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Originally Posted by Parity System - Terms Of Reference 2003
This document details a parity system that would automatically identify any disparity between the various makes and models of cars competing in the VCS.
This system will also identify the magnitude of any disparity and provide a process where the changes to the specification of the cars required to address the disparity, can be identified. The system is based on an automatic analysis of lap times, directly from the AVESCO timing system after each round.
For all events, the fastest 20 laps, of the fastest 5 cars or the fastest 80% of cars (whichever is the lesser number) of each make and each model are averaged for all races of that round. This will give an overall lap time for each make / model which is used to determine the difference in performance for that round.
The difference between the overall lap times for each make / model is then adjusted to express the difference in overall lap times for each make / model based on a standard 60 second lap time for the faster make / model.
An independent three-person parity committee (TEGA Parity Committee) then review the results of these calculations at the conclusion of each round of the VCS. The adjusted overall lap times would be used to identify any trends in the relative performance between the makes / models from round to round.
The TEGA Parity Committee may, at its absolute discretion, decide not to include one or more races in these calculations due to adverse conditions being experienced e.g. changes in weather conditions, an excessive number of safety car laps etc.
A parity adjustment may be triggered if there is an adjusted lap time difference, in favour or against a particular make / model, of more than 0.095 seconds (rounded to 3 decimal places). TEGA Parity Committee will evaluate this trigger point for its suitability on an ongoing basis and make recommendations to the Chairman of the TEGA Board accordingly.
At all times, the information relating to the calculations detailed above will remain confidential to the TEGA Parity Committee. Once the conditions to trigger a parity adjustment have been met, the TEGA Parity Committee are required to inform the Chairman of the TEGA Board who, following discussions with the TEGA Board, may instruct the TEGA Technical Manager to make a recommendation as to a change in specification of the cars to address the parity imbalance. The Technical Manager may address the issue in conjunction with the Technical Committee.
The Technical Manager is required to present this recommendation to the TEGA Board. The TEGA Board are required to consider this recommendation and if deemed necessary, make the necessary change/s to the rules.
Once a change to the specifications of a make / model is made as a result of a parity adjustment, no further change will be made to that make/model for at least the next 3 rounds of the VCS, unless decided otherwise by the TEGA Parity Committee.
Notes To Assist the Parity Review
Any car that has been deemed ineligible by the Stewards, at the time the TEGA Parity Committee must inform the Chairman of the TEGA Board that a parity adjustment has been triggered, regardless of any appeals that have been lodged, will not have its lap times included in any of the calculations and will be replaced by the next fastest car of the relevant make / model.
The Technical Manager may request that an AVESCO test day be arranged so the effects of any proposed change in specification can be evaluated. This request would be subject to the approval of, and conditions specified by, the General Manager of TEGA. At all times, any such testing will not alter the timing of the operation of this parity system.
Timing Of A Parity Review
The following timetable establishes the deadlines for each step of the parity system.
* The TEGA Parity Committee should review the results of the lap time analysis by the close of business (COB) on the Tuesday immediately following each round of the VCS.
* The TEGA Parity Committee should report the current status of the parity system to the
Chairman of the TEGA Board by the COB on the Wednesday immediately following a round of the VCS.
* The Chairman of the TEGA Board should instruct the TEGA Technical Manager to make a recommendation with regard to a change in specification of the cars to address the parity imbalance. This recommendation must be received by the close of business five
working days after notification received from the Chairman of the TEGA Board.
* All teams should be informed of the change of specification of the cars, and the timing of the introduction of that change as a result of the parity adjustment, by the close of business on the Thursday, 11 days after the completion of the round of the VCS when the conditions to trigger a parity adjustment were met.
* All teams should be informed of any change to the specification of the cars as a result of a parity adjustment, no less than 7 days prior to the commencement of any subsequent round of the VCS.
Lap Time Calculations
The following procedure would be followed to determine the adjusted lap time difference for each make / model to form the basis of any parity adjustment.
Step 1 - Calculate the average of the 20 fastest laps for each car for each race at a round.
Step 2 - Calculate the average of the 5 fastest results or fastest 80% of cars of each make and model (whichever is the lesser number of cars) achieved in step 1 for each make / model for each race.
Step 3 - Calculate the average of the results achieved in step 2 for each make / model for all races at each round.
Step 4 - Calculate the difference in the results achieved in step 3.
Step 5 - Adjust the results from step 3 to express the difference in average lap times for each make / model based on a lap time of 60 seconds.
Parity System – K O’Reilly - 7 May 2003
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