2010 BSB rules debate: Rob McElnea

The big debate on the future of the BSB technical regulations is on. BSB Race Director Stuart Higgs has stated his opinion. Now MCN opens the debate to the team bosses.

BSB ran FIM regs in 2007, went to a more restrictive supersport-tune engine format last year and is now back to FIM spec again. The talk is now about how to cut costs. Here’s what Motorpoint Henderson Yamaha team owner Rob McElnea says:

“It’s easy to say cut back on electronics but we’ve all invested in people who can work with the telemetry and interpret it. 

“I’m not took keen on the idea of a control ECU (a standardised ECU handed out to all the teams by the series organisers) or a kit ECU (a race kit part sold by the manufacturer). How do you police it?

“I think we should keep that side of things free. The initial set-up is expensive but once you’ve got the kit it’s sorted.

“I don’t think we should change the engine regulations either. We’ve been FIM rules in 2007, BSB ‘supersport-spec engines last year and now we’re back to FIM spec. We need some stability in the rules now.

“I’m sure Honda will disagree. They have a new bike next year so it might suit them to run to supersport rules (the theory being any new bike is generally an improvement over the previous years so if supersport rules returned, Yamaha  would be working with effectively a year old model).

“The biggest thing we should look at is logistics: Look at the mileage we do (on the bikes). So do we need three-day meetings? Do we need to go testing in Spain? You can blow £40,000 going out there.  Why isn’t there just one officially organised pre-season BSB test?

“I think if we could cut the costs back then you might actually see some teams stepping up form supersport.”