Audi weight penalty is SA

["Hans-Juergen Schneider" <hschnei@ibm.net>]

Forwarded from touring car list:


>Date: Thu, 06 Jun 96 09:11:00 +0200
>From: colin.windell@digitec.co.za (COLIN WINDELL)
>To: touringcar@vollans.demon.co.uk
>Subject: Weight for SA Audi
>Message-ID: <8C20227.007005D133.uuout@digitec.co.za>
>
>Weighty Problem For South African Audis
>
>
>The Rothmans-backed Audi A4 super tourers currently lying first and 
>second in the AA Fleetcare Super Touring Championship in South Africa 
>have been given a 25 kilogram weight penalty for the upcoming round of 
>the series in East London on June 15.
>
>Audi Sport boss Andre van der Watt is furious with the decision by the 
>Touring Car Association, saying: "When Opel totally dominated the 
>series last year winning something like 12 straight races there was no 
>suggestion of adding weight. At the same time Audi competed the entire 
>season with the Audi 80 and ran eighth and ninth but nobody 
>volunteered to allow us to reduce weight.
>
>"Very simply the technological superiority of the Audi is being 
>penalised. The cars run in South Africa are 1995 specification and are 
>1,5 seconds slower than the current BTCC cars, yet the weight penalty 
>being applied is almost the same."
>
>Says driver Terry Moss: "The ballast changes a number of things and 
>besides the actual weight in the car it affects cornering speeds and 
>tyre wear - these two characteristics our main advantage. East London 
>has a super-fast straight where, even without the extra weight, we 
>would be at a slight disadvantage. Now, the ability of the Audi to 
>make that up in the tight infield section has also been compromised."
>
>***********************************************************
>Colin Windell  <colin.windell@digitec.co.za>
>CyberRace Inc  (c) 1996. All rights reserved
>************************************************************