Racecar Engineering 2024 06

SUPER GT Under the skin of Honda’s
fearsome new GT500 Civic

UK £6.95 / US $16.25
Inside the world of modern motorsport technology June 2024 / Vol 34 No 6
Sauber C44
How the Swiss Formula 1 team aims to move
up the grid ahead of Audi’s arrival
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CONTENTS  JUNE 2024  Volume 34 Number 6
COVER STORY FEATURES TECHNICAL

6 Formula 1 – Sauber C44 14 Super GT
58 Formula E
Building solid foundations Honda unleashes the new
Civic Type R-GT for GT500 The engineering challenge
for the 2026 Audi takeover
of energy management
24 Touring Cars
COLUMN 66 Synthetic fuels
Forward thinking in BTCC’s
third season with hybrids The current state of play in the
5 Alastair Macqueen sustainable fuels landscape
On the unmistakable value 32 Sporting Trials
of the transmission dyno 74 Danny Nowlan
Quintessentially British
motorsport in the woods Applying the damper workbook
to a wild Time Attack racer
40 Trans Am
Riley Technologies’ innovative BUSINESS
new TA class machine
78 News
48 Mercedes CLK-GTR Hydrogen demo, the return of
How the German manufacturer Lola and Aeroscreen 2.0
fast tracked its 1997 GT racer
81 Chris Aylett
Motorsport’s place on
the road to net zero
82 Bump stop
Toyota Gazoo Racing
Rain brought tyre strategy into the mix

at the second round of the FIA World
Endurance Championship at Imola, and
Toyota stole through to take victory
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JUNE 2024 www.racecar-engineering.com 3

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PITWALL MUSINGS – ALASTAIR MACQUEEN
The 24-hour sprint race

How transmission tech developments solved the durability problem at Le Mans
T
he 24 Hours of Le Mans has been a regular The Japanese manufacturer took the In early 2001, Bentley, using an engine built
fixture on the motorsport calendar for a problems seriously and flew the head of manual by Audi Sport, turned up with a purpose-
century now. The circuit, and car transmissions worldwide in to assess the issues. designed Xtrac transmission and ran a successful
technology, have improved beyond recognition At the time, we (Jaguar) had John Barnard 30-hour test with pauses only for fine shift tuning
in that time. Reliability is also better than it ever putting together a prospective F1 programme at and wear observation. This facility was a key
was, so how hard can it be to win the race? our Norfolk base and felt it may be useful to also factor in the success of the Bentley project.
Obviously, a quick car is a given if you are to have his input. A clash of cultures ensued, with With the revamped Paul Ricard circuit coming
succeed at Le Mans, with aerodynamic efficiency Barnard extremely critical of the Toyota gearbox on stream in 2002, it became the default venue
a major factor given the high average speed. A in front of the very high-ranking Toyota chief. I for long distance sportscar testing. However,
crack team to run the car to the very specific remember this well, as I had to return the whilst the Vmax is similar to Le Mans, the average
prescriptions of the ACO regulations is also a seething Japanese engineer to his hotel in speed is lower. The track surfaces are also very
requirement, along with a highly focused squad Norwich that evening. To add insult to injury, the different, and therefore the tyre compounds too,
of top drivers. However, the most important part hotel was on Barnard Road! but the facilities are excellent. We must have
is the vehicle and team durability to run at a high All this was to change at around the turn of done six 36-hour tests there during the Bentley
level for 24 hours without making a mistake. the century with two important developments. Le Mans programme.
First, the gradual introduction of paddle-shift
Durability testing transmissions, replacing driver operation of gear Open concerns
During the 1980s, Group C sportscar racing was changing with electronics that controlled the Due to the short time between final design and
dominated by Porsche. A host of works and power cut, timing and throttle of the shifts. It build, it was necessary for the car to run at the 12
private cars gave the German manufacturer a marked a step change in gearbox durability. Hours of Sebring in March. With that race being
wealth of durability testing and followed the next day by a 12-hour, one
information, which allowed its cars to car test, we left Florida with a list of over
win six consecutive Le Mans editions. 100 concerns to study in three months.
Jaguar beat Porsche in 1988, by just Prioritising those concerns only on
a couple of minutes, and only on its the basis of driveability and durability
third attempt. By that stage, the race made it simple to freeze the design of
had become a 24-hour sprint. No longer the Le Mans spec car, with two 36-hour
were competitors allowed the luxury of tests still to run in April and May.
nursing their cars for the final few hours. We used a test car for the final test
Jaguar started the durability testing with all the drivers and both car crews
of its cars in 1986, running them at that would be running at Le Mans. This
circuits like Estoril in Portugal and Paul allowed the running procedures and car
Ricard in France, but only in daylight crews to gel, and diffuse any potential
hours, and never the continuous testing Audi’s transmission dyno was a key element in Bentley’s journey to victory in 2003 tension between the German and British
that a 24-hour race demands. elements within the team.
While the circuit is of a very different Second, while engines had long run on In the race itself, the winning car finished two
character, it is no coincidence that Jaguar had dynos to test power and durability, it was not laps ahead of its second placed team mate. The
won the Daytona 24 Hours earlier in ’88 and had until the late ’90s that a powertrain dyno was pit stop details show that the winner spent 12
learned a great deal from the experience. built (by Audi Sport at Neckarsulm) that allowed minutes less in the pit lane than the no.8 car due
History records that during the 20th century, the engine and transmission to be tested as one to two non-service stops to replace batteries.
transmission-related issues made up over 60 per unit and drive the wheel outputs to simulate a Despite the great and famous result, both cars
cent of the retirements at Le Mans and, sure lap of the Le Mans circuit. were carrying a rear suspension problem during
enough, the gearbox proved to be the Jaguar’s The dyno could be run with a throttle trace of the race, which only came to light as the cars ran
Achilles heel, too. The circuit is partially public a pole position lap of the circuit, simulating the through a depression on the track at Vmax with
road, which makes it impossible to test on, apart loadings the rear tyres would feel, even over full aero loading. The smooth Paul Ricard circuit,
from a few hours alongside the rest of the field. kerbs. It allowed the shift system to be fine tuned and even the fearsome bumpy concrete blocks at
Nowhere else exists that represents the continual so wear on the dog rings became almost invisible. Sebring, had failed to flag this issue up.
high-speed running of Le Mans. Despite this facility being purpose-built with There were very few mechanical items for the
Toyota’s TS010 Group C prototypes of the an isolating system on the floor where the dyno 2003 car which did not carry over from the
early ’90s were similarly blighted by gearbox was, the violence and energy of the gearshifts previous two years, with the notable exception of
issues, with a best position of second in 1992. could be heard and felt throughout the building. the torsion bar rear suspension.
History records that during the 20th century, transmission-related

issues made up over 60 per cent of the retirements at Le Mans
FORMULA 1 – SAUBER C44
Sauber’s C44 weighs in under the 798kg minimum,

and carries ballast that is attached to the survival cell,
although Key is not willing to disclose how much
XPB
6 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

Sauber F1 technical
Sauber
director, James Key,
explains how the Swiss
team aims to lay a solid
foundation for Audi’s
arrival in 2026
By DANIEL LLOYD
James Key joined last September, reporting to Sauber

CEO, Andreas Seidl, who will also be Audi’s F1 team boss

A
fter five seasons racing exclusively
under the Alfa Romeo banner, the
famous Sauber name returned to
the Formula 1 grid this year with
a bright new colour scheme under the Stake
F1 Team Kick Sauber moniker.
This exercise is set to last two seasons as
Sauber bridges the gap between Alfa Romeo’s
involvement and Audi’s full takeover of the
Swiss team for a factory effort in 2026.
However, Sauber doesn’t want to simply
tread water during the transition. The team
adjusted its car design philosophy last year
and is determined to make that work as it
seeks to rise through the midfield. It also has
a chance to set the table ahead of Audi’s
highly anticipated entry into the series.
Considering the level of investment
and development required to get its F1
programme going, Audi will at least want to
have a solid set of results on which to build.
Sauber’s stint under Alfa Romeo branding
had flashes of success, but ended with an Key slotted right back into Sauber, finding himself ‘finishing off conversations from 12 years ago’ with long-time members of the team
underwhelming 16 points and ninth place
in last year’s 10-team World Constructors’
Championship. That was an especially
disappointing result after a strong preceding
season in which the team put 55 points on
the board, finishing sixth overall.
The end of Alfa Romeo’s involvement
coincided with Sauber taking a new
direction for its 2024 challenger, the C44,
which continues to use a Ferrari customer
powertrain. The team hopes that this year
lays the foundations for a strong ending to
the 2022-2025 rules cycle, in turn giving Audi
as good a starting point as it can. This means
there are many strands of development going
on at Sauber’s base in Hinwil, Switzerland.
Parallel paths
‘We’ve got three things in parallel right now,’
says Sauber F1 technical director, James Key,
who joined the team last September. ‘We’ve The Alfa Romeo C43 struggled in high-speed cornering and wet weather. Changes for C44 are aimed at addressing these shortcomings
got the here and now – our pit stops and
developments to move us up the grid.
‘Of course, there is 2026, too. We’ve got the shortcomings of the Alfa Romeo C43 The C43 was lacking in multiple areas,
a little bit of concept work going on the and what changes needed to be made. such as high-speed performance, wet
chassis side there, although it’s reasonably ‘I think the beginning of the season weather pace and race day speed, relative
small scale in the team. seemed to be a period of reflection. Is our to qualifying. The C43 reached the third and
‘And then you’ve got the project side, philosophy correct here? The conclusion final stage of qualifying seven times, with
building the team up to where it needs to be was, probably not,’ Key summarises. drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu,
to match the expectations of an Audi F1 team ‘There was a trend developing and we both making the cut in Hungary and Mexico,
in the future. That’s an enormous project, and weren’t on that trend. We needed to figure but ultimately none of those chances were
we’re right in the throes of that now.’ out what to do. That happened in the first converted into points.
Key returned to Sauber having previously half of the season. When I joined, there was ‘We felt we should have been able to
been its F1 technical chief in 2010-’12 before a fairly steep trajectory towards a new score points with at least one car, but we just
moving to Toro Rosso (currently RB) and direction – in my view, the right direction – went nowhere on Sunday,’ admits Key. ‘That
then McLaren. His predecessor at Sauber, Jan for the car. And towards the end of the year, was obviously a big topic of discussion. We
Monchaux, now holds the post of the FIA’s a lot of updates came out of that. were missing some fundamental tools on
single seater technical director. ‘Aerodynamically, it became a lot more how to extract the most out of the car over
Key looks back on the team’s challenging prolific. Mechanics and aerodynamics are the course of a race weekend, particularly
2023 season as a ‘voyage of discovery’. very closely linked, so then there was a lot with the challenges of running the car low.
Despite starting his current job in the second of mechanical work to catch up with the It was definitely a period of learning and
half of that campaign, the Brit was dialled into aerodynamic directions being taken.’ transition when I came in.’

What we’ve done for C44
is consolidate where we
want to be, and then
design the car specifically
around the philosophy
we wanted to pursue’
James Key, technical director at Sauber
having clear similarities to the ruthless Red

Bull RB19 that dominated last year, Key was
quick to point out at pre-season testing that
it was an ‘in-house effort and philosophy’
from Sauber, although he also acknowledged
that design convergence between the
midfield teams had occurred.
Sauber evolved the C44 to have an
A-frame roll hoop, which has become the
The additional mass that came from changing to pull rod front suspension has been offset by weight saving measures elsewhere style of choice. Its previous F1 car had a
distinctive double-layered hoop, but it has
now moved to the more common design
after the FIA increased static load test
requirements in response to Zhou’s massive
crash at Silverstone in 2022. On the C44,
this required some re-organising of cooling
pathways to the powertrain, but the team
says the aerodynamic impacts of the A-frame
hoop have been minimal.
‘During testing we found there is a
significantly larger range of mechanical
options and ways you can set up the car,
compared to last year’s car,’ says Key. ‘Because
there was a wide array of options there, we
experimented quite a bit.’
Sweet spot
‘From Jeddah onwards, we’ve begun to find
the sweet spot of the car mechanically,’ he
adds. ‘In some cases, that’s required some
new, or additional, approaches to be taken.
Re-designed radiator inlet and aggressive undercut beneath the sidepod increases the volume of airflow through to the back of the C44 It’s led to a lot of experimenting on that side.
‘We’ve got a few mechanical updates
Running cars low without the compromise Sauber revealed the C44 in London on we’re looking at that may complement that
of underfloor wear is key to getting the most 5 February. The first noticeable difference down the line. We’ve been doing a lot of work
out of today’s F1 rule set, which places heavy from the previous year’s car was a nuclear on grounding resistance.’
focus on ground effect downforce generation. green and black livery, which helped Much of the C44 design concept had
The ‘transition’ that Key mentions refers emphasise the team’s independence between been finalised before Key joined, including
to Sauber’s gradual movement in the its Alfa Romeo and Audi chapters. Technical the decision to switch to a pull rod front
direction of a new car design through its changes soon became apparent too, as the suspension. Coincidentally, Key was McLaren’s
upgrades last season. car completed its first miles on a filming day technical director in the first season of ground
at Barcelona before linking up with the F1 effect rules in 2022, when the British team
New direction field at pre-season testing in Bahrain. rolled out with that type of suspension layout.
‘What we’ve done for C44 is consolidate The C44 sports a more aggressive McLaren and Red Bull were the only teams
where we want to be, and then design the undercut below each sidepod, echoing the to run a pull rod system on the front until
car specifically around the philosophy we direction many teams have taken after Red Sauber and RB joined them this year. Ferrari,
wanted to pursue,’ Key adds. ‘So, rather than Bull’s successful application of the idea. This and its other customer, Haas, have remained
having the hybrid situation we ended up creates more volume for air to flow through with a combination of pushrods on the front
with last year, we’ve got a car which is based towards the back of the car. and pull rods on the rear. The C44’s rear
on, and run around, a philosophy that it Above the sidepod, the radiator suspension remains push rod.
was converted to last year, but with a car cooling inlet has been re-designed with a Sauber’s switch to pull rod front
that’s designed for it.’ pronounced underbite. Despite these items suspension was driven by aerodynamics.

Generally, this arrangement is more of a

handful than pushrod. For example, the
pull rod starts at the bottom of the chassis,
making it harder for mechanics to access
than a pushrod, which starts at the top. A pull
rod configuration is also heavier because it
requires weight to be added for increased
stiffness and structural integrity, mainly
within the chassis. Sauber’s decision to fit the
C44 with a pull rod was taken last spring.
‘It’s a heavier, more compromised
solution, [but] I have to say, it hasn’t been
an issue,’ Key reports. ‘It’s done what it’s
supposed to do. Front vertical stiffness,
which is typically the parameter which pull
rod vs pushrod is most affected, hasn’t been
one of those difficult challenges. It’s more
been about the overall heave rates, ride
height trajectories and mechanical balance
that you’ve got to try and get right.
‘Loads are slightly different compared
to a pushrod, so you’ve got structural mass The original front wing that Sauber brought to the opening two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia wasn’t used for long
increases around all those components.
The pull rod itself, and its connections, will ‘A lot of mechanical projects have Making that performance shine through,
have a compliance level that is higher. You gone into the early season. The team have though, has been the biggest challenge.
just have to make sure they’re okay.’ responded really well to that in every respect.
Although it’s not obvious from results, Gunning for glory
Upgrade timeline which has been down to issues on a Sunday On lap 30 of this year’s season-opening
Sauber brought its first C44 upgrade, a new more than anything, we have introduced Bahrain GP, Bottas came in for his second pit
front wing, to the third round in Australia. It a new front wing and two new floor specs stop, only for disaster to strike when there
featured new third and fourth elements and already this season, which I don’t think any was a huge delay on the left front wheel
a re-designed end plate, and was designed to other team has done. All of them have change. A wheel nut had become cross-
improve the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. been for performance.’ threaded, preventing the mechanic from
It was swiftly followed by a bigger update From the early-season performances, attaching the new wheel. The delay cost
for the Japanese GP, where the C44 arrived Key reckons this year’s car is better in race Bottas around 50 seconds and the Finnish
sporting a new floor body and edges in the trim than the C43 was. driver ended up 19th.
front and middle sections. They formed part ‘Bahrain didn’t quite work out for us on The following weekend, during the
of an effort from technical management to Friday,’ he says, ‘but on Saturday we stuck Saudi Arabian GP in Jeddah, the same thing
be early out of the gate with upgrades. Zhou just outside the points and he stayed happened, this time on the right front of
‘We’ve pushed very hard, mostly on the there. It showed us that our race performance Zhou’s car. Alarm bells started ringing. Clearly,
aero side, but mechanically, too,’ says Key. had taken quite a significant step to last year.’ the Bahrain incident hadn’t been a one-off.
Sauber introduced several new parts to speed up its pit stops, but that ended up having quite the opposite effect

‘Although it’s been a very
public thing, the hope is
we’re on top of the two
primary issues we had
at the first two races’
James Key
work to get right, so we couldn’t hit

the beginning of the season with them. It
rang a few alarm bells, but it wasn’t an issue
that was on everyone’s mind.
‘And then on Sundays, we’d
suddenly have these issues. They really
caught us out. It was a big surprise.’
More importantly, the cause of the cross-
threading was not immediately clear.
Sauber introduced a new front wing in Australia, making an early start on its upgrade schedule, but then came the wheel nut episode(s) Head scratcher
‘We did a huge amount of R&D trying to
Sauber then re-grouped for the Australian some compromises with the shape of the recreate exactly the catastrophic failures, but
GP a fortnight later, only for another Bottas axle compared to many other teams who we couldn’t do it, however difficult we made
stop to go awry. This time a wheel nut pinged had taken the next step,’ reflects Key. ‘We did getting the wheel on,’ says Key. ‘We would
out into the pit lane, drawing a €5000 (£4280) a retainer system that works slightly hold the wheel off in a really difficult angled
fine. Although this wasn’t the same problem differently. That just needed a new design position and then gun an aluminium nut on
as the previous two incidents, it was enough of wheel nut and axle, but all with the same really quickly, hitting the threads together.
to attract further probing headlines. materials to last year.’ Whatever we did, we couldn’t recreate the
Sauber upgraded its tyre change Sauber tested its new arrangement at problem we experienced in the race.’
equipment over the winter to improve its pit Hinwil over the winter and, according to Key, It’s unclear why Sauber has not been
stop times. This included new wheel guns the team was satisfied, despite still suffering able to replicate the issue. This undoubtedly
with a different switching mechanism to occasional cross-threading episodes. These made it harder for the team to wrap its head
reverse the direction of the socket. The nut incidents, he acknowledges, were the sort of around what solution was required. At time
is held loosely in place within the wheel by a thing that could happen to a team that still of writing, Sauber is planning to introduce
collar-like retainer and then high torque from uses aluminium wheel nuts. wheel nuts made of a more robust material in
the wheel gun forces the nut to turn into a ‘From Imola to Barcelona, we’re going to time for the Emilia-Romagna GP at Imola.
tight position, securing the wheel in place. see some much bigger changes on the axles ‘Although it’s been a very public thing, the
‘Our stops were a bit slower than they for our car,’ projects Key. ‘They are long lead hope is we’re on top of the two primary issues
should have been, and we knew there were time bits that require a lot of design and R&D we had at the first two races,’ says Key.
Sauber
Cross-threaded wheel nuts prompted a
quick response, and new materials are
being introduced at a 12-week lead time
No wheel nut issues occurred in round four at Suzuka, but Bottas lost track positions at a pit stop when challenging for points

Sauber
With a new car, a new technical director and Audi’s influence starting to be felt in the background, Sauber looks well placed to be one of the key players in a tight midfield battle this year
‘At Imola, we’re going to see a lot of new in technical at Hinwil are already feeling the Currently, the Sauber technical team
bits in that area, which we can rush through influence of Audi’s gestating masterplan, which consists of around 240 people (in a total
as quickly as possible. These are 12-week lead includes work on its Neuberg nerve centre workforce of about 600) and that number
time parts, typically, so that was an excellent where the powertrain is being developed. is increasing. Key says there are ‘huge
effort from our suppliers and production guys.’ ‘The investment and seriousness you can opportunities’ for Sauber to grow under
The slow stop for Bottas in Australia was see in this project is immensely impressive,’ Audi’s leadership, but it remains to be seen if
not caused by a cross-threaded wheel nut, comments Key. ‘There’s a reason you get the the team is in the early stages of an upward
after Sauber made some changes to rectify same teams – Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari – in trajectory that may see it return to the race-
its earlier issues. A wheel peg became lodged the top three. They’ve done that investment winning level it reached in the BMW years.
between two pockets in the wheel hub. This already, without the cost cap, and over many ‘We’ve got technologies we need to bring
meant that when the gun trigger was pulled, years. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’ in that bigger teams than us have been using
the wheel nut spun violently and popped out. It is not the first time Sauber has been for a long time,’ says Key. ‘We’ve got processes
‘For Melbourne, we changed certain part of a works F1 entry. A four-year spell we need to revise and improve upon. We’ve
details of the thread to make it easier for the with BMW ended when the German car giant got manufacturing capabilities which are
nut to go on,’ explains Key. ‘We did a lot of withdrew after 2009, leaving Sauber as an good, but we’re a small team. If we can make
video analysis and recognised that the cross- independent squad following a buy-back them better, not only is it cost cap savvy, but
threading was happening due to another from its founder, Peter Sauber. you can push developments through quicker.
issue occurring in the wheel-on condition. We The company was then sold in 2016 Or you can leave your definition dates later.
began to put a picture together of what was to Longbow Finance, owned by Swedish ‘The new software tools generated
different in R&D, but it was still robust so that billionaire, Finn Rausing, whose continued internally are excellent, but there are still lots
was frustrating. What happened in Melbourne investment was spurred by Alfa Romeo’s title of tools that need updating. We’re very aware
was another issue, just extremely bad luck.’ sponsorship. The BMW programme brought of what our deficits are, and we’re still miles
investment to Hinwil, but further input from away on the R&D side, but we’ve got a huge
Audi influence Audi will be a much-needed boost to Hinwil. opportunity and that investment and support
The short-term focus on pit issues and is going to allow us to make, over the years,
the C44’s development are small, yet not some big steps towards the goals we’ve got.’
unimportant, tesserae in the wider image of ‘We’re very aware of what Sauber clearly has ambitions to win races
Audi’s entrance. In March, it was announced under the Audi F1 Team. By the time the
that the German automotive giant would be our deficits are, and we’re programme starts, it will be 18 years since
purchasing a 100 per cent stake in the team, still miles away on the Sauber’s last victory. Getting to that point
more than previously anticipated. will not only require Audi’s full backing, the
It has installed technical development R&D side, but we’ve got Swiss arm of the operation also has its side of
officer, Oliver Hoffmann, as the head of its the bargain to uphold, so the present task of
single seater commitment and Andreas
a huge opportunity’ challenging for midfield points with the C44 is
Seidl as Audi F1 Team CEO. Those working James Key just as important as the bigger picture.

SUPER GT – HONDA CIVIC TYPE R-GT
Honda has taken the bold step to radically change its GT500 contender for 2024 and
acknowledges that, in doing so, it has given itself a mountain to climb
By JAMIE KLEIN

This is the first time any
manufacturer has opted to
use a front-wheel drive, five-
door hatchback as the basis
for its GT500 challenger
Believe it or not, Super GT

heavily limits the amount of
aerodynamic development
that can be done, so choosing
the right base car is crucial to
success in the series

A
fter a decade of racing GT500 gave the world its first glimpse of the Civic R-GT offers us the chance to do something
cars based upon the second- Type R-GT in concept form at the annual different, especially in terms of starting the
generation NSX, Honda has Tokyo Auto Salon exhibition in January 2023. development of the aerodynamics again from
elected to make a major shift for That was followed by the reveal of the car scratch,’ says Tomohiro Onishi, Honda’s Super
the 2024 season by introducing the all-new in something close to its final version in late GT chassis design and development leader.
Civic Type R-GT in a bid to win the top class July, at Okayama International Circuit, where ‘According to the regulations, the
Super GT title for the first time since 2020. it was also given its first track test. area of the car where we can develop the
It marks the first time any manufacturer aerodynamics is very limited, and which
has opted to use a front-wheel drive, five- Performance ceiling base car you use has a big impact on this.
door hatchback as the basis for its GT500 The reasoning Honda gave for the radical The shape of the base car has a big effect on
challenger, and certainly marks a major change was twofold. With no ‘halo’ model to the car’s performance characteristics, and
departure from the NSX-GT that had become replace the NSX in its road car range, it made so, compared to the NSX, there are some
such an icon of the series. Although the NSX sense for it to promote the Type R brand as advantages and disadvantages with the Civic.
is no longer sold, no doubt there are many the centrepiece of its performance offering, It’s our job to make the most of the good points
fans who would have been happy to see a throwback to when the Civic was used in and limit the effects of the negative ones.’
Honda keep the midship supercar as its touring car racing in the 1980s and 1990s. In common with its GT500 rivals from
weapon of choice for many years to come, At the same time, Honda felt it had hit a Toyota and Nissan, the new Civic Type R-GT
much as it did with the first-generation NSX, performance ceiling that would be hard to is based on the same Toray Carbon Magic-
even after that car went out of production. overcome without a change in base model. produced chassis as the old NSX-GT, which
This time, not long after the second- ‘Honda had been using the NSX-GT forms the basis of the Class 1 rule set that
generation NSX ceased assembly following a continuously from 2014 until last year, so lives on in Super GT, despite having been
limited run of ‘Type S’ models in 2022, Honda developing a different car like the Civic Type abandoned in the DTM three years ago.

‘Compared to the
NSX, there are some
advantages and
disadvantages with
the Civic. It’s our job
to make the most of
the good points and
limit the effects of
the negative ones’
Tomohiro Onishi – Super GT
chassis design and development
Cars are powered by four cylinder,
lead at Honda
turbocharged engines based on the
roadgoing variants, but drive through a
spec six-speed Hewland gearbox mounted
longitudinally and are now rear-wheel drive
Aerodynamic development
is forbidden above the so-called
design line, but below that it is
free, athough all cars’ front wings
share common dimensions
The new Civic Type R-GT is

based on the same chassis as
the NSX it replaces, which is
common across manufacturers
and forms the basis of the
series’ Class 1 rule set
The Civic body had to be stretched

to fit the spec chassis, and
squashed to fall in line with
GT500’s ‘scaling’ rules

While the roadgoing Civic is front-wheel ‘The problem with the old NSX was scaling Last season, the NSX-GT was widely
drive, the GT500 version utilises an FR (front the width of the car,’ explains Onishi. ‘With considered to be at the high downforce end
engine, rear-wheel drive) layout in accordance a supercar-style car like the NSX, which has of the spectrum, compared to the GR Supra
with Class 1 rules, with the four-cylinder, a small cabin and wide body, the width of and the Z, although this didn’t necessarily
turbocharged engine linked to a standard the cabin has to be matched to the other translate into the performance advantage
six-speed Hewland gearbox. The Bosch ECU is [competitors], but because the bottom you would have expected at tracks such
also standard, as are components such as the of the car was very wide, the area free for as Suzuka and Autopolis, with their many
underfloor, rear wing, brakes and dampers. aerodynamic development was taken up by medium-to-high speed corners.
Being narrower and shorter than the the base car, which was a problem. The Civic, however, appears to sit firmly
NSX base model, the Civic has had to be ‘The Civic, on the other hand, is a more at the lower end of the scale, at least on the
stretched to fit the footprint of the common normal car. The width of the cabin and the evidence of the winter testing times, when
chassis, while being squashed down in terms front of the car are about the same, and cooler temperatures and denser air give
of height in accordance with the GT500 making it into a racing car, you can tell it is higher downforce machines more of a boost.
‘scaling’ rules. However, while the regulations narrower at the front.
are aimed at enabling all base models to ‘The front fenders [wings] have common Life’s a drag
compete with one another on a level playing dimensions for everyone but, with the NSX, Onishi is reluctant to speculate exactly where
field, some turned out to be more equal there was an overlap with the shape of the the Civic fits in against its GT500 rivals, which
than others. Specifically, Toyota and Nissan base car. With the new Civic, you can see a have undergone modifications of their own
both found success by moving from larger lot more of the front fenders. In that respect, over the winter amid the lifting of Super
GT-style designs, the Lexus LC and the GT-R the appearance has become more similar GT’s aerodynamic freeze. But he is happy to
respectively, to more sports car-type body to the [Toyota] Supra and [Nissan] Z. That is compare the new car to its predecessor.
shapes in the form of the GR Supra (in 2020) one of the advantages we have obtained by ‘One of the factors with the previous
and the Z (in 2022). changing to the Civic.’ NSX was that the base shape generated a
lot of drag, as well as downforce,’ he says.
Design line ‘The Civic generates much less drag, but
In the GT500 regulations, the area open for also less downforce. Our efforts in terms of
aerodynamic development is governed by ‘The Civic generates much less development have therefore been focused
the so-called ‘design line’. Above the line, the drag, but also less downforce on raising the level of downforce, but we
car must follow the styling of its roadgoing don’t think we will get back to a level of drag
counterpart, but below it, anything goes. [than the NSX]. Our efforts in similar to the NSX.
Adopting a base model with a narrower
front fascia allowed both Toyota and Nissan
development have therefore ‘By the same token, we also won’t be able
to extract as much downforce as before.
to maximise the flat area above the wheel been focused on raising ‘We are trying to develop the car in such a
arches in order to improve aerodynamic way to take advantage of the characteristics
performance, and it’s clear Honda is pursuing
the level of downforce’ of the Civic, and so we are moving away from
a similar philosophy with the Civic. Tomohiro Onishi the old downforce-first philosophy.’
Moving to a more regular production car shape changed Honda’s aerodynamic philosophy, and subtle tweaks are still being made to optimise the design before the next aero development freeze

HORSEPOWER 600bhp - 800bhp upto 11000rpm
TORQUE 530Nm from 5000rpm
WEIGHT 125 - 160kg dependent on config

While wet weather in many of the also undergone some subtle evolution, with middle, the intercooler has been shifted to
off-season tests has blurred the picture the Fuji configuration retaining the same the right-hand side, with a single radiator on
somewhat, Onishi is certain that the Civic basic four-element design as seen on the the left. The reduction from two radiators to
Type R-GT is quicker in a straight line than car’s launch, but with a much shallower final one achieved a significant weight saving, and
its predecessor. However, a look at the element at the rear. also a lower c of g.
speed traps when it has been dry suggests With the aerodynamic development set While the cooling capacity was similarly
Nissan remains out in front in this regard, to be largely frozen for both this season and reduced, Honda calculated that Super GT’s
with the Z having topped 300km/h along next, the importance of finding the optimum move to carbon neutral fuel for the start
Fuji Speedway’s almost mile-long straight at solution cannot be overstated. of the 2023 season meant less cooling was
various points in the last two years. Aerodynamics are not the only area required, as the engine had to be modified
‘I don’t think we can reach that level,’ is Honda has been working hard on over the to deal with higher water temperatures.
Onishi’s honest assessment. winter, as there have also been tweaks to Optimising this new system was the focus
the layout of the engine. The manufacturer of Honda’s early tests with the Civic, which
All-round speed has retained the same turbocharged, inline, were conducted with the no.99 development
From an aero point of view, though, Honda four-cylinder HR420E of previous years, not car at Motegi, Sugo and Fuji.
is hoping to emulate the trend seen with wanting to overcomplicate things with a The first of the Honda race teams to put
the Z, which is its ability to be quick at just major change in philosophy at the same miles on their new cars were Team Kunimitsu
about any circuit. time as changing the car, but the difference and Nakajima Racing, both doing so at
‘The characteristics of the NSX made it in body shape compared to the NSX has Sepang in January during Super GT’s first
easy to predict where we could perform permitted a beneficial change to the layout international test since the pandemic. The
well,’ continues Onishi, ’but we think with the and design of the engine cooling system. two-car ARTA team and Real Racing got their
Civic, this kind of variation won’t be there any Instead of having a radiator on each side programmes under way in early February at a
more and we will be able to perform more of the engine bay with the intercooler in the private manufacturers’ test at Okayama.
consistently across all circuits. Now we have
a car that no longer has especially good Race debut
tracks and bad tracks.’ Onishi wasn’t expecting miracles for the car’s
Since the car’s initial rollout at Okayama first race, given that in testing at Sepang, the
last July, the Civic’s aero package has The difference in body shape deficit between the leading GR Supra and the
undergone some visible tweaks. As of the compared to the NSX has best Honda was 0.762 seconds.
final pre-season test at Fuji in late March, The Civics were down on pace at three
Honda appeared to have settled on a two- permitted a beneficial change subsequent tests, although the gap was
canard design in the ‘flick box’ area, having
experimented with a three-canard design
to the layout and design of reduced to just over half a second at two
of them. Nonetheless, the race debut at
at other circuits. The ‘elephant foot’ area has the engine cooling system Okayama saw Team Kunimitsu finish third.
Winter testing failed to show the full potential of the Civic Type R-GT, but Honda is confident the car is quicker than the old NSX in a straight line, though still a way off the speed of Nissan’s rapid Z

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Fuji appeared to be the Civic’s strongest Super GT manufacturers winning the were not able to win it,’ says Onishi. ‘Having
test venue, as ARTA man, Nobuharu GT500 title in their first year with a new base this experience when we considered all
Matsushita, topped the timesheets in the final car isn’t unheard of. Nissan did so when it our preparations to be perfect, it makes
session of pre-season, but with the caveat of replaced the GT-R with the Z in 2022, and two you realise just how difficult it is to win the
the track being green following rain showers. years earlier, Toyota came heartbreakingly championship in GT500.
The other factor to consider is that four close to a debut title with the GR Supra, only ‘Therefore, I can’t say I am totally confident
of Honda’s five driver line ups are new, with losing to Honda when the TOM’S machine that this year will be the year we win the
only Team Kunimitsu’s 2020 title-winning pair, driven by Ryo Hirakawa ran out of fuel at the championship with the new car.’
Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino, staying final corner of the last lap of the season. Certainly, Nissan’s instant success with the
together over the winter. Ren Sato (ARTA car Z in 2022 puts a certain amount of pressure
no.16) and Riki Okusa (Nakajima Racing) are Hard results on Honda but, whereas the Z was rapid
GT500 rookies, while Kakunoshin Ohta (Real That remains the last time Honda won a title from an early stage in testing, the Civic has
Racing) is new to Bridgestone tyres after in GT500, with the Sakura brand suffering a generally been third best, which shouldn’t be
making his debut last year for Nakajima on title-decider heartbreak of its own a year later a surprise considering just how seismic the
Dunlops. Add in the fact that two of the five when Yamamoto’s Team Kunimitsu car was change from the NSX has been. However, the
Honda crews also have new track engineers harpooned by Sato’s ARTA GT300 machine deficit is small enough to suggest that Honda
and there are plenty of unknowns to consider. while in a strong position to clinch the title. should pick up at least one victory with the
‘The five teams, and the driver and Honda went into 2023 as the favourite help of Super GT’s success ballast system, and
engineers... there are still a lot of things they off the back of its strong late 2022 form and the car also looked strong in the rain at Fuji.
have to learn about the final specification of some stunning pre-season testing times, Even if a title assault doesn’t prove
the car, and so there may be some teams who including a new unofficial lap record at possible this year, Honda hopes to lay the
are able to perform right away and others Suzuka. And yet, for a variety of reasons, not foundations for future success as it learns how
that take a little bit longer to get up to speed,’ least the introduction of carbon neutral fuel, it to get the most out of the radical new Civic. If
Onishi concedes. ‘At the same time, we are didn’t translate into hard results. it does reach the summit, no doubt its success
aware that the other two manufacturers both ‘In recent times, there have been seasons will taste all the sweeter for having done so
have very strong packages, so trying to beat when we thought we had everything we with a car, in true Honda fashion, that very
them this year will be a big challenge for us.’ needed to win the title and somehow we much stands out from the crowd.
Honda readily acknowledges it has a long way to

go in the debut season with the new Civic R-GT, but
the ingredients are all there, and the car achieved a
podium on its first competitive outing at Okayama

TOURING CARS – BTCC
Engineering and data

matters at BTCC rounds
are directed from TOCA’s
technical truck, giving the
series a clear picture of
what’s going on
We explore the present and future of the

British Touring Car Championship as it heads
into its third season with hybrid power
By DANIEL LLOYD
T
he British Touring Car Championship An exciting on-track product, combined one, as the BTCC became the world’s first
(BTCC) is now in its third season with a free-to-air television package on ITV, hybridised touring car championship.
with hybrid powertrain technology. has been the recipe for huge success in Aside from backing automotive industry
Each campaign of the TOCA-run recent years. However, last season, TOCA trends, it was hoped that new strategic
series’ electrified era has resembled a different management figures took note of areas in the options and engineering challenges for
stepping stone in the journey so far. Year hybrid deployment that could be improved. the teams would arise.
one was about getting to grips with the The wild variations in performance that Hybrids replaced the previous success
48V system, year two exposed some of the occurred under the old success ballast system ballast system used by the series so, rather
sporting shortcomings, and year three is now had become less noticeable, resulting in than being laden with extra weight (up
about making improvements. fewer overtakes. As BTCC technical director, to 75kg, depending on the previous race
The headline change for 2024 is an Sam Riches, admits, the on-track competition result), successful drivers would instead have
increase in boost from the hybrid powertrain, ‘has not panned out as expected’. fewer laps to deploy hybrid power and higher
which consists of a Cosworth hybrid system, minimum deployment speeds.
Xtrac gearbox, Owen Developments turbo Hybrid background On a technical level, the hybrid system
and an engine of the competitor’s choice. The low voltage, regenerative braking needed to produce a certain number of
Through upping the turbo, the amount hybrid system was introduced as part of metres per second for a chasing car to pull
of power available to each driver at the push the BTCC’s efforts to promote sustainability alongside the vehicle in front. To complicate
of a button, for up to 15 seconds per lap, has and road relevance. As a championship matters, that had to apply at all BTCC tracks,
doubled to around 60bhp. This is part of a with manufacturer involvement from from a compact venue like Brands Hatch Indy,
drive to maintain the BTCC’s reputation as one Ford, Toyota, Hyundai and BMW, it was an to somewhere like Silverstone, which boasts
of the most competitive series in the world. unsurprising move. It was also a pioneering the long Wellington Straight.

The BTCC became the first touring car
series to use hybrid power when the
Cosworth system arrived in 2022. It has
worked on matching the technology to
its proven racing product since then
The on-track
competition ‘has
not panned out
as expected’
Sam Riches, BTCC
technical director
Goodyear has introduced a new tyre construction with enhanced lateral stiffness
- one leading engineer described it as a ‘minor change’ compared to last year

Teams had to adapt existing cars for the hybrid system. Work included beefing up Cosworth and Delta developed the 48V battery for BTCC. It has a 12V charging
front end components to protect the MGU and battery cooling systems on either side connection and a BMS that receives commands from the Cosworth Antares VCU
‘In combination with the new

tyre rules and the qualifying
format changes, it’s all about
jeopardy and variability. Make
it difficult for them to drive’
Sam Riches, BTCC technical director
‘The hybrid did all that, and ticks all of

those boxes to this day, but the theory didn’t
live up to reality in the racing,’ reflects Riches.
‘The only way to get more delta was to add,
effectively, a traditional push-to-pass.
‘What drove it? Improving the racing. This
championship is all about close racing, and
that was its goal. Last year, they were doing The increase in hybrid boost will not only help cars under acceleration - braking distances are expected to increase by
a little bit here and there to get a better lap up to 10 metres as a driver using the boost feature needs to slow down earlier. Closing speeds are set to increase, too
time. It’s not what it was designed to do.’
Ultimately, TOCA wants its flagship The hybrid boost – deployed when the The hybrid system will deliver the initial
championship to be a challenge for the driver pushes a button on their steering kick in the first phase of acceleration, before
drivers and engineers. This helps produce the wheel – is now an approximate 50 / 50 split the added turbo boost jumps in for an
exciting, battleground spectacle that brings between electrical power and engine power. amplified push. As was the case in previous
thousands of fans through the gates at each Previously, the electric motor did all the work. seasons, drivers can use the system to attack
round and makes for a strong TV product. ‘We’ve added a level of engine power to or defend. The planned difference for this year
‘We needed to add some more variability it,’ explains Riches. ‘Because we are limited is an enlarged delta between a driver who’s
in, and that’s what we’ve done with this to a nominal 48V system, in terms of health on the button and one who isn’t.
[boost increase],’ adds Riches. ‘In combination and safety, cost and various other reasons, ‘You’ve gone from just under a 10 per
with the new tyre rules and the qualifying you can’t just magically generate more cent [overall power] increase on the button,
format changes, it’s all about jeopardy and grunt with only 48V. to more like 16-18 per cent,’ Riches confirms.
variability. Make it difficult for them to drive. ‘We’ve added an additional 200mb that ‘One team has run it and, down the back
‘These cars are not easy to drive or set works out at around 30bhp to double the straight at Snetterton, if they deployed it
up. One of the engineers coming back to the amount available at the button. The completely, they gained six tenths.’
paddock this year has worked on LMDh cars operation is the same – they still press the
and said there is more adjustability in one of button – but we’re giving it more potency.’ Spending and saving
these than there is in a prototype.’ The electric MGU is linked to the Usually, in motorsport, going faster means
powertrain through a standard Xtrac six- spending more money. The updates to the
Double the power speed sequential gearbox and is mounted in hybrid package have increased overheads
Although the big technical change for 2024 an off-axis configuration. A Cosworth Antares for the teams, adding to what was already
concerns the hybrid system, it is important to 8 vehicle control unit oversees the car’s an expensive undertaking when the BTCC
note that TOCA has not increased the amount electronics, including the systems responsible first went down its electrified route in 2022.
of electrical power. Instead, gains are coming for managing deployment and regeneration ‘The price of the hybrid lease has gone up,’
from the internal combustion engine side. of electrical energy. says West Surrey Racing boss, Dick Bennetts.

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‘But that aside, the general feeling is engine

life won’t be quite as good now, because
you’re extracting an extra 30-odd horsepower
out of the engine. But hopefully it makes the
racing more exciting.’
TOCA has made some adjustments to
address any reliability concerns. Two turbo
boost steps, believed to be worth around
6-7bhp, have been taken away, but the
200mb increase has elevated it another 10
steps, for an eight-step net gain.
‘It gives a little bit of headroom,’ explains
Riches. ‘Everything is a little bit lower and
stress free to account for the increased stress
of those 15 seconds. Cosworth has had
to update the code, and engine builders
have had to tune and map for the relevant
strategies and target boost levels, but it’s
nothing they wouldn’t normally do.’
It remains to be seen if the added boost
will create as big a delta as success ballast did,
although pre-season reactions were positive.
‘The biggest difference is the overlap,’ says
Alliance Racing Ford engineer, Tony Carrozza.
‘Down the start-finish straight at Donington,
there is a 16-metre delta. That’s four car
lengths. If you come off the chicane on the
bumper of the car in front, you’ve got enough
deployment to get alongside, pull in front and Storm clouds may be brewing over
have a car length in the braking zone.’ grid size, so it’s crucial that TOCA
Bennetts is also positive about the update. nails its future technical direction
‘Last year it didn’t make a lot of difference
at all, whereas now with the EV boost and
engine boost, the driver can really feel it kick ‘The concept of NGTC has always been Only privateer teams running with Cupra
in,’ he says. ‘That can only be good for the that there are spec components, but there is and Vauxhall now make up the once thriving
future of the championship.’ enough scope to [engineer],’ explains Riches. Independent Cup field outside of the four top
‘The approach is: here’s your toolbox, you can category manufacturers. However, those that
Steadfast regulation do what you want within it. For example, on continue to believe in NGTC can still put their
The current regulations platform to which all the damper there are two or three versions of engineering competence to the test.
BTCC cars are built, NGTC (Next Generation piston, and a selection of shims available. As ‘ There are 499,200 combinations of front
Touring Car), has been around since 2011. long as you use the shims that are listed, you geometry and the cars are sensitive enough
Although it has not achieved the global can use as many or as little as you want.’ that the drivers can feel a 1mm change
prominence of TCR (Touring Car Racing), That gives teams scope to try out in inboard geometry,’ says Carrozza. ‘That
which has seen multiple manufacturers sell numerous different variations of parts and doesn’t include spring rates, roll bar positions
customer cars around the world, its staying settings. An added variable is the continued and stiffnesses, or camber. Every circuit we
power is testament to its strength. mix of front and rear-wheel-drive machinery. go to – depending on the conditions – we’re
The NGTC cars have become around 1.5 to ‘You still can do a reasonable amount having to fine-tune those elements to
two seconds quicker per lap over the last because you’ve got different permutations where we need to be. It’s still very much an
14 years as the teams have unlocked more within the RML kit: roll centres, geometries engineering exercise.’
pace with the tools provided. and so on,’ says Bennetts. ‘The regulations
However, the BTCC organisers aren’t have been stable, but you can play with
particularly bothered about whether NGTC weight distribution within the chassis.
has become faster, provided the racing is Although you’ve got the minimum race
tight and it delivers a good show for the fans. weight to adhere to, which is 1325kg for FWD ‘The general feeling is
Making the engineering challenge as great and 1355kg for RWD, which is something that
as possible for the teams, while keeping tabs needs reviewing.’
engine life won’t be quite
of cost through single supplier contracts, is NGTC has also fostered great variety. as good now, because you’re
the underlying philosophy behind that. A total of 16 car brands have been
Consequently, many parts of the NGTC represented in the BTCC since the current extracting an extra 30-odd
car are spec, including the front and rear rule set began. As a result, it would be easier horsepower out of the engine.
subframes from RML Group, which took over to list the badges that have not appeared on
from GPRM as supplier in 2016. There is also a the grid than those that have. But hopefully it makes the
spec engine available, developed by M-Sport, The series still regularly draws a
which is used by teams that choose not to go competitive grid, although the current figure
racing more exciting’
down the route of developing their own. of about 20 cars is not as high as it used to be. Dick Bennetts, team boss at West Surrey Racing

‘There is a lot of room for freedom, and that was always
the point. We were never going to do a one-make
formula where you turn up and can’t do anything’
Sam Riches
clear direction for 2027 hasn’t yet been set.

We’re only in 2024, but it can take years
for major regulatory developments to be
proposed, fleshed out and applied.
That could be a limited timeframe if
TOCA does decide to do anything drastic
with its powertrain technology.
The FIA World Rally Championship
dropped a bombshell in February when it
announced it would be abandoning hybrids
next year, part way through its contract with
spec supplier, Compact Dynamics. The BTCC
is not looking to implement such a radical
mid-rule set change, despite the ongoing cost
burden for teams.
The hybrid system lease was originally priced at £20,500 (approx. $24,900) per car per season, but that figure has risen since 2022. Like other suppliers to the series,
Nevertheless, BTCC technical director, Sam Riches, describes the championship’s pricing as ‘competitive’ compared to elsewhere Cosworth has a deal in place until 2026.
Whether hybrids continue in the BTCC
This is the sort of endorsement that Riches And when he says nothing is guaranteed, he beyond that threshold is a more open-
and his colleagues will be happy to hear. means that literally. It doesn’t just apply to the ended question. Riches and his team are
‘There is a lot of room for freedom, and car platform either. Every exclusive technical conscious of automotive industry trends such
that was always the point,’ Riches states. ‘We contract, every business deal – including the as the slowing of electric car sales that has
were never going to do a one-make formula ITV package – expires after the 2026 season. prompted some OEMs to alter their strategies.
where you turn up and can’t do anything. ‘It’s not intentional, it’s just lined up that ‘Trying to make a decision for what the
‘You can do what you want on the way,’ he says. ‘We need to have set a direction engine formula looks like in 2027 is a big
gearbox ratios and pre-load, as long as it’s in the next 12 months and start tenders to challenge,’ Riches admits. ‘We don’t want to
using the bits on the parts list.’ get people ready ahead of the game for what go full electric. ETCR proved how difficult
they need to do. What that looks like is very that was. Whether there is an element of
Open playbook challenging at the moment.’ hybrid left depends on what is out there.
NGTC is now well into its second decade, For a series that likes to communicate What we have at the moment is not very
so what does the future hold? According to early (its calendar for the next season is relevant to where the automotive industry
Riches, nothing is guaranteed after 2026. usually released in May) it’s a little surprising a went to, but it serves a purpose.’

TOURING CARS  BTCC
‘We are actively testing WSR lost out to Alliance Racing

R100, which is 100 per (formerly Motorbase) last year and
has upgraded its BMW in response
cent renewable fuel, with
the hope of introducing
that in the future’
Sam Riches
Is that serving a purpose for the racing

or the commercial side? ‘Both. In 2019, when
we said we were doing hybrid, we had to
have something on the roadmap about
sustainability. We all agreed that hybrid was
the way to do that. Whether we need to do
that, whether we can [introduce] synthetic
fuels at a later date… [we need to consider]
whether that’s suitable to maintain that
push in the right direction to looking after
this planet. We have to do something but,
ultimately, it’s got to work.’ Some series are looking into hydrogen, WSR won seven manufacturers’ titles on
and the BTCC is open to such alternative fuels, the trot for BMW until it was beaten by Ford
Racing green although it would likely be too expensive for last year. The team has updated its fleet of
The BTCC already uses sustainable fuel from TOCA to adopt out of its own wallet, while BMW 330e M Sports in its quest to reclaim the
Haltermann Carless, which introduced its costs for the teams would also be very high. crown, starting with a new engine.
R20 product to the series in 2022. It was not ‘There is only so much of a racecar you The B48 unit, which replaces an engine
the first time something other than standard can do that to,’ says Riches of the zero- that had been active since 2017, comes
petrol had been used in the championship. emission drive. ‘We are looking at permitting from BMW’s road car portfolio and is race
In 2006, the MG contingent introduced a new materials for the bodywork. It’s prepared by NBE. It boasts ‘several different
bio-ethanol fuel, while the first diesel car (a traditional glass fibre at the moment, so we components,’ according to Bennetts.
privateer BMW) arrived the following year. are looking at whether we can improve in ‘We’ve also gone to a 3D printed inlet
The current Carless mixture consists of 15 that area, with hemps and so on. All those manifold,’ he continues. ‘We’ve had the same
per cent second generation ethanol content types of things are being looked at to make inlet manifold and airbox since 2017, so that’s
and five per cent renewable hydrocarbons. the series more sustainable.’ quite a change. Then internally, the engine
This yielded an 18 per cent reduction in has got a different water system.
greenhouse gases compared to standard Annual gains ‘When you see inside these engines, for a
petrol. TOCA wants to take those numbers As TOCA weighs up its future steps, there is road car engine, they are very sophisticated.
further and exploration is already under way. also a need to manage the season-to-season It’s got very high fuel pressure – from 200bar
The series’ engine builders – M-Sport, technical matters of a championship where to 350bar – and that’s in every road car.
Mountune, Swindon Powertrains and Neil car updates are allowed. The BTCC currently It’s not just done for racing, it’s done for
Brown Engineering (NBE) – have all been permits manufacturers to make performance efficiency. Pairing cleaner burning within the
given two different blends to try out. upgrades through a ‘joker’ system that must combustion chamber with the higher fuel
‘We are actively testing R100, which is be agreed with the organisers and made pressure injectors.’
100 per cent renewable fuel, with the hope transparent to the other competitors. As the facelift included new front and rear
of introducing that in the future,’ reveals ‘WSR have done a facelift because they bumpers and headlights, WSR re-worked the
Riches. ‘It’s that next step. We’re not putting want to be current,’ says Riches of the 2024 car’s ducting and water-cooling systems. ,
anything new back in or creating anything crop, ‘but then you’ve got someone like Alliance, meanwhile, has looked at improving
extra [in terms of carbon emissions]. We will ExcelR8 [Hyundai] who have done nothing its title-winning Ford’s straight-line speed.
then look at going down the synthetic fuel externally, but a lot under the skin. They Although performance upgrades are
route, but that’s another challenge. have a new relationship with Team Dynamics closely monitored, teams cannot afford to
‘On top of the technical aspects are the so they’re using some of that experience. stand still in such a competitive series.
commercial aspects. If we wanted to do that ‘Teams have a deadline to submit the The adoption of hybrid power was a key
jump today, it would double the teams’ fuel things they want to do. Anything I need to chapter in the BTCC’s history, which started
costs. There is always that juggling act to play.’ consult, I consult on. We make a decision on in the 1950s. It was a risk because it made the
The vision to increase the share of whether we accept it, and then we advise on series a guinea pig in determining whether
sustainable fuel is part of the BTCC’s push how many jokers it will cost them. cost-effective hybrid racing was possible. At
towards a zero carbon emissions target that ‘It’s all detailed on the paperwork, which the midway point of the current rules cycle,
TOCA is yet to announce publicly. Its first port all of the teams have a view of. But then, the teams and fans have largely accepted
of call is to reduce emissions from the racecar when we make a regulation change, that the technology, but the success of this year’s
but, as the best-attended motorsport series doesn’t count as a joker. If it did, they would measures to improve the racing will establish
in the UK, the travelling public and associated all use up their jokers for the changes that whether further tweaks to the hybrid
event logistics are important contributors. we are making them do.’ powertrain are needed in the future.

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INSIGHT – SPORTING TRIALS

Sporting Trials is all about
accuracy and car control,
driving lightweight, rear-
wheel drive machines up
steep, twisting, often muddy
sections without hitting the
poles that mark the route or
allowing the car to stop
With fiddle brakes, propane-

fuelled engines and tyres
that can run as low as 3psi,
Sporting Trials is a very
different form of motorsport,
arguably the slowest around
By MIKE BRESLIN

I
n 1997, the McLaren Formula 1 team came Before we get into that, though, what The sport could be seen as a bit like an
up with a very clever tweak indeed. It exactly is Sporting Trials? uphill ski slalom. Yet, while sometimes you do
involved an extra brake pedal, which acted ‘It’s about who gets furthest up a section,’ need to plant the throttle to ascend a steep
on one rear wheel only with the purpose explains Ian Wright, builder of the Sherpa trials slope in a section, this is certainly not about
of reducing understeer mid-corner by inducing cars and a multiple champion in the sport. outright speed. In fact, it’s probably the
oversteer via ‘brake steer’. Which wheel was ‘Ideally, you want to clean the section, that is slowest form of motorsport there is. That said,
braked depended on whether there were get to the top of the hill without stopping or it still offers a similar engineering challenge to
predominately right or left turns at a circuit. hitting any of the gates.’ most other disciplines, namely the quest for
It was a secret mod’ that was rumbled by There are 12 gates you need to negotiate in traction, momentum and finesse.
an eagle-eyed photographer, Darren Heath, a section. If you clip a pole, or stop for more
who spotted brake discs glowing at unusual than three seconds, you accrue points. The Mainstream era
points in a corner, and then managed to snap driver with the lowest score wins. Oh, and the While Sporting Trials is currently enjoying a
a shot of the extra pedal on a McLaren that sections Wright mentions tend to be up very resurgence, it is still wonderfully low key. Yet
had retired from a race. steep, often muddy, slopes. in the past, it was mainstream motorsport in
Thanks to Ross Brawn, then Ferrari the UK, and was even televised, while many
technical boss, this was subsequently called a who went on to greater things cut their teeth
‘fiddle brake’ throughout the F1 paddock. in the discipline – some of Lotus founder
By calling it a fiddle brake, Brawn
‘It’s about who gets furthest Colin Chapman’s earliest designs were for trial
demonstrated awareness that the technology, up a section. Ideally, you want cars, for instance.
which F1 banned in 1998, was not new at all: it These days there are a number of
had been a key element of Sporting Trials cars to clean the section, that is championships, including those run by the
for many years. In these vehicles, fiddle brakes get to the top of the hill BRTDA (British Trial and Rally Drivers
are similarly used to help steer a car, Association), Motorsport UK and the 750
but also as a form of traction control, to without stopping or hitting Motor Club, with usually around 30 entries
balance it while traversing slopes, and for
slowing down. In fact, they are probably the
any of the gates’ turning up for any one event.
There are two main chassis used, Wright’s
most important controls on a trials car. Ian Wright – multiple Sporting Trials champion Sherpa and Crosslé, and what you tend to see
on a typical event, such as the Walsingham
Trial in Petersfield, Hampshire that Racecar
attended in March, are these two makes, plus
any number of variations on these themes,
and a smattering of home-built specials.
There are limited regulations to adhere to,
such as the car needs to be front-engined,
rear-wheel drive and built to set wheelbase
and width limits, but there is still plenty of
room for technical creativity, if you’re the type
who likes to ‘fiddle’ with a car.
Fiddle sticks
It’s unusual to start with the brakes in a feature
on a car, or race category, in Racecar
Engineering, but then Sporting Trials is unusual.
Sherpa is one of the most common chassis in Sporting Trials. Cars weigh around 400kg with a distinct rear weight bias ‘You can’t drive the car without fiddle
brakes,’ states Wright, matter-of-factly. ‘Fiddle
brakes are the absolute be all and end all of
driving a trials car.
‘There are two of them, left and right,
and they are brake levers. So, you steer one-
handed using a knob on the steering wheel,
and you rest your other hand on the brake
levers 100 per cent of the time.’
The two levers work the rear brakes
independently, and they’re basically used to
‘cheat’ the mandatory open differentials.
‘Of course, with a differential, when you
slow one wheel down, the other speeds up, so
it pushes the car around. If you then add a bit
of throttle, if you spin that wheel up, you can
absolutely pirouette the car,’ says Wright.
This is vital, because most of the weight in a
trials car is over the rear axle, to aid traction, so
the front end is very light indeed and very
Well-known Northern Irish Formula Ford constructor, Crosslé Car Company, made trials cars for several years and, prone to understeer. Which means most of the
although the company has twice changed hands since, its chassis is still a very popular choice with competitors steering is on the fiddle, as it were.

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The left and right fiddle brake controls are situated

very close together on modern trials cars. The wheel
Transaxles are often Formula Ford spec, from Hewland or Elite, and tend to be very close ratio. There’s also usually a reduction knob is vital because, with both levers constantly in
gearbox from the engine. Double wishbone rear suspension is basic by design, but can also be surprisingly high-tech in the details use, steering is a one-handed job
‘They’re also the traction control,’ continues your car must be tested and, if you win more
Wright. ‘Here you’re effectively loading the diff’.’ than five events, it is re-tested.’
This means the driver needs to anticipate Hewland gearboxes are very popular in
wheelspin and apply the levers to counter it, Sporting Trials, as are similar gearboxes from
but not too much, of course. Elite, and this similarity with a Formula Ford is
‘The skill of it is with the feel, and not perhaps no accident.
locking your wheel up,’ says Alan Murton, who ‘The tale goes that Crosslé used Hewlands
competes in a Crosslé, adding that the fiddle in its trials cars because when the Formula
brakes are also vital for that trickiest of trials Ford boys end up backwards into the Armco,
manoeuvres: traversing a steep, muddy slope. it smashes the bellhousing off,’ says Richard Sporting Trials cars run extremely low tyre pressures
‘Going across the camber, obviously all the Sharp, who trials a Cartwright, which is a sort and specially developed wheels that the tyre is fixed
weight is on the bottom wheel, so you brake of Crosslé replica. to. The minimum pressure allowed on an event is set by
the top wheel to stop it spinning, which it ‘So they had loads of them in the corner, the clerk of the course and can be as little as 3psi
tends to do because it’s so light.’ with no bellhousing on, but trials cars don’t use
Unsurprisingly, the calipers used are often the bellhousing. So it was a perfect fit.’ ‘They’re probably the worst tyres on the
taken from Formula Fords on the Crosslés, In what is a very cheap form of motorsport, market for the sport, but this is on purpose,’
fitted with road pads, while on the front there these racing transaxles represent by far the notes Matt Sharp, who runs a Crosslé.
are usually motorcycle brakes for the rather biggest outlay, costing around £8,000 (approx. ‘If they had knobbles on them, the front of
more humdrum act of helping to stop the car. US$9,960). They tend to be used in four or the car would be climbing up on the hills. It
five-speed configuration with ‘very close would be too dangerous.’
Super sneaky spaces between the ratios,’ per Murton.
As mentioned, differentials cannot be locked On most cars, the chosen engine’s original Limited options
or limited slip items, and these are tested and gearbox also acts as a reduction gearbox and, The tyres are from the Motorsport UK list
then sealed, for good reason. while usually just one gear is used on a section, for roadgoing rubber, and there’s basically
‘Three years ago, it was discovered that it never hurts to have options. Wright’s own a choice between a Yokohama and a Toyo
people were using something called a super Sherpa, for example, has an abundance. product. The limitation in options is also
diff’, which was made in America for Hewland ‘It’s a five-speed gearbox with high and low, driven by the wheel size.
gearboxes,’ says Wright. ‘It was a free diff’ but a bit like a 4x4,’ he confirms. ‘Because I run the ‘They’re 15in diameter, 165/15, and we run
somehow, miraculously – especially with a bit Suzuki Swift engine, I have a Suzuki Vitara very specialised rims because we have such
of wear – it would start to tighten up.‘Now, bellhousing as the first part of the gearbox. I low tyre pressures. So, effectively, we can’t
run two speeds in that – first and second – so change the size of the tyres to a more
when I’m in first I’m sending drive to the convenient size,’ says Wright.
transaxle and that’s my five low gears. Then, ‘Because you’re running just three, four or
‘They’re probably the worst when I put it into second, I’ve got five high five psi, in the old days punctures were really
gears. So, I have 10 gears, though I only common because the tyre was held on with
tyres on the market for the actually use seven because I’m only interested studs, to stop it spinning [on the wheel],’
sport, but this is on purpose. If in the first and the second with the high ’box. Wright adds, ‘but the modern cars use a wheel
‘Admittedly, not many people do that. Five that I designed. There are no clamps, and you
they had knobbles on them… gears is usually deemed bloody plenty!’ could run it at one psi.’
While the gearboxes may be race-spec, the This wheel is a split rim and, while it was
it would be too dangerous ‘ tyres are not, and they’re not what you might developed by Wright specifically for trials, the
Matt Sharp – Sporting Trials competitor expect on a dedicated off-road machine either. idea was borrowed from other applications.

INSIGHT  SPORTING TRIALS
Here, the outer wheel is spinning,

so the passenger is transferring
weight onto it to help with traction.
The inner wheel, meanwhile, is
braked as a course judge watches on
Note the outboard right-hand fiddle brake control on this

older car, here being used to try to cut down wheelspin.
Historic trials events are becoming increasingly popular
‘Trucks used to run split rims so you could However, the front suspension is a beam
get the tyre off the wheel more easily,’ Wright axle on the vast majority of the cars, which is
explains. ‘What I did was adapt that idea so the fairly unsophisticated and basically helps to
tyre is fixed to the rim and it can’t peel off.’ control roll across the chassis.
As for pressures, it’s usually a case of the It’s at the rear where the real trickery takes
softer the better. place, with high-tech modern dampers such as
‘If you’ve got hard tyres, you’ve got a car Öhlins – on some cars in transversely-mounted
like a pogo stick,’ says Wright. ‘Also, if there monoshock configuration – pushrods and
were two lumps on the ground, a hard tyre is anti-roll bars, all working with soft springs.
touching both lumps, whereas the soft tyre ‘The set-up is reasonably soft,’ says Chris
fills the gap between. Burton, who trials a Sherpa. ‘If it’s too hard
then you’re going to get too much bounce. Richard Sharp’s Cartwright features a steering system that makes use
Under pressure And when that wheel is unloaded, you’re of a chain linkage to give the car phenomenal lock. This is an unusual
‘Traditionally, tyre pressures were free, but not getting grip. So you need to make sure set up - front suspension is a regular beam axle on most trials cars
now five [psi] is the norm, and it is set by the that you’ve not only got enough travel, but
clerk of the course on the day. enough control over that suspension
‘If it’s raining, they might go down to movement. So rebound is important.
three. We don’t tend to go down lower than ‘The rebound speed is crucial as well. You
that any more, or above eight. That said, if the want to get that tyre into full traction and keep
clerk says you can run three, you can still run it on the ground – it’s the compression vs
as high as you like, you just can’t run lower.’ rebound thing – but it all comes back down to
Surprisingly, with such a low-grip tyre and the weight of spring. If you’ve got the wrong
surface, there is actually tyre wear, and the top weight of spring on, it’s just not going to work.’
drivers change the rears every five events or so.
‘You’re only wearing the edge off,’ says On the gas
Wright, ‘but that edge wants to be super square.’ While the suspension, at least at the rear, is
On the front, most trials drivers tend to use relatively sophisticated, the engines are, on The rear suspension in Alan Murton’s Crosslé is based around a
wheels and rubber from a small motorcycle. the face of it, somewhat less inspiring. Then transversely-mounted monoshock. Note the propane tank alongside.
‘The front doesn’t do much,’ says Murton. again, they have proved to be up to the task This car is one of a number that are now gas powered
‘Most of the time, if the car was going up a hill, over many years.
you could put your foot under the front wheel ‘You want a very torquey, light engine
and you would hardly feel it. You want the that never stalls, never coughs and never
front wheels just hopping, that’s ideal.’ splutters. It needs to be utterly seamless,’
That’s not to say the front does nothing at explains Wright, who uses a 1.5-litre Suzuki
all for, even if a car is being steered on the Swift motor in his car.
fiddle brakes and throttle, it still needs The 1.3-litre 12v engine from the 1980s
direction for the tight manoeuvres that are Honda Ballade / Triumph Acclaim is also
commonplace on trials courses. popular and, while the engines are close to
With this in mind, Richard Sharp designed standard and must be under 1650cc, tuning is
a clever, chain link steering system for his car. allowed on cams, timing and carburation, all
‘I get plenty of lock with it, and you don’t with the aim of improving driveability.
get the over-centring on the steering wheel. This is because trials driving is a delicate The venerable Honda 12v is ideally suited to trials, while more modern
It’s a fairly even force required all the way.’ business, usually at very low revs, almost on Suzuki Swift engines are also used. Note the gas plenum on this unit

The passenger is not just along for the ride: they must
work hard at all times to ensure the weight is where it’s
needed to help gain that all-important traction
tickover at times, but then there is still the Helping with the balance across the car out ‘I suppose in some ways it’s a bit like flying
need to nail the throttle to blast up a hill or on the sections is the passenger, though that a helicopter,’ says Richard Sharp. ‘You’ve got
spin the car on occasion. Consequently, engine word is misleading as the person in the second your foot going, you’ve got your hand going
flexibility, along with dampers, is one of the seat is certainly not just along for the ride. on the fiddle brakes, you’ve got your steering
main areas of development. With this in mind, Frank Willard, who trials his self-built going, your ears are going, listening to the
some will use a progressive throttle linkage WillKym chassis, was taking a turn in the exhaust note and you’re feeling what’s going
that has more travel in the lower rev range. second seat at the Walsingham Trial and on through the seat. There’s a lot going on.’
This is not controlling the flow of petrol on explains: ‘The passenger is very important.
some of the Crosslés, but rather gas. What you’re doing is balancing the car the Sporting chance
‘Crosslé dumbed the engine down by whole time and trying to move the weight to Sporting Trials is a challenge then, but not one
putting it on propane,’ says Wright. ‘They run it the area that is going to have least traction, the that’s out of reach for the man or woman on
on a forklift throttle body with a little gas tank same way you do with a motorcycle sidecar.’ the street. This is very cheap, fun motorsport.
in the back, and it goes through a regulator.’ If people know one single thing about ‘The cost of the season is pathetic,’ says
‘Dumbing down’ here means making it less Sporting Trials, it is that the person riding Wright. ‘We’re talking £50 entry fee, very little
liable to spin the wheels, by taking the edge shotgun will spend much of their time petrol each event, and a pair of rear tyres – if
off the throttle response. This set up is said to bouncing up and down to help find traction, you’re competitive – every five events.’
be easier to tune than a carburettor, though as well as helping to navigate the course. The price of a brand new car is a bit
other cars still use regular petrol and carbs, Some competitors are not sure the stronger, around £30,000 (approx. $37,390),
while Wright has fuel injection on his machine. bouncing makes much difference, though. but second-hand examples can be picked up
‘People have convinced themselves that it’s for as little as £2000 (approx. $2500) and even
Tipping point worth doing, but we don’t,’ says Willard. ‘There’s old ones are easy to update and modify.
Most chassis are steel spaceframe, or partial a bit of movement but, unless you really know ‘These cars are everlasting. You just adapt
spaceframe, in construction. Only some are what the bouncer is going to do - so that you and adapt,’ says Wright. ‘Because of that, the
built with roll structures, but all contain a can coordinate what they’re doing and where market for new cars is very subdued, though
mandatory, rear-fitted spare wheel. they’re pushing weight down and releasing we do still build a lot of cars for historic trials.’
There are just a few tubes to hold the weight with what you’re doing with the This is perhaps the most thriving area of
minimal bodywork in place, which tends to accelerator and brakes - it’s a waste of time. I the sport currently but, for those who want a
be simple aluminium or GRP panels, though prefer to get the weight in the right place and technical challenge, the modern Sporting Trial
some cars apparently use carbon bonnets. do the rest of the work with the vehicle.’ scene is definitely the place to be.
While there is no weight limit, keeping While not all agree about the value of ‘You can fiddle with a trials car to your
weight down is important, and the best cars bouncing, they concur that experience counts heart’s content,’ says Wright. You can also build
tip the scales at around 400kg. Obviously, for a lot in this game, and the very best car is of your own car, which some do, though that
weight distribution has a rear emphasis, but it’s little use if you’re not a good driver. comes with a warning: ‘Personally, I think you
crucial not to overdo this, as Murton explains. have to drive a car in the sport and really
‘You definitely don’t want too much weight understand it before you amass the
on the front, but you want enough. The car I knowledge to build one,’ says Matt Sharp.
built [before he bought his Crosslé] was too ‘You want a very torquey, light Clearly, there’s both a driving and an
much the other way. I put the gearbox two engine that never stalls, never engineering challenge to Sporting Trials, but in
inches further back, as there’s no rule about the final analysis it’s all about getting up that
that, but driving it was desperate. You only had coughs and never splutters. It steep, often muddy slope. As Wright says: ‘I
to touch the throttle and it would instantly be
right up on its end. I nearly flipped once. You
needs to be utterly seamless’ think it’s the challenge that attracts people to
the sport. How can you get a two-wheel drive
want a balanced car.’ Ian Wright car to do seemingly impossible things.’

TRANS AM – AVE-RILEY AR3
A close look at the faster, more extreme Trans Am cars coming out
of Riley Technologies that contest the series’ premier TA category
By DON TAYLOR
Photo: Chris Clark
TA cars are the wilder,

outlaw cousins of
Trans Am. Fewer in
number on the grid,
but more powerful
and always pushing the
technology envelope

S
tepping into the Riley shop, I am whose lineage stretches back to Trans Am’s TA cars remain the wild outlaw cousins,
immediately struck by a bright genesis in the 1960s, continues to run a bit pushing boundaries at every opportunity.
red Kar-Kraft Mk IV, a continuation more on the wild side. But just how ornery are they? While TA2
car identical to the 1967 24 Hours Over that time, Trans Am cars have cars are limited to 520-540bhp and run
of Le Mans-winning Ford. It’s the latest evolved within their muscle car skins, efficient fuel injection, TA cars snort fuel
project coming out of Riley Technologies of shoving and grabbing for competitive through a sewer pipe-sized carburettor – like
Mooresville, North Carolina. Next to it sits a advantage by way of ever more smoking an unfiltered cigarette – and have
Riley & Scott Mk III in for a refresh. Its spot sophisticated chassis and suspension details, roughly 850bhp to throw at their upsized
was previously held by a Ford Mustang GTP. wider bodies, bigger tyres and brakes, plus, tyres and wheels.
These are all winning cars from designer of course, more horsepower. Something they do share with their
Bob Riley’s long career, but form just a small domesticated cousins is the series’ ban
part of what goes on at the business today. Wilder cousin on active suspension, telemetry, traction
Riley has never been one to dwell on what The factory-backed competition between control and ABS brakes, both to keep them
went before, or past glories. Instead he Detroit’s car brands fed and encouraged as ‘drivers’ cars’, and to help control costs.
prefers to think about the future. And so, we that technical creep, leading to bulked-up
meet in Mooresville to take a close look at body shapes and increasingly expensive Riley and Trans Am
Riley Technologies’ latest Trans Am car. components. That eventually led to a re- Bob Riley got his start in Trans Am by
Today, there are two classes for tube thinking of the series, and the creation of a designing the all-conquering, factory-
frame, silhouette body, V8 Trans Am racers. TA2 branch to the Trans Am family tree. backed, Roush-Protofab Ford Mustangs in
One variation is the newer TA2 specification, But that hasn’t stopped interest, or the early 1980s. His son, Bill, was involved
as detailed in RE V34N4. The other is classic TA. technical progress, in the original TA class. too, working on many of the drawings for
While the more popular TA2 class follows Although they are far fewer in number on those cars while still in high school. The duo
the path of cost containment - a top priority the grid than TA2 (the two are not allowed to then followed that up with the design of
since its inception in 2011 - the TA class, run together), the faster category survives. factory Chevrolet Camaros.
Photos: Don Taylor, unless stated

TA cars snort fuel through a
sewer pipe-sized carburettor
and have roughly 850bhp
to throw at their upsized
tyres and wheels
The new AR3 cars are still traditional spaceframe design, but feature some neat innovations
Bill (left) and Bob Riley have been building racecars together for over 30 years, and in
recent times have expanded into historic racecar restoration, and running cars

‘Should we just massage

what we’ve already done
and make it lighter and
stiffer? No, let’s jump ahead
about 15 years. That was
the philosophy of this car’
Bob Riley, Riley Technologies
As designers of championship-winning
cars, their joint talents have since been
applied to a series of Trans Am car designs
for many different teams.
In recent years, Bob and Bill have been
designing TA cars for driver and friend, Tony
Ave. The Rileys draw them and Tony builds
them in his own nearby shop. Ave had built
about a dozen Riley-penned Trans Am cars
but, when an updated design was discussed,
Ave’s circumstances during the COVID
pandemic didn’t allow him to proceed.
The Rileys therefore decided to build
the next-generation car themselves.
‘Bill and I asked ourselves, should we
just massage what we’ve already done
and make it lighter and stiffer? No, let’s
jump ahead about 15 years. That was the
philosophy of this car and, as a result, it is
quite unusual,’ says Bob Riley.
The AR3 is the result.
The first AR3s raced in the summer of
last year and, by the end of the season, had
recorded eight wins and seven poles in 10
races, as well as setting three lap records.
Seven cars have been built so far and
three of them were in the workshop when
Racecar Engineering paid a visit.
AR3 chassis
Yes, it has a steel tube chassis, as per TA rules,
constructed of square and round tubing. One of several unusual features in the AR3 chassis is the split fuel tanks at the rear, which allow for finer tuning of weight balance
Conventional at first glance, yet this frame
is noticeably narrower than previous cars
across the cockpit, cowl and front structure.
The sides have been dramatically sucked in,
too. That does two things. Firstly, it reduces
weight by using less material. Secondly, it
creates a wide channel between the cockpit
and the inside of the bodyshell, providing a
new path for internal airflow.
This pathway is clear, except for the jack
posts and the protective door bars, which
reach out to provide impact crumple space.
Even with the narrower chassis, based on his
torsional testing, Bob proclaims this to be
‘the stiffest tube chassis I have ever done.’
The engine bolts in via a conventional
front mounting plate but, at the rear,
attaches to a fixed bellhousing.
‘It doesn’t really look like a bellhousing,’ Some of the neatest advances have been made possible through water The noticeably pinched main chassis section, with
notes Bob. ‘It’s made from water jet-cut pieces, jet cutting technology. The bonded rear bellhousing is one example curved side protection bars, is another step change

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New for the AR3 is the use of electric power-assisted steering. Aside from being lighter, variable and more With an eye on ease of running and set up, these coloured shims offer
predictable at all speeds, it has allowed the steering rack to be raised up out of the path of passing airflow quick, easy adjustment of front ride height at the top damper mount
with sides, front and back bonded and

bolted together. It stays in the car when you
pull the engine, and is part of the structure,
so it adds to the stiffness.’
Regarding water jet technology, he adds:
‘That’s such a neat tool. You cut everything
with the holes already in it, and it’s
amazingly accurate. I was surprised how you
don’t have to re-machine it. You don’t have
to do any of that; it all just fits right together
and we have one stiff unit.’
The bellhousing is also used to move the
oil pump further back and out of the way to
shift weight and smooth out the under-
bonnet airflow around the engine.
Steering motion is provided through an
electric-powered rack.
‘The advantages of electric are that you
can vary the load and, when you slow down,
sometimes with hydraulic power steering
the pump doesn’t work so fast, and that
makes it harder to steer. Electric doesn’t do By regulation, TA cars have to run a solid rear axle, but The anti-roll bar links, coilovers and three-link suspension all attach to
that,’ explains Bob. on AR3 it mounts via an innovative water jet-cut carrier the bonded aluminium carrier, which houses the third member and axles
Riley admits the electric steering, in this
case supplied by DC Electronics, is more the upper mount with more shims. The front ‘It’s a shame,’ says Bob, ‘as independent
expensive but feels it is worth it for the anti-roll bar’s links attach to the lower arm. would have been cheaper, easier, faster…
advantages it offers, including its fitment In the back, Riley’s first choice would Nobody has a solid axle, not even NASCAR,
in the chassis. In the AR3, the rack has been have been an independent rear suspension, for heaven’s sake!’
moved up and out of the airstream under but the sanctioning body wouldn’t allow it, That didn’t stop the talented Rileys from
the car’s nose. The oil pump has followed insisting Trans Am remains with the long- trying something new though.
suit to help improve internal airflow. serving solid rear axle. ‘The old ones have a pig [slang for the
centre section / differential], a round tube on
Customer friendly each side and then the upright. You connect
Up front, the upper and lower A arms are arms to the outside and then to the pig,
conventional, fabricated from tubular
‘It’s a shame, as independent and the [bending and torsional] loads go
steel. Adjustment for camber and caster [rear suspension] would through the round tubes,’ Bob explains.
is accomplished at the upper arm with a
supplied set of different thickness shims, have been cheaper, easier, Something new
colour coded to be customer friendly. faster… Nobody has a solid Figuring there was a better way of doing
‘The crew guys can immediately see this, Riley has constructed a strong box
the colour of the shims, so they don’t get axle, not even NASCAR, section from aluminium plate, which
confused,’ adds Bob. captures the differential, hubs and axles. As
JRi spring / shock coilover units mount on
for heaven’s sake!’ with the bellhousing, the water jet machine
the lower arm, with ride height controlled at Bob Riley was called on to do the work.

‘You don’t need the welder and we save
quite a bit of weight there, too.’
The ‘three-link’ rear suspension arms
and the anti-roll bar links mount to this box,
along with the coilovers, which fix at the top.
‘I hate to see that rollcage just going
along doing nothing – unless you’re upside
down – so the springs attach up high where
there’s a lot of structure, and that adds to
the structural continuity, and also dampens
some of the roll.’
Lateral axle location is provided by a
Currently, the AR3 is available from Riley Technologies traditional Watt’s linkage, chosen to place
with either a Camaro (top) or Mustang (below) the roll centre as low as possible in the rear.
shell, though teams are free to ‘You need to get that really low,’ states
choose other body styles Bob. How low? ‘The bolt that holds the Watt’s
usually hits the ground,’ he replies.
Rear suspension adjustments are made in
the same way as at the front, using coloured
shims to adjust toe-in and camber.
‘What we’ve found has worked best is a
degree and a half negative camber,’ says Bob.
As for rear toe-in, so far, the car seems
to work best at present with the wheels
pointed straight ahead.
Riley admits to having had early drive
axle failures during on-off throttle loading,
but that was easily and promptly resolved.
‘When you do something completely
new, it’s naïve to think you won’t have any
issues,’ says Bob sagely.
Another new component that has been
very successful is the wheel bearings.
‘We had been working with SKF, and
they make a bearing pack for us, for our hub
design. So now we sell a bearing pack, so
you don’t have to take the bearings apart
and re-grease them all the time. We’ve had
very good luck with that. As far as I know,
they’ve never gone bad. They are more
expensive, but they’re also lighter, and you
don’t have the maintenance issue.’
Also unusual in the rear section is the
CFD-designed front splitter extends under the front fascia, the narrow Bodies must remain as supplied, but can be modified pair of fuel tanks. One of them is mounted
frame rails helping under-car airflow and helping to create downforce for engine bay cooling. Radiator airflow exhaust shown in front of, and one behind, the rear axle,
allowing for better balancing of front / rear
weight distribution.
More conventional are the brakes, the
cars equipped with six (front) and four-piston
Alcon monoblock calipers and iron discs.
Body and aero

The body construction is composite
carbon fibre, Kevlar and glass fibre. Riley
Technologies offers the AR3 with either a
Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang body,
although other body styles are allowed in TA.
Standard wheelbase is 102in, but may
vary slightly depending on the model.
Maximum car width is 80in, with a total
length, including splitter, of just under 200in.
As in TA2, the bodies in TA are acquired
from a single designated supplier, in this
case Kerry Hitt’s Advanced Composite
Swan neck rear wing mountings help in yaw situations by blocking and increasing pressure, but don’t interrupt airflow to the wing Products, and are to remain untouched.

Riley Technologies today
F
or the last 30 years, father and son, Bob and Bill
Riley, have operated very successfully as Riley
Technologies, moving from Indianapolis to
Mooresville, North Carolina in 2006.
However, like many racecar designer / constructors
these days, they have watched various series go to
spec chassis regulations, limiting the opportunities
for the design, build and sale of low volume racecars.
Riley Technologies has therefore needed to be
proactive in finding other avenues of income.
When long-time customer, Jim Matthews,
acquired the rights to the drawings, parts and fixtures
of the old Ford Kar-Kraft operation, he came to Riley
to build continuation Kar-Kraft Mk IVs. Kar-Kraft was
an independent entity from Michigan that Ford used
for its racing programmes in the 1960s. Many of the
items that Matthews possessed were first drawn by
Bill when he worked at Kar-Kraft 60 years ago.
The first completed Riley Kar-Kraft Mark IV
debuted at the Amelia Island Concours in March this
year, and orders are already lined up.
The company is also undertaking historic racecar
restorations, and recently finished one of two 1983 One of the many current projects is building these period-correct Kar Kraft Mark IV racers for FIA historic competition
Mustang GTPs – a front-engined, ground effect IMSA
racer, designed by Bob during his time at Ford. different US racing series: the IMSA SportsCar
While Bob has been actively involved in Championship’s LMP2 class; IMSA SportsCar
overseeing the recreation of parts and tooling for Challenge GT4 with Porsche; SRO GT World
these two vintage projects, he can’t stop thinking Challenge America, and GT America (GT3
Photo: Chris Clark

about producing new racecars like the AR3. with Mercedes-AMG).
As a reminder of the more recent Riley vehicles As if all that competition isn’t enough, just
and company successes, on the office wall hangs a for fun on rare off weekends, Bill is currently
poster which celebrates 18 overall and class wins at building a low-buck, salvaged Corvette for ChampCar,
the Daytona 24 Hours. At its foot sits the Ligier JS a grassroots endurance racing series for time-
P320 that won the LMP3 category in 2022, operated honoured vehicles costing US$500 (£400) or less.
by the Riley Motorsports race team led by Bill. Unfortunately, that busy schedule leaves Bill with
Race team operation has become a fruitful division less time these days for his first love, racecar design.
of the business, and is a natural fit with the talent and ‘That’s still what I enjoy doing the most but, with
experience on hand. ‘On the track engineering side, the way the business has evolved over the years, I’m
we have some really strong people,’ says Bill. ‘And, if not as involved in that as I would like to be,’ he says.
they need something made, or something looked at Still, all the work Bill does with the day-to-day
in CAD, they can lean on the Riley Tech group.’ running of the company frees up Bob to sit at his
Bill and his team are currently kept busy drawing board every day, thinking up solutions for
overseeing a wide range of customer cars in four the next challenge that comes through the door.
Riley Technologies engineers, Christian Rushforth and Chad Boyd, on the office tour In 2006, the company relocated from Indianapolis to this purpose-built facility in Mooresville, NC

The Riley cars abide by this rule, except
for the approved addition of bonnet venting,
If the Next Gen NASCAR Cup To handle the power and torque of
those mighty mouse motors, transmission
which allows radiator exhaust air to be cars were to be considered choices are either the six-speed Xtrac model
ducted out through the top of the bonnet, P559 or the five-speed Emco EG5S. And hey
another new direction on the AR3.
heavyweight fighters at kids, no paddles! These are both manual
Unlike the aero limitations in TA2, the 3200- 3400lb, this latest TA gearboxes, sequentially shifted by a lever
splitter and rear wing execution are given and a busy right arm.
some leeway in TA. The AR3’s splitter has car might be thought of as If the Next Gen NASCAR Cup cars were
therefore been extended under the front a welterweight at 2830lb to be considered heavyweight fighters
fascia. The narrow frame rails help smooth at 3200-3400lb, this latest TA car might
the under-car airflow and create downforce. be thought of as a welterweight at
‘We did some CFD on the splitter and, to 2830lb, including driver. With each having
make it work, we needed to narrow up the more customers if there is a way to make approximately the same muscle on tap, one
front,’ recalls Bob. them easier to get in and out of.’ can easily see why the AR3 might be fun to
The powerful rear wing is another Riley Beside the possibility of appealing to drive. And it is, according to stalwart racers
creation, as Bob explains: ‘Wing design is larger frame drivers, the feature does have like Gar Robinson and Chris Dyson.
open, so we did the profile for it, and this an added safety benefit of allowing better Nevertheless, while TA2 fields are
wing is pretty aggressive.’ access for trackside emergency workers. regularly filled with 40-45 cars, only about
It features twin swan neck mountings, 10 TA cars currently compete in the Trans
which help in yaw by blocking and NASCAR lineage Am’s separate TA / XGT / SGT / GT multi-class
increasing pressure on top, while also not TA cars are powered by 358ci (5.9-litre), races. Clearly, Trans Am series management
interrupting smooth airflow to the low- carburettor-fed, naturally aspirated, pushrod has a good thing going with the TA2
pressure bottom side. V8s making around 850bhp. Several NASCAR product. The question is, will they be willing
The first AR3 car, which was shown at Ford and Chevrolet race engine builders are to try and grow TA as well?
the 2023 PRI Show, had what the Rileys call ready to supply this type of engine, as it has Forever the forward-looking optimist,
a ‘roof door’ – a hinged panel that swings long been their stock in trade. Bob Riley shrugs and says: ‘I remember one
up above the driver’s compartment. This Though not exclusive, the options are guy telling me Trans Am is like a bonfire from
was a purely practical consideration, as Bob typically the Ford FR9 or D3, or the Chevrolet our youth. You think the fire is out and then
explains: ‘I thought maybe since the cars are R07 package, all of which were originally it flares up again, so maybe that’s what will
hard to get into, I might be able to attract developed for NASCAR Cup use. happen to the [TA] series.’
TA cars are powered by 850bhp, NASCAR-spec, pushrod

V8s and use either six-speed Xtrac or five-speed Emco
transmissions. These are manually shifted, of course

RACECAR FOCUS – MERCEDES-BENZ CLK-GTR
The creation of the FIA GT Championship prompted Mercedes-Benz to build a new

racecar for 1997. The CLK-GTR was the German manufacturer’s impressive answer
By KARL LUDVIGSEN
M
ercedes-Benz has always had
a knack for designing and
building handsome, two-door
coupés, from the older 220
saloons to the modern S-Class, combining
sporty looks with high equipment levels and
an extra touch of customer-pleasing quality.
This tradition was well upheld by the CLK
coupé, launched by Mercedes-Benz for the
1997 model year. Based on the C-Class
platform, the CLK’s handsome shape and new,
three-valve, 3.2-litre V6 engine ‘awakened
passions’, as company chief, Helmut Werner,
said at the time, both within and outside
Mercedes-Benz AG.
The new CLK also ‘awakened passions’ at
Affalterbach, north east of Stuttgart. There, in
1996, the racers of AMG were giving thought
to their plans for the 1997 International
Touring Car Championship (ITC) season.
Much as Opel had used the Calibra coupé
as the basis for its DTM / ITC car, this avenue
also seemed open to Mercedes-Benz.
Styling study
‘We did a styling study for an ITC car related
to the CLK,’ engineer, Gerhard Lepler, said,
‘to show the members of the board what
such a car could look like. This was done
using the basis of an old 1994 DTM car, on
which a new body was fitted.’
However promising the mock-up looked,
it became redundant with the expiration of
the short-lived ITC at the end of 1996.
In the meantime, motorsports chief,
Norbert Haug, and his colleagues had been
tracking developments at the FIA in the field
of Grand Touring, or GT racing, which pitted
high performance sportscars with closed
coupé bodies against one another.
Since 1994, the BPR Global GT Series had
been privately run, but proved so successful This was the first C297, known as the CLK-GTR, identifiable by its Mercedes-Benz windscreen banner. It was ready end of March 1997

On [the day] the FIA officially
announced it would conduct
a GT championship series…
the board of management [at
Mercedes-Benz] approved the
design and build of a GT car
Bernd Schneider at the wheel of this CLK-GTR, a machine that set the bar for GT racing during the first year of the FIA GT Championship
‘We started with the SLK,’ said Haug. ‘But

then, for marketing reasons, we changed to
the CLK,’ added Lepler.
‘In adapting that shape for the GT car, it
became stretched and lowered, which
changed the appearance a little, but it was
not that much different to how an ITC CLK
would have appeared.’
As a result, both AMG and Mercedes-Benz
were well prepared when, on Friday 6
December 1996, the FIA officially announced
it would conduct a GT championship series in
1997. On that same day, according to Haug,
the board of management approved the
design and build of a GT car.
Rapid response
Seen next to its CLK road car inspiration, the CLK-GTR appears only about half its height, measuring in at just 43.3in high. A roof- No quicker response could be imagined.
mounted scoop directed air to the engine, and added a useful bit of height to ensure the rear wing conformed to FIA regulations Speed was of the essence, because the first
race of the new, 11-event GT series would be
that, in November 1996, the FIA told the ‘I pushed for a GT programme,’ said Haug, at Hockenheim in mid-April 1997.
competition organisers that GT car racing ‘on the basis that if the FIA GT Championship Tight timing dictated many of the design
would now come under their direct control. develops in the right way – if we get good characteristics of the new car, which was
Word of this impending new initiative by marketing, good television exposure, all these codenamed C297, were shared with the 1996
the sport’s ruling body was quick to reach the things – then we should be involved.’ C-Class racer, including its front-mounted
ears of Mercedes-Benz, and in particular the Concept layouts were quickly prepared of cooling system and suspension layout. AMG,
engineers at AMG who found themselves at a mid-engined GT cars with a resemblance to however, had to find a fast, yet valid answer
loose end after the collapse of the ITC. two production models, the SLK and CLK. for the C297’s engine and transmission.

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After testing several The FIA’s rules set out a matrix of six
options, the AMG engineers engine displacement classes and nine car
at Affalterbach decided weight brackets. For each combination of
that a 6.0-litre V12 was displacement and weight, the rules specified
the optimum size for the the diameter of either one or two circular
power unit. This is the orifices, to the designer’s choice, through
test engine mounted in which inlet air had to pass. The orifice(s) had
a McLaren chassis to be made of metal and be at least 3mm long.
Engine challenge
This presented a challenge for AMG’s engine
guru, Erhard Melcher. Which combination of
displacement, type and inlet orifice would
give the best results?
Having considered the options, the AMG
engineers turned to an engine they knew
With an aluminium well, the powerful Mercedes-Benz M120 V12.
cylinder block and heads, Here was a direct link to an impressive, high
and a compression ratio performance GT car Mercedes-Benz had built
of 12.5:1, the V12 was and shown in 1991, the C112.
capable of 8400rpm, In its own engine shop, AMG produced
though produced its modified versions of this aluminium block
peak power of 630bhp engine, up to and including the 7.3-litre
at 7000rpm version that was available in AMG versions of
the S-Class saloons and SL sports road cars.
But what size should the C297’s engine be?
Taking no chances, AMG built and tested V12s
in racing tune with 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0-litre
displacements. The first engine in this series
went on the test bench on 21 December 1996.
‘We revved the 5.0-litre over 10,000,’
remarked Melcher, yet there was a compelling
reason to choose the 6.0-litre version instead,
A side view showed the linked to the fact that Mercedes-Benz had
V12’s blended exhaust developed the V12 as part of a modular family
pipes and the compactness of engines that all shared the same cylinder
of its Xtrac transaxle. size, cylinder spacing, block height and
Mobil 1 synthetic oil was four-valve head design.
used in both the engine More than a year previously, AMG had
and transaxle looked at the M111 four-cylinder unit as a
possible powerplant for an entry in the
popular European Super Touring series.
‘We made two such engines as a test,’ said
Melcher, ‘and we carried out all the pre-
development for the V12 on these engines.’
There was no change made to the valve
angles, 25 degrees either side of the vertical.
A view of the front of the C297’s V12 showed the belt drive to its alternator, At the rear, the coil springs were in compression, concentric with the dampers. The Xtrac transaxle
positioning of its four camshafts and the twin restrictors in the induction hood had its gears placed transversely, underneath ancillary equipment

Britain’s Lola Composites made the car’s carbon fibre

monocoque, to which the engine and its braces were
attached to constitute the rest of the chassis
At the front, twin split radiators were positioned at an angle to cool

the powerplant. Low ducts behind them vented pressurised air to the
sides of the car to encourage downforce
Six-piston calipers gripped the internally drilled carbon brake discs. Diameters were The orange duct brought cooling air to the fluid reservoirs of the two rear dampers. Pull rods from
378mm in front and 356mm in the rear. Here the front spring units are installed the hub carriers operated the springs through pivoting aluminium rockers
Initially, the V12s ran with standard [AMG] subcontracted

crankshafts, connecting rods and Mahle
pistons, though the forged crank was later tub manufacture to an
lightly modified for reliability. experienced outside
The heavy, cast aluminium inlet manifold
of the stock engine was replaced by carbon supplier, Lola Composites
fibre trumpets for each cylinder. Butterfly
throttles were used, below which were
electronically-actuated, solenoid-type fuel both a road car and a racecar, which
injectors. These and the ignition were disqualified the effective, but over-
controlled by a Bosch Motronic 1.2 system. engineered (for this application) unit
For the racing engine, the standard 89mm developed by Mercedes-Benz for the
bore was slightly enlarged, the final spec turbocharged Sauber-Mercedes C11 of 1990.
being 91 x 76.7mm for 5986cc. Power output AMG also desired a compact unit that
was quoted as 630bhp at 7000rpm, with would work with the long V12 without unduly
700Nm of torque at a moderate 3900rpm. extending the wheelbase of the new GT car.
‘For the chassis people, the V12 was a real
Transaxle choice problem,’ admitted Melcher.
Another daunting challenge, in view of the The search for a workable unit led the
short timeframe, was the selection of a development team to Mike Endean’s Xtrac Carbon fibre ducts from the rear deck collected air that went through
suitable transaxle to accompany the V12 concern in Britain. Fortunately, it had an large diameter hoses to help cool the car’s rear brakes. A wide rear
engine. Like the latter, it had to be suitable for appropriate gearbox sitting on the shelf. diffuser extracted air to promote rear downforce

The C297’s steering wheel had a small safety airbag in
its centre. Minor controls were on the driver’s left with
the sequential gear shift lever on the right
Shown in ribbed, wet weather form here, tyres were 280/35-18 in the A purposeful array in the driver’s eyeline focused on
front and 330/40-18 in the rear. An antenna for communication with the digital tachometer, while a red lamp indicated oil
the team in the pits was essential equipment pressure, or the lack of it
The unit’s design was modified by Xtrac front hubs. It had a 12:1 ratio and required
to suit AMG’s needs, including its aluminium one and a half turns of the steering wheel
housing and clutch-type limited slip from lock to lock.
differential. A big, high-mounted cockpit lever Inset into the top of the wheel were
for the driver was pushed forward for four green lights. If one lit it showed the
downshifts and pulled back for upshifts. associated road wheel was locking under
braking. This helped the driver function as
Small hearted a kind of onboard ABS system. The driver
The remarkably small heart of the C297 was a could also press buttons on the steering
carbon fibre monocoque. Characteristics of wheel to select either a lean or rich
the carbon tub included a built-in cavity at alternative fuel / air programme, depending
the rear to carry the 100-litre fuel tank behind on racing conditions.
the driver’s seat and a narrow footwell that Additional cooling was required to cope
Attachments at the front of the monocoque carried the car’s parallel, required occupants to offset their feet to the with the carbon / carbon brake system, the
uneven length wishbone front suspension. In this shot, the concentric right of the left-hand seat position. This pads and disc surfaces of which were
spring / damper units are not installed compromise was accepted in order to keep supplied by Carbone Industrie. Each carbon
the car as short as possible. ring was bolted to an aluminium carrier disc,
Here’s why. In 1993, Peugeot had decided ‘AMG does not have the facilities or and cooling air was ducted to the front brakes
to upgrade its 905 sports prototype to defend capability to make a composite monocoque,’ from an inlet behind the Mercedes grille,
its 1992 victory at Le Mans against Toyota. Lepler explained, continuing, ‘AMG has never giving it a functional and aesthetic purpose.
After the ’93 race, the team’s sports director, had a production line for carbon technology.’
Jean Todt, would take up a new post with Therefore, the company subcontracted Body building
Ferrari and the French manufacturer wanted a tub manufacture to an experienced outside Making the body for the C297 was no small
successful end to his career in its home country. supplier, Lola Composites. challenge, stressed Hans Werner Aufrecht.
Consequently, for the 1993 Evo 2 version Suspension at both front and rear, the ‘We are accustomed to making a
of the 905, Peugeot commissioned a brand special responsibility of AMG’s Klaus completely new car for each season, but
new transaxle from Xtrac. It was designed by Fornstein, was by wide-based, fabricated steel in the past we could rely on carrying over
former Ferrari engineer, Enrique Scalabroni, wishbones. The parallel wishbones were close some standard parts, such as the windscreen.
to stand up to the 600+bhp, 3.5-litre V10. to equal length at the rear, where each upper When we made the GT car, we didn’t even
one had an adjustable strut for setting toe in. have that. We had to make everything. All
At the front, the upper wishbones were we could use from the CLK were the door
shorter to provide the required camber handles and the star.’
‘We had to make everything. change characteristics with jounce. AMG explored various suitable shapes
All we could use from As in the C-Class racers, the front torsion before settling on the stunningly handsome
anti-roll bar was a hollow tube of carbon fibre. and Mercedes-like lines of the C297, soon to
the CLK were the door Another point of similarity with the C-Class be officially named the CLK-GTR.
cars was the pull rod springing on the C297. ‘The shape of the car was related as much
handles and the star’ Power assist was provided for the rack and as possible to the look of a standard,
Hans Werner Aufrecht, founding partner at AMG pinion steering gear, mounted forward of the roadgoing CLK,’ noted Lepler.

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Two views of a model that reflected the final design of the CLK-GTR, with elements of its livery included to show how various sponsor and supplier names would be placed
Requiring a completely flat bottom from

the front wheels to the rear, the GT rules were
designed to make it difficult to obtain
downforce from ground effects.
‘I would even say that there may have
been less downforce than we had on the ITC
cars, where the rules were far less restrictive
regarding the aerodynamic shaping of the
undersides,’ Lepler commented.
Selectable wing
Rear wing design was relatively free on the
racing version, provided it was only single
element, fitted within the car’s width and plan Designers of the CLK-GTR’s shape used models to try out design concepts. in this version, an air exhaust vent behind
view and was no higher than the highest part the front wheels was egg crate grilled, an amenity that was not ultimately employed in the final design
of the body. The latter criterion was assisted
slightly by the use of a roof-mounted scoop
to draw in the engine’s air, which added a
little extra height that could be exploited in
the position of the wing.
The GT rules were designed

to make it difficult to obtain
downforce from ground effects
The C297 was homologated with a rear

wing with what the team described as a
‘selectable high downforce mode.’ That is to To gain FIA approval, a sample was needed of the road car from which the CLK-GTR was (in theory) derived. It was an
say it had two positions, one of them with extremely impressive machine in its own right, although Mercedes had to produce a minimum number in 1997
the wing more steeply angled.
With the rear wing giving AMG’s engineers had to be designed and built to look like the Bernd Schneider to give the new car its first
their main opportunity to generate production version but, at the same time, proper workout on Good Friday, 28 March.
aerodynamic downforce, the C297’s weight serve as the racing version. ‘Compared with the C-Class I drove last
distribution was deliberately biased toward year,’ said Schneider, ‘this is a real racecar. It’s
the rear, 40 / 60 per cent, though with the Board approval nice to have the engine behind you, the car
driver and a full fuel load on board, the Hockenheim was booked for a first functional feels very controllable and responsive.’
distribution was closer to 45 / 55. test of the completed car on 25 March, but Meanwhile, the German homologation
Only after the first monocoque was this date was missed as the car was not ready. authority, the TÜV, had been undertaking its
collected from Lola Composites on the last Nevertheless, it was near enough completion tests to validate the CLK-GTR with the road
day of February 1997 was it possible to start for the Daimler-Benz management board to car technical requirements and, on 4 April, the
assembling the first CLK-GTR from the many assess. It was very impressive, they had to Flensburg vehicle registration office awarded
bits and pieces that had been arriving at the admit, and, by the following evening, the the C297 a provisional type approval number.
race assembly shop at Affalterbach. board gave its approval for an official GT Next, a meeting was convened at AMG on
Meanwhile, the midnight oil was being series entry by Mercedes-Benz. 7 April for an inspection of the car and its
burned by the Mercedes-Benz homologation Car number 001 was wheeled aboard credentials by officials of the FIA. They ruled
experts. Their task was to gain acceptance by AMG’s transporter for the journey south-west the car’s homologation for racing was valid
the FIA of the CLK-GTR as a production sports across France and over the Pyrenees to the from 1 April 1997, provided Mercedes-Benz
car so it could compete in Class 1 of the new Jarama circuit near Madrid in Spain. completed its road car type approval process
GT series. To achieve this, C297 number 001 Completed on 27 March, the trip allowed by the end of that year.

The road was clear for an entry of two cars Mercedes-Benz dominance was total in
in Hockenheim’s four-hour race. While the the next four-hour race on 29 June at the
second car was still being completed, the Nürburgring. From his third pole position of
driver cadre was selected. Bernd Schneider the year, Schneider took his coupé into a lead
and Bernd Mayländer were signed, as were it never relinquished. Partnered by Ludwig, at
fast rising Austrian racer and Le Mans winner, the finish line he had lapped the best
Alexander Wurz, along with Marcel Tiemann, McLaren-BMW in third place. Another
who had won the 1996 Monaco Formula 3 CLK-GTR came home in second.
race (an important showcase for new talent). The McLarens fought back with a victory
Later in the season, a surprise returnee to in a wet race at Spa three weeks later, but Top drivers raced the CLK-GTR including Mark Webber and Ricardo
the AMG strength would be announced: Schneider salvaged a second place to Zonta, paired with old hands Klaus Ludwig, and Jean-Marc Gounon
Klaus Ludwig, back after his ‘outlaw’ seasons become the best Mercedes points scorer.
with the Opel DTM / ITC team. In August and September, three one-two at Sebring in Florida and at Laguna Seca in
finishes followed for the AMG V12s at the California. At the latter, the three Mercedes-
Instant hit A1-Ring, Suzuka (a race of almost six hours) Benz machines took the top three grid
Cynics who said Mercedes-Benz and AMG and Donington. Schneider narrowly led in the positions and finished one-two-three, a
had tried to do too much too soon took drivers’ points, but McLaren’s Steve Soper and perfect end to a very competitive season.
satisfaction from the results at Hockenheim. JJ Lehto were close on his heels. With a victory
The new car’s performance was indisputable. in the next race at Mugello, a race that saw Double tops
Schneider put his on pole three quarters of a Schneider pushed into a gravel trap and Schneider subsequently became the FIA GT
second quicker than the best McLaren, while Ludwig’s car suffer a broken power steering drivers’ champion with 72 points, ahead of
the sister car was fourth fastest. However, in pump, they jumped into the lead. Soper and Lehto, who tied with 59 each.
the race itself, one car retired early with a The two final races of 1997 that would In the teams’ championship, AMG
defective brake pad and the other had to settle the championships were far away in Mercedes placed first with 110 points. Second
endure a 50-minute pit stop to replace a America in October. To strengthen Schneider’s was Team BMW Motorsport on 85, while Gulf
starter motor that failed from overheating. points chances, AMG decided to pair him with Team Davidoff came in third with 37, both
Like Hockenheim, the next two races at a driver of proven quality, Klaus Ludwig. This racing the McLaren F1-GTR. Porsche AG,
Silverstone and Helsinki saw victories for the strategy worked well. The pair won the races competing with its radical new 911 GT1,
BMW-engined McLaren F1s, competing in managed only three podium finishes all year
their third season. In Britain, the outcome and was fourth with 35 points.
was close, with a CLK-GTR taking the lead At [Laguna Seca], the three At Laguna Seca, AMG and Schneider
just after the lap on which the race was recognised the contributions every member
officially declared over due to heavy rain. Mercedes-Benz took the of the team had made to the remarkable
The stresses of racing revealed some top three grid positions season by giving them all rides in a CLK-GTR
transmission flaws that impaired the results around the hilly, dramatic track. Schneider did
in Finland so, while its rivals decamped to and finished one-two- this in three solid hours of driving on the
France for Le Mans, AMG used the month
of June to sort out the teething troubles
three, a perfect end to a Monday following the race, lapping in times
only about two seconds slower than he and
evident in the brand new CLK-GTR. very competitive season Ludwig had averaged to win the race.
Mark Webber and Bernd Schneider drove their CLK-GTR to victory at Silverstone on May 11 1997, the latter declaring the lithe Mercedes-Benz ‘a real racecar… very controllable and responsive’

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TECHNOLOGY – ENERGY MANAGEMENT
The wild
frontier
The challenges of managing energy in Formula E
By GEMMA HATTON
F
ormula E continues to be labelled That is why we need to save energy during
‘too quiet’ and ‘not fast enough’ to the race and also get that back through
be deemed ‘proper’ racing. Yet the energy management techniques.
on-track action is more competitive ‘These include recuperating energy
than most championships, while the under braking, saving energy during lifting
engineering behind the scenes is arguably and coasting, as well as optimising where
more challenging and technically relevant to we accelerate, decelerate and deploy energy
today’s automotive sector than the likes of for overtaking.
Formula 1. Not convinced? Please read on. ‘We also take into account the effect of
From the outset, the format of Formula E being in the slipstream, which is becoming
has been carefully orchestrated to prioritise particularly important in Gen3.’
the efficient use of energy from the battery. Ahead of each race, the FIA releases the
Throughout its nine seasons, and three total number of race laps and the total
generations of cars, the regulations have energy allocation (in kWh) teams are allowed
continued to limit the amount of energy to use to complete the race. These figures
available during a race, forcing teams to use are based on simulations and feedback from
the available energy as efficiently as possible the teams and suppliers, but typically target
to reach the finish line. Ideally first. a race time of around 45 minutes.
Although this doesn’t sound particularly Teams then use this information to
thrilling on the face of it, it is analogous to calculate the total amount of energy they
managing the tyres in Formula 1, or fuel need to save throughout the race, as well as
saving in endurance racing. Motorsport the most efficient way to save this energy per
regulations are designed to limit teams in lap. It’s more complicated than that, though.
one way or another, so they have to manage To explain this process in more detail,
their pace using a variety of strategies, which let’s assume the FIA has specified a race
is the key ingredient for an exciting race. distance of 36 laps and 37kWh of available
However, in addition to managing energy, energy. If a lap of the track flat out consumes
Formula E teams also must keep the battery 1.3kWh of energy, then the total amount of
within an optimum temperature window, energy needed to complete the 36-lap race
maximise the amount of regen’, manage tyre is 36 x 1.3kWh = 48kWh. Simple.
performance and attack modes, all whilst
controlling a hot-headed driver fighting for
position. This is what makes Formula E racing
so demanding for the engineers working in it
and fascinating for the fans watching it.
Limited energy
So, why do teams need to manage energy in
the first place?
‘The simple reason is, we start the race
with less energy than we need to complete
it,’ explains Roger Griffiths, team principal
at Andretti Formula E, which won last year’s
driver championship with Jake Dennis.
‘We start with approximately 25 per cent
less energy than we need so, if we ran flat
out, we wouldn’t get to the chequered flag. Figure 1: The percentage difference between the allocated race energy and the energy required for a flat out race

Formula E cars start with approximately
25 per cent less energy than they need to
complete the race, so energy management is
not only key to winning: it is critical
to completing the race distance
Except the FIA’s energy allocation is only in the slipstream of the car in front. For the
Formula E teams also must 37kWh. So, if we drive flat out at 1.3kWh per sake of the example, let’s say an energy saving
keep the battery within lap, 37kWh / 1.3kWh = 28.5 laps. It doesn’t lap consumes 0.95kWh of energy. If we went
take a mathematician to realise we will run for an energy saving strategy for the entire
an optimum temperature out of energy on lap 28 of a 36-lap race. race, then 37 kWh / 0.95 kWh = 38.9 laps, we
window, maximise the Therefore, to finish the race, we need to
save 48kWh - 37kWh = 11kWh of energy,
would have enough energy to complete 38
laps and comfortably finish a 36-lap race.
amount of regen’, manage which is 26.5 per cent of the total if we were However, we are likely in last place as we
to race flat out continually. didn’t utilise every kWh of energy available.
tyre performance and Figure 1 illustrates the amount of energy It is this constant trade-off between
attack modes, all whilst teams typically need to save for each race energy and lap time that plagues the minds
throughout the season. of Formula E engineers. To run the perfect
controlling a hot-headed Clearly, we need to save energy. There race, they need to establish the fastest way
driver fighting for position are many approaches to achieving this to consume the allocated energy within the
throughout a lap. The driver can lift and coast, available number of laps, with the aim of
regenerate energy under braking and also sit crossing the line just as they run out of energy.

‘The lap time frontier is Lap frontier
essentially the relationship

between energy and lap
time. It represents the Race
baseline of your efficiency’ Attack mode
Albert Lau, chief engineer at NEOM

McLaren Formula E team
Of course, in reality, they need to factor

in a little buffer as this is the regulated energy
1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2 2.2
budget, not the real energy of the battery as
the driver still needs to get back to the pits. Lap energy
Calculating consumption Figure 2: A lap frontier plot shows lap time and energy. Teams use this to see how efficiently they are using their available energy
To achieve this, teams calculate an energy
target, which is the amount of kWh the is only one car on track and the performance variables on energy consumption. This is
driver should consume each lap. In theory, of that car remains constant. then translated into a frontier plot that helps
the consumption required to use all the Unsurprisingly, it is not that simple. determine what is the fastest approach.
energy for the fastest total race time is There are 21 other cars on track and the ‘The lap time frontier is essentially the
simply the allocated energy divided by the performance of the car varies according relationship between energy and lap time,’
total number of laps. So, for our example, to tyre degradation, track evolution and highlights Albert Lau, chief engineer at NEOM
37kW / 36 laps = 1.02kWh. This theoretical slipstream effects, to name a few factors. McLaren Formula E team. ‘It represents the
target is called the ISO (isometric) energy Consequently, teams spend a lot of time baseline of your efficiency. So how well are
target, and it assumes ‘free air’, where there modelling the effect of all these fluctuating you using x amount of energy from the RESS
Sitting in the slipstream

reduces drag, more so than
ever with the Gen3 cars, and is
therefore an effective technique
employed for saving energy

Circuits with high grip reduce the amount of regeneration possible as there is a smaller difference between the top speed on the straight and the faster corner apex speed
[Rechargeable Energy Storage System] and ‘For example, we have a lap frontier for
how that translates to lap time on the track. 300kW, which is the power we can run
‘It’s clearly non-linear, and we spend a during the race, as well as one for 350kW,
lot of time in the simulator maximising the which we can deploy during the duels in
strategies within the car to ensure we are qualifying and attack mode.
lower down on that curve where you’re ‘The effect of the slipstream is proving to
gaining more lap time per unit of energy. have much more of an influence on energy
‘During the race, you’re all over the place consumption than in Gen2,’ continues
on that curve, so it is vital to have good Willoughby. ‘So, we also have lap frontiers
calibrations in the car to guarantee you are to simulate the effect of being in the tow at
using the energy in the most efficient way.’ different points, such as at a 0.5s gap, one
As expected, the lap frontier shows faster second gap, two second gap and so on.
lap times consume more energy. However, ‘Modelling all these different parameters
its curved nature means there is a sweet spot forms a more complex, multi-dimensional
where drivers can save more energy without frontier plot, but it also helps us understand
sacrificing as much lap time. This is the zone how much energy we are consuming in
in which all the teams try to operate. different scenarios, and therefore when we
‘We create several lap frontier graphs to need to save energy.’
account for different states of the car,’
explains Ash Willoughby, senior energy Saving techniques
management engineer at ERT Formula E team. The techniques used to save energy
throughout a lap are similar to saving fuel.
The most effective approach is to lift off
the throttle at the end of the straights and
‘The effect of the slipstream coast into braking zones, whilst matching
is proving to have much more the corner apex speeds of a push lap. This
significantly reduces energy consumption
of an influence on energy for the smallest loss in lap time.
consumption than in Gen 2’ In Formula E, however, teams will try
to optimise the precise lift points and
Ash Willoughby, senior energy management communicate this with the driver to maximise
engineer at ERT Formula E team saving every possible kWh of energy.

After exiting a corner, the driver will

accelerate on the straight and, at a certain
‘The battery derate limits If the battery gets too hot or too cold,
has a State Of Charge (SOC) that is too low
point, see coast lights on the steering wheel the amount of output or too high, or too low voltage, it protects
(similar to gear shift lights) and beeps in their itself by derating. This is where the battery
ears to signal the optimum lift point. They
power to protect itself, effectively limits the amount of power it can
then lift off the throttle and brake normally and… over roughly the discharge and charge, reducing the amount
into the corner, regenerating energy back a driver can accelerate or regenerate energy.
into the battery through the motors in both last two degrees [celsius]
the front and rear axles. of battery temperature, Over consumption
Another tactic is to stay in the tow of other Not only does this make the driver slower
cars. This reduces the drag on the car and the power can drop from on the straights but, by not regenerating
therefore the amount of energy required to full power down to zero’ as much energy, they will over consume
overcome this drag for the same speed. compared to their energy targets. This can
Roger Griffiths, team principal at Andretti Formula E ultimately lead to them running out of
Get a grip energy before the end of the race.
Interestingly, the grip of the circuit can also ‘It’s a similar concept to rising water
dictate the amount of energy a car can When the car accelerates, the battery temperature in an internal combustion
recuperate. When a circuit has high grip, the discharges energy. When the car brakes, engine,’ says Griffiths. ‘When water
drivers can achieve faster corner apex speeds the battery charges. These discharge and temperature starts to increase rapidly,
than circuits with low grip. Consequently, charge events are referred to as the duty you start pulling the ignition to prevent
the difference between the top speed on cycle. Each duty cycle induces high current detonation of the engine.
the straights and corner apex speed is less through the battery and, due to its internal ‘The battery derate limits the amount
on a high-grip circuit than a low-grip one, resistance, increases its temperature. of output power to protect itself, and this
reducing the opportunity to regenerate. Over the course of an E-prix, this power drops very rapidly within a short
‘Reducing regen’ means less energy is constant discharging and charging of the temperature delta. Over roughly the last
being used to charge the battery, which can battery results in high temperatures and, two degrees [celsius] of battery temperature,
ultimately mean the driver is over consuming like tyres, batteries operate best within the power can drop from full power all the
relative to their lap energy target,’ explains a specific temperature window. Teams way down to zero.
Willoughby. ‘To manage this, we need to therefore have to account for the thermal ‘This condition was particularly evident
ensure the driver discharges less energy on limitations of the battery when optimising for us in São Paulo, when the battery started
the straights, to counter the lost charge, so we their energy profiles, particularly at races to derate and we went from third to fifth in
effectively move the lift point earlier.’ that take place in hotter climates. the space of the last two corners.’
When Formula E began, drivers had to change cars mid-race. Today’s Gen3 racers not only have the ability to finish a 45-minute race but are able to regen’ more energy than ever, from both axles

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The Gen3 Formula E car is 75 per cent

more powerful and can regenerate six
times the amount of energy as Gen1
‘So, we have to be particularly mindful at

Table 1: The evolution in powertrain technology from Gen1 to Gen3
tracks with high ambient conditions because
Gen1 (2014) Gen2 (2018) Gen3 (2022)
we are then also dealing with the thermal
Race energy 28kWh 52kWh 38.5kWh
challenges of the battery,’ continues Griffiths.
‘We are constantly modelling battery
Power output 200kW 250kW 350kW
temperature and predicting whether we Maximum regeneration 100kW 250kW 600kW
have to modify our strategy to compensate Top speed 225km/h 280km/h 322km/h
for battery thermal issues. Are we going to go
into thermal derate or not? Is it advantageous charge (braking) phases of each corner, drivers to complete the race with one car.
to push into thermal derate or do we want whilst achieving the same lap energy target. Gen3 arrived in 2022 and its 38.5kWh race
to stay out of it? What can we do from a car This reduces the duty on the battery and energy, 350kW output and 600kW of regen’
settings perspective to manage this? therefore its temperature. makes it 75 per cent more powerful than
‘We try to give the driver multiple tools to However, both approaches mean driving Gen1, with six times the regen’ capability.
adapt the amount of energy they are putting slower, so teams do everything to manage ‘Although the push lap time of the
back into the battery.’ the battery and avoid excessive derating. Gen3 package wasn’t necessarily the step
There are predominantly two ways to improvement everyone was hoping for,
reduce the duty cycle and therefore maintain Efficiency evolution what people have missed is the massive
the battery within its temperature window to It is not just the teams that spend their days improvement in efficiency,’ highlights Lau.
avoid derating. The first is to reduce the total optimising the efficient use of energy, but ‘We’re talking about doing the same number
energy consumed throughout the race. This the championship suppliers, too. Years of of laps, at relatively similar lap times, in a
ensures the driver completes the race, but pushing the boundaries of battery and motor 45-minute race, but with a RESS that is only
they will finish with excess energy. technology has led to the development of the 38.5kWh [Gen3] compared to 52kWh [Gen2].
The second approach is to try and most efficient racecar on the planet. ‘This is a massive improvement in
minimise the discharge (acceleration) and Today’s Gen3 racers now achieve efficiency, which has also meant the RESS is
drivetrain efficiencies above 95 per cent, now around 100kg lighter.
and up to 40 per cent of their energy can be ‘If the Gen3 car had the same chassis and
‘We try to give the recovered during regenerative braking. This tyres as Gen2, then it would probably have
is a long way from Gen1 a decade ago, where made that step improvement in performance
driver multiple tools to the race energy of 28kWh, power output on the weight reduction alone. So, from Gen1
adapt the amount of of 200kW and maximum regeneration of to Gen2, we’ve gone from two cars at 28kWh
100kW meant drivers had to swap cars mid- each to one car at 52kWh, and now Gen3 is
energy they are putting race to make it to the end. one car at 38.5kWh. That massive step at each
The 2018 season welcomed a new era generation change has predominantly come
back into the battery’ with the Gen2 car capable of 52kWh, 250kW from the ability to regenerate more energy
Roger Griffiths power output and 250kW of regen’, allowing and, in the case of Gen3, from both axles.’

W: www.3ddc.eu
T: +44(0)1234 391894
E: [email protected]
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TECHNOLOGY – SYNTHETIC FUELS
Synthetic reality
From biofuels and e-Fuel to drop-in fuels and the various colours of Hydrogen,
Racecar navigates the current state of the sustainable fuel landscape
By LAWRENCE BUTCHER
W
hat is the future for motorsport two viable options: hydrogen (which the However, blending at too high a ratio
powertrains? The answer ACO is pursuing for endurance racing) and can result in a host of issues for regular fuel
is not simple and, over the carbon neutral, or at least low carbon, bio or systems, unless they are specifically designed
next decade, there will synthetic fuels. It is these latter types of fuel to handle alcohol fuels.
undoubtedly be some false starts and missed that categories large and small are turning to. Fortunately, there are now advanced
deadlines, but all in the name of progress. biofuels, which take this pure bioethanol
Electrification, though it has its place, will Spot the difference and process it further, creating something
not answer every series’ needs. Formula E First up, it is worth breaking down the much closer to traditional petrol (gasoline).
will keep doing its thing, and other series, difference between fuel types, as the It is this type of fuel that is being used in the
particularly those that use touring car base terminology is important. WRC and WEC (both 100 per cent biofueled).
models, will probably move that way as well. To start, we have biofuels, which covers F1, meanwhile, is using an E10 blend
For others, electrification is simply not first and second-generation biofuels. This but should move to100 per cent biofuel by
viable. Formula 1 and sportscars, for example, differentiates between fuels created from 2026 when its new power unit regulations
are all likely to keep internal combustion food crops, such as corn or sugar cane (first come into play. The Formula 2 championship
engines until at least the end of the decade, generation) and those created from non-food is at something of a halfway house, with a
albeit with a hybrid element. Though, as biomass, which can include fuels made from 55 per cent biofuel blend.
was announced recently, the FIA World Rally both bio-waste and non-food crop. To create true ‘drop-in’ fuels for racing,
Championship has dropped its expensive A decade ago, there was investment into bioethanol needs to be further processed
and problem-prone hybrid system; new the development of algae-based biofuels, to create bio-gasoline, which can then be
powertrain rules beyond the current referred to as third-generation biofuel, blended with pure ethanol in the same way
homologation cycle are still to be confirmed. though interest in this source seems to have that traditional petrol is. This can be done
That said, racing runs on marketing, waned. The most relevant from a motorsport in a variety of ways, creating long chain
particularly for car manufacturers, and it is perspective is ethanol, and bioethanol has hydrocarbons that can be refined and blended
simply not acceptable, or responsible, to keep been blended with fossil fuels for a long time in the same way as traditional fuel. Lighter
burning fossil fuels, no matter how small the (standard pump fuel in the UK is now either portions are used to make petrol, the heavier
quantities are on a global level. This leaves E10 or E5, denoting the ethanol content). ‘cuts’ are used for other chemical production.
Schematic of the ethanol-petrol (gasoline) conversion process

Illustration of Audi’s e-diesel plant in Laufenburg, showing the e-fuel’s production process
Then one comes to fully synthetic, or Clearly, the use of coal isn’t going to cut it A process called a water gas shift
e-fuels. These do not use any biomass in in the sustainability stakes, but the creation reaction then uses another catalyst to react
their production and instead rely on the of fuel from hydrogen and carbon dioxide the steam and carbon monoxide, producing
combining of hydrogen and carbon. could have legs. The key is renewable energy both CO2 and more hydrogen. The CO2, and
and carbon capture. any other impurities, are then removed,
e-fuels Hydrogen is not found on its own leaving pure hydrogen.
Synthetic fuels are not new; they have been very often in nature (though this maybe a The problem currently is that this process
around since the early to mid-20th century. misrepresentation; see sidebar on p73), so it is both energy intensive and uses a fossil fuel
During the Second World War, around half must be processed from other compounds. – natural gas – hence hydrogen produced by
of Germany’s fuel was created in synthetic The most common means of hydrogen this means is termed ‘grey hydrogen’.
fuel plants, either from coal using the Bergius production is through the process of steam A more sustainable version of stream
process, where powdered coal is mixed with re-forming natural gas or methane. This sees re-forming sees the produced carbon dioxide
tar and iron oxide and then heated at high the hydrogen containing gas reacted get captured, resulting in blue hydrogen.
pressure with hydrogen, or the Fischer- with steam at high temperatures (700- However, the ideal is so-called green
Tropsch process using hydrogen and carbon 1000degC) under pressure (3-25bar), with hydrogen, which is produced from water via
monoxide. We will return to the issues these a catalyst to produce hydrogen, carbon electrolysis. The important part being the
presented, particularly in aviation fuel, later. monoxide and carbon dioxide. electrolysis is powered by renewable energy.
Racing runs on marketing, particularly

for car manufacturers, and it is simply
not acceptable, or responsible, to keep
burning fossil fuels, no matter how small
the quantities are on a global level
Race series around the world are taking the fuel debate seriously. The ACO is backing hydrogen for endurance racing, while others are exploring the possibilities offered by bio and synthetic fuels

Karl Dums, team lead at Porsche in the

development of synthetic fuels, acknowledges
that the only way the company will meet its
decarbonisation goals is to factor
existing vehicles into the plan
If this hydrogen is then used to create However, there are some valid arguments
synthetic fuels – provided the process is against e-fuels being the future path for
completed using renewable energy and the transport, most of which centre around the
carbon is captured from the atmosphere – the efficiency of their production. There are,
end result is a truly carbon neutral fuel. of course, also the standard tropes about
The Fischer-Tropsch process is a series of non-CO2 tailpipe emissions, but modern
chemical reactions that convert a mixture combustion engines and their after-treatment
of hydrogen and carbon monoxide (called systems make these almost irrelevant.
syngas) into liquid hydrocarbons. With each The efficiency argument holds water
reaction, different compounds are created, to an extent. The electrolysis process to
until the desired compounds are arrived at produce hydrogen via electrolysis is an
for use in fuels and other applications. energy intensive one and there are losses. The
Much like the refinement of crude oil, current efficiency is in the region of 70-80 per
Fischer-Tropsch produces a range of end cent, though the latest developments in PEM
products that can be categorised by their (proton exchange membrane) electrolysers
molecular chain length – short, medium and should see this figure edge closer to 90 per
long – with the middle of these being the cent by the end of the decade. Porsche chose a barren area of
ideal starting point for fuel production. There are also the losses in the e-fuel Chile, with an abundant renewable
production process itself, not to mention the energy source, for the site of its
Efficiency argument losses experienced when the fuel is burnt synthetic fuel development plant
The benefits of biofuels and synthetic fuels in an ICE. While current F1 power units may
are many, not least they allow for the use of
existing and refined powertrain technologies Where the switch to all electric
and infrastructure with a reduced, or net zero, demands the disposal of millions
impact on carbon emissions. of existing ICE vehicles, bio and
In the case of e-fuels, they can represent synthetic fuels can use existing
an effective means of transporting energy technologies and infrastructure
from areas where renewable energy may be
plentiful but demand for energy is low (there
is a good reason Porsche’s pilot plant is in a
windswept part of Chile, for example).
While this energy could be used to
produce hydrogen, which is then shipped,
the transporting of hydrogen is considerably
more complicated than liquid fuel.
There are some valid

arguments against e-fuels
being the future path for
transport, most of which
centre around the efficiency
of their production
The Fischer-Tropsch process converts
syngas into liquid hydrocarbons. This
industrial power-to-liquid plant uses
the process to develop synthetic fuels

TECHNOLOGY  SYNTHETIC FUELS
exceed 50 per cent thermal efficiency, even

the latest production car engines operate in
the 35-40 per cent bracket, though this will
inevitably increase.
BEVs, meanwhile, manage to net around
70 per cent well-to-wheel efficiency. The
crux being that they cannot compete with
e-fuels in terms of energy density and, more
importantly, renewable energy generation
fluctuates. If there is an excess of energy,
it either needs to be stored in batteries or,
preferably, used to produce renewable fuels.
There are also cost hurdles in the way of
widespread use of bio and synthetic fuels.
Currently, they are markedly more expensive
than traditional petrol, though this is less of
a concern in racing. However, if production is
scaled and efficiencies along the production
process realised, their proponents claim they
should come into line with traditional fuels by
the end of the decade.
Engine challenges
The biofuel and synthetic fuel landscape
is constantly evolving but, looking at the While often touted as ‘drop-in’ fuels, as General Motors engineers discovered during the NASCAR Garage 56 project at Le Mans in
current state of play, there are still notable 2023, the use of biofuels can lead to other issues, such as rapidly increased engine wear
challenges for motorsport, even with so-
called ‘drop-in’ fuels.
As various FIA championships have
moved towards their use, those tasked with
building and running engines have not had
a straightforward task. One WRC technical
director commented, ‘The fuel was meant to
be drop-in, it’s not. We have all had things
going on in the background because the fuel
is… [insert diplomatic pause] difficult to use.’
Most of these problems centre around the
cuts of fuel and additive packages that are
blended to create the finished product. One
engine developer in an FIA championship
explained it as such:
‘Whereas your traditional racing fuel is
made from fractions from the middle of the
range – the Goldilocks mix if you like – not too
heavy and not too light, the current crop of Audi took an innovative path with the
fuels tend to have very light and very heavy development of its RS Q e-tron Dakar racer,
components, blended to achieve the result. which is battery electric but also has a TFSI
‘Unfortunately, the stability of this mix is ICE as part of its energy conversion system
not assured, not least because lighter parts to charge the battery on the go
tend to evaporate, leaving only the heavy parts.
‘In an old school, naturally aspirated
engine, with either port injection or Compounding the issue of dilution is the shows that even the more advanced fuels
carburettors, this is not such an issue, but fact that bioethanol is immiscible with oil, so available are not yet quite ‘drop-in’.
with the refined, direct injection systems emulsions form within the oil, with potentially The issue of dilution can be addressed,
found in WEC and the WRC, coupled with catastrophic results. for example, by creating the conditions for
turbocharging, it plays havoc with the precise This was highlighted by ECR Engines, higher crankcase temperatures to help the
spray patterns and knock resistance.’ which built the Garage 56 NASCAR engine fuel evaporate, though that can also lead to a
Fuel dilution of the lubricating oil is that ran at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. situation where the heavier constituents are
another problem being experienced. Due to During development of the car’s pushrod V8, left behind, potentially increasing oil viscosity.
the high heat of evaporation of bioethanol, the team ran into unexpected valvetrain wear
unburned fuel is more likely to settle on the issues that were quickly identified as being Old news
combustion chamber walls and then be caused by dilution of the oil by Total’s spec This is not a new development, as noted
scraped down into the crankcase, to a far biofuel, which is supplied to all Le Mans cars. earlier. Germany experienced various
greater extent than regular petrol, which ECR solved the issues with modifications problems with its synthetic, high-performance
evaporates at lower temperature. to the pushrod and rockers, but its experience aviation fuels in the Second World War.

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As Callum Douglas’ excellent tome on WW2

aircraft engine development, The Secret
Horsepower Race, Western Front Fighter Engine
Development details, deployment of the
Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine was hobbled by
the fact it was designed to run on a particular
spec of fuel, designated CV2B.
Unfortunately, this blend was impractical
to produce in large quantities. The more
readily available C3 fuel was therefore
substituted, but problems with bearing
failures began to arise after 200-300 hours of
running. The culprit was the fuel’s high boiling
point, 175degC compared to C2’s 125degC,
which led to dilution of the oil.
The solution was to run higher engine
temperatures, but this necessitated an entire
re-design of the cooling and fuel system.
Compounding the problem, the C2 fuel still
available had been in storage too long, and
the evaporation of vital elements destroyed
its knock performance, rendering it unusable. Toyota is investing heavily in testing and development of hydrogen as a fuel source. This is its GR Corolla H2 Concept
Ultimately, none of these challenges are
insurmountable, and many are the result of Modification to hardware and calibration hopefully, there should be a true drop-in
overzealous regulators writing cheques their can overcome the vast majority of them alternative to petrol readily available.
chosen fuels can’t cash. but, at least in the WRC, engine builders Parallel to the development of sustainable
only found this out at a late stage in the fuels, there is also a move to making other,
development cycle, with modification to currently fossil-based, fluids more sustainable,
Untapped resource injectors and other parts having to be made including lubricating oils.
under the token system that rallying uses,
C
urrently, the future of synthetic fuels hinges which they would much rather have spent on Net positive
around a prevalence of low, or carbon neutral, performance-related developments. Despite some of their disadvantages
energy, be that from wind, solar or nuclear, in Of course, the developers of renewable compared to traditional racing fuels, on
order to power electrolysis plants. However, there is fuels are aware of their shortcomings and balance, increased adoption of bio and
potentially a vast, untapped resource of hydrogen developments are underway to improve their synthetic fuels in racing is a net positive. Not
that is just starting to garner interest. This is naturally properties further. By the end of the decade, only will manufacturers involved in the sport
occurring, or so-called ‘white’ hydrogen. be able to assuage environmental concerns;
This is hydrogen sourced from underground further down the pecking order, racers will
reservoirs in much the same way as oil or natural gas. None of these challenges are still be able to compete, even as legislation
Until recently, no one had considered the possibility of
insurmountable, and many puts ever greater pressure on ICE vehicles.
such deposits, thanks to hydrogen’s flighty nature and This is an important consideration. As
ability to escape even the tightest containment. This are the result of overzealous more and more countries and regions enact
was because no one was looking in the right place, or clean air policies, being able to present a
looking at all. But the clues were there.
regulators writing cheques sustainable argument for the exemption of
In 1987, well diggers in a small village in Mali, west their chosen fuels can’t cash racing is vital.
Africa, drilled a bore hole. It didn’t yield water, but
they hit a gas pocket which caught fire, much to the
consternation of the villagers. The hole was capped
and sealed until 2012 when a petroleum company, at
the request of Malian businessman, Aliou Diallo, re-
visited the site and ascertained the escaping gas was
98 per cent pure hydrogen. That hydrogen well has
been providing the village with power ever since.
Fast forward a decade and, with demand for
hydrogen set to increase, hydrogen exploration
projects are popping up across the globe. A study by
the US Geological Survey suggests that there could
be trillions of tons of sub-surface hydrogen, albeit
much of it currently inaccessible. However, even if only
a small percentage of the reserves are economically
viable, their discovery and exploitation could
upend the calculus that currently makes hydrogen
a desirable, but expensive, foundation for synthetic
fuels, or as a fuel in its own right.
Racing will continue to play a vital role in the development of fuels of the future,whatever they may turn out to be

TECHNOLOGY – SIMULATION
Damping in the wild

The Damper Workbook applied to a 900bhp beast of a case study
By DANNY NOWLAN
????
Tomohiko ‘Under’ Suzuki and his radical Scorch Racing Silvia S15 compete in the Pro class of Time Attack and is the subject of this month’s application of knowledge article
O
ne of the most inherent beliefs in Not only does it show you that this is a Seriously, if you put racing slicks on this
English-speaking culture is that hot button topic, but also that there is a lack thing, over the course of a lap it would make
one can see further if one has of genuine information on this important most circuit cars look rather modest.
‘stood on the shoulder of giants’. element of racecar tuning. The other joker in the pack here is the
This article is proof positive of this. One of the traps I see people regularly tyres it uses are a halfway house between a
Yes, myself and ChassisSim have carved a fall into when working on racecar damping is performance road tyre and a racing slick.
reputation for being damper masters, but the temptation to over complicate things Consequently, this offers a great case study
the only reason we could do this is because when they don’t need to. What we’ll be of just how effective this approach can be.
of people like Kurt Roehrig. The founder of doing in this article is applying the The other thing to consider before we
Roehrig Engineering was a key pioneer in knowledge we have learned, and showing begin is the way the damping curves were
popularising the damper dyno. Very sadly, how simulation tools enter the equation, deduced on this car. Basic high school maths
Roehrig has been diagnosed with a using a car I once worked on. got us into the ballpark, and then the
degenerative terminal illness but, if you want The car in question is the Scorch Racing simulation software took us the rest of the
to appreciate his legacy, this month’s article Nissan Silvia S15 Time Attack car, shown way. No magic wand was waved. This is how
would not be possible without his good work. above, as raced by Tomohiko ‘Under’ Suzuki you use simulation properly.
One of the most popular articles I have in the Pro class at World Time Attack So, let’s get cracking with the application.
ever written for Racecar, and one of the most challenge held at Sydney Motorsport Park. Your start point, as always, is the quarter car
downloaded items on the ChassisSim This car is a monster. We’re talking 900bhp model. To refresh everyone’s memory, this is
website, is the Damper Workbook. and CLA numbers well north of seven. illustrated in Figure 2.
One of the traps I see people regularly falling into when working on racecar damping
is the temptation to over complicate things, when they don’t need to
Also, because this is so numerically
Fig 2: the quarter car model Fig 3: Second order system response
simple, it gives you a quantitative basis
to start talking about your damping.
And, as we are about to find out, this can
be brutally effective. It also takes you into
a much larger and more precise world.
The next step in this process is to
understand what you want the damping
ratio to do. To do this, we need to consider
a typical second order system response.
An example of this is shown in figure 3.
The reason the second order damping
response is so important here is because
it closely resembles the quarter car model.
As we can see from figure 3, when the
damping ratios are quite low (at about
The quarter car model is the most basic Where, 0.3-0.4) we have a lot of oscillatory
building block of racecar damper analysis. behaviour. Not great for body control but
Yes, it is simple and, in order to use it, you cut ω0 = natural frequency in rad/s really good for riding bumps. However,
corners by assuming the body rate is much KB = Spring rate of the quarter car in N/m with damping ratios greater than 0.5, the
lower than the tyre spring rate. This is an mB = Quarter car mass in kg damping response is quite good. Bad for
assumption that leaves a lot to be desired for ξ = Damping ratio bumps this time, but great for body control.
high-downforce cars because of the high CB = Damping rate in N/m/s If you can understand these two
spring rates you need to hold the car up. principles, you are well on your way to
However, the power of the quarter car Right away, there are a couple of traps specifying a damper curve. Incidentally, for
model is that it is simple and, when used for young players here. Firstly, all the wheel any of you reading this who have a problem
intelligently, it gets you a fair way down the and damping rates are wheel rates. We’ll talk with the curve shown in figure 3, it comes
road quite easily. I’ve done the derivation of about what they look like at the damper from D’Azzo and Houpis, Linear Systems
this to death in previous articles, but the shortly. Also, work this in strict SI / metric Control Analysis and Design. This is the go-to
following two equations need to be units. I know this will annoy some of our textbook for aerospace and electrical
committed to memory. American readers, but you’ll get over it. engineers designing flight controls.
These guiding principles about bumps,
Theoretically incorrect body control and damping ratios segue
(1) Now, there is one thing to note about what neatly into the next stage of the process,
we have done with the quarter car vehicle the damper selection guide. This is presented
model. The equations here effectively treat in figure 4.
the tyre spring as infinite, and approximate For low-speed damping, body control
the car as a simple spring damper unit at the is paramount. For mechanical cars, we are
sprung mass. While this is not theoretically talking damping ratios of 0.7, and for
correct, for road cars it’s a very good high-downforce cars we are talking
(2) approximation and for a high-downforce damping ratios of at least one. My hard
racecar it gets you a decent start. limit here is 1.4 but you get the idea.
Fig 4: Damper selection guide

TECHNOLOGY – SIMULATION
In low-speed rebound for mechanical

Fig 5: The result of entering a dual rate model in ChassisSim
cars you are talking damping ratios of 0.4-0.5,
while for high-downforce cars you are
looking at damping ratios of 0.7. There is an
outlier on this, but I’ll discuss that at length
in a future article.
Guiding principle
So, with this as our guiding principle, let’s
work through an example of how you figure
out the damping rates and put together a
damper curve. To kick off, let’s consider the
quarter car parameters shown in table 1.
Table 1: Quarter car paramaters

Parameters Value
Quarter car mass 250kg
Motion ratio 0.8
Base spring rate at damper 300N/mm
Now we have this, we need to figure out

the natural frequency. This is shown by
below.
Crunching the numbers, we see that dominant because controlling the aero
(3) shown by equations 7 and 8. platform is your number one priority.
However, when this process was applied
to Under Suzuki’s car, a number of key
challenges where faced. Firstly, due to the
(7) nature of the tyres, you couldn’t muscle it out
Now that we have that figured out, we with big main spring rates. That was a
need to work out the base damping rate. This non-starter. Significant support had to come
is called CBR and is shown by equation 4. from the third spring and, when you do this,
you have to factor this into your natural
frequency and damper calculations we
(??) showed earlier.
(4)
Tricky by nature
Once we have the base damping rate, we The other thing that made this particular job
can choose the actual damping we need. For very tricky was the high aero load. That,
the low-speed rates we’ll choose a damping At this stage of the game, you might be together with the nature of the tyres, meant
ratio of one, and for the high speed we’ll thinking: this is all great, but how do we get both aero response and contact patch load
choose a damping ratio of 0.5. With those in a damper curve? variation became equally important.
mind, see equations 5 and 6. Here’s where the dual rate model in What all this translated into was a lot of
ChassisSim is about to become your best simulation work. The end result of this is
friend. If you have ChassisSim, all you have to shown in figure 6.
(5) do is click on the damper tab, choose the
dual rate model, fill in the numbers and,
when you press OK, you’ll have something
like that shown by figure 5.
When this process is done, you’ll have a
For a high-downforce car, the
(6) base damper curve, but we’re not quite there frequency response and, in
yet. There is still work to do.
The next step is to use the ChassisSim particular, minimising the
Here, CLS and CHS are the low and shaker rig toolbox. Usually, for a mechanical cross pitch mode becomes
high-speed damping rates respectively. car, I’ll focus on minimising contact patch
The last step is obtaining damper rates at load variation and then tune the frequency dominant because controlling
the damper. To do this, divide by the motion response. For a high-downforce car, the
ratio squared (assuming the motion ratio is frequency response and, in particular,
the aero platform is your
damper movement / wheel movement) minimising the cross pitch mode becomes number one priority
Fig 6: End result of the shaker rig analysis work
Fig 7: Damper response at Sydney Motorsport Park
On the trace, initial damper spec is shown In the low-speed section, car response is Unfortunately, an accident after that put
in black and final damper design in red. As excellent, but there were still issues at high the car out of commission, so we were
can be seen, the contact patch load variation speed, which were resolved by going up in unable to get a true measure of its new pace.
has dropped by 4kg at the front and 0.8kg at the high-speed damping. In closing, what we have shown here is a
the rear, while the cross pitch mode response The important part was the process real-life case study of how to tune dampers.
has dropped by nearly 20 per cent. If you see translated into improved car performance. While this method is not perfect, it is simple,
results like this, you put them on the car! The Even on tyres that were over 12 laps old, practical and gives a feel for the numbers.
net result of whch is shown in figure 7. Suzuki recorded a lap time of 1m 22.3s at Combine this with simulation and use it
Due to confidentiality, scalings have been Sydney Motorsport Park. Even more as a calculator (as opposed to a magic wand)
blanked out, but the traces are speed, throttle, significant here is that Pro class cars in Time and the results will take care of themselves.
steer, front dampers and rear dampers, Attack rarely get more than three laps out of The improved pace of Suzuki’s Time Attack
followed by longitudinal and lateral g. a set of tyres, so this was unprecedented. car is proof positive of this.

BUSINESS – NEWS
IN BRIEF
Red Bull Advanced Techologies
Full steam ahead for H24
has partnered with Austrian
company, AVL, to produce what
the companies call the ‘next
generation of ultra-high-power
density fuel cell technology.’
The idea is to produce high-
power, low-weight battery
packs that will be suitable for
high-performance automotive,
motorsport and aviation.
McLaren has parted ways with

former Ferrari aero specialist,
David Sanchez, after only a
few months and the first few
races of the 2024 FIA Formula 1
World Championship.
Sanchez has vacated his
position as technical director,
car concept and performance,
which has triggered a series of
updates across the department.
Rob Marshall, signed from
Red Bull, will assume the
role of chief designer, Neil
Houldey is the new technical The ACO’s hydrogen-powered H24 (shown) will be demonstrated at the Spa WEC race, together with Alpine’s hydrogen ICE-powered Alpenglow
director of engineering, while
Peter Prodromou continues The ACO’s bid to introduce will be joined by Alpine’s Alpenglow, hydrogen class at Le Mans in 2027,
in his role as technical hydrogen technology will take a step which is powered by a combustion and the ACO says it has a number of
director of aerodynamics. forward ahead of this year’s running engine using hydrogen as fuel. manufacturers sitting at the table
of the 24 Hours of Le Mans when two The ACO originally planned to to establish the regulations. They
Hyundai has confirmed it cars featuring different technologies run only a fuel cell in its top-tier are known to include Toyota, which
will return to the Pikes Peak
will complete demonstration laps class, but combustion engine has staked its future endurance
International Hillclimb this
ahead of the 6 Hours of Spa in May. technology is evolving so quickly racing plans on the fuel, while
year to chase the Electric
Production SUV/Crossover The H24, which has been that the organisation decided to Alpine’s prototype suggests it,
record with its IONIQ 5N cars. developed through the ACO and adapt its regulations to reflect that. too, is considering changing from
The cars will feature increased was demonstrated at Spa in 2023, The current plan is to introduce a the current LMDh platform.
safety with racing seats, belts,
fire suppression system and a
rollcage, but will otherwise be
standard, without a rear seat. New UK-based New IndyCar Aeroscreen
Formula 1 has confirmed a
25-race schedule for 2025,
‘Caddyshack’ arrives ahead of schedule
starting in Australia on 16 March
and ending in Abu Dhabi on 7 The Andretti-Cadillac Formula 1 bid has taken An updated version of IndyCar’s Aeroscreen cockpit
December. The FIA says the new a giant step forward with the opening of a new protection device was introduced ahead of schedule at
programme has created ‘a better 48,000sq.ft facility at Silverstone in the UK. the Grand Prix of Long Beach. The Aeroscreen 2.0, which is
geographical flow of races.’ Despite being rejected by Formula 1 for designed for road and street courses, was due to make its
its initial entry, the team and Cadillac have debut in May but was ready in time for an expedited roll out.
Lubricant company, Motul, has pressed ahead with the opening of the new Weight saving without compromising strength has been a key
reached an agreement to be title facility, saying, ‘we have embarked on the task and around 5kg has been taken out of the device, which
sponsor of the Castle Combe next stage of our preparations to enter the consists of a ballistic windscreen fitted into a titanium frame.
circuit, and of the German
FIA Formula 1 World Championship.’ ‘We’ve taken that opportunity to also make the styling
Action Day car show in August.
More than 80 personnel have moved into the nicer, improve driver ventilation and make the thinner
Changes to the track include
re-naming the home for hacks building from Andretti-Cadillac, which will house polycarbonate as strong as the thicker polycarbonate,’ explains
as the Motul Media Centre. manufacturing facilities, electronics and model Tino Belli, director of aerodynamic development at IndyCar.
and machine shops. The new space will work with The weight-saving measures correspond to a 15.8kg
The next Mercedes-AMG GT3 the main Andretti site in Indiana, USA and the reduction in car downforce, according to the series.
car, which was signed off late Formula E facility in Banbury. ‘We learned over the years where the limit of the vision
last year and will be introduced ‘While we are building an American works team, was,’ adds Belli. ‘In the first version, we were conservative.
at the earliest in 2026, will not having a European base is a great way to attract We gave them a wider field of vision, but found out they
be built by long-term Mercedes the best in F1 talent, and install state-of-the-art didn’t need it. So, now we’ve used that space to create a
partner team HWA, which has
machinery,’ said the team in its statement. vent, which comes underneath the titanium top frame and
served in that position since
With confirmation of its grand prix entry still is ducted down to blow air toward the driver’s chest.’
2011. Rumours connect Reiter
Engineering with the project. hanging in the balance, the new facility has been IndyCar and Red Bull Advanced Technologies developed
designed to scale up quickly when required. the first Aeroscreen ahead of its launch during the 2020 season.

Lola opts for ABT in Formula E
British company, Lola Cars, has In partnership with ABT and Yamaha, Lola
linked with the ABT team to run its is making a return to motorsport after over a
Yamaha entry in the FIA Formula E decade away, intent on becoming a leading
World Championship next season. force in sustainable motorsport
The collaboration between Lola
and ABT is just one element of a
joint venture between the two
companies to explore far-reaching
areas of sustainable motorsport. This
will form part of Lola’s strategy to re-
establish itself as an industry leader,
focusing on electrification, hydrogen
and sustainable fuels and materials.
ABT is a long-time entrant into
the Formula E series, winning
the title in 2017 with Lucas di Yamaha joins Formula E for
Grassi. The deal with Lola and the first time in the championship’s
Yamaha will see the end of its 11th season, when the Gen3 cars will
association with Spanish brand, be updated with an Evo version.
Cupra, at the end of this season. ‘Yamaha Motor Company is
Lola confirmed at the end of accelerating the research and
March that it has partnered with development of various technologies
Yamaha to develop a powertrain that contribute to sustainability,’ says
that will return it to professional Heiji Maruyama, managing executive
motorsport for the first time since it officer and director, Yamaha Motor
went into administration in 2012. The Co Ltd. ‘As the technical partner, we
former racecar chassis constructor hope to acquire more advanced
was purchased by Till Bechtolsheimer energy management technologies
in 2022 and has since been through the highest level of
developing a new headquarters electric racing in Formula E. We
at Silverstone, UK with a view to also share Lola’s new philosophy
re-establishing the company in of sustainable motorsport and
racing and leading in sustainability. are very pleased and honoured to
‘The focus of this project is form this partnership with them.’
squarely around technological Meanwhile, Nissan became the
development in which Lola is fully first manufacturer to announce its
invested,’ says Bechtolsheimer. commitment to the Gen4 Formula
‘We see the highly efficient E regulations in March, agreeing
350kW electric powertrain that to be involved until at least 2030.
underpins the manufacturer’s ‘The technological breakthroughs
perimeter in Formula E as a that we make on the track will
cornerstone technology with provide great insights to the
exciting applications across many development of our future
forms of top flight international products,’ said Nissan Motor
motorsport in the coming years.’ Corporation CEO, Makoto Uchida.
NXT Gen Cup dropped from Formula E support slot

Just days after confirming an ‘NXT Gen’s participation at
expansion of its cooperation with the ABB FIA Formula E World
battery producer, Clarios, the NXT Championship has been
Gen Touring Car Cup was abruptly cancelled for Season 10 due to
taken off the Formula E support unexpected constraints faced
race schedule, ahead of the opening by the support series,’ said a
round in Misano, Italy. spokesperson for Formula E.
The series confirmed in February The all-electric junior class was
it would join Formula E this season lined up to support Formula E at all
with its 100 per cent electric Minis four European rounds of the series
featured in RE V34N4, but was struck with its Mini Cooper SE road car-
off the bill shortly before the Italian based racers, engineered and built
race and will not return this year. by the Swedish Lestrup Racing Team. ‘Unexpected constraints’ is the reason given for taking NXT Gen cup off European Formula E bill

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BUSINESS TALK – CHRIS AYLETT
Position positive
How motorsport is perfectly placed on the roadmap for the future
R
ecently, motorsport engineers and effect on employment and manufacture in these The UK’s motorsport industry is ideally
technology leaders gathered at the regions, where automotive has traditionally placed to act as a test bed and proving
MIA EEMS conference, when their wide provided substantial employment. ground for sustainable transport solutions.
experience made for a well-informed, stimulating The negative effect on global warming from It can also demonstrate these solutions to a
discussion. Their interest and determination is the shipping requirements needed to bring these public audience, preparing and enthusing
to secure a sustainable future for the sport in a vehicles from China adds to the difficulties. them about the changes to come.
period of substantial change. All were acutely Is this turmoil a result of an unrealistic Currently, not only is our industry working
aware of the difficulties facing automotive timetable set by politicians, or is it part of a hard to increase efficient battery power: It’s also
transport and the need to find long-term reasonable cycle for this new challenge? If it’s developing the use of hydrogen, sustainable
solutions in which motorsport companies could the latter, should there be more encouragement fuels and hybrid powertrains. It will gather
play a role as a response to global warming. for investment in sustainable alternatives? knowledge and experience from these solutions
Our business community is well that, in turn, will help others make
aware of the threat this poses for progress towards the net zero target.
our future, and the negative effect Experience gained will facilitate
automotive transport is seen to be and encourage steady and achievable
contributing to this position. It is clear progress on a wide range of fronts.
that once this threat was identified to The success of the FIA Formula E
the wider public, demands for things World Championship demonstrates
to change justifiably followed. how valuable motorsport can be
Politicians have taken action and in popularising a net zero solution,
made decisions, which their political making electric cars appear exciting
futures demanded, and called for fast and attractive. Motorsport also attracts
action. Addressing global warming, investment and support from major
which has taken millennia to reach technology-based brands who seek to
this critical state, requires solutions influence a wide, relevant audience.
that will need several decades These companies, and their investment
to make a significant impact. Motorsport can, and will, play a vital role in the worldwide journey to net zero in motorsport, will help the public
Positive steps are being made, regain an interest in the journey to net
but more are needed, and many agitate The ambition of net zero will eventually zero and increase enthusiasm for vital changes.
for more rapid progress. This impatience to be reached and, with good direction, it The MIA’s CTS24 Motorsport Technology
resolve such a complex issue urgently has not could even meet the current target of 2050, Showcase on 17-18 October at Silverstone
proved particularly constructive. Consistent, but this will depend on clear, consistent will focus on the opportunities for motorsport
careful, well-rounded progress, particularly in leadership from governments. suppliers to meet these exciting challenges.
automotive, is essential to gain the support It would seem industry believes this This trade-only show is free to attend to all
from vehicle users and the manufacturers who target is reachable, but in reasonable in our industry and offers the opportunity
have to deliver these sustainable solutions. increments and with careful development. to network with influential figures, meet
The initial sales success of battery electric the 100+ exhibitors and engage in the
vehicles (BEV) has recently faltered. Whether Sustainable solutions many discussions that will take place.
this decline will be permanent, or is just part of So what role could motorsport technology and The UK is in an outstanding position to grasp
a cycle of acceptance, is unclear, but the BEV engineering play to ensure these important and lead this booming business opportunity.
solution needs to make rapid progress, not targets are met? The MIA EEMS audience shared The reach of our industry now includes marine,
only in local car production, but in charging their knowledge of progress in several sustainable aerospace and defence, as well as automotive, all
systems, which are currently being delivered solutions that could help to achieve net zero. of whom are on the same journey to net zero.
too slowly. These delays have contributed to a Motorsport has always demonstrated I welcome comments on this article and what
potentially unwelcome economic position. progress when given complex challenges actions you feel should be taken by our business
The unwelcome effect of the enormous and there’s no doubt this is one of those. leaders to benefit from these opportunities.
commitment made by China to build up Long before public awareness of global Please email me at [email protected].
production of BEVs, batteries and inexpensive warming, motorsport developed expertise
cars will soon be felt in the USA and Europe. and practice in the efficient use of energy. The Chris Aylett is CEO of the MIA (Motorsport
This powerful position will have a knock-on reason is simple – wasted energy loses the race. Industry Association) www.the-mia.com
Long before public awareness of global warming, motorsport developed expertise

and practice in the efficient use of energy [because] wasted energy loses the race
BUMP STOP
PIT CREW
What once was…
Editor
Andrew Cotton @RacecarEd
A life in motorsport well lived, and well remembered
O
Email [email protected]
Deputy editor
Even years later, when asked to remember those days,
Daniel Lloyd @RacecarEngineer n 4 April 2024, my father, Michael, died, bringing the fire was still there. He could never quite trust Bernie
to an end an extraordinary life. It’s a life that has Ecclestone and Max Mosley when they became involved in
Sub editor
Mike Pye since been recognised through tributes and endurance racing, either. Although Stéphane Ratel regards
Art editor messages from around the world, and they have Ecclestone as the best business partner he ever had, Michael
Barbara Stanley
been a source of comfort for me and my family. never quite reached that plateau.
Technical consultant
Peter Wright His love affair with racing started at an early age, drawing
Contributors
Jamie Klein, Mike Breslin, Don Taylor,
grand prix cars on his exercise book at school. It was with Love of GT racing
Gemma Hatton, Karl Ludvigsen, amusement that we walked the paddock at the Goodwood Michael had been friendly with the likes of Hill, Clark, Ickx
Danny Nowlan, Lawrence Butcher
Photography
Revival looking at the Connaughts, him pointing out the and Bell, so it was perhaps surprising that he fell in love with
James Moy, Jack Shanlin, ones that were the right colours, and those that were not… the BPR series. It was one that could not really be described
Chris Green Photography
Having grown up with family living near Crystal Palace in as professional initially, but it brought together a group of
Group sales director Catherine Chapman
Head of sales operations Greg Witham London, he was soon hooked on racing. He rallied with his racers, stunning cars, a smattering of professional drivers, and
Advertising manager Doug Howard great friend, John Quick, in an E-Type Jaguar, competing on the series and teams were run well. There was a friendliness
Tel +44 (0) 20 7349 3796; +44 (0) 7743 192 575
the Coupe des Alpes and Tulip rallies in the mid-1960s. to the paddock (though not on track!) and the series valued
Marketing executive Bret Weekes Finding that same WOO II Jaguar again, now in the hands those who raced in it, and those who reported on it.
Email [email protected] of collector, Nikolaus Ditting, drew him to Goodwood in 2022. As racing transitioned to the mighty GT1 era, Michael
Publisher Simon Temlett
Managing director James Dobson He handed the original rally plates to Nikolaus, feeling they took a small step backwards, trying to retire, although not
Editorial and advertising belong with the car as part of its history. very hard. His last Le Mans as a journalist saw Audi win.
Racecar Engineering, Chelsea Magazine
Company, 111 Buckingham Palace Road,
Michael won the Tanganyika He considered that to be the best
London, SW1 0DT Tel +44 (0) 20 7349 3700
Subscriptions
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1000 Rally in 1960 with Bill
Fritschy, the East Africa Rally
He loved the Le Mans he had ever seen, and so
stepped away, satisfied.
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Champion, whom he met while
doing his national service in Africa racing, the cars, When GT3 was launched, he
declared loudly that he wouldn’t cross
Department, Sovereign Park, Lathkill St, and described as ‘a bit mad’, but the room to watch these cars. Ironic
Market Harborough, Leicestershire,
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his real love and skill was writing.
He returned to the UK and
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have been the 24 Hours of Spa in
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the consequences
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your subscription online?
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online today simply by signing up at as an apprentice there was a drivers could see in that compression,
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young Tony Southgate, who went just the tips of the trees beyond the
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Back Issues In 1963, my father took himself to Le Mans to watch the ‘Nah, stinks of piss,’ he replied.
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Lola compete, and so started a relationship with that event In his office now is a wealth of cuttings, stories, unfinished
Seymour International Ltd, that lasted until 2008. manuscripts and a couple of knackered typewriters, beaten
2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT
Tel +44 (0) 20 7429 4000 to death either by his writing, or his temper when they went
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Highs and lows wrong. My new prized possessions are an Olivetti 22, his first
Racecar Engineering (ISSN No: 0961-1096,
The years between saw him cover Formula 1, sportscar racing, typewriter, and the red Olivetti Valentine he was using when
USPS No: 463) is published monthly by the Targa Florio and even some Can-Am as editor of British I started attending races with him, before he transitioned to
The Chelsea Magazine Company Limited, and
distributed in the USA by Asendia USA, publication Motoring News. The only time I ever saw him a new idea, a typewriter that used thermal paper. That paper
701 Ashland Ave, Folcroft PA. POSTMASTER: send weep for a driver was on the 25th anniversary of Jim Clark’s was great in its light-proof envelope, but you had to ‘phone
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701 Ashland Ave, Folcroft, PA. 19032. passing. He liked Jimmy immensely, and his loss to the sport through copy extra quickly when it was hot.
Printed by William Gibbons at Hockenheim in 1968 was shocking to all. He covered racing Some have told me his legacy will be his most recent
Printed in England
ISSN No 0961-1096
through the 1970s, considered by many to be a golden age. books, 24:16 with Norbert Singer, and Blue & Orange, the story
USPS No 007-969 Although the cars became iconic, the accidents haunted him. of Gulf in motorsport. However, I have his bound editions of
He loved the racing, the cars, the drivers, the lifestyle, but Motoring News from when he was editor, from 1968 to 1976.
he hated the consequences of accidents. Reminiscing with They contain some brilliant reportage, delivered with the wit
my daughter recently, she was shocked at just how many and humour that are the hallmarks of his writing, but also full
fatalities he witnessed, and obituaries he wrote. of detail that take you back to the paddock, and the track.
As racing became safer, he turned towards politics in the They are remarkable, as was he.
sport, and his criticisms of the likes of Jean-Marie Balestre,
www.racecar-engineering.com
former president of the FIA, were, shall we say, lively. ANDREW COTTON Editor
To subscribe to Racecar Engineering, go to www.racecar-engineering.com/subscribe

or email [email protected] telephone +44 (0) 1795 419837
• Racecar Engineering, incorporating Cars & Car Conversions and Rallysport, is published 12 times per annum and is available on subscription. Although due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this publication is accurate and up-to-date, the
publisher can accept no liability for errors and omissions. Unless otherwise stated, this publication has not tested products or services that are described herein, and their inclusion does not imply any form of endorsement. By accepting advertisements in
this publication, the publisher does not warrant their accuracy, nor accept responsibility for their contents. The publisher welcomes unsolicited manuscripts and illustrations but can accept no liability for their safe return. © 2024 Chelsea Magazine Company,
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• Reproduction (in whole or in part) of any text, photograph or illustration contained in this publication without the written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Racecar Engineering (USPS 007-969) is published 12 times per year by
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SUPER GT Under the skin of Honda’s

fearsome new GT500 Civic

TOURING CAR HYBRIDS RILEY TECHNOLOGIES SPORTING TRIALS

THE XTREME IN RACECAR PLUMBING

COVER STORY FEATURES TECHNICAL

Toyota Gazoo Racing

Rain brought tyre strategy into the mix

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JUNE 2024 www.racecar-engineering.com 3

All ARP fasteners are

The 24-hour sprint race

History records that during the 20th century, transmission-related

Sauber’s C44 weighs in under the 798kg minimum,

6 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

James Key joined last September, reporting to Sauber

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8 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

having clear similarities to the ruthless Red

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Generally, this arrangement is more of a

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work to get right, so we couldn’t hit

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Believe it or not, Super GT

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The new Civic Type R-GT is

The Civic body had to be stretched

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TORQUE 530Nm from 5000rpm

WEIGHT 125 - 160kg dependent on config

20 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

And build in the best in precision data acquisition capabilities. When we

We created a new standard in aerodynamics.

Honda readily acknowledges it has a long way to

22 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

Engineering and data

We explore the present and future of the

24 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

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‘In combination with the new

‘The hybrid did all that, and ticks all of

26 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

See us in Hall 10, Stand 1578 4-6 June, 2024

Tel: 01273 455572 Email: [email protected] www.youngcalibration.co.uk

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‘But that aside, the general feeling is engine

28 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

clear direction for 2027 hasn’t yet been set.

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‘We are actively testing WSR lost out to Alliance Racing

Is that serving a purpose for the racing

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32 www.racecar-engineering.com JUNE 2024

With fiddle brakes, propane-

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