Interesting statistics from JP - and the equivalence argument potentially has more far reaching consequences than just how it affects the n/a drivers!

When, on 2nd June 2009, TOCA announced their “Next Generation Touring Car” proposals and the introduction of turbocharged engines, their press release included a section headed “Performance Parity”. This is what it says:

“A policy of equivalence in overall performance between the current S2000 and the ‘Next-Gen’ cars will be maintained until 2013, to provide asset protection for the S2000 cars and parity of competition throughout that period.

In simple terms, the two specifications of cars will be equally eligible for outright honours – and be equivalent in overall performance – until 2013”

Based upon those assurances, RML and WSR chose to keep running existing normally aspirated cars, whilst TechSpeed and Geoff Steel Racing invested in S2000 cars with normally aspirated engines, with the not unreasonable expectation that their cars would be competitive. TechSpeed and Geoff Steel Racing have persuaded sponsors to put up substantial sums of money in the expectation of their logo’s and liveries being afforded the kind of media exposure that “equivalence on overall performance” should bring.

Those sponsors parted with their cash expecting to see their cars competing for podiums, not scrapping amongst themselves for a top ten place, out of sight of the TV cameras.

At Brands Hatch, Dave Newsham pointed out to me that he’d crossed the finish line at 123.4mph in the Geoff Steel BMW, making him the slowest through the speed trap in race 3. In 2010, in the exact same car, Mat Jackson went through the same speed trap at exactly the same speed - 123.4mph. Jackson was 2nd fastest, with only Tom Chilton in the turbocharged LPG-powered Ford Focus going faster.

Newsham’s own press release after Brands Hatch stated “It has also become apparent that the turbo-engine cars are 8mph faster than non turbo S2000 cars down the straights, that equates to approx half a second advantage per lap!” and, “the power of the turbo cars really showed". He said that he "was a sitting duck down the straights”. After Donington, where he qualified 19th and finished only one of the three races, in 15th place, Newsham jumped ship to join Special Tuning, citing in another press release “irreconcilable differences”. That same press release also noted that Special Tuning’s SEAT Leon “has a strong turbo charged engine”. Whatever his reasons for leaving Geoff Steel Racing, clearly turbo power was enough of an issue for him to repeatedly refer to it in his press releases! And GSR was left with two S2000 n/a cars not being used at Thruxton. So much for "asset protection"!

Something has to be done to quickly redress the balance - whilst JP has had some success this year, Rob Collard and Paul O'Neill are struggling to pick up points. They haven't become bad drivers overnight!