New engine for Legends in 2019
The Legends Cars Championship is set to introduce a new engine in 2019, and the series is evaluating a dual-class structure as a means of keeping drivers with both engines competing.
The new three-cylinder engines will be made available with a six-speed manual gearbox from next season.
“In my opinion we’d want to have two winners at each race next year,” said championship owner Phil Cooper. “I don’t want to lose drivers because of it. It’s always been a fair series.
“Yamaha have been developing [the new ‘triple’ engine] and finally got there, so we hope to start running it in this country next year.”
The changes met with a mixed response. Some entrants, such as frontrunner Will Gibson, favour a separate class system to avoid dropouts.
“I think it’s good for the series, if it’s done in the right manner,” he said. “The engines will pay for themselves for what you get, but it’s about the early transition. If your experienced drivers don’t commit, then where is the new talent going to come from? It may be best to start with a separate class system.”
Reigning champion John Mickel added that it could be a “three-to-five-year” transition period, while title rival Steve Whitelegg also called for a separate class system with costs on his mind for multi-car teams on a budget.
“I would agree [to two classes], as it’s difficult to compare, like for like,” said Whitelegg. “You’re starting on two engines for each car because you always need a spare for the weekend. We’ve got more cars – it all adds up.”