BMW SA Motorsport has called for the MSA Technical Committee to divulge details of the specifications of Class A cars in Production Car racing.
BMW SA Motorsport has called for the MSA Technical Committee to divulge details of the specifications of Class A cars in Production Car racing.
“MSA has introduced a technical committee to oversee Class A Racing in 2003 with the goal of ensuring close and competitive racing. BMW welcomes this in the interests of motor racing in general and Class A in particular,” BMW SA Motorsport SA spokesman Rob Gearing said this week.
The Production Car Racing series, of which rounds two and three will be staged at Killarney in Cape Town this weekend, has generated fresh interest since Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo joined the gaggle of BMW 330i and a Ford Falcon in Class A of the competition – which is a part of the Vodacom Power Tour.
Production Car racing, formerly known as Group N, has traditionally been a formula for “standard” saloons similar to those available to the public at car dealerships. In the past, a model had to be homologated before it could be introduced into the series and very limited modification was allowed to race cars.
In reality, there are vast differences in specification and performance between production cars and their road-going, off-the-showroom-floor siblings (depending on which class are competing in), production car driver Craig Nicholson told this week.
This has prompted Gearing to call for “some transparency to the paying public as to what really is in the vehicles being raced”.
“BMW are the current champions, providing the standard against which others will be measured. All vehicles are homologated against standard production cars, the Mercedes-Benz being the exception – it has obviously not produced a C320 model with a manual gearbox,” Gearing said.
Final drive ratios in this particular instance are as per 320 Automatic with the vehicle running a C180 manual six-speed.
On a race by race basis, the technical committee will allow exceptions under the banner of SVO’s (Special Vehicle Options). The results must be published seven days before each round of the championship.
For the race at Killarney this means the following:
Alfa Romeo 156 GTA – Engine modifications, including cam timing and compression ratio increases, will be allowed. Base weight reduced to 50kg less than BMW.
Mercedes-Benz C320 – Engine modifications, including cam timing, compression ratio increases, will be allowed. Final drive ratio has been shortened compared with the standard automatic variant. Base weight reduced to 50kg less than BMW.
Ford Falcon – Engine modifications, including a different cam profile and cam timing, will be allowed.
“The above changes should ensure competitive racing with the handling and performance of the BMWs being offset by the modifications to engine and drivetrain of the other competitors and their reduced weight (albeit with larger engines),” Gearing said.
“Hopefully, as the season progresses and their vehicles are developed further, some of these allowances can be removed, leading to true production car racing.
“In this way, costs can be saved by all competitors, perhaps opening the door for even wider participation,” Gearing added.
To read a preview of this weekend’s production car action at Killarney, click here.