TOCA awards five-year contract to renowned UK motorsport company
TOCA – Series Organiser of the British Touring Car Championship – has today (4 June) awarded a five-year contract for the supply of a new ‘TOCA BTCC engine’ to global motorsport industry leader M-Sport.
Since the introduction of the NGTC regulations back in 2011, an important and highly successful aspect of the regulations is to make available the competitive TOCA engine with proven durability and strict cost-controls, should any team not wish to carry out their own engine programme.
In 2020 some 55% of all cars on the BTCC grid will use the TOCA engine.
Following its successful tender submission and subsequent voting by all BTCC teams, M-Sport will now develop, build and supply the TOCA engine to the UK’s premier motorsport series from 2022-2026.
The engine supply opportunity initially attracted expressions of interest from nine companies, resulting in seven fully submitted tenders, from which a four-strong shortlist was selected to each produce a thorough ten-page presentation for vetting by the teams.
Following a final process of the teams submitting questions relating to each presentation, and subsequent responses from each company via video, the decision was made to appoint M-Sport by the majority of teams.
As well as producing the new-specification engine over the next 12 months, M-Sport will work closely with Cosworth – the latter having been awarded the contract to design, supply and service the new BTCC Hybrid System, which will also be introduced in 2022.
M-Sport will work through a final development programme of the new TOCA engine, including rigorous testing and manufacture during 2021, before its introduction into the series the following year.
As with the current agreement, engines will be available on a fully-maintained lease basis with M-Sport providing comprehensive engineer and technical support at all BTCC race meetings and TOCA test days.
Growing considerably in size and stature since originally formed in 1997, M-Sport now operates a flourishing global motorsport business on the stages and circuits of some of the world’s most acclaimed motorsport series.
Providing the engineering expertise behind the multiple championship-winning range of Ford rally cars as well as the Bentley Continental GT3, M-Sport delivers winning performances around the globe – whilst a new state-of-the-art Evaluation Centre is currently under construction at its Dovenby Hall headquarters.
Outgoing supplier – Swindon Engines – has produced the TOCA engine since the introduction of the NGTC regulations in 2011 and will continue to do so up until the conclusion of the 2021 season.
TOCA and the BTCC teams wish to record their gratitude to Swindon Powertrain and look forward to concluding a successful partnership together.
Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to welcome M-Sport into the BTCC family and congratulate them on their successful tender.
“The opportunity to supply the TOCA engine from 2022 understandably attracted great interest from an extremely high calibre of bidders, so it is testament to M-Sport’s professionalism and expertise that they were able to come out on top of such a competitive and comprehensive process.
“I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Swindon Powertrain, who have been such an integral part of the success of the BTCC engine regulations, and we look forward to working closely with them for the remaining two seasons of their contract.”
Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted to have been selected to supply the new TOCA BTCC engine in 2022. The BTCC has long been a popular and prestigious part of the British motorsport scene, and we’re all looking forward to working with TOCA and the relevant teams on this new and exciting project. I firmly believe that M-Sport has some of the best engineering expertise in the country, and with the development of our on-site Evaluation Centre this capability is only going to increase.”
