NASA’s Scrutineers’ Committee has proposed that traction control be permitted in Autograss racing from 2010. The committee has made this proposal on the basis that it is unable to effectively police the current ban on traction control – so it may as well allow it.

Traction control will deskill driving and kill the show. © Daniel Moffatt

The proposal will be put before the NASA directors, but at this stage Technical Director Dave Walker is minded to recommend it is rejected. “It’s not up to me to overrule the scrutineers but I have not yet heard anything that makes me think it’s a good idea,” said Walker who has sought independent technical advice on the issue. “I don’t believe that anyone is using traction control and certainly not a proper ‘intelligent’ system. I don’t think that it’s something we want or need in Autograss; costs would be astronomical and it would de-skill driving. I also disagree with the argument that it cannot be policed and the advice I have had backs this up.”

Comment
Almost nowehere in motor sport is traction control permitted, so the stance of NASA’s scrutineers is unusual and would appear to display a poor grasp of technical issues in motor sport as a whole.Perhaps more susprising is their assertion that traction control is difficult to police: we’re not technical experts at Supergrass, but we do understand that if a computer does not have inputs for engine speed relative to wheel speed, it is difficult to produce effective traction control. More parameters are needed for a fully effective system. The relatively simple expedient of prohibiting all and any sensors on the driveline would just about nail it.

Ballast discussion moves to batteries – and legalised ballast
In the continued fallout of ‘Ballastgate’, the use of batteries as a method of ‘legitimately’ incorporating weight into a car has come sharply into focus.

NASA’s Technical Director, Dave Walker, has circulated a discussion document with draft proposals and a timetable to move to the exclusive use of ‘racing batteries’ by 2011. At the same time, Walker has also offered the prospect of ballast being accepted within the technical regulations for the sport.

“Batteries are used for two reasons – primarily to provide the basis for an electrical system and secondarily to provide ballast. Batteries can be in the front of the car one week, in the rear the next, they can be in the passenger compartment, in the boot or in the engine bay,” said Walker whose discussion document suggests that all saloons have the battery mounted in a secure metal box in the passenger compartment next year and that only dry, racing batteries, are use from 2011.

The question of legalising ballast is also open for discussion; “I agree with the argument that a car correctly set up for a 15-stone man wil not have the same characteristics if it is then driven by a seven-stone woman,” said Walker who is now seeking opinions on the idea of using ballast and for a  prescribed method of using and fixing removable ballast.