of Martin Brundle that attracted me back to the Beeb and eventually the ITV coverage.

But as I said, Murray Walker had his uses. For no one could rouse the viewer better than the old man. His commentary style could bring a certain excitement into an otherwise dull race. He was the English equivalent of excitable Japanese or South American commentators and despite his demonstrable incompetence from time to time, he could entertain. Coupled with an expert like Brundle, it was perhaps the perfect commentary team. Perhaps only American commentators do better but then again I hardly watch American sports.

The best thing Alan Gow ever did for the British Touring Car Championship back in the 90s was to secure Murray Walker's services for the BTCC telly coverage. Of course, the BTCC offered some of the best racing ever seen but Murray would add to the excitement. Murray had many fans and that added to the draw of the BTCC. The commentators these days can hardly compare. Take the A1GP for instance. Surely a budding young championship like this which offers some good racing would benefit more from Murray's presence to get more fans world wide. Perhaps if Murray was around, it wouldn't be seemingly fading away in only its second season.

Another championship that sorely needs the presence of a Murray Walker would be the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). In the first place, the cars aren't as exciting to look at as the Super Tourers but my god, the commentators are just too efficient at putting one to sleep! What is it about Eurosport? Where do they find these guys anyway?

My point is, most people watch their racing on the telly. Live action offers the viewer a spectacle in terms of effect. The panoramic sights, the sounds, the smells and simply the feel of an event keeps crowds enthralled. But on the telly, its sanitized. In the absence of all the "special effects" a good commentator is an absolute requirement to add some spice to any championship television package. Its an attraction.

So who will be the next Murray Walker? Motor racing definitely could definitely use him or even her.

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More Thoughts On The WTCC

More Thoughts On The WTCC

  March 18, 2007    MamaeyaYT

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I watched last Sunday's WTCC race from Curtibia once again today. The current situation in the WTCC seems quite dire and I just wanted a reminder of the issues at hand. Especially now since SEAT is threatening to leave the series. That would would be disastrous as far as this championship is concerned.

The fact of the matter is the WTCC does tend to pull in the crowds on race weekends. But unlike Formula 1 which not only enjoys better promotion but enjoys better visibility as well in the mainstream media the world over. Whereas the WTCC depends on the championship being close and hard fought. It simply would not do to have a single make of car dominating the championship even though teams running that make of car are battling it out amongst themselves.

In other words, it would be commercial suicide for the KSO or the FIA not to intefere to equalise the performance of the cars in order to ensure close racing. In this day and age where other sports are competing for viewers and all professional sports rely on sponsorship, the entertainment value must be high even though this leads to a dilution of the sport's purity.

In motor racing this means that measures must be taken to ensure the competitiveness of the entire field and to ensure the spectators are fed with entertainment packed races. To me, racing should be free of such "match fixing" but I realise the pressure the folks like KSO are under.

So really, KSO and the FIA must consider very hard the measures to take next. On one hand, there's BMW who over have been very industrious over the winter particularly in the aero department. All that hard work is now paying off and the cars are simply unbeatable. Should they not fully enjoy the benefits of all that effort?

On the other hand, there's SEAT. I completely missed one fact in my previous post. And that is the FIA gave the 15kg advantage to BMW in return for the new rolling start regulations this year. The rolling start is meant to negate the advantages of rear wheel drive cars i.e. BMW during the start of the race. As you know rear wheel drive cars enjoy better traction off a standing start whereas the front drivers are scrabbling for grip.

BMW deftly negotiated with the FIA to hand them an advantage whilst taking away another. But in a championship such as this, where the regulations are formulated to give an equal chance to all types of machinery whether front or rear driven, did the FIA agree to such a thing? It bloody well makes no sense at all. The fact of the matter is front wheel drive will always be at a disadvantage on the circuit. The regulations are meant to equalise this.

And yet the FIA agreed to give BMW the weight advantage. This is complete bullshit. Of course BMW would agree to it. A 15 kg weight advantage is always advantageous to them. For one, a rolling start only equalises performance between the different types of cars. Whereas a weight advantage penalises the front drivers. Plus, the weight advantage is one that lasts throughout the entire race whereas a rolling start is only useful when the lights turn green.

Looking at BMW of course they would find any excuse the get a weight reduction. Thats the reason why they chose to stick with a standard H 5 speed gearbox rather than choose a 6 speed sequential tranny. The 50 kg reduction in weight by choosing the standard H is far more valuable than the time or convenience gained from a sequential box. Otherwise, you can bet that BMW would choose the sequential shifter.

Didn't the FIA see this at all? I'm sure when they offered BMW the deal, Mario Thiessen was simply licking his lips with glee.

As I said in my previous post, now we shall see if it all comes good when the success ballast rules kick in for the next round of the championship. But then again, the SEATs of Yvan Muller and Garbriele Tarquini will also be hit by ballast. I should think the BMWs will still have an advantage and potentially a big one still.

I should think they ought to keep the rolling start and take back those 15kg to make it fair. Anymore than that would be penalising BMW's hard winter work which would then make it unfair to them.

SEAT on the other hand should accept that BMW have worked hard and they should enjoy whatever success they get.

The KSO on the other hand is in between a rock and a hard place. Yes, they can allow the BMW to romp through 2007 to the title. Even though they give back the 15 kg to BMW, I should think there's nothing to stop the Priaulx, Farfus and Muller trio. But can KSO afford the BMWs to run away?

NASCARs success has always rested on the fact that all cars have been made equal and the championship itself marketed as entertainment to the "casual fan." Its disgusting to me and it reeks of "wrestling." But this is a matter of principle. I like my racing pure. On the other hand though, the entertainment value of NASCAR is undeniable particularly to NASCAR fans.

The KSO might dislike Volkswagen Audi Group, of which SEAT is a member, because of all the money they like to spend. But the hard reality is, where else shall the competition come from if not from SEAT. The Alfas have all but packed up. N Technology is the only team remaining but they are competing with a car introduced way back in 2001 and is very long in tooth now. If SEAT leaves (which I really doubt) the series would lack the variety needed. And the entertainment value will also diminish. (The BMW teams are unlikely to engage in argy bargy and high risk overtaking maneuvers no matter how hard they battle)

I don't know if Alan Gow and the BTCC will adopt the rolling start / 15 kilo adjustment in the British Championship. After all, they are running to Super 2000 rules this year. But in the case of the BTCC, the SEATs and Vauxhalls, both running front wheel drive racing cars, are the only works teams. Those running BMWs and Toyota Altezzas (both rear wheel drive) in this series are all privateers. Perhaps Alan will consider giving the 15 kilos to help the privateers along the way.

But I shall stick to my theory which I posted last time. The FIA and KSO are wary of VAG. Perhaps they sought to negate their advantages and spending. But I think it may have backfired in a big way. We await the next round of the WTCC to see how it all works out.

One last thing before I go. Why the hell did the two works SEATs make it so simple for Priaulx and Muller to go past them? They hardly defended their line at all at the end of the main straight in Brazil. For a proper defence, one should look at the way Tom Coronel defended against both the works BMW. The GRAsia car mounted a very stern defence of his position now that they are considered by the regulations to be a manufacturer squad. (They aren't really... no in actuality) And there was just one of him whereas the BMWs were up against two works SEATs. Pathetic!

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The Bully Boys

The Bully Boys

  March 15, 2007    MamaeyaYT

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The FIA WTCC kicked of at Curtibia last weekend and saw the Schnitzer run Team BMW Deutschland taking two out of two races in the hands of (ugh) Jorg Muller and Augusto Farfus. In both races, reigning champion Andy Priaulx came in second.

The way the Beemers were going there was bound to be protest from the other teams, particularly SEAT. Jorg Muller pretty much sealed the argument for SEAT when he himself confessed to being surprised at just how fast his 320Si was in the straights.

We all know the reason of course. Rear wheel drive confers an advantage on the circuit. And now that the FIA, via its hateful World Motorsport Council, have decided to take away 15kilos out of the rear wheel drive weight limit, the advantage is pressed even further.

Its quite inexplicable why this should be so. However, I shall offer a wildly speculative theory. SEAT you see, falls under the great umbrella of the Volkswagen Audi Group (VAG). And in this group you will also find that other great competitor, Audi. The VAG isn't at all shy about spending money on racing if this brings about their utter domination. Need we mention the Audi R8 and R10. Or howabout one off Le Mans special like the Bentley Speed 8 of a few years ago.

Clearly the VAG want to win and at all costs. Its never said in public but many an organiser fears the presence of the VAG with all their spending power. The WTCC organisers, the Kigema Sports Organisation (KSO) are just one them. **1 VAG have this nasty habit of spending beyond all recognition which forces the other manufacturers to spend more to remain competitive.

Pre season, the SEATs have been through some relentless development work and the intent of VAG is apparent in the number of stars that have been employed to pilot their cars. I would speculate that the FIA deliberately then reduced the weight limits for rear drive cars, effectively meaning BMW.

Now of course, the weight penalties will come into effect after the first round and the Beemers will be saddled with maximum penalties. Will this be enough? We'll wait and see but if previous seasons are any guide, then it ought to be. But yet, SEAT are not happy about the situation at all. After all, the regulations are meant to equalise the cars before the application of weight penalties.

Given that the WTCC rules so tightly formulated, catching up on equal terms will be nigh impossible. With the rules defined as it is, even large amounts of money, VAG amounts of money, will only buy so much improvement. This is precisely the FIA's intentions. But when competitors do not start on equal footing, the weaker party will forever be on the back foot with no way of catching up again.

You might beg the question why SEAT did not make a faster car in the first place. Well, they did given the rules but as usual in this day and age, the FIA loves to arbitrarily change them.

Still I think it could still be a good championship ahead. After all, they mught just rob BMW of their advantage mid season if they start running away with it. And you can bet the FIA will do this. After all, this isn't a "pure" championship in the sense that equalisation and fan entertainment is stated objective. And what do the casual fans care, right?

Footnote:

1. The American Le Mans Series (ALMS) are another one I would imagine. They way Audi loves to run away with championships year on year is proof of their spending abilities. The ALMS favourable nod to the LMP2 class is a way of balancing that out.

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Macau Guia And BTCC Note

Macau Guia And BTCC Note

  November 19, 2006    MamaeyaYT

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I was very upset that for the first time in years, the Macau Grand Prix was not shown live on Star Sports. They obviously thought that the premier Formula 3 event of the year and the championship finale of the World Touring Car Championship was not worthy to be up against some stupid ATP Masters Tennis tournament. I can understand a grand slam tennis tournament taking precedence but this???

Anyway, thankfully it was shown as a delayed telecast and as usual Macau never fails to serve up some good racing. Like that other famous street circuit at Monte Carlo, its hard to overtake in Macau but the circuit itself is so good and incredibly demanding. Like Monaco, it has some incredibly tight corners and hairpins but it has also a damn fine waterfront section that includes that incredible flat out Mandarin bend before hard braking into the tight and accident prone Lisboa.

If you're going to win in the Guia race then pole position is an absolute must. Just like Monte Carlo. And once again, its that man Andy Priaulx who took pole ahead of (ugh!) Dirk Muller in the BMW Team Deutschland, Yvan Muller in the SEAT Leon and Duncan Huisman. I'll never understand why BMW are keeping this overrated Dutchman. Championship leader Augusto Farfus Jr started from seventh and carrying the maximum weight handicap of 80 kilos. As Priaulx himself mentioned 80 kilos is a helluva lot of weight to bear and its just as well he came into this race with only 45 kilos of handicap, else that pole would not have been possible.

In the first rce it was Andy for lights to flag and ably backed up by Duncan Huisman who held off Yvan Muller right till the end. Fabrizio Giovanardi in the semi works JAS Honda kept these two in close contact throughout the entire race. The weight laden Farfus I thought did admirably well to take fifth spot.

In the second race, Jorg Muller made a stunning start to pass both Peter Terting and Tom Coronel off the grid. 75 kilos handicap or not, that rear drive BMW is quite a demon at the lights. And just as in the first race, the infamous Lisboa had a opening lap incident. If the first race took a number of Chevrolets, this second race proved hard on the SEAT runners. A few folks did not start this race and among them was Alex Zanardi who suffered terminal damage to his car in the first race. Andy Priaulx held off Fabrizio Giovanardi to take fifth and win the world championship. This is his third touring car title in a row and I wouldn't bet against him taking it again next year.

Of couse, Mario Thiessen had to force a smile on the podium. Whilst Jorg Muller won the race, he could not take the championship. In the end the gap between him and Andy was a mere one point. But I bet Mario is seething that yet again, his German drivers were beaten by a Brit. I do have to say that Jorg was pretty lucky at the restart of the second race because Peter Terting basically held everyone back with a broken gearbox. Else I thought the two SEATs of Coronel and Muller would have been a lot closer to him.

In a weight handicapped series like the WTCC, its hard to tell who drove well and who didn't. Giovanardi in the JAS Honda looked impressive to me hassling the works cars but then of course he would since he carried no handicap at all. I felt sorry for Farfus though as he crashed on the opening lap of the second race. Despite his 80 kilos he had done a bloody good job. Much as I hate to admit it but Jorg Muller did drive well despite that 75 kilos, though luck was on his side.

As ever on this demanding circuit the attrition rate was very high with half the field failing to finish. Famous casualties include Rickard Rydell, Peter Terting, Jan Magnussen, Gabriele Tarquini and Nicola Larini. The latter three all ex Formula 1 folks as well.

Congratulations again to Andy Priaulx. In modern touring cars, he's proving to be the class of the field. And if Thiessen wants a German win he's going to have to hire some better Germans to do it. And also a job well done to Racing Bart Mampaey who yet again despite being a lot smaller than the Schnitzer team has beaten them again. D0n't you just love it when the little guy wins?

Speaking about little people, congratulations also to Matt Neal for retaining the British Touring Car Championship in the independently entered Halfords Honda Integra. In the process taking both drivers and team titles in the BTCC and the independents trophies as well. This year, Matt was up against incredibly strong opposition from the likes of Jason Plato, Gavin Smith and Fabrizio Giovanardi who all had the full weight of the Volkswagen Audi Group behind them in the SEAT Sport UK Leons. Goes to show that there is a spot for independents in this increasingly manufacturer obsessed world. I guess if the base machinery is an excellent one as you have with the Integra beating works SEATs and Vauxhalls is not a problem.

Finally, I hope this circuit makes it into Gran Turismo 5. Its an absolute cracker.

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