Bournemouth University’s (BU) new Motor Sport Research Group has established a research alliance with environmental motor sport competitors ‘Team CVR’, having been granted special permission from the British Touring Car Championship organizers TOCA.
Team CVR was founded with the vision to enter the HIQ MSA British Touring Car Championship as an independent, professional, environmentally efficient, race-winning team. With race cars running on biofuels, the team operates a zero carbon policy throughout.
Supporting the team’s efforts to promote an environmentally friendly approach to motor racing, experts from BU’s Motor Sport Research Group, based within the School of Services Management, will carry out key market research of the team’s impact in the media including television, print and online.
The partnership will mean that the BU logo, displayed on the cars, will be seen in national media coverage of the country’s premier racing series as the team competes at prestigious circuits including Brands Hatch and Silverstone.
Dr Bruce Grant-Braham, director of the Motor Sport Research Group said: “The team’s race cars produce significantly less carbon emissions than their road going counterparts and, in common with BU’s green philosophy, we are very lucky to be able to examine the evolution of such technology at first hand”.
Pushing towards a concept of using motor sport to highlight a more environmentally conscious way of operating, Team CVR, who is sponsored by Cartridge World, aims to minimize emissions from its entire operation and offset any balance through energy efficiency projects in Africa, providing fuel-efficient stoves to local communities.
Team principal Colin Neill said: “The environmental impact of motor sport will play a strong part in Team CVR’s development and we hope this will have an effect on all aspects of the wider automobile industry.”
BU is the UK’s Number One New University (first place among all institutions that became universities since 1992) according to The Guardian University Guide 2009 & 2010. (www.guardian.co.uk/education)
In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) BU is the 4th most improved university in the UK for the quality of its research (according to Times Higher Education).
In the Times Good University Guide 2010 BU jumped 30 places to 5tb place for Hospitality, Leisure, Recreation and Tourism.
BU has secured 2nd place for both Tourism and Sport subjects in the Guardian League Tables 2010.
