Cumbrian motorsport powerhouse M-Sport has taken over the TOCA engine deal for 2022 from Swindon Powertrain, and voices within the customer teams were saying during pre-season testing that they needed a boost.
Two of the TOCA-powered cars were given an additional 40 millibars of boost for the second free practice session at Donington, with all of the M-Sport-engined cars allowed that in time for qualifying.
“We experimented with two cars in free practice,” TOCA supremo Alan Gow told Autosport.
“We were using them to generate new data – that validated what we thought and we issued a bulletin to increase the boost for qualifying.”
The highest-placed M-Sport-engined car in qualifying was the BTC Racing Honda Civic Type R of Jason Plato, who was 10th fastest.
“What makes it difficult is when I’m in the car, with the level of experience I’ve got I know how much it’s lacking,” said the 97-time BTCC race winner.
“But it’s difficult for me to stand up on a podium and announce it.
“From where we started, I believe we’re 200 millibars away [on parity], and then guess what, we’ll be close.
“We don’t want to be fastest in a straight line, but we want to be competitive in a straight line.
“It’s no one’s fault, but my theory is don’t give us a little bit [of boost], give us what we want and if it’s too much take it off us.”
The situation was muddied slightly by the qualifying fortunes of Josh Cook and Rory Butcher, the two M-Sport engine users who were highest-placed in the 2021 standings.
Butcher’s Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla suffered a broken driveshaft, consigning the Scot to a place near the back of the grid, while Cook’s sister BTC Honda to Plato’s had other problems.
“The exhaust temperatures were melting everything around it, and it filled the car with toxic smoke before I even did a lap,” said Cook.
“I tried to do another lap, but it was so bad I couldn’t.”
Responding to suggestions that the TOCA engines need a further boost, Gow said: “How many people do you know who say they haven’t got enough power in their engine?
“It’s brand-new, in on its first competitive outing, and we’re continuing to look at it.”
Elsewhere, Motorbase Performance is close to completing its repair of Dan Cammish’s Ford Focus after its fire in qualifying – the crew left the circuit at 3.30am, and had returned and put the car on the weighing scales by 7am.
