BTCC Crazy

2014 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Calendar Confirmed

The news that the HSCC would be running a touring car series allowing cars from the Super Touring era to race once again has caught the imagination of BTCC Crazy’s readers and touring car fans around the world. It is one of the most-read articles in the 3 year history of the website. What’s more, the possibility of John Cleland making a return to touring cars has rekindled some of the memories of that golden touring car era.

Michael Passingham takes you through the rulebook and technical specifications of the series.

The information I’m using here can be found in the HSCC Rulebook – and I’m going to distil its most important parts.

Class Structure

The championship will not only include Super Touring cars – there will be ten classes overall featuring touring cars from several eras, with Group A from the early 80s all the way to the final generation of Super Touring cars in the year 2000.

Class A – Super Touring cars built from 1996-2000

Class B – Super Touring pre-1996 with sequential gearbox

Class C – Super Touring pre-1996 with H-Pattern gearbox

Class D – Ford Sierra RS500

Class E – Group A over 2 litre

Class F – Group A under 2 litre

Class G – Group 2 over 2 litre

Class H – Group 2 under 2 litre

Class I – Invitiation – Historically significant but not within the rules of the other classes

Calendar

30th, 31st March 2013 – Thruxton (Clashes with BTCC Brands Hatch)

13th, 14th July 2013 – Brands Hatch

26th, 27th, 28th July 2013 – Silverstone (Silverstone Classic)

24th, 25th, 26th August 2013 – Oulton Park (Gold Cup) (Clashes with BTCC Knockhill)

Race Format

From talking to Alan Jones of the HSCC, it seems as if the HSCC is looking to adopt a double-header race structure, with two races per weekend. The rulebook states that where possible every race will be at least 15 miles in length.

Technical Regulations

To ensure the cars accurately represent the eras from which they represent, a number of technical regulations are put in place. The following components of the cars must be within the FIA period regulations:

Engine, oil/water cooling, induction systems, exhaust systems, fuel delivery systems, transmission, fuel tank.

Bodywork can be updated, but must remain in the period in which the car could race: The rule book says “It is permitted to run later aero kits as in period, this change could move the car into the later period class if for example a 1996 kit is used on a 1995 car.”

Cars must not exceed the noise levels within MSA regulations, and will be further restricted by any track regulations.

Weight

The rules state that all classes must conform to the “FIA technical regulations for the engine size and correct homologated weight”.

The rules do also identify the following as the minimum weights for all of the Super Touring cars (Classes A, B and C):

FWD and RWD: 975kg
4WD: 1000kg

It also mentions the Ford RS500s -
RS500 Class: 1100kg

Tyres

Dunlop is the preferred tyre supplier for the series. Each car will be allowed six dry tyres per weekend.

Further Information

The Super Touring Register is a great source of information about the whereabouts of hundreds of Super Touring cars.

2012 Silverstone Classic entry list

This list is by no means anything close to what the entry list for the series will be – it is merely here as an indication of which cars were active during 2012.

1 Chris Scragg Jaguar XJ12C
2 Jim Pocklington Vauxhall Cavalier
3 Paul Smith Ford RS500
4 Christopher Ballard Ford Capri
5 Jan Bot BMW M3
6 David Brodie Ford RS500
7 Ian Donaldson Ford RS500
8 Alex Schooledge/Simon Dickinson Vauxhall Vectra
9 Simon Garrad Ford RS500
10 Mark Smith BMW E30 M3
11 Frank Wrathall/Jonathan Westbrook Vauxhall Cavalier
12 DonGrice BMW M3DTM
14 Mike Newton Vauxhall Cavalier
15 Craig Davies Ford Sierra
16 Ant. Scragg Jaguar XJS
18 Guy Spurr BMW E30 M3
19 Graham Wait Ford Sierra
20 Ian Stinton Nissan Primera
21 Andy Wolfe Opel Belmont
22 TBA Tba BMW M3
23 Rick Pearson Nissan Primera
24 CEM Osman BMW M3
25 Derek Hale Honda Accord
28 Werner Huber Audi A4
30 Michae Bell Ford Escort
31 Richard Masters Jaguar XJ12
32 Kingsley Ingram Mazda 323F
33 Johannes Van Nierop Audi 80
36 Keith Butcher Nissan Primera
40 Paul Pochciol Jaguar XJ12
42 Tom Pochciol Ford Capri
43 Jody Halse BMW 635
44 David Cuff/Mark Smith BMW E30 M3
49 Jon Payne Talbot Lotus Sunbeam
53 Alvin Powell Ford Mondeo
62 Bernard Hogarth Ford Mondeo
68 Mark Wright Ford RS1800
77 Dave Jarman Nissan Primera
79 Mark Jones Vauxhall Cavalier
84 Richard Hawken Nissan Primera
97 Neil Smith Alfa Romeo 156

Article originally written on Wednesday, 16 January 2013. Read more articles from the BTCC Crazy Archive.