BTCC news.

[Rob]

BTCC » Aon considering LPG switch
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Team Aon could move to LPG power for the 2010 BTCC season if test in Spain proves to be a success
Team Aon has confirmed that it is evaluating the possibility of switching to LPG power for the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The Arena-run outfit will test its Ford Focus at the Guadix circuit in Spain early next month with the latest specification Ford Duratec petrol engine, but will also try out LPG ahead of a possible switch for the year ahead.

“We've considered an alternative fuel source and are currently evaluating a switch to LPG to see if there are possibilities for us,” team boss Mike Earle said. “Given the increasing awareness of environmental issues, which motorsport in general needs to address, and the commercial opportunities that may exist, it makes sense for us to investigate the possibilities. It's certainly something we would be interested in.”

The team suffered a range of engine related issues early on in 2009 before a switch of engine builder saw a notable upturn in performance as the year wore on.

With the team continuing to work hard on developing the car, Earle added that he was confident of fighting for victories when the 2010 campaign gets underway.

“We're making improvements all the time to all areas of the car,” he said. “Although we were competitive by the end of last season, Tom Chilton took pole position and very nearly got our first win at Brands Hatch, that was against cars carrying ballast which we didn't have to. So we know there is more needed. The development continued at the end of the season and the new parts we were able to test before Christmas gave us some gains and there's definitely more to come.

“Our aim is to start this season where we finished the last one – competing for race wins and if we can achieve that consistently, then the championship becomes a possibility.”

[Rob]

BTCC » Pirtek Racing shows off livery
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Pirtek Racing debuts livery of Andrew Jordan's Vauxhall Vectra at Autosport International Show.
Newcomer to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, Pirtek Racing debuted its livery today at the NEC in Birmingham as part of the Autosport International show.

The team, which will be spearheaded by former BTCC racer and British GT champion Mike Jordan and will see son Andrew Jordan as driver, unveiled their eye-catching Vauxhall Vectra racer at the show ahead of their single car assault on the BTCC in 2010.

The car predominately wears the striking red, yellow and blue corporate colours of Pirtek and is sure to attract a large amount of attention whilst on display at the NEC this week.

“If the car goes as well as it looks then I think we are in for a strong year. We know it won't be easy this season but we are in a good position, we have the car prepared, the team in place and all working well together,” said Andrew. “Seeing the Vectra in the flesh gets me excited for the forthcoming season, it should look great on track and I can't wait to get out there and go testing.

“I really think we will have our best BTCC season yet, I will draw on the experience I have gained over the last two years and really push for race wins. You need luck on your side too, last year there were times when things didn't go my way, but this year I am so focused and even more determined to succeed for Pirtek Racing.”

“We are thrilled with how the car looks,” added Alistair Wiggins, Business Development Director at Pirtek UK. “To have our own team and our own car, in the BTCC running under the Pirtek Racing banner is fantastic for us, the high speed nature of Pirtek's rapid response hose replacement service fits well with the image of the BTCC.

“We are all eagerly anticipating the forthcoming year and hope we will see the Pirtek car challenging at the front of the grid.”

Jordan's Vectra will be on display in Hall 20 over the next three days of the Autosport International show.

The car also features the branding of several other key commercial partners for the 2010 season - namely CBT, John Guest, Pembroke Syndicate 4000, Hillwood Auto's, Bill Gwynne Rally School, Warwickshireand Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and Fit 2 Race.

[Rob]

If Motorsport eyes BTCC Punto entry

Friday, January 15th 2010, 15:43 GMT


If Motorsport is aiming to enter the British Touring Car Championship this year with a two-car team.

The Scottish-based outfit is likely to run a pair of Abarth Grande Puntos built to the BTCC's new low-cost NGTC rules package, and powered by the turbocharged TOCA petrol engine.

"The Abarth is the most likely car that we'll run, but we are still talking to two other manufacturers," team boss Bryce Wilson told AUTOSPORT.

"Obviously we know time's against us, and I think it's unlikely that we'll be ready for the start of the season. But I'm sure that with some decent testing in the bag, then we can be competitive once we do get on track."

No drivers have yet been signed for the project. Wilson, a former Renault Spider Cup champion and Nissan BTCC test driver, will carry out much of the development work himself.

Wilson said that the BTCC's NGTC rules package, which is due to come into force in 2011, was influential in his decision to expand his team's programme from sportscars-only to include tin-tops.

"It obviously makes our chances of not only getting there, but also of being competitive, far higher," he added. "We're a professional team and I think that we can do a good job, but we need to expand the team and set our budget first so we know what we're aiming for."

If Motorsport was established in 2005 and has spent most of its life competing in sportscar championships. The squad has been a regular winner in the UK and European VdeV series and took the teams' title in the UK series in '08

[Rob]

Plato still hunting for BTCC budget

Friday, January 15th 2010, 16:24 GMT

Jason Plato is keen to return to the British Touring Car Championship this year - but admits that the budget is not yet in place to allow him to do so.

The 2001 title-winner secured a deal with the RML-run Racing Silverline Chevrolet squad on the eve of the 2009 season-opener and went on to finish second in the standings - just five points behind champion Colin Turkington.

When asked on stage at AUTOSPORT International if he would be back in the BTCC in 2010, Plato replied: "I hope so. I genuinely believe the BTCC is a fantastic championship and I love being part of it.

"If I can pull together a deal to make it happen, I'd like to think chances of staying where I am now are very high. Nevertheless, the cold hard facts are that the right numbers need to be in right boxes.

"2009 was probably one of most enjoyable and rewarding seasons I've ever done. We were underdogs, there was no manufacturer pressure."

Plato admitted that the team had to be realistic about its financial situation.

"I love to go racing, but I've got bills to pay the same as anyone else," he said. "The team has to operate on a proper budget, we made it happen this year but we can't always do it like that. It has to make sense. It's tough to make the numbers add up, but we'll always try."

[Rob]

15/Jan/2010 Son looking to dad's influence

Andrew Jordan believes his father Mike’s calming influence can help him mature into a more rounded performer in 2010’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

While at the wheel of his Pirtek Racing team’s Vauxhall Vectra, the 20-year-old will spend the season being guided by his dad over the pit-to-car radio – a similar scenario to that which led to him achieving the first BTCC podium of his career in 2008.

That year they were team-mates in family team Eurotech’s pair of Honda Integras, with Jordan Snr taking up the role of team manager on Oulton Park’s pit wall after being sidelined earlier in the day.

Andrew told btcc.net: “I can be a bit hot-headed at times but he’s going to be there to keep me calm. I’ll feel very comfortable with dad being there on the other end of the radio full-time.

“In 2008 I probably exceeded expectations whereas last year was below expectations, but I don’t necessarily think that has been a bad thing – I’ve learnt some important lessons from that.”

Jordan Snr, meanwhile, has enjoyed numerous successes on-track as a driver these past three decades in top-line saloon and sportscar categories – indeed, in 2006 aged 48, he became the oldest driver on record to win a BTCC race!

Mike, who has liveried-up by hand the Pirtek Vectra unveiled yesterday (see separate story), added: “I think a lot of racing dads because they haven’t raced before can have a negative impact on their kids. I hope that’s where I’m different. I’m certainly not going to be screaming at Andrew from over the pit wall or from the side of the pitch as it were.

“Quite the opposite: Adam Hardy, Andrew’s race engineer at VXR is coming over to us and will have total control over the car. It’ll be my job to keep Andrew calm over the radio when he’s starting out on a qualifying lap or in certain race situations.”

Snr also firmly believes that sticking with the Vectra is a wise choice. The car will be engineered behind the scenes by Eurotech (just like the Integras in 2008) but notably will be powered by the BTCC’s new turbocharged NGTC engine which has helped the team keep within budget.

He said: “Firstly, we’re only going to have five people working on the car at races but, as we’ve seen in Formula1, a lean operation can often achieve better results. We are all very motivated.

“We seriously looked at going the BMW route but, apart from additional budget which we don’t have, there would have been an unreasonable pressure on us to get up to WSR’s or Motorbase’s levels of performance. The Vectra is a known quantity, plus we have Adam with us. We know it’s still a very strong car and if it can keep us at the same levels as the Chevrolets or the Dynamics Hondas then we’d be very happy with that.

“We know as well with Swindon doing the NGTC engine it’s going to be a good engine. It’s also the future so why not get started now and of course it has massively cut our engine budget for this season. Sure there might be the odd issue at the first few rounds - you'd have to expect that with any major new component - but come mid-season if we’re able to start challenging for or achieving the odd podium result then we’ll be very happy.”

[Rob]

15/Jan/201 Swindon appoints ex-VXR man

Former VX Racing engine chief Raphael Caille has become Managing Director of Swindon Racing Engines – appointed recently by the British Touring Car Championship to design and build the new TOCA-NGTC engine.

Frenchman Caille spent the past decade in charge of engine development with the VXR team – in that time it won 20 titles (drivers, teams, manufacturers) with its Vauxhall Astra and Vectra racers.

He takes over as MD at Swindon from company owner Gary Dunn. Swindon will be responsible for the BTCC's new highly cost-effective TOCA-branded NGTC engine that is now available for teams to use on a lease basis. This turbocharged unit will effectively halve teams' engine budgets.

The newly-formed Pirtek Racing and Pinkney Motorsport teams have already announced they will use the engine in their Super 2000-spec Vauxhall Vectras in 2010, with some other teams also planning to use the engine this year.

The engine will be used on a much wider scale in 2011 when full-spec NGTC cars begin to appear in the championship.

Caille commented: “It is an honour to take over the wheel of such a well respected name in the engine business and I am excited about the challenge ahead.

“Our recent new business wins to develop and build the TOCA engine for the new BTCC regulations, as well as a new V6 GT race engine for a British car manufacturer, prove what a strong base we have, with plenty of potential in the future.”

[Rob]

14/Jan/2010 WSR confirms new sponsors
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WSR today confirmed two new team sponsors on its BMW to compliment RAC during the defence of its Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

High efficiency plasma lighting company Alvara and the UK’s leading online automotive marketplace eBay Motors’ names were both present on one of the outfit’s cars which appeared in interim livery on the central Autosport stage.

Former team title sponsor RAC yesterday confirmed it will continue to back WSR in 2010 in a co-sponsor capacity.

Team principal Bennetts confirmed the outfit is looking forward to challenging for a second outright BTCC Drivers’ title after Colin Turkington lifted the crown in 2009. WSR also achieved third straight Independent drivers and teams’ trophies with Turkington’s team-mate Stephen Jelley providing invaluable back-up on the track.

Bennetts commented: “We are obviously intending to defend our titles in the BTCC again this year. However, we’re also keeping our options open with regard to the World Touring Car Championship and the new format European Touring Car Cup. We’ve got three BMW 320sis and we proved in 2009 that we have the resources to run all three cars to the same competitive level.

“As it stands, a golden opportunity exists for a company to take up title sponsorship of the most successful non-works BMW team in Europe.

“We’d very much like to retain Colin and Stephen; however we are talking to a number of other drivers for the third seat. We’re not just looking at drivers from ‘tin tops’ either, as Stephen has proved that you don’t have to have this background to be a competitive touring car driver.”

[Rob]

Herbert makes it 18
Johnny Herbert is an exciting late addition to the superb line-up of British Touring Car Championship drivers on series title sponsor Dunlop’s huge stand at this weekend’s Autosport International show.

Former F1 star Herbert is scheduled to appear before fans alongside Matt Neal and Jason Plato at midday on Sunday and is sure to be a real draw for the crowds.

He is the 18th driver to have contested 2009's BTCC season to confirm his appearance on the Dunlop stand. Herbert raced in the final three rounds of last year's BTCC in a Team Dynamics Honda Civic, memorably bashing panels with Fabrizio Giovanardi's Vauxhall Vectra on his way to a best result of seventh place.

Reigning champion Colin Turkington and former title-winners Matt Neal and Jason Plato are also on the star-studded list of BTCC drivers appearing during the four-day event.

[Rob]

Dunlop driver schedule revealed
Some 17 British Touring Car Championship drivers are scheduled to appear on series title sponsor Dunlop’s stand at this weekend’s Autosport International show…

Champion Colin Turkington, runner-up Jason Plato as well as fourth and fifth-placed finishers Matt Neal and Mat Jackson are all pencilled in for slots at some stage during the four-day event at Birmingham’s NEC (Thurs 14-Sun 17 Jan).

Media, motor sport industry colleagues and fans will all get an opportunity to hear the thoughts of the stars from Britain’s best-loved motor racing championship.

Indeed, on the Saturday and Sunday – when the show is fully open to the public – drivers will also be available after their interviews on the Dunlop stand for a quick chat and to sign autographs.

STOP PRESS: Andrew Jordan's 2010 Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra will now also appear on the main Dunlop stand alongside Colin Turkington 2009 title-winning BMW and Jason Plato's Chevrolet Lacetti and not in the NEC's atrium as previously planned.

Provisional timings for BTCC drivers on Dunlop’s stand are:

Thursday
11.00am Andrew Jordan (after unveiling of his turbocharged Pirtek Vauxhall)
11.00am Mike Jordan (Pirtek Racing team manager)

2.00pm Colin Turkington (reigning BTCC Champion)

3.00pm Mat Jackson (runner-up in 2008, 5th in 2009)

Friday
11.00am David Bartrum (Motorbase team principal)
11.00am Robert Collard(race-winner in 2009 for Motorbase)
11.00am Jonathan Adam (Collard’s 2009 team-mate)

12.00pm Jason Plato (2001 Champion, 2009 runner-up)
12.00pm Matt Neal (2005 & 06 Champion, 4th in 2009
12.00pm Mat Jackson

1.00pm Stephen Jelley (two race wins in 2009)
1.00pm Gordon Shedden (ten-times BTCC race-winner)
1.00pm Tom Onslow-Cole (two-times BTCC race-winner)
1.00pm Andrew Jordan

1.30pm Paul O’Neill (fans favourite in sunshine.co.uk Honda)
1.30pm Chris Brown (sunshine.co.uk team principal)

3.00pm Harry Vaulkhard (rapid up-and-coming star)
3.00pm Matt Hamilton (youngest driver to compete in 2009)

Saturday
11.00am Robert Collard
11.00am Stephen Jelley

12.00pm Mat Jackson
12.00pm Harry Vaulkhard

1.00pm Adam Jones (highly-rated front-runner)
1.00pm Gordon Shedden
1.00pm Matt Hamilton

2.00pm Martin Johnson (popular minnow with new Boulevard team)
2.00pm Cliff Johnson (Boulevard Team Racing team principal)
2.00pm James Nash (rapid, highly-rated newcomer in 2009)

3.00pm Andrew Jordan
3.00pm Mat Jackson
3.00pm Robert Collard

Sunday
11.00am Colin Turkington

12.00pm Matt Neal
12.00pm Jason Plato (TBC due to live action arena timings)

1.00pm Andrew Jordan
1.00pm Mike Jordan

2.00pm Adam Jones
2.00pm James Nash
2.00pm Martin Johnson
2.00pm Cliff Johnson

3.00pm Colin Turkington
3.00pm Stephen Jelley

[Rob]

RAC to co-sponsor WSR
RAC has today announced a new sponsorship agreement with West Surrey Racing ahead of the BMW squad’s defence of its Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown in 2010.

The famous motoring organisation will support Bennett’s outfit in a co-sponsor capacity after four years of being its title sponsor.

Indeed, under the Team RAC banner which it was known as from 2006-09, WSR achieved three consecutive Independent teams and drivers titles with Colin Turkington, the Northern Irishman also clinching the outright BTCC crown last syear in a thrilling season finale.

RAC sponsorship and PR consultant Kerry Gazzard commented: “Our relationship with WSR has been extremely successful both commercially and on-track for the past four seasons and to win the title last season was a fitting climax to our title sponsorship.

“We are excited about continuing our association with WSR for 2010 and helping it to retain the Independent teams title for an unprecedented fourth successive year.”

[Tifosi]

Giovanardi still hasn't got a drive yet either i think. Hopefully the two will be back this season though. Late deals tend to come through - usually :-)

[Rob]

Giovanardi still hasn't got a drive yet either i think. Hopefully the two will be back this season though. Late deals tend to come through - usually :-)

He hasnt yet, he was hoping WTCC but Chevy signed up Muller, did read some where he may take sabbatical, hope he returns to BTCC :-D

[Greig]

Yeah hope Gio is back, will be going to Knockhill again, and fancy going to a race down south too :-D

[Red-27]

will be at Thruxton and Silverstone if i can get the time off work for the two if not pull a sickday for one but will make one lol

[Rob]

Be going to Snetterton for sure, as only 30-40 mins away from mine whoop!!! and think go to Brands aswell, have to check the date on that.

[Rob]

Round/ Circuit/ Date/
1 Thruxton 04/Apr/2010
2 Rockingham 25/Apr/2010
3 Brands Hatch GP 02/May/2010
4 Oulton Park 06/Jun/2010
5 Croft 20/Jun/2010
6 Snetterton 08/Aug/2010
7 Silverstone 22/Aug/2010
8 Knockhill 05/Sep/2010
9 Donington Park 19/Sep/2010
10 Brands Hatch 10/Oct/2010

[Rob]

Future Plans for the BTCCAlready the BTCC has its future path mapped out – and that’s music to the ears not just of those currently competing in the championship but also new manufacturers and teams evaluating entries.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow announced that from 2007 onwards the championship would be fought out by cars complying to the FIA’s Super 2000 regulations as used in the World Touring Car Championship. The move was a masterstroke as grids instantly rose to levels not seen since the early 1990s (entries regularly hit the 25-mark).

Gow explains: “This was the obvious way forward for the BTCC as most touring car championships throughout Europe also run to S2000 regulations, as of course does the WTCC.

“Manufacturers now have one set of technical regulations to follow when deciding to compete, making it much simpler for them to enter the championship. It was the most logical decision for the BTCC.

“Additionally, in order to ensure that the cars are relevant to the UK car market, any ‘new-build’ car entered will also have to be based on a model which is readily available from authorised dealer networks across Europe.”

In 2007, the BTCC grid was populated by nine different models of S2000-spec cars representing six different manufacturers (Alfa Romeo 156, BMW 320si, BMW 320i, BMW 120d, Honda Civic, Lexus IS200, SEAT Leon, SEAT Toledo and Vauxhall Vectra.

Now, after a 30-year absence, the Chevrolet name is also set to return to the grid with the company's Lacetti model being entered in privateer hands.

However, most notably, SEAT will become the first manufacturer to use diesel engines in the BTCC in 2008 after the technology was successfully introduced as part of its WTCC campaign in 2007.

While S2000 machinery now accounts for most of the grid, some teams have continued to campaign the older BTC-spec cars such as Honda Integra, Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch and MG ZS. Thanks to arguably the best set of touring car technical regulations in the world, they remain competitive and are able to challenge for the outright Teams title as well as Independent honours although the cars are expected to disappear in the coming years as part of a natural phasing out process.

While the BTCC may now have switched to the same technical regulations as all other major touring car championships, its sporting regulations remain almost unique in ensuring that the grid race three times on race day. The ‘triple-header’ format means that each race is a spectacular flat-out sprint from beginning to end. Just to add to the unpredictability, race three’s starting grid is the finishing order of race two... only with the leading positions reversed. Needless to say, the crowds go home with plenty to talk about and eager for the next round.

Also as part of its sporting regulations, the BTCC actively safeguards those teams committed to the championship by penalising the cars of late entries or ‘bit players’ with additional weight for several meetings.

Furthermore, a multi-year title sponsorship agreement with fast fit service HiQ and the fact that its sister company Dunlop (also part of the Goodyear-Dunlop group) is the exclusive tyre supplier means even greater stability for the BTCC and its contestants.

In 2009, the BTCC will also achieve a world first when it becomes the first motor racing championship in history to impose engine emissions limits, driving them down to those of competing cars' showroom counterparts. The pioneering move will only add to the BTCC's considerable green credentials after it previously became one of the first championships in the world to mandate the use of catalytic converters in the early 1990s and, more recently, opened the door for cars running on cleaner fuels such as bio-ethanol...

[Rob]

2010 Race Date/
Timetable/
3-4 April
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Details/
Thruxton Circuit
Thruxton, Andover, Hampshire SP11 8PN
Location: off the A303 between Andover and Amesbury
Tel: 01264 882200
Ticket hotline: 01264 882200
Website: www.barc.net
Advance race day prices: Thruxton to confirm

TV Timetable: Awaiting details Length/2.36 miles
Number of laps/
Distance/


Lap Records/
Qualifying: Yvan Muller (FRA), Vauxhall Astra Coupe, 1m16.369s (111.06mph) on 5 May 2002
Race: Yvan Muller (FRA), Vauxhall Astra Coupe, 1m17.303s (109.72mph) on 6 May 2002

2009 Winners/
Race 1: Fabrizio Giovanardi
Race 2: Colin Turkington
Race 3: Mat Jackson

Past Winners (since Super Touring era - 1991)/
7: Yvan Muller (2000 x2, 2001, 2002, 2003 x2, 2004)
5: Fabrizio Giovanardi (2007 x4, 2009)
3: Colin Turkington (2006, 2008, 2009), David Leslie (1993, 1996, 1999), Alain Menu (1995, 1998 x2), James Thompson (1995, 2002, 2004), Frank Biela (1996, 1997 x2), Laurent Aiello (1999 x3), Dan Eaves (2005 x3)
2: Jason Plato (2001, 2004), Mat Jackson (2007, 2009), John Cleland (1991, 1992), Gabriele Tarquini (1994, 1997), Rickard Rydell (1996, 1998)
1: Joachim Winkelhock (1996), John Bintcliffe (1997), Anthony Reid (1998), Gordon Shedden (2006), Matt Neal (2006)


Number of wins per manufacturer (since Super Touring era - 1991)/
19: Vauxhall
7: Honda
5: Nissan
4: BMW, Audi
3: Renault
2: Volvo
1: Alfa Romeo, SEAT, MG


Memories (since Super Touring era - 1991)/
2006 Darren Turner finishes on the podium in third on his BTCC debut with SEAT.
2005 Dan Eaves makes history by becoming the first driver to win all three races in a day.
2004 The new season dawns with two key regulation changes – there are three races on race day and race three’s starting grid is decided by race two’s finishing order, but with the top ten positions reversed. Jason Plato, the 2001 champion, returns to championship with newcomer SEAT and gives it a dream debut by winning one of the races.
1996 Frank Biela (Audi) suffers a sizeable qualifying shunt, but bounces back on race day to become Champion with two meetings still left.
1995 Privateer Charlie Cox suffers a huge accident, rolling his Ford Mondeo out of site at the Club chicane at 135mph.
1994 On their BTCC debut, Alfa Romeo and Gabriele Tarquini win the season’s opening round.
1991 Will Hoy (BMW) is on course to win the title until factory BMW driver Jonathan Palmer sends him spinning down the order when there’s contact at the chicane. Hoy later retires after further contact with title rival John Cleland (Vauxhall).

[Rob]

21/Jan/2010 Champ fronts road safety campaign www.btcc.net

Reigning Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Champion Colin Turkington is appearing in a hard-hitting road safety government TV campaign in Northern Ireland.

Turkington features in one of three advertisements that highlight the devastation reckless driving on the roads can cause.

The ad, entitled ‘Crashed Lives’, is being shown on UTV until the end of February and has been launched by Northern Ireland’s Department of Environment.

It is also set to be shown on other TV channels and the internet – it can currently be viewed via this link http:/www.nidirect.gov.uk/news-jan10-new-road-safety-campaign-tells-true-life-tragedies

Speaking at the campaign's launch, Turkington warned: “I know the difference between being on the race track and being on the real road. That’s why my advice to drivers is keep your speed down on the road.

“At speed, you never know what will happen next. One mistake and you’ve no chance. Believe me, on the track and on the road, safety always wins.”

[Rob]

22/Jan/2010 Brands BTCC records could tumble www.btcc.net

Major resurfacing work at the Brands Hatch circuit may lead to a fall in lap times during its two rounds of this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Matt Neal finally broke Yvan Muller’s eight-year-old qualifying record around the short Indy lay-out last year. It had already taken five years (2006) for Tom Chilton (2006) to beat the Frenchman’s race lap record that had also been set in 2001.

But now half the Indy circuit that will host BTCC Finals Day in October is getting a new smoother surface – from along Cooper Straight, through McLaren, Clearways and Clark Curve almost back to the start-finish line on Brabham Straight.

This work is also likely to enhanced grip levels when the BTCC runs on Brands’s full-length Grand Prix circuit on 2 May as the resurfacing also extends from Cooper Straight fully through the critical uphill Surtees Bend which leads onto the GP loop.

The GP circuit’s BTCC qualifying and race lap records will each be five years old in 2010 although it was not until last season that the series raced on the daunting 2.3-mile lay-out after a four-year break.

Jonathan Palmer, chief executive of MotorSport Vision which owns Brands Hatch, explained that in addition to general wear and tear a particularly cold winter has led to accelerated degradation of some parts of the track.

He said: “This resurfacing project represents a major investment in Brands Hatch. Even in these tough economic times MSV is committed to developing and improving our circuits, and the new surface will benefit all our track users. It will be interesting to see what effect the new surface has on lap times during the year.”

Other improvements have also been made to the world-famous venue, including new kerbing on the exit of Druids Hill Bend and a beefing up of the area behind the kerbs exiting Graham Hill Bend.

For all BTCC lap records - qualifying and race - and 2010 race dates visit the btcc.net website's Calendar section which contains individual circuit profiles.

[Rob]

Bell forced to sit out 2010

Medical checks reveal that Martyn Bell will be forced out of the 2010 BTCC season, with focus now switching to a return in 2011
Martyn Bell is to miss the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season after medical checks revealed the need for treatment into two long-standing injuries.

Bell, who made his debut in the BTCC back in 2006 and partnered Paul O'Neill in the Team sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed outfit last season, has been told he requires surgery on a back injury he has carried since an accident at Snetterton in 2008.

Further investigation into a hip injury he picked up following a fall on holiday last summer has also revealed a fracture which needs further treatment, leaving the popular privateer with no option but to shelve his plans for 2010.

"It's been common knowledge that I have been carrying an injury since July, but after extensive tests and treatment following the final round of the season at Brands Hatch, it has now been discovered that I suffered a fracture in my hip, and have now developed arthritis," he said. "Added to the fact that I also require surgery on a long-standing back injury, I've been forced into the difficult decision to sit out the 2010 season.

"I was looking forward to 2010 and am obviously disappointed that I won't be able to race this season, but it has reached the stage where I am in pain driving my road car, so surgery is the only option. I'm also gutted that I've been told not to ride my Motocross bike anymore and I'm not sure I'll manage a round of golf for a while, which is a right pain as I just bought some new clubs!"

However, Bell insists that – with continued backing from his sponsors – he fully intends to make a return to the grid in 2011.

"It's not a decision I have taken lightly, but in reality, I had no option," he said. "My sponsors and backers fully understand the reasons behind the decision and have already said that they will continue to support me despite this setback.

"To have that level of support behind me is fantastic and I thank them all for it, and I fully intend to be back in the BTCC in 2011."

[Rob]

Turkington's BTCC future in doubt www.autosport.com

Sunday, January 24th 2010, 09:47 GMT


Reigning champion Colin Turkington's future in the British Touring Car Championship is in doubt due to RAC's decision to scale back its support for the WSR BMW squad that took the Northern Irishman to the title.

Turkington, 27, has spent all but one of his eight BTCC seasons with Bennetts' squad, but said that with the team still chasing a title sponsor for 2010, he may have to look elsewhere.

"I'm not really sure what I'll be doing this year," he told this week's AUTOSPORT magazine. "With WSR not having RAC as title sponsor, there's a budget shortfall and understandably they can't progress until that gap is filled.

"I'm just having to keep my options open. I'm looking at BTCC, WTCC and the European Touring Car Cup, as are the team, but for me I'm not prioritising one championship over another.

"I'd love to stay with WSR, but I know there are guys out there with money who might be hard to turn down."

AUTOSPORT understands that Turkington has received offers from WTCC independent frontrunners Wiechers-Sport and Proteam. While he would not confirm this, he did say: "I have some interesting offers on the table, but I have to think long and hard about my next move, because it will be a very important one for my career."

[Rob]

Champ's name on trophy - at last!
Colin Turkington appeared with fellow Motor Sports Association championship winners from 2009 at the UK governing body’s star-studded Night of Champions ceremony on Friday.

Turkington again showed off the MSA British Touring Car Champion’s trophy – for the first time with his name engraved on its base.

The Northern Irishman had held it aloft twice before – at Brands Hatch last October after winning the title and then at the BTCC’s own awards bash a few weeks later – but there hadn’t been time to have his name added alongside those of other fellow greats.

One of the most coveted pieces of motor sport silerware in the world, it has since been kept under lock and key at MSA headquarters.

Turkington told btcc.net: “To finally see my name on there – on the same trophy as some real legends like Jim Clark and Gabriele Tarquini – brings a bit of a lump to your throat. I’ve been beaming ever since!”

Turkington was presented with his trophy by Graham Stoker, the FIA's Deputy President for Sport while the ceremony's guest speaker was Ross Brawn, team principal of Formula 1 World Championship-winning team Brawn GP (now Mercedes GP).

Also on stage at the ceremony, held at the Royal Automobile Club on London’s Pall Mall, was Vauxhall’s motor sport consultant Mike Nicholson to collect the marque's 2009 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors trophy.

[Rob]

Chilton makes it a date
Close to five million viewers watched Dunlop MSA British Touring Car driver Tom Chilton appear on ITV1’s dating show Take Me Out on Saturday night.

Some 30 potential dates were asked to either keep their lights on or switch them off according to how much they liked him following three rounds of questions – which included Chilton playing a saxophone full of sparklers!

Prior to that, as he arrived on stage, one contestant observed: “He looks like he’s had a face lift. He’s good looking but he’s got pretty tight skin.”

Needless to say she was not one of the five girls from whom Chilton ultimately had to choose a winner. In the end the 24-year-old from Surrey picked Cally, from Devon (he is pictured above with her plus show host Paddy McGuiness).

Of his date, Chilton said on the show: “She revs my engine. She has a perfect chassis.”

However, viewers will have to wait until this coming Saturday’s Take Me Out at 7.30pm to discover the outcome of the date.

Speaking about his experience on the show, Chilton told btcc.net: "Being a BTCC driver means you're used to lots of people and attention, but coming out of that lift and seeing 15 girls on one side and 15 girls on the other, knowing they are all single and they all might want you was a bit nerve-wracking. Actually, no, it was great!

"As for the face lift comment, I don't mind - it's a bit of a laugh and anyway it clearly means I still look young!"

[Rob]

Thruxton increases viewing
27.01.2010

An extended viewing area leading up to Thruxton’s super-fast Noble corner will be open to the public when the Hampshire circuit stages the opening round of this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship on Easter Sunday 4 April.

The circuit has spent the past 18 months working to further improve views from its already vast grass spectator banks around the opening third of its lap.

And with the earthworks having now settled, it is in a position to allow fans a closer view of the BTCC’s drivers as they charge into the left-hander at Noble – at 125mph, one of the most daunting corners in UK motor racing.

Additional banking is also being created around much of the rest of the circuit – including along the run up Woodham Hill – and is scheduled to be open in 2011.

Tickets to Thruxton’s BTCC round on 4 April are now on sale via the www.barc.net website. An adult race day ticket will cost just £22.00 if booked in advance while children aged 15 and under will be admitted for free.

For all ticketing prices – including on-the-gate, grandstand seats and paddock transfers plus other details – visit the barc.net website.

[Rob]

Brands Hatch to stage Media Day
The world famous Brands Hatch motor racing circuit in Kent will host the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s Media Day on Tuesday 23 March.

Media Day traditionally acts as the official launch of the new BTCC season with media from far and wide clamouring for their first proper glimpse of the teams, cars and drivers to have registered for the UK’s premier motor racing championship.

This year’s event will include the championship’s first official ‘TOCA’ test of 2010 – on the Brands Hatch Indy circuit – with drivers on track during both the morning and afternoon.

Brands Hatch has also confirmed it will open its gates free of charge for the public to watch the testing action from the trackside spectator enclosures.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: “We’re delighted to be launching our 2010 season at Brands Hatch which remains one of the most famous and demanding motor racing circuits in the world. It will make for a great backdrop for our teams, drivers, sponsors, partners, media and fans as the BTCC begins a new decade in its proud and illustrious history.”

Following Media Day, the BTCC’s teams will have just 11 days to prepare before the opening round of the 2010 season at the high-speed Thruxton circuit in Hampshire on Easter Sunday 4 April.

Nine more rounds – each featuring three races – will follow at circuits across the UK culminating in the season finale at Brands Hatch Indy on Sunday 10 October.

All rounds will receive extensive live TV coverage on Sunday afternoons on the ITV4 channel plus highlights on ITV4, ITV1 and Men & Motors. The www.itv.com website will also live-stream race events.

Race dates: 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship

Round, Date, Circuit, County
1, Sun 4 Apr, Thruxton, Hants
2, Sun 25 Apr, Rockingham, Northants
3, Sun 2 May, Brands Hatch GP, Kent
4, Sun 6 June, Oulton Park Island, Cheshire
5, Sun 20 June, Croft, North Yorks
6, Sun 8 Aug, Snetterton, Norfolk
7, Sun 22 Aug, Silverstone, Northants
8, Sun 5 Sept, Knockhill, Fife
9, Sun 19 Sept, Donington Park, Leics/Derbys
10, Sun 10 Oct, Brands Hatch Indy, Kent

Official BTCC TOCA tests
Brands Hatch (Media Day), Tues 23 March
Rockingham, Tues 25 May
Snetterton, Thurs 22 July

Fans can also purchase tickets for both Brands Hatch rounds of this year's BTCC online at the www.brandshatch.co.uk website. Prices start at £24.00 for adults with children aged 12 and under admitted free of charge.

[Rob]

Daytona showing for BTCC!
The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s global reach was in clear evidence at the weekend – with footage of the 2009 season being shown around the Daytona circuit in America prior to its annual 24 hour sportscar race

In addition to attracting close to 13.8 million viewers in the UK alone thanks to live ITV4 coverage, the BTCC plays to a further 1.35 billion people in five different continents around the world.

And on Saturday, just before Daytona’s round the clock sportscar endurance, competitors were put firmly in the mood for some wheel-to-wheel racing as the huge oval venue broadcast the Speed TV channel’s BTCC programme on giant screens and office TVs.

Speed’s coverage of the 2009 BTCC started in December and by the time it concludes later this month will have reached an audience of some 103 million in the USA, Canada and South America

[Rob]

02/Feb/2010 ITV increases BTCC coverage

UK TV broadcaster ITV’s coverage of Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship events is likely to surpass 120 hours in 2010 – beating 2009’s record-breaking figures.

The network’s ITV4 channel will dedicate some 65 hours to showing all ten BTCC rounds live on Sunday afternoons (6.5hrs each from 11.30am-6.00pm).

Ninety-minute highlight shows repeated three times in the following week – on ITV1 and twice on ITV4 – will mean a further 45 hours.

ITV4 has confirmed it will show the highlights on both Tuesday and Saturday afternoons.

ITV1’s highlights will move to Thursdays with a regular broadcast slot soon to be announced.

In addition, the ITV-owned Men & Motors channel will show the highlights after each round meaning a further 15 hours of air time for the BTCC and pushing overall coverage to a potential 125 hours.

In 2009, the ITV network’s BTCC content equalled an unprecedented 116 hours-plus and attracted a staggering 13.8 million viewers.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow commented: “ITV’s increase in commitment to the BTCC for 2010 means yet more terrific news for all our teams, drivers, sponsors, circuits and fans. Our massive TV coverage further underlines the BTCC’s position at the very top of British motor sport.

“This continues to mean that households right across the UK can tune in and watch the country’s premier motor racing championship on free-to-air TV, this year with even more hours to enjoy all the action as the season unfolds.

“Yes, the BTCC has a TV arrangement that most other high-profile national and international race series can only dream of, but let’s also look at the bigger picture here – it’s simply fantastic exposure for UK motor sport and ITV should be roundly applauded by all within the sport and industry.”

ITV has filmed the BTCC since 2003. Its ITV4 channel reaches 94 per cent of households in the UK. In addition, its websitewww.itv.com also live-streams its Sunday afternoon coverage of BTCC race events.

*All above timings are provisional; check listings nearer the event

[Julie B]

Whoooohoooooo:clap

[Greig]

Wish they would move it to ITV2 or ITV3 lol, ITV4 is the only one that don't work for me :-(

[Rob]

Wish they would move it to ITV2 or ITV3 lol, ITV4 is the only one that don't work for me :-(

really? gutted mate,that not fair

[Rob]

George to partner O'Neill at sunshine/Tech-Speed
John George will partner Paul O’Neill in the sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed team in 2010’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The Guernsey-domiciled Cornishman has driven his own Honda Integra – sponsored by his chain of mobile phone shops JAG – for the past three seasons but will now switch to one of the Tech-Speed outfit’s cars.

He’s clearly taking the forthcoming season with great seriousness – at the weekend he was honing his left-foot braking skills on the same snowy Arctic Rally stages in Finland as Citroen World Rally team drivers Dani Sordo and Kimi Raikkonen!

And the 48-year-old told btcc.net: “My target for this season is to score ten championship points made up of a minimum of one tenth-place finish at each of the ten rounds. My best race result to date is an eighth and if I can better that then great – plus of course you never know what might happen with a reversed grid.”

For George, it will be the first time he has had a team-mate in the BTCC but he believes the move to Marvin Humphries’ Tech-Speed outfit can only be of benefit to his performances.

He added: “This will be my fifth season in the BTCC and while my car from 2009 was a trusty old stead she was 2005-spec so getting quite old. The Tech-Speed Integras are the ex-Eurotech cars from 2008 which have been upgraded again this winter. The difference will be colossal.

“Having a team-mate, particularly one of Paul’s calibre, will be a great experience for me. He’s always going to make for a very good benchmark and to be able to compare data with someone of his ability can only do me good.”

Meanwhile, George’s trip to Finland saw him fly his own plane to Manchester airport from where he boarded a commercial flight to Helsinki.

He said: “I saw Kimi had put it into a tree! Sure, I’ve a few bumps in the BTCC but this weekend I was simply there to do the stages in a pretty basic hire car and work on my left-foot braking. It’s a bit of a dark art but if you can do it well then there is definitely time to be gained. I guess we’ll find out when the season starts…”

[Rob]

Chilton completes Spanish test

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Tom Chilton has raved about his Team Aon Ford Focus’s handling following an intensive two-day test at the Guadix circuit in Spain.

While Formula 1 teams were testing at Valencia on Monday and Tuesday, Chilton was 250 miles away at the central Spanish venue where he clocked up more than 500 kilometres.

He and Mike Earle’s Arena squad that runs the cars are clearly determined to start the 2010 season as they ended 2009 – challenging for race wins. The Ford name is the most successful of any manufacturer in the BTCC but not since 2000 has a car bearing the Blue Oval’s badge won a race in the series.

Meanwhile, Arena becomes the first team in 2010 to begin testing ahead of the start of the new Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Thruxton on Easter Sunday 4 April.

Chilton, who has seven BTCC race wins to his name, told btcc.net: “Conditions at Guadix were just about perfect with a low-ish track temperature which was quite similar to a UK track.

“Every time we made a tweak to the chassis it just seemed to get better and better. The cornering is just out of this world and the Focus is the best handling touring car I’ve ever driven. Thruxton is going to be great fun and I’m really looking forward to corners like Noble, Goodwood and Church.

“What was also pleasing at Guadix was we had 100 per cent reliability. It was a really great job by all the team.”

Chilton said that driving the Guadix circuit was an enjoyable experience. He added: “There are some great left-right twists where we could really push the car and then when you get on the straight all you see ahead of you are the mountains with snow on the top. It was a bit like being in a Playstation game.”

[Greig]

Thought he would be too busy dating, after seeing him on take me out LOL

I got a aerial booster and can get ITV4 now :-D cant wait for Knockhill :-)

[Rob]

Thought he would be too busy dating, after seeing him on take me out LOL

I got a aerial booster and can get ITV4 now :-D cant wait for Knockhill :-)

whoop!! nice one mate. Now you can watch BTCC, you going to any races??

[Greig]

Yeah will be at Knockhill again, and thinking maybe Croft :-) Need to find someone new to support tho since Giovanardi looks gone :-D

[Rob]

yeah same here. Shame, the series is going to miss Gio, still got dirty Plato :roll Be supporting any Vectra's, i got a Vectra Super Touring. Im off to Snett again, be at end of Revett straight at esse's, that best action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1YeTGV7sMg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsOAZxi1S_E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkoYo-ATLCE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSjI_jThtQU

[Julie B]

Yeah will be at Knockhill again, and thinking maybe Croft :-) Need to find someone new to support tho since Giovanardi looks gone :-D

Turkers :-D you've already got the hat :lol

[Greig]

Hmmmm think I lost it :-D

[Rob]

Be Andrew Jordan in the Vectra!!

[Rob]

Bamboo targets Turkington for WTCC

Thursday, February 4th 2010, 11:39 GMT

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Bamboo Engineering has entered the race to sign Colin Turkington for its new World Touring Car Championship team, today's AUTOSPORT reveals.

The Silverstone-based squad announced today that it has left the British Touring Car Championship to step up to the WTCC with a pair of Chevrolet Lacettis for Harry Vaulkhard and two-time Porsche Carrera Cup Champion Darryl O'Young.

But team principal Richard Coleman is keen to add the BTCC champion to his roster of drivers and could expand the team to three cars to accommodate Turkington.

"We'd love to get him in the car," Coleman told AUTOSPORT. "He's a top-line driver and we've both got ambitions on an international scale.

"The drivers we have signed are very promising. Harry had the measure of Michel Nykjaer, Franz Engstler, and others at the ETCC so I see no reason why he cannot build on that.

"Darryl is a huge talent and has been very highly recommended from big names in sportscars, once adapted to front-wheel drive I expect he will be a regular podium contender in the independents."

Bamboo was formed last July by Coleman following his split from Tempus Sport. It ran Vaulkhard during the second half of the BTCC season and scored a best result of ninth place at Snetterton.

[Greig]

Hope he stays so I can boo him some more :-D

[Rob]

Snow go at Brands Hatch!

http://i49.tinypic.com/ifyf54.jpg

This was the incredible scene yesterday at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent that will stage two rounds of this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Within ten minutes, on-track testing was brought to a halt as a sudden deluge of snow covered the world-famous track in a blanket of white (the above pic was taken from the venue's MotorSport Vision Centre overlooking Clearways and Clark Curve that lead onto the pitlane entry and start-finish straight).

However, BTCC fans fear not. There are still nearly six weeks to go before Brands hosts the BTCC’s annual pre-season Media Day launch on Tuesday 23 March – giving the snow plenty of time to thaw.

Brands will then host round three of the 2010 BTCC season – around its full-length Grand Prix circuit – on Sunday 2 May. It will also be at Brands where the BTCC title is later decided with Finals Day being held on its shorter Indy circuit on Sunday 10 October.

Tickets to both race events – featuring three headline BTCC races plus plenty of action from the five supporting series (Ginetta, Porsche and Renault) – can be bought for just £24.00 in advance on the www.brandshatch.co.uk website or by calling 0870 950 9000. That’s a saving of £5.00 compared to on-the-gate prices of £29.00 per adult.

Admission for children aged 12 and under will be free.

Public admission to BTCC Media Day will also be free for both adults and children.

[Rob]

12/Feb/2010 Neal tests Civic at Rockingham

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Team Dynamics began its pre-season testing programme today, with Matt Neal putting the Midlands squad’s heavily-revised Honda Civic through its paces at the Rockingham circuit.

Dynamics has yet to officially confirm its driver line-up for 2010’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, although of course most of Neal’s BTCC career dating back to 1991 has been with the Pershore team run by his father and former Mini BTCC ace Steve.

It was with Dynamics that Neal won his two BTCC titles, in 2005 in 2006, and gave the Civic a memorable first race win on its debut appearance at Brands Hatch in 2007. It has since gone on to win a further nine times.

But for the past two years, 43-year-old Neal from Shenstone has raced for Vauxhall’s official factory outfit but with it having withdrawn from the series he is tipped by many to return to Dynamics for the forthcoming season.

Neal told btcc.net: “Conditions today were a bit tricky as we had lots of drizzly rain, but even so there was a very good balance in the car.

“The car is very different to how it was when it was tucked away at the end of the 2009 season. There’s new front and rear suspension and subframes, plus revised aerodynamics that we’ve developed in conjunction with MIRA. On top of that we’ve today run with some new engine developments from Neil Brown which were all very positive.”

Rockingham will host round two of this year's BTCC on Sunday 25 April. Race day tickets can be purchased for just £23.00 per adult in advance from the www.rockingham.co.uk website or by calling 01536 500500. Admission for children aged 15 and under is FREE.

All prices include access to Rockingham's vast grandstands that overlook the circuit, the BTCC paddock and Pit Lane Walkabout autograph session.

[Rob]

Boardman in BTCC return
Tom Boardman has announced he will return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring
Championship in 2010 after a seven-year absence.

Boardman will race a SEAT Leon TSI run by new team Special Tuning (UK). He spent last year racing a Leon in the World Touring Car Championship and prior to that won both the UK and Spanish series for SEAT's Cupra model.

Boardman will continue his relationship with SEAT UK through Club SEAT (and its www.club-seat.co.uk website). This tie up should see the car and driver appear in a number of less familiar surroundings during the year as part of some new marketing activities. The car will continue to run with the same SEAT TSI S2000 petrol engine he used during his 2009 WTCC campaign.

Boardman, from Preston, Lancashire said: “Although the decision to contest the BTCC came quite late, I’m really looking forward to 2010, as I have missed racing in the UK for a few years now.

“It’s going to be difficult with the number of experienced drivers that will continue in the BTCC this year, but we have set our targets high.”

The Special Tuning (UK) team is hoping to secure a driver for its second Leon TSI and hopes to conclude an agreement in the next couple of weeks.

Boardman, aged 26, previously raced in the BTCC from 2001-03 and was a front-runner in the series' now-defunct Production class in Peugeots and BMWs.

[Rob]

16/Feb/2010 First NGTC engine delivered
http://i50.tinypic.com/2i2262c.jpg

The first of TOCA’s turbocharged ‘Next Generation’ engines – to be used in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship for the first time this year – has been delivered to the Pirtek Racing team which will use the eagerly-anticipated new powerplant.

Pirtek driver Andrew Jordan is due to begin testing the engine in his Vauxhall Vectra next week. Pinkney Motorsport has also confirmed the engine will power David Pinkney’s Vectra this season.

Built by the Swindon Racing Engines company under contract to TOCA, the two-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine will deliver equivalent performance to the normally-aspirated S2000-spec unit used in most cars on the BTCC grid this year.

Notably, though, the Next Generation engine – available for hire or purchase from BTCC organiser TOCA – is expected to more than halve teams’ engine budgets.

The fact it will offer front-running performance has clearly been a major factor in Jordan and Pinkney’s decisions to switch to it a year before it is seen in the BTCC’s Next Generation Touring Cars which will start to appear next year. Others could also still move to the turbocharged engine for 2010.

From 2011 through to 2013, teams will have the option of continuing with their current S2000 cars and engines, running an S2000 car with an NGTC engine or going fully NGTC (car and engine). Teams will have the choice to either undertake their own engine development programmes or to hire or purchase the TOCA-spec version photographed above.

The opening round of 2010’s Dunlop MSA BTCC season is now little more than six weeks away – at the high-speed Thruxton circuit in Hampshire on Easter Sunday 4 April. Tickets priced just £23.00 per adult can be purchased in advance via the www.barc.net website or by calling 01264 882200. Admission for children aged 15 and under is FREE.

Thruxton marks the first of the BTCC’s ten race events at circuits around the UK culminating with the title-deciding final round at Brands Hatch, Kent on Sunday 10 October. All ten events will receive comprehensive (11.30am-6.00pm) live national TV coverage on ITV4 (also being live-streamed on the www.itv.com website), plus additional 90-minute highlights on ITV4, ITV1 and Men & Motors.

[Tifosi]

Thanks for the updates Rob, I for one appreciate them and can't wait for the new season. I just hope "the boys" all get drives :-)

[Rob]

Thanks for the updates Rob, I for one appreciate them and can't wait for the new season. I just hope "the boys" all get drives :-)

thats ok mate, Who you backing this year??

[Rob]

18/Feb/2010 Eurotech test for Junior champ

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Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship team Eurotech will offer a test drive in its Vauxhall Vectra to the winner of this year’s supporting Ginetta Junior title.

A chance to sample a full-blown BTCC race car, plus receive a day’s one-on-one tuition from driver Andrew Jordan, will be an added incentive for the 14 to 17-year-olds who contest the Junior series.

Jordan will race the Pirtek-sponsored car using one of BTCC organiser TOCA's new turbocharged NGTC engines. His father and Eurotech team principal Mike said: “I have been a long time supporter of Ginetta’s championships – Andrew had a G20 when he was 15, before the days of the Ginetta Junior series and has gone on to major success with the BTCC.

“I feel confident that with the right ingredients we can help another young driving star achieve their racing ambitions. Andrew is incredibly excited about mentoring the new champion in the Vauxhall Vectra which was unveiled at Autosport International last month and I’m delighted to be cementing our incredibly strong relationship with Lawrence and the Ginetta team.”

Ginetta Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson added: “The chance to test a BTCC car is a phenomenal prize and we’re proud to be able to offer this in association with Andrew, Mike and Eurotech. The combination of the Jordans sheer racing experience, coupled with their new high-powered Vectra, means that this is a huge incentive for all Ginetta Junior competitors to go all out for the championship.”

[Tifosi]

thats ok mate, Who you backing this year??

Well i'll be gutted if Plato and Gio aren't in it cos they both want to be. I'm a Plato fan (sue me :-D) but I think Turkers is off to WTCC by the look of it!

Just love BTCC :-bounce

[Rob]

Well i'll be gutted if Plato and Gio aren't in it cos they both want to be. I'm a Plato fan (sue me :-D) but I think Turkers is off to WTCC by the look of it!

Just love BTCC :-bounce

Yeah i think he may be off to WTCC, shame cos i think he BTCC needs him as Gio isnt in it. Plato?? oh no mate ;-) I havent been fan of him, i respect him as driver, he guttsy driver, but as soon as another driver ( Matt Neal:lol) rubbs him or bumps him he moans. But fine for him to smash his way thro grid ;-) If there isnt much in way of top drivers ths year, Plato will win BTCC. Of cos the Vectra would do well, but im not sure about the drivers.

[Rob]

BTCC is fantastic racing, it cheap day out love it.

[Rob]

19/Feb/2010 Teams in test action at Thruxton

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Reigning British Touring Car Champion team WSR, rivals Team Dynamics and Motorbase plus newcomers Special Tuning and Forster Motorsport all tested at Thruxton today as series title sponsor and tyre supplier Dunlop gathered vital data ahead of the 2010 season.

The test marked the first appearance of 2010 by Colin Turkington – back in the WSR BMW with which he so dramatically won his first Drivers’ title in last October’s 2009 season finale at Brands Hatch.

Turkington shared a white BMW with 2009 Renault Clio Cup runner-up Alex MacDowall while in an unmarked orange car (pictured above) was Andy Neate – now recovered from serious injuries he suffered in a sportscar race 18 months ago and who, like MacDowall, has ambitions of joining the BTCC grid in 2010.

WSR team principal Bennetts told btcc.net: “Alex was pretty impressive and we’re in good dialogue with him. Andy’s obviously itching to race again and has been associated with the team for some time now. Both coped very well considering there was a huge mixture of weather and track conditions. For Colin it was a chance to shake off some of the rust. Clearly he’s not lost any of his touch and was stunning.”

Meanwhile, just as at Rockingham last week, Dynamics ran a lone Honda Civic for its 2005 and 2006 champion Matt Neal. Local favourite Robert Collard, in the Motorbase team’s BMW in which he finished sixth overall in 2009’s standings with two race wins, was on track as well.

So too was Tom Boardman in his Special Tuning (UK) team’s SEAT Leon – the Lancastrian has just announced plans to return to the BTCC in 2010 – and newcomer Forster Motorsport with one of its two ex-Mat Jackson BMWs. Martin Depper and Arthur Forster both completed laps in the car.

During the test Dunlop gathered valuable information about the behaviour of its tyres around Thruxton’s high-speed curves.

Thruxton, near Andover in hampshire, will host the first round of this year’s Dunlop MSA BTCC on Easter Sunday 4 April. Headlining the bill will be the opening three races of the 2010 BTCC season plus plenty more action from five supporting series (Porsche Carrera Cup, Ginetta G50, Ginetta Junior, Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK).

Tickets are priced £23.00 per adult if booked in advance via the www.barc.net website or the hotline 01264 882200. Admission for children aged 15 and under is free.

Images from today's testing can be viewed in the Fans section of btcc.net.

[Rob]

http://i45.tinypic.com/5dp743.jpg
http://i45.tinypic.com/2dmdqvb.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/5yugr5.jpg

[Tifosi]

Don't get me started on Matt Neal dude! ;-) He really is the antichrist for me. Doesn't understand what racing is about, has a massive chip on his shoulder about Plato and blatantly cheats whilst maintaining this "holier than thou" persona. Rant rant rant! :-D

It all makes for good fun at the end of the day I guess. :-)

[Rob]

Don't get me started on Matt Neal dude! ;-) He really is the antichrist for me. Doesn't understand what racing is about, has a massive chip on his shoulder about Plato and blatantly cheats whilst maintaining this "holier than thou" persona. Rant rant rant! :-D

It all makes for good fun at the end of the day I guess. :-)

:lol yeah i know what you mean, he is bit like that. Gets on my nerves aswell, had to liked him cos he drive VXR. Havent heard what Gio is doing for sure, have you? Got this pic just for you Stu :rotfl
http://i46.tinypic.com/afgefk.jpg

[ali355]

Not strictly news as such but an interesting thread for you BTCC fans on another forum I frequent:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=151628

Someone is entering a Golf into the BTCC as a privateer and you can follow the progress they are making with the car on the thread above

[Rob]

Thanks for that looks good

[Rob]

BTCC trio in Race for Heroes
Paul O’Neill, Tom Onslow-Cole and Stephen Jelley will line-up against presenters of comedy TV stunt show Dirty Sanchez in a kart race in aid of Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes this Saturday (27 Feb).

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship trio will come up against the show's hosts including Matthew Pritchard and very likely his sidekick Pancho in the 'Race for Heroes' event at the Daytona karting circuit in Milton Keynes. The mad-cap duo are also well-known as outrageous double act 'The Pain Men’ on Channel 4 show Balls of Steel.

Many other top racing names have signed up to take part in the event as well, including former BTCC racers Harry Vaulkhard and Steven Kane, plus Tim Bridgman, Philip Glew, Dean Smith and Sarah Moore – winners of last year’s BTCC-supporting Porsche Carrera Cup, Renault Clio Cup, Formula Renault UK and Ginetta Junior titles respectively.

In addition, other celebrities such as Tom Clarke, outspoken front man of pop band The Enemy, and Shane Lynch of boy band Boyzone fame will also be participating.

In total, 17 teams are set to line up on the grid with the Armed Forces also showing what they can do. Among their entry is Matt Croucher, the remarkable Royal Marine who two years ago won the George Cross medal – one of the highest decorations for gallantry – for throwing himself on an exploding grenade in Afghanistan to save his comrades’ lives.

And there is still an opportunity for race fans to buy one of the limited 300 tickets to watch the action. Tickets are priced £30.00 per person but check availability beforehand by calling Jenny Hurford on 01722 329226.

Otherwise, donations to Help for Heroes, which helps to fund the recuperation of injured servicemen and women on their return to the UK, can be made via: Lloyds Bank; Sort code: 30-97-41; Acc no. 30305160.

[Rob]

Aon tests LPG Focus
Tom Chilton has tested an LPG-powered Ford Focus ST as his Team Aon squad continues to evaluate a possible switch to the greener fuel ahead of the forthcoming Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

The Arena International Motorsport-led outfit tried the liquid petroleum gas technology for the first time at the picturesque Guadix circuit in Spain (pictured above).

Chilton spent two days testing it, while Tom Onslow-Cole also drove the team’s other petrol-powered Focus, concentrating on developing modifications to the car’s rear suspension.

Team Aon has already confirmed it is seriously evaluating a move to LPG with engine development partner Mountune Racing. Team Principal Mike Earle said: “Obviously we’re always looking for anything which could provide us with a competitive edge. Also in these economically difficult times we have to consider any commercial benefits as well.

“In both of these areas LPG may be an option for us, but it’s early days in our evaluation process. An engine has been running on the dyno, but this is the first time we’ve tried it in the car. After running it for two days the results have been encouraging, but not conclusive.”

The team will run the LPG-powered Focus alongside its regular petrol-engined car again in its next test back in the UK in two weeks.

Meanwhile, Onslow-Cole was very upbeat with his car – this being his first outing since last season’s finale at Brands Hatch and he was surprised at the amount of development since then.

The 22-year-old from new Malden, Surrey added: “The car was good at the end of last season, but now it’s incredible. I can’t believe how much work the team has done over the winter. All the development has not only made the Focus quicker, the way it handles now is a race driver’s dream and that makes it great fun.”

[Rob]

Miracle man Neate joins WSR

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Just 18 months after suffering terrible injuries in a crash, Andy Neate will join reigning champion team WSR for his first full season in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in 2010.

Neate, from Aylesbury, Bucks, broke his neck and sustained other multiple injuries including two decompressed lungs in a sportscar race at Silverstone in October 2008.

He was in a coma for a fortnight and hospital for two months in total before being allowed home. It took another two months before he could walk again.

The announcement today that Neate has joined 2009 title-winning team WSR to compete in the BTCC, the UK’s top motor racing championship, is remarkable.

Neate, aged 35 and a father of two, told btcc.net: “I basically suffered the same injury as the actor Christopher Reeve who played Superman. The only difference was my spinal cord didn’t break away from the vertebrae. Really, when this happens, at best you’re looking at terrible paralysis.

“When they reached me in the car I wasn’t breathing and they had to do some emergency work to get my lungs going before they could move me. I was airlifted to hospital and the doctors told my wife, Sarah, to prepare for the worst.

“But somehow, I came through it. There were some very tough moments. Waking up and having no mobility. Losing three and a half stones when all you weigh in the first place is 12 stones is also quite a lot to take and for a long time I was a long way of any physical normality.

“But eventually my fitness, strength and sensations started to come back and now I’m ready to race again. I’ve still got a titanium plate in my neck which slightly limits my movement but that’s about it.

“I did say I wouldn’t race again but the BTCC is all I’ve ever wanted to be in since I started out. To me it’s the best race series in the world. The person I really needed to ask permission from was Sarah and after visiting the doctors for assessments she said ‘go for it’.”

Neate has contested one BTCC event before – in a privately-run Vauxhall Astra in 2005’s season finale at Brands Hatch. At the time he was very definitely an up-and-coming talent and also won 2006’s Ford Fiesta title. Then came his accident but now he has a chance to get his racing career back on track with a prized seat in one of WSR’s championship-winning BMWs.

Already, though, there has been some mild frustrations – poor weather blighted much of his test with the team last week at Thruxton, Hants while more planned running today at Silverstone, Northants has been abandoned altogether thanks to snow!

But Neate added: “It’s the way it goes at this time of year. Every bit of seat time is valuable but we’ve got a few more days of testing planned before the season starts. It feels now that I’m back to where I should have been two years ago. The opportunity almost came up in 2008 but it didn’t quite happen.

“To be with a team who’s past drivers have included the likes of Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen is a very special feeling. Bennetts who runs the show is just the best team boss I could wish for.

“I’m not going to make any grand predictions. The BTCC is as tough as it gets but I definitely want to be in the championship and with WSR for some years.”

[Greig]

Great, best of luck to him!

[Julie B]

Oooh going to be a good season I think :thumb

[Greig]

Will be if Turkers goes away, then you can cheer for the same driver as me for a change :-D

[Julie B]

Will be if Turkers goes away, then you can cheer for the same driver as me for a change :-D

Errr no ?

[Greig]

Thought not :-)

[Tifosi]

Thanks Ali for that link :thumb and also to Rob for whetting my appetite for the new BTCC season. You are better than the BTCC site dude :lol

[Rob]

Thanks Ali for that link :thumb and also to Rob for whetting my appetite for the new BTCC season. You are better than the BTCC site dude :lol

Cheers dude :thumb thanks appreciate it chap. Im really looking forward to this season, as said before, shame Gio not driving in BTCC.

[Rob]

23/Feb/2010 'Sunshine boys' in action

Paul O’Neill and new 2010 team-mate John George got the sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed squad’s pre-season test programme under way at Snetterton today.
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The pair shared driving duties in one of the team’s Honda Integras – notably with the word JAG emblazoned across its bonnet in deference to George’s sponsor, his chain of mobile communications stores across the south-west.

Today marked George’s first experience of a Tech-Speed car – built to a later specification (2008) than his own Integra that he has raced for the past three seasons.

The Cornishman, who as ever had flown to Snetterton in his own plane from his home in Guernsey, told btcc.net: “The whole day has gone really, really well. The car ran faultlessly and even though I’ve not been in a car for nearly six months I could instantly feel some of the small differences that will eventually all add up in terms of time and speed.

“I’m obviously new to this particular car, but still got within a second and a bit of Paul’s best time. And he is obviously a very fast driver so I’m satisfied with that! It was also a new environment for me, but the team are just a very nice bunch of people who’ve made me feel very welcome.”

O’Neill, meanwhile, is being tipped by some as a possible race-winner in this coming season’s opening round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton on Easter Sunday 4 April.

He said: “The car immediately felt good – it’s been rebuilt from the bottom up by Tech-Speed – but we didn’t try any new tweaks. Today was all about getting John up to speed and blowing away the cobwebs. It was also horrendously cold so getting meaningful temperature in the rear tyres was very difficult. But I still posted a time I felt very good about so job done.”

[Rob]

Platos celebrate second child
Congratulations to Jason Plato and wife Sophie who have become parents for the second time.

Zia Jessica arrived yesterday morning (Wednesday) weighing 6lbs 8oz to make it two daughters for the Platos – their first child, Alena, arrived in April 2008.

In a phone text message to pals, 2001 BTCC Champion Plato said: “Mother and baby are perfect. Dad is pacing around like a blithering idiot

[Julie B]

Platos celebrate second child
Congratulations to Jason Plato and wife Sophie who have become parents for the second time.

Zia Jessica arrived yesterday morning (Wednesday) weighing 6lbs 8oz to make it two daughters for the Platos – their first child, Alena, arrived in April 2008.

In a phone text message to pals, 2001 BTCC Champion Plato said: “Mother and baby are perfect. Dad is pacing around like a blithering idiot

Awh congrats to the Platos:clap

[Rob]

26/Feb/2010 Strong first run for NGTC engine

TOCA’s new turbocharged ‘Next Generation’ engine has completed a successful first week of testing in the Pirtek Racing team’s Vauxhall Vectra.
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Driver Andrew Jordan tried out the two-litre, four-cylinder unit at Snetterton on Tuesday and again today at Rockingham.

He and fellow Vectra driver, Pinkney Motorsport’s David Pinkney, will both use the engine in this season’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The powerplant, built by the Swindon Engines Racing company under contract to BTCC organiser TOCA, is forecast to slash teams’ engine budgets by more than half.

Despite some cold conditions at Snetterton and drizzle at Rockingham, 20-year-old Jordan expressed himself happy with the progress made.

The Lichfield ace commented: “It was great to finally get the car out on track. When you’ve not been in the car all winter you begin to get a bit fidgety so I was raring to go on Tuesday morning. Unfortunately the weather hampered our development slightly, but we have made a good start.

“We have been building up speed and started to push the car on longer distances throughout the week. The engine adds a bit more weight over the front axle so we were working on reducing tyre wear on the front wheels over a long run and just getting the most out of the car. You can really feel the torque of the engine, especially out of the slow corners, so at tracks like Knockhill it should work really well.”

He added: “We are all very focused on getting the best out of the package and the team is working very closely with Swindon Engines who have been with us all week tracking our progress. Both sides are happy with how things are going, but we are under no illusions how much more work there is to do with only six weeks to go until the first round at Thruxton.”

The date of that first round at Thruxton, Hants is Easter Sunday 4 April. Tickets can be purchased in advance for just £23.00 per adult via the circuit's www.barc.net website or by calling 01264 882200.

More pictures of Andrew Jordan's striking Pirtek racing Vauxhall Vectra can be found in the Fans section of btcc.net.

[Rob]

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[Rob]

03/Mar/2010 Weight on Neal's mind

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Matt Neal believes Team Dynamics’ Honda Civic can continue to be a winner in 2010’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – particularly if the squad can reduce the car's weight slightly.

Neal, BTCC champion in 2005 and 2006 with Dynamics, continued testing the Civic at Oulton Park in Cheshire yesterday (pictured above with additional exhaust silencer) following other recent runs at Rockingham and Thruxton.

The 43-year-old from Staffordshire told btcc.net: “It’s been a pretty good test and we really got the car hooked up. It feels very strong now. As I’ve also said before, it feels like a completely different thing compared to how it felt at end of last year.

“If there’s one area we maybe need to work on a bit more it’s the weight. If we can reduce that just a little bit more then it’s definitely going to be right up there. It should be right on the money.”

While Dynamics has yet to announce its 2010 driver line-up, Neal is widely tipped to return to the Pershore outfit for this year’s BTCC after two seasons with Vauxhall team VX Racing. It was with Dynamics, run by his own father and former BTCC Mini ace Steve, that he contested his first full season in the series, back in 1992. With Dynamics he has achieved six Independent Drivers’ titles, plus of course those two outright crowns in the mid-Noughties.

Neal, with more than 400 BTCC races to his name now, is also famous for winning £250,000 with Dynamics at Donington Park in 1999 – he scooped the money after becoming the first independently-entered driver of the period to win a race ahead of the might of the manufacturer teams.

[Tifosi]

I'd be happy to drop a weight on Matt Neal's mind :-D

[Rob]

Jordan continues NGTC engine tests

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Andrew Jordan has carried out further testing of TOCA’s ‘Next Generation’ turbo-charged engine that will power his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra this season.

Jordan and David Pinkney (Pinkney Motorsport) will both use the turbo unit – that will slash engine budgets by more than half – in their Super 2000-spec Vectras in the forthcoming Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

That’s a year ahead of the BTCC introducing its future breed of Next Generation Touring Car.

Lichfield youngster Jordan (pictured above) was in action at Silverstone yesterday and again he enjoyed a trouble-free run with the new engine following promising initial tests last week at Snetterton and Rockingham.

Pinkney’s turbo-powered Vectra is expected to hit the track for the first time later this week.

Meanwhile, other cars on track at Silverstone included the older BTC-spec Vauxhall Astra Coupe and Honda Integra of Martin Johnson and likely newcomer Lea Wood respectively (see pics in the Fans section).

Both cars were the class of the field in the early-mid Noughties and, in the right hands, remain potent machines – Boulevard Team Racing’s Johnson last year twice achieving top ten outright finishes in his Astra and in the process attracting a considerable following among fans…

[Rob]

2010 timetables out now!

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Timetables for all ten of this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race fixtures are now available to download from the btcc.net website.

The timetables include full race weekend timings as well as number of race laps for every category.

They can be viewed by clicking on the PDF icon within their respective circuit profile in the Calendar section. All BTCC activity – including practice and qualifying sessions on the Saturday as well as Sunday’s three races, Pit Lane Walkabout autograph sessions and driver parades – are highlighted in yellow.

Plus, of course, there is plenty of terrific action from the BTCC’s resident support series – (Ginetta G50s, Ginetta Juniors, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault Renault UK) – to make each event complete for fans.

With full race day admission from just £23.00 per adult and FREE admission for children*, each BTCC event represents outstanding value-for-money for the public. Details of websites and telephone numbers to pre-order tickets can be found within individual circuit profiles.

* individual circuit child policies may vary

[Rob]

Chilton joins The Sun

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Tom Chilton has become an online columnist for the UK’s best selling newspaper, The Sun.

Team Aon star Chilton will be writing every week on his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship exploits on the-sun.co.uk website's motor sport section that ranks secondly only to football in terms of popularity.

Previously, Jason Plato had been The Sun’s BTCC driver, but Chilton says he is eager to beat the 2001 Champion to top spot this season with the first crown of his career.

Indeed, he has been raving about his chances in his Arena-prepared Ford Focus after developing it further during testing in Spain. The car very nearly achieved its first win in Brands Hatch’s 2009 season finale – only to be pipped by Plato’s Chevrolet by just 0.015s, the closest winning margin in BTCC history.

And Chilton has wasted no time in a video on The Sun’s website in taking a fun pop at more experienced rival Plato ahead of the 2010 season which starts at Thruxton, Hampshire on Sunday 4 April.

Chilton said: “My life is to win this championship. When I was younger I was a bit of a hot head and all I wanted to do was out-brake everyone.

“Sometimes you need to hold back to gain points which is something that Jason is still learning!”

[Julie B]

Robert Collard will return to reigning champion team WSR for 2010’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Collard, who has raced for rival BMW squad Motorbase these past two seasons, said an opportunity to drive again for WSR – which won 2010’s BTCC with Colin Turkington – was “too good an opportunity to turn down”.

The Hampshireman makes the jump just weeks before the season’s opening round at his home circuit of Thruxton on Easter Sunday 4 April.

Collard previously raced for WSR when it ran MGs in 2005 and 2006. He took two race wins for the squad before his 2008 move to Motorbase. He gave the Kent-based outfit its first two race wins in the BTCC last season and he says it was difficult to leave the team behind.

“This was too good an opportunity to turn down as I could see the WSR BMWs on track last year and at times they were just awesome,” said 41-year-old Collard.

“It was a very difficult decision for me to make a late switch from Motorbase. However, I had to look at what’s best for my career, so to now be driving in a championship-winning team is a real bonus for me.”

WSR Team Principal Bennetts added: “We’ve been in dialogue with Robert for some time and between us we’ve come up with a package of sponsorship, details of which will be announced shortly.

“It will be great to have Rob back with us in a BMW, as he already has two years’ experience in the (BMW) 320si. We are really looking forward to seeing how he performs with our set-ups on the car.”

Collard will be partnered by at least one team-mate – Aylesbury’s Andy Neate who, having miraculously recovered from life-threatening injuries, was announced as a WSR driver last month.

Meanwhile, Bennetts also said WSR is due imminently to begin an intensive pre-season test programme with Collard and Neate and that he is also working to retain his 2009 Champion Turkington in a third BMW.

[Rob]

Pinkney samples Vectra

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David Pinkney has had his first test in his ex-factory Vauxhall Vectra at Brands Hatch today.

The Harpenden racer is set to contest this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season in former champion Fabrizio Giovanardi’s 2009 car.

Like fellow Vectra driver Andrew Jordan, Pinkney is also using BTCC organiser TOCA’s new turbo-charged 'Next Generation' engine.

Pinkney is likely to enter the car under his own Pinkney Motorsport team banner. A trademark pink colourscheme is anticipated, but today the Vectra remained in ‘blank’ interim livery having been stripped of all its old VX Racing logos.

Also out on track continuing their intensive pre-season test programmes were Pirtek Racing’s Jordan – this now his fourth test with the ‘Next Gen’ engine – and Matt Neal, the 2005 and 2006 Champion continuing development of Team Dynamics’ much-revised Honda Civic.

[Rob]

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[Rob]

Hamilton, TH target "shock" results
TH Motorsport boss Trevor Humphrey believes youngster Matt Hamilton can pull off “a few major shocks” after re-signing to drive his team’s Honda Civic Type R in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Hamilton, aged only 19, made his debut in the UK’s premier motor racing series last year, contesting the season’s final three rounds with TH.

Although the Civic Type R is an older BTC-spec car, he still believes it can enable him to make an impression in first full BTCC campaign.

Now turned 20, Hamilton, from Hemel Hempstead, said: “I cannot wait to get back on circuit. It’s been a very long hard winter and, as yet, I have not as much as sat in the car since the final round of 2009 at Brands Hatch.

‘I really think that the Civic has the potential to run consistent top tens, and occasional podiums. I know that I have to work hard on my driving; I still have very little experience of front-wheel-drive and touring cars in general, but I know that with more seat time I can threaten the front-runners.

“I know that TH will give me a great car to work with. They are already working hard at preparing the car and they have a few performance tweaks that I can’t wait to try.”

Humphrey clearly agrees with his young charge and added: “This is a great deal and everyone in the team cannot wait to get started. We saw real potential in Matt last year and it has given all the boys in the team a real boost to have a driver in the car with this sort of potential. I feel certain that we are going to pull off a few major shocks this year.”

[Rob]

Smith and Glew test for Triple 8

Multiple British Touring Car Championship-winning team Triple 8 Engineering returned to the track for the first time this winter by testing McLaren AUTOSPORT BRDC Award winner Dean Smith and Phil Glew at Rockingham on Friday.

Smith and Glew, who took the Formula Renault UK and Renault Clio Cup titles last year, both drove one of the team's ex-works Vauxhall Vectras during the day.

"Both were very impressive," Triple 8 team principal Ian Harrison told AUTOSPORT. "Phil obviously has a fair bit of front-wheel drive experience and made a good account of himself.

"Dean, meanwhile, has never driven front-wheel drive before, but he adapted very quickly and was very professional. I'm very happy with what both drivers managed."

Triple 8 ran Vauxhall's BTCC programme for 13 years and delivered seven titles in that time, but its participation in this season's championship has been in doubt since the manufacturer withdrew at the end of 2009.

The squad still owns two Vectras though and Harrison said he would be very keen to return to the series.

"Of course we'd be very keen to be back in the BTCC this year," he added. "But obviously everybody has to find a budget to run and we're no different. If we can put a deal together with the right driver, then we'll be there."

[Rob]

First pic! VW Golf takes to track

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Shaun Hollamby has today given the VW Golf he plans to race in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship its first run at Brands Hatch.

Orpington-based Hollamby has spent the morning shaking down the MK5 Golf at the world-famous Brands venue – his home track.

The Golf, one of the most iconic cars in motor manufacturing history, is sure to attract a tremendous following among enthusiasts. The last time a Golf raced in the BTCC was 1989, the final year the series ran to a 'multi-class' format.

As 44-year-old Hollamby told btcc.net: “The support we’ve received since we announced the Golf BTCC project has been fantastic. That’s before the season has even begun.

“I really hope we see owners’ club members and fans from all the VW magazines, internet forums and so on turning up at race events and supporting us. Every BTCC round attracts 30,000-plus people so there’s a great opportunity for them to become noticed in front of a huge audience.”

Hollamby's AmD Milltek Racing team has spent the winter building the Golf to the BTCC’s Super 2000 technical regulations having brought the car over from the Baltic touring car series.

The former VW Cup front-runner said: “Everything that could be done to it has been done to it. The support we’ve also received from everyone inside the BTCC has been brilliant – no looking down noses at us, just fantastic advice and encouragement all the way.

“Today is purely a shakedown but the car immediately feels very solid and exceptionally well balanced on all four corners. What else can I say? It goes, it stops, it turns left and right so it's been a good first run.”

[Rob]

Plato tests Chevrolet Cruze

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Jason Plato is today testing a Chevrolet Cruze for the RML team at Oulton Park.

It is Plato’s first taste of the Cruze and also a first opportunity for RML to assess the car on the Dunlop tyres used in the British Touring Car Championship.

At this stage, however, it remains undecided if the Wellingborough-based team will introduce the Cruze to the BTCC in 2010 after Plato almost won the title with its predecessor, the Lacetti, in 2009.

RML, though, already has considerable experience of the Cruze – it runs three of them for Chevrolet’s official World Touring Car programme.

In addition, it has come to boast an enviable track record in the BTCC these past two decades, the highlight so far coming in 1999 when it won the Drivers, Manufacturers and Teams titles with Laurent Aiello (champion), David Leslie and Nissan.

Meanwhile, also in testing action today at Oulton are reigning champion team WSR with new signing Robert Collard and Andy Neate in their BMW 320si E90s, plus Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan and Pinkney Motorsport’s David Pinkney – both continuing development of TOCA’s new turbocharged NGTC engine that they will use in their Vauxhall Vectras.

[Rob]

New livery for Dynamics Honda
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Team Dynamics has publicly revealed a striking new Honda Racing livery on its Honda Civic during testing at Oulton Park today.

Its 2005 and 2006 champion Matt Neal is again driving the car, although Dynamics has yet to officially confirm its plans for the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Other teams are also in action at the famous Cheshire circuit – including Cumbrian youngster Alex MacDowall who has taken over from Jason Plato in an RML Chevrolet Cruze.

Robert Collard and Andy Neate are continuing to test their BMWs for reigning champion team WSR.

Likewise, Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan and Pinkney Motorsport’s David Pinkney are putting further miles on TOCA’s new turbocharged NGTC engine that will power their Vauxhall Vectras this season.

[Rob]

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[Greig]

Golf looks nice :-)

[Julie B]

Honda (UK) and Team Dynamics Motorsport have announced the Honda Racing Team driver line-up for its assault on the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Two-time BTCC Champion Matt Neal will once again be partnered by Gordon ‘Flash’ Shedden – a reunion of the drivers who last competed together for Honda in 2007.

This year’s racing Civics will appear in ‘Championship White’, Honda’s traditional racing colour and that of the new Civic Type R MUGEN 200 cars.

Steve Neal, Team Dynamics Team Principal, said: "Team Dynamics and Honda have a huge heritage, it’s the brand with which we won back-to-back championships and it’s great to get the support of Honda (UK) which is backing a car that’s built in Britain."

BTCC fans will also have the chance to win a one-off Civic Type R MUGEN Concept car in a competition that will be running in participating Honda dealerships, at each BTCC round and on honda.co.uk/btcc from the start of the season.

Honda (UK) will be hosting special ‘Question of Motorsport Live’ events at Honda dealer showrooms near to each of the BTCC rounds on the Saturday evenings after qualifying. Former BTCC champion Tim Harvey will again be host, keeping charge of the two captains, Matt and Flash. The competition promises to be as fierce off the track as well as on, with the two drivers competing against each other in this fun test of their motor sport knowledge. For details of these events, visit honda.co.uk/btcc from 1 April.

The Honda Racing Team has also confirmed the support of Yuasa, a world leader in battery design and manufacture and the UK leader in aftermarket automotive, motorcycle and industrial batteries.

[Greig]

That will be my team for this year then :-D

Booooo Colin

[Rob]

Motorbase to remain in BTCC

Friday, March 19th 2010, 15:15 GMT

Motorbase Performance will remain in the British Touring Car Championship this season after its title sponsor from 2009, Airwaves, reversed its decision to withdraw from the championship.

The squad will continue to run under the Airwaves BMW banner, as it did last year, although there will be at least one change to the driver line-up following Rob Collard's recent switch to fellow BMW squad WSR.

Motorbase has not announced its 2010 drivers yet, although it will run a pair of BMW 320si machines again. Steven Kane, Ben Collins, Andrew Jordan and Tim Bridgman all tested for the team during the winter.

Team principal David Bartrum said: "Our original plan was to run a BTCC newcomer alongside an experienced driver, in the same way that we brought Steven Kane and Jonathan Adam to touring cars over the past couple of years.

"I'm not sure it will quite work out like that now. As things stand today, we might even go one better."

[Rob]

BTCC teams granted extra testing

Friday, March 19th 2010, 15:31 GMT

British Touring Car Championship teams have been granted an eight days of winter testing ahead of the new season.

Traditionally, teams have been allowed unrestricted testing until the pre-season media day, which takes place at Brands Hatch on March 23, and then were barred from running outside official championship test days until the season's end.

However, series director Alan Gow will now allow teams to continue testing without limitation until March 31, after which in-season testing will be limited to one day at Rockingham on May 25 and one at Snetterton on July 22.

Gow said: "It is clear that some teams and drivers are facing the prospect of arriving at our first event with less testing than they would have preferred. In many cases this is simply due to not having been able to finalise their deals until very late and/or not being able to prepare their cars in good time for some meaningful testing.

"I am fully sympathetic to this issue and have no desire to see some teams and drivers arrive at our first event without having had as much opportunity to test as possible.

"We have therefore decided that the date for the start of the testing restriction should be extended by eight days, meaning teams can now test until 5pm on Wednesday March 31, when the restriction will then come into play."

The BTCC gets underway at Thruxton on April 4.

[Rob]

Two Toms aiming high
Team Aon team-mates Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole have high hopes for their LPG-powered Ford Focus STs in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Their squad confirmed earlier this afternoon that its cars will, uniquely, run on liquified petroleum gas in 2010 thanks to a major technical partnership with Calor (see separate story on btcc.net).

The decision follows an intensive test and development programme and Chilton clearly believes LPG power can help the Focus to its maiden win in the BTCC – he missed out on giving it a first victory in last year’s final round by just 0.015s to Jason Plato’s Chevrolet.

And a win would clearly mean a lot to Chilton (pictured above) – not only is it more than a year since he crossed the line in first spot, but he has been an integral part of the Aon Focus project since day one.

The 24-year-old, originally from Reigate, Surrey but now living in Poole, Dorset, said: “We’ve got a great chance, for sure. The car is amazing to drive, responds well to all the set-up changes we’ve introduced and I believe the new LPG engine is as powerful as anything else out there.

“There are some new team and driver combinations who will obviously improve through the year so we will need to take advantage of the continuity we have, hit the ground running and bag as many points as possible in the first few events.”

For Onslow-Cole, 2010 will mark his first full BTCC campaign since 2008 when he was twice a race-winner with Vauxhall’s factory VXR squad. He only joined Aon mid-way through last season but was instantly a front-runner again…

The 22-year-old from New Malden, Surrey, added: I can’t wait to take the new car out and see what it can do in a competitive environment. We already know that LPG is a more environmentally friendly fuel than petrol, so if it also proves to be a race winner then I’m sure I’ll be driving a car powered by the fuel for the future for British motor sport.”

Team boss Mike Earle, whose Arena International Motorsports company prepares the Aon Fords, is also confident its new LPG technology with Calor will reap rewards having seen his cars end the 2009 season on terrific form.

For the record, a win for an Aon Focus in 2010 would herald the first victory for the mighty Ford name in the BTCC since 2000. Fords have won 219 BTCC races since the BTCC started back in 1958 – that's nearly 100 more than the next best tally of 125 achieved by Vauxhall.

Earle commented: “I think we’re in great shape going into the season. As well as retaining fantastic support from Aon we have been fortunate to have attracted new partners both commercially and technically which has enabled us to carry on with the development programme that was planned last year.

“We have looked at every aspect of the Focus and taken what was already a very good car and improved it. The decision to run with LPG was a logical one but has presented us with additional challenges. Our aim is to produce the most competitive package possible and along with the engine and chassis developments we also need talented drivers and in Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole we have that as well.”

[Rob]

LPG for Aon Fords
Team Aon has announced its Ford Focus STs will be powered by liquified petroleum gas (LPG) in 2010 with Tom Onslow-Cole joining Tom Chilton in the driver line-up.
http://i42.tinypic.com/kexop4.jpg
By going the LPG route for its 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign, Mike Earle’s squad has attracted a major sponsor in high street brand Calor Gas. Auto Windscreens will also become involved as a co-sponsor of the team.

Aon becomes the first front-running team in the championship to make the switch to LPG. In addition, the news adds further credibility to the BTCC’s ‘green credentials’ that are well documented and also way ahead of most other high-profile race series around the world.

The team’s decision to switch to LPG follows an extensive evaluation programme with the team’s engine development partner Mountune Racing and leading UK supplier Calor.

Chris Taylor, Calor’s Autogas Development Manager says he is excited the unique opportunity which will use brand new LPG technology.

In an official Team Aon statement he commented: “The launch of the first competitive LPG car specially developed to suit a motor sport environment is testament to the hard work that has gone into improving performance for autogas vehicles."

“We’ve been delighted at its performance in testing so far. In a climate where motor sport is under intense scrutiny for its contribution to carbon emissions it’s never been a better time to show how LPG, as a greener alternative fuel, can help to power the sport with a reduced environmental footprint.

“And the best thing is similar technology can be applied to the majority of petrol vehicles – on and off the track.”

Meanwhile Earle, whose West Sussex-based Arena International Motorsports oversees the Aon Ford project, clearly believes his LPG-powered cars could be title contenders in 2010.

He added: “We had hoped to run three cars but, with the technical complexities we have had to overcome, we will start the season with just two entries and look to run a third car later in the year. I’m very excited about this coming season and whilst winning any championship is never easy I believe it is a realistic goal for Team Aon.”

More to follow...

[Julie B]

RML will run a pair of factory-supported Chevrolet Cruzes in the British Touring Car Championship this season under the Silverline Chevrolet banner, with Jason Plato staying on as the lead driver in the squad.

Plato, 42, previously drove for RML when it ran the SEAT works squad in 2004, and returned last year after signing a deal to race an independently-fielded Chevrolet Lacetti three days before the start of the season.

After missing out on the title by only five points, the 2001 champion is confident of challenging for honours this season.

"I always had confidence that teaming up with RML again last year would mean wins - the Chevrolet Lacetti of 2009 was a formidable piece of kit," he said.

"Now in 2010 we have manufacturer support from Chevrolet, continued support from Silverline and a very exciting new car in the Cruze. We are very motivated to make this our year, the opposition better be ready. Roll on Thruxton."

Plato's team-mate will be Renault Clio Cup runner-up Alex MacDowall, who, at 19 years old, will be the youngest driver on the grid.

"To compete in the BTCC has been my goal for some time, and it's a great feeling to not only be entering the series this year, but to being doing so with such a competitive and experienced team as RML," said MacDowall, who also tested for the Motorbase and WSR BMW squads during the winter.

"I'm really excited for the season ahead - the Cruze has proven its pace and reliability in WTCC, and from the initial test last week there's no doubting that it will translate well in the BTCC."

[Rob]

Chevy bosses confident of success www.btcc.net

http://i41.tinypic.com/vfk1w9.jpg
The bosses behind Chevrolet’s first official entry into Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship believe their Cruze model can bring them title success in 2010.

Renowned Wellingborough-based organisation RML will run a pair of Cruzes under the Silverline Chevrolet banner this season with official manufacturer support from the famed US marque. Former champion Jason Plato and newcomer Alex MacDowall have been confirmed as the drivers (see separate story).

And said Chevrolet UK Managing Director Mark Terry: “The Cruze has already shown itself to be a superb racing car in the World Touring Car Championship, so the decision to enter it in the most high profile series in the UK was made much easier.

“We’re looking forward to an exciting season, and one that will raise the profile of both the Chevrolet brand and the style and dynamic appeal of the Cruze – a car that has already proven to be a success both on and off the track.”

RML has an enviable track record in the BTCC, having run highly successful campaigns for other manufacturers in the past, including Vauxhall and Nissan with whom it lifted the 1995 and 1999 drivers’ titles among others.

CEO Ray Mallock sees no reason why Chevrolet cannot become its third title-winning manufacturer. Indeed, last year it came oh-so close to winning the title with Plato in an independently-run Chevrolet Lacetti.

Mallock added: “I am really pleased to confirm the continued partnership with Silverline Tools and, new for this year, with Chevrolet UK. RML prides itself on managing top line projects, representing some of the automotive industry’s biggest manufacturers in the world.

“Last year we got tantalizingly close to taking another BTCC title. This year as we approach the first round at Thruxton, we’ve had a little more time ahead of us to plan and organise and in the switch to the Chevrolet Cruze, we are aiming for the title win. With the support of Silverline Tools and Chevrolet UK, two hugely talented drivers, Jason and Alex, and a very committed team in place, I think we have a great opportunity to do just that.”

Silverline’s continued involvement in the BTCC follows its very successful title sponsorship of the RML squad in 2009 when it achieved 11 race victories – seven of them falling to Plato.

The company’s CEO James Goddard-Watts said: “Silverline Tools are thrilled to confirm the continued partnership with Jason and RML and we welcome rising star, Alex, to the team. Last year we enjoyed a fantastic season, our first with RML and the Chevrolet Lacetti.

"We just missed out on the title, but with tremendous effort from all involved, it was a great start to an important association and we all eagerly await the first race of the season at Thruxton. We’ve high hopes for championship success this year and look forward to working with RML and Chevrolet UK.”

[Rob]

Hope this will bring back Triple 8 racing and those VXR Vectra's and GIO!!!

[Rob]

Jackson, Kane for Airwaves BMW

http://i43.tinypic.com/riyio2.jpg
Mat Jackson and Steven Kane will race for the Airwaves BMW team in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The duo were officially confirmed as team-mates late last night, on the eve of the BTCC’s annual pre-season Media Day launch at Brands Hatch.

Warwickshire’s Jackson finished BTCC runner-up in 2008 in a BMW. That same season, Northern Irishman Kane, also in one of the German machines, starred with several podium finishes for David Bartrum’s Motorbase team before it ran under the Airwaves banner.

Team principal Bartrum told btcc.net: “In Mat and Steven we have a dream driver line-up which I defy anyone to rival.”

And he added in a statement: “Frankly, I couldn’t be happier. We know Steven’s potential well, having worked with him in the Carrera Cup before the BTCC, but then the chance to add Mat to the line-up was something really worth working for – his record in just three seasons in the BTCC speaks for itself.”

News that the popular Wrigley's high street brand Airwaves will continue to title-sponsor the Wrotham-based Motorbase team is a major boost for Bartrum. In addition, Leyland Paints will increase its backing during the 2010 season, while The Money Shop – the UK’s leading cheque-cashing business – has also added its support for 2010.

In just three seasons, Jackson has achieved 11 race wins in the BTCC. He was officially voted the ‘Fans Favourite’ in 2008 and last year became the first driver of the BTCC’s triple-header era to finish on the podium in every race at two consecutive events (as part of a sensational run of eight top-three results in a row).

The 28-year-old, from Henley-in-Arden, said: “It’s fantastic to be back in a BMW and with Airwaves on board its definitely time to kick up a gear! It would be an understatement to say that exciting times lie ahead. I feel this could be a great partnership – all of the team have the same focus and mine is no different… to win. With our new team partner Moneyshop.tv, I just hope that we can be cashing in as early as round one at Thruxton!”

Kane, meanwhile, will be eager to make it two BTCC titles in a row for Northern Ireland after fellow Ulsterman Colin Turkington lifted the crown last season. The 29-year-old commented: “It’s great to be back in the BTCC, especially with Motorbase Performance and Airwaves BMW – the last time I raced the BMW at Brands Hatch, I finished second twice… time to kick up a gear and start winning!

“I tested the car at the end of last year, back at Brands, and it’s very clear the team and car have moved on. I have great respect for David Bartrum and I think he has really put a great team together – with Mat, I will have a fantastic team-mate and I'm sure we will form a good partnership both on and off the track. This will enable both of us to have a real good shot at the title.”

Finally, Bartrum is eager for the start of the season at Thruxton on Easter Sunday 4 April, particularly as both his new drivers are proven winners around the high-speed circuit. Jackson has twice tasted victory there in the BTCC as well as in SEAT Cupras, while Kane took all four Carrera Cup wins at the Hants track in 2007.

Bartrum said: “Our guys have a pretty solid record round there, while I know that some of the other teams don’t… but we’ll see, come Easter weekend.”

[Rob]

Increased 23-car entry for 2010

http://i42.tinypic.com/a0bd.jpg
The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship has this morning officially confirmed a 23-car entry for its much-anticipated 2010 season. Defying the current economic climate, that’s more than was announced at the start of 2009 and includes a number of new teams, drivers, models of cars and big name sponsors.

Media, VIP guests and fans have descended on the world-famous Brands Hatch circuit in Kent for the annual launch of the UK’s premier motor racing series. There, the teams and drivers are taking part in an official test session prior to the opening round, which this year will be staged at the Thruxton circuit in Hampshire on Easter Sunday 4 April.

In total, seven different manufacturers, with nine different models, are represented on the grid, namely: BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, SEAT, Vauxhall and VW.

Notably Honda and, for the first time, Chevrolet have entered as official manufacturer teams with former champions and fierce rivals Matt Neal and Jason Plato spearheading their campaigns, running under the Team Honda and Silverline Chevrolet banners respectively. Chevrolet’s entry also debuts its striking Cruze model into the BTCC. Joining Plato in the Chevrolet fold for what will be his debut season in the BTCC will be the youngest driver on the grid, Alex MacDowall who has only just turned 19.

Uniquely, Team Aon’s front-running Ford Focus will be powered by pioneering liquified petroleum gas (LPG) technology, while Triple Eight Race Engineering – which masterminded the factory Vauxhall team’s six drivers’ titles during the last decade – will continue with a pair of its Vectras for two as-yet unnamed drivers.

Looking to the future, two teams, Pirtek Racing and Pinkney Motorsport, will use the BTCC’s turbo-charged ‘Next Generation Touring Car’ engine, each in a Vauxhall Vectra, ahead of the arrival of full-blown NGTC regulations in 2011.

WSR, 2009’s title-winning team, and Airwaves BMW will both continue to run BMW’s ultra-successful 320si model, but with all-new driver line-ups. Robert Collard, an Airwaves driver in 2009, and Andy Neate – back after a remarkable recovery from serious injury – are both in at WSR. Meanwhile, Mat Jackson – second in 2008’s championship in a BMW – and the returning Steven Kane form Airwaves’ line-up. Newcomer Forster Motorsport makes it six BMWs on the grid.

In addition, the VW Golf – one of the most iconic models in motor manufacturing history – will appear in the BTCC for the first time since 1989, run by new team AmD Milltek Racing.com. Also entering its first BTCC campaign, Special Tuning UK maintains SEAT’s presence with the Spanish make’s Leon.

Meanwhile, Hondas and Vauxhalls are further represented thanks to four smaller teams entering older but nevertheless still-potent BTC-spec cars. Running Honda Integras – one for pop star Mel C’s brother Paul O’Neill – are Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport and, making its debut, Central Group Racing. TH Motorsport is fielding a Honda Civic Type R and Boulevard Team Racing continues with its 2001 Vauxhall Astra Coupe that twice achieved top ten results in 2009.

This year’s BTCC season will once again receive massive TV coverage across the ITV network. Mammoth six hour-plus broadcasts from all ten race events on ITV4 will each be followed by four 90-minute highlights on ITV1, ITV4 and Men & Motors. Coverage is set to break the 120-hours mark – beating 2009’s record figures. Furthermore, the itv.com website will live-stream ITV4’s race-day coverage.

And, as announced previously, world-renowned tyre company Dunlop has returned as title sponsor of the BTCC for the next four years. In conjunction with the BTCC, Dunlop last year developed pioneering RFID technology in its tyres. This year it will introduce a new race tyre to the series, the Dunlop Sport Maxx BTCC, which is more durable and also complies with latest EU environmental regulations. Similarly, Dunlop’s sister company, ‘fast fit’ vehicle service HiQ, will back the hotly-contested Teams’ Championship through to 2013 after two years as title sponsor of the BTCC.

“This is a fantastic start to our new season and a new decade for the BTCC,” commented BTCC Series Director Alan Gow. “Globally, motor sport has really felt the pinch of late following what has been a very cruel recession, yet the BTCC continues to buck that trend and set an example for many other high-profile series around the world, as shown by our 2010 entry list.

“I’m immensely proud of the huge efforts made by the teams, drivers and sponsors during the winter to ensure they are here, but the fact they continue to want to compete and succeed in the BTCC speaks volumes for this great championship’s ability to excite, inspire and reward at the very highest level in the UK. No doubt, as normal, even more teams and drivers will join the championship during the course of the season – which is further testament to the BTCC as being Britain’s biggest drawcard for teams, drivers and sponsors.

“Just to remind people of a few facts: our trackside crowds are often bigger than many Premiership football games; we are watched by many millions on TV, in both the UK and right around the world, thanks to our truly terrific broadcast partner ITV; we enjoy the tremendous support of a hugely passionate title sponsor in Dunlop; plus, the free admission for children and unrivalled interaction between the public and the stars all make the BTCC a unique sporting attraction.

“The BTCC remains way ahead of all other motor racing series in Britain in terms of public profile, variety, action, competitive rivalry, unpredictability, popularity and levels of professionalism… and our entry list again underlines its stature. In fact, many other international series look at our championship with real envy. I look forward to what promises to be another phenomenal season in the BTCC’s illustrious history.”

[Rob]

2 Jason Plato British Silverline Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze (M)
4 Matt Neal British Team Honda Honda Civic (M)
5 Mat Jackson British Airwaves BMW BMW 320si E90 (I)
6 Robert Collard British WSR BMW 320si E90 (I)
11 Steven Kane British Airwaves BMW BMW 320si E90 (I)
20 Alex MacDowall British Silverline Chevrolet Chevrolet Cruze (M)
21 Tom Onslow-Cole British Team Aon Ford Focus ST (I)
22 Tom Boardman British Special Tuning UK SEAT Leon (I)
23 Tom Chilton British Team Aon Ford Focus ST (I)
27 Martin Johnson British Boulevard Team Racing Vauxhall Astra Coupe (I)
28 John George British Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport Honda Integra (I)
29 Paul O'Neill British Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport Honda Integra (I)
30 Martin Depper British Forster Motorsport BMW 320si E90 (I)
37 Arthur Forster British Forster Motorsport BMW 320si E90 (I)
43 Lea Wood British Central Group Racing Honda Integra (I)
44 Andy Neate British WSR BMW 320si E90 (I)
52 Gordon Shedden British Team Honda Honda Civic (M)
55 David Pinkney British Pinkney Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra (I)
77 Andrew Jordan British Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra (I)
88 TBA Triple Eight Race Engineering Vauxhall Vectra (I)
98 Matt Hamilton British TH Motorsport Honda Civic Type R (I)
99 Shaun Hollamby British AmD Milltek Racing.com VW Golf MK5 (I)
888 TBA Triple Eight Race Engineering Vauxhall Vectra (I)

Cars 2, 4, 20 & 52 are Manufacturer entrants within the Manufacturers/Constructors Championship.

Cars 21 & 23 are Independent Constructor entrants, within the Manufacturers/Constructors Championship.

(M) Manufacturer

(I) Independent
BTCC Driver Standings/Top 10/01/ / View All Standings

[Greig]

Big grid can't wait, no Turkers? shame that :-D

[Greig]

Going to Rockingham so hope it's good :-)

[Rob]

Big grid can't wait, no Turkers? shame that :-D

it big grid, lots of action and bumping be great. Oh yeah, he aint there is he? just noticed that. I like try get to Brands, Snetterton is 100% all go.

[Rob]

Going to Rockingham so hope it's good :-)

How long wil that take you to get there?

[Greig]

I'm in Hull that weekend so we are going from there, not too long I don't think, going to Knockhill as well though :-D

[Rob]

Shouldnt take long from there, hope traffic good for ya mate. This year will be action packed, shame about GIO, as always hard but fair fighter (driver) See the Triple 8 cars still TBA, so fingers crossed Gio will return.

[Greig]

yeah would be good if Gio and Turkers were back on the grid

[Tifosi]

No Turkers or Gio. Big Shame. At least it's easy to hate Matt Neal.

Should be a good grid though with some interesting new blood in the mix :thumb

I just love BTCC :clap

[Rob]

Plato, Cruze set the pace

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Jason Plato and Chevrolet’s new Cruze threw down the gauntlet for their rivals with the fastest ever British Touring Car lap recorded around the Brands Hatch Indy circuit during official testing for the Dunlop-backed championship today.

During the afternoon session, 2001 champion Plato set a scintillating lap time of 48.662s in the Cruze as Gordon Shedden (Team Honda), Steven Kane (Airwaves BMW) and Tom Chilton (Aon Ford Focus) made it four different makes of car in the top four. Ultimately, it was a fantastic response from Plato who missed the morning session after a steering problem on his car.

Overall, less than a second covered the fastest 14 drivers out of the 20 who took part in today’s test.
Plato’s time was some 0.155s faster than Scotsman Shedden (48.817s), on great form having rejoined the Dynamics-run Team Honda squad to drive its heavily-revised Civic.

Kane, fastest in the morning session with a lap in 48.821s, was unable to better his time in the afternoon and so slipped to third but it was also a terrific effort from the Northern Irishman on his return – after a year out – to the Motorbase-run Airwaves BMW outfit.

Chilton’s fourth fastest time underlined the progress being made Team Aon with its new LPG technology that is powering its two Ford Focus STs. Team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole, concentrating on longer runs, was eighth.

Just ahead of him and behind the top four came Shedden’s team-mate Matt Neal (fifth on 48.930s), Robert Collard (sixth in WSR’s BMW on 48.963s) and Plato’s young rookie team-mate Alex MacDowall, an impressive seventh on 49.109s.

‘Fans favourite’ Paul O’Neill was ninth in his older but nevertheless still-potent BTC-spec Honda Integra. Some people are tipping the Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport driver to be a strong contender in the BTCC’s opening round at Thruxton (Sunday 4 April) as it is a circuit that has always suited the Integra’s slippery shape.

Close behind, Andrew Jordan was tenth fastest in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra that is using BTCC organiser TOCA’s new turbocharged NGTC engine. The identically-powered Vectra of Pinkney Motorsport’s David Pinkney also lapped at a similar pace, 12th fastest overall.

A low key 11th by his standards was Mat Jackson on his debut outing for the Airwaves BMW squad. It is understood that he and Kane were experimenting with different set-ups, with Jackson also concentrating more on longer distance runs.

Andy Neate, returning to racing after 18 months out with injury, was 13th fastest in his WSR BMW ahead of Matt Hamilton, an encouraging 14th in his BTC-spec TH Motorsport Honda Civic Type R. Hamilton had earlier caused the only stoppage of the day when he slid wide and nosed into the barriers at Clearways. He was later delayed when his car’s fifth gear failed.

O’Neill’s team-mate John George was next up followed by Tom Boardman in his Special Tuning UK SEAT Leon, although he reported his day’s running had been blighted by a persistent engine mapping problem.

The ever-jovial Martin Johnson was 17th and within 1.5s of the ultimate pace in his Boulevard Team Racing Vauxhall Astra Coupe. Newcomers Lea Wood (Central Racing Group Honda Integra) and Arthur Forster (Forster Motorsport BMW) rounded out the timed runners. Forster managed only a dozen laps in the morning before his car’s engine developed an oil leak – but at least he was able to take to the track; team-mate Martin Depper was unable to participate after his car’s powerplant had failed in a test at Croft late last week.

Shaun Hollamby’s stunning new AmD Technik Racing.com VW Golf was also on track, although no official time was registered. It was not until the end of the day, as well, that Hollamby finally enjoyed ten trouble-free laps, he and his mechanics having spent much of the day curing a misfire.

[Tifosi]

Go Plato :clap

I want him to win :rock but he needs some stiff competition to make it worthwhile :Hmm

[Rob]

theres seats at Triple 8 racing, so im crossing all fingers that "Him" will come back, no not turkers. Gio.

[Rob]

Triple Eight confirms Glew
Philip Glew will race for multiple title-winning team Triple Eight Race Engineering in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Triple Eight confirmed this morning that Glew, last year’s dominant Renault Clio Cup champion, will be behind the wheel of one of two Vauxhall Vectras it has entered.

Notably, Glew’s chief Clio Cup rival from 2010, Alex MacDowall, is also graduating to the BTCC this season, having signed with the factory-supported Silverline Chevrolet team – meaning they will again be locked in battle in front-running cars.

Glew, from Louth, Lincs knows a drive with Triple Eight marks a golden opportunity for him to shine in his debut BTCC season. Ian Harrison’s squad has become one of the most successful in BTCC history with six drivers’ titles alone in the last decade with aces such as Jason Plato, James Thompson, Yvan Muller and Fabrizio Giovanardi.

The 26-year-old said: “I am over the moon to finally get my chance to move into the BTCC after such a successful season last year and especially with such a prestigious team as Triple Eight Race Engineering.

“I tested for the team two weeks ago and was blown away by how professional they were and I knew straight away that this was the place for me. We had to work really hard since the test to put a deal together with the team and I am delighted that my current sponsors WD-40 and 3-IN-ONE as well as new sponsor, paint company Glasurit, will be supporting us for the 2010 BTCC season.”

Harrison, who has worked with some of the biggest names in the BTCC, believes Glew’s track record suggests can quickly establish himself as a front-runner – last year he won 11 out of the Clio Cup’s 20 races – despite the deal having come together just over a week before Thruxton’s opening round (Sunday 4 April).

“I'm really pleased to have Phil on board the Vectra this season. Although he will be starting with very little preparation time, his track record in Clios will stand him in good stead,” commented Harrison.

And Glew added: “I am extremely excited about making my debut at Thruxton, but it is going to be a steep learning curve especially with no opportunity to test the car. I am going to be thrown in right at the deep end and will have to make the most of the two free practice sessions on Saturday morning, but I am looking forward to the challenge and learning from Triple Eight's experience as the season unfolds.”

[Greig]

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/turk-left-gutted-as-lack-of-cash-ends-title-bid-14731999.html

Colin Turkington has become the latest motorsport victim of the economic recession.

The Portadown driver was the first Northern Ireland winner of the prestigious British Touring Car Championship title last year, but he will not be back to defend his crown.

With the start the new season just two weeks away he has admitted defeat in the hunt for funding for his 2010 campaign.

“We have contacted close to 80 companies since Christmas, but haven’t been able to secure anything like the funding required for this season despite the high profile of the BTCC and the 100-plus hours of television coverage the series receives,” said Turkington.

“It is a huge disappointment, but I suppose it is just a reflection of the difficult times all businesses are experiencing.”

Turkington’s troubles began shortly after he won the title for Team RAC in a gripping, last-race climax at Brands Hatch last October. The RAC had reached the end of their three-year sponsorship programme with the West Surrey Racing team and announced that they would be reducing their involvement for 2010.

Since then, Turkington and WSR boss Bennetts have been searching for a replacement sponsor, but without success.

“Motor racing at this level is a business, an expensive business, and while has made it clear he wants me back in the team it has to be paid for and we haven’t been able to come up with the money,” said Turkington.

“It is as simple as that. It means I won’t be defending my title when the season starts at Thruxton over Easter weekend. I’m devastated to be honest — it will be the first time since 2003 I haven’t been racing in the BTCC, but never say never.

“I’m still trying my best to find the funding and West Surrey have a car there for me if something can be sorted out for later in the season, but even if that happens I wouldn’t be in a position to fight for the championship. After the highs of winning last season it is hard to get your head round the fact it is all over — for now at least.”

[Julie B]

Ooooooooh nooooooooo gutted !!!:-(

[Rob]

that not good news. Looking forward to see him try to defend his crown. Isnt that keen on him, but wish him all best luck to get sponsorship money, hope see him on grid during season :-)

[Tifosi]

This says a hell of a lot about the recession. Gio cant drive, Turkers can't drive..... Plato gets in at the last moment (again). It really is sad. All the Champs cant get in (except Neal and no-one gives a stuff about him!)

It's just so depressing! :-(

[Tifosi]

Giovanardi seals late Triple 8 deal

By Jamie O'Leary Friday, April 2nd 2010, 11:11 GMT

Fabrizio Giovanardi will race in the opening round of the British Touring Car Championship at Thruxton this weekend after signing a last-minute deal with Triple 8 Engineering.

The 2007 and '08 champion had been left driveless after Vauxhall withdrew from the BTCC at the end of last year, but will now race a Vectra for Triple 8 alongside Phil Glew.

"I'm delighted to have Fabrizio back in the team," Triple 8 team principal Ian Harrison told AUTOSPORT. "He's an absolute class act, as we've found out over the last four years.

"He's had very little mileage, just three miles going up and down the runway at Turweston Aerodrome on Thursday, but I think he can probably remember which way Thruxton goes.

"We're coming at this weekend from the point of view that we haven't done much running."

Giovanardi, 43, has raced for Triple 8 since 2006 and won 22 races in that time, although this will be the first time his entry has not carried Vauxhall works status.

The deal is currently for Thruxton only, although Harrison hopes to extend it to include further rounds.

"It's a work in progress," he added.

Top Bo**ocks :thumb

[Rob]

yes yes yes!!!! good news lets hope it could lead to rest of season.:thumb

[Rob]

Fab news for Giovanardi

http://i43.tinypic.com/2d76445.jpg
It's official: Fabrizio Giovanardi is back in the BTCC. The 43-year-old touring car legend will contest this year's Dunlop-backed series with the Triple Eight team and Vauxhall Vectra that took the Italian to back-to-back BTCC crowns in 2007 and 2008.

Giovanardi hadn't been expected to return to the UK's racetracks following Vauxhall's decision not to field a factory team in this year's series. Triple Eight, though, anounced earlier this week that reigning Renault Clio champion Phil Glew would be racing one of its Vectras in the 2010 BTCC and today, as the teams arrived at Thruxton, Giovanardi's name was revealed on its other mean-looking black car.

Widely hailed as one of the world's greatest touring car drivers, Giovanardi's presence adds further spice to this year's star-studded line-up which includes an intriguing number of potential winners. To date the former Italian, Spanish and European tin top champion has won 22 races since arriving in the UK at the start of the 2006 season. As well as capturing the crown in 2007 and 2008, Fabrizio was a major contender last season, finally finishing a close third behind rivals Colin Turkington and Jason Plato.

Log back into BTCC.net for Fabrizio's reaction to his surprise BTCC return.

[Rob]

HiQ voting now open
HiQ has relaunched its hugely popular round-by-round Champagne Moment competition for BTCC fans.

Voting is now open at www.hiqonline.co.uk for fans to vote for their star performer from Thruxton’s opening round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

One member of the public voting for whoever emerges as the winning driver will then be invited with a guest to the BTCC’s next round, at Rockingham in Northants on Sunday 25 April with HiQ.

There, that member of the public will present Thruxton’s most popular driver with his prize – a bottle of champagne as well as receiving some bubbly of their own.

One thing is sure – there is no obvious favourite from Thruxton as there were a number of scintillating performances including:
• Fabrizio Giovanardi – two wins despite only securing a deal just days before
• Matt Neal – great drive from 12th to second in race two
• Steven Kane – took his first BTCC race win
• Paul O’Neill – three top-six finishes including a podium plus fourth in the points
• Robert Collard – local hero led race three and set the fastest lap before retiring
• Gordon Shedden – pole position and fastest lap of all in the three races

Fans are urged to get their votes in now. All rules plus terms and conditions can be found on the hiqonline.co.uk website.

For those who need a final think before voting, highlights of all three BTCC races can be viewed again on ITV’s website www.itv.com/touringcars or by tuning in to ITV1 tonight (2.05am-3.20am) or again this coming Saturday (10 April) from 09.25am-11.00am.

[Rob]

Peak time TV for Rockingham :furious
Fans planning to catch all the BTCC action from Rockingham via their TVs rather than trackside should note that ITV is making a small revision to its planned coverage.

Due to an altered commitment to its IPL coverage, the network will not now be screening the day's final BTCC race as it happens.

However, the good news is that ITV4 has scheduled an extra 90-minute special BTCC programme later in the same evening at the peak viewing time of 8.30pm. This programme will show all three BTCC races from the day and is sure to attract a bumper audience.

Best of all, fans going to Rockingham can watch all the televised action later in the same day - the best of both worlds!

So to re-cap ITV4's coverage on the day from Rockingham, that's live from 11.00am-3.15pm and then highlights from 8.30pm-10.00pm.

Of course, those wanting to follow the racing live and not able to travel to Rockingham can always keep bang up to date by logging into the BTCC's dedicated Twitter site www.twitter.com/dunlopbtcc or the live timing feed via links on this website.

[Greig]

Will see it live :-D

[Rob]

Will see it live :-D

you going aint you mate?

[Rob]

09/Apr/2010 'Next Generation Touring Car' gears up for 2011 debut
www.btcc.net

• Front and rear wheel drive confirmed
• Technical partners announced
• Programme on time and on budget
• Development car to debut at Brands Hatch season finale
• Images of NGTC car revealed
http://i43.tinypic.com/2qnt6pc.jpg


The organisers of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, the UK’s premier motor racing series, have confirmed more details covering the introduction of new, low-cost technical regulations for 2011 and beyond.

Last year TOCA announced the introduction of the Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) featuring the use of some common components such as electronics, brakes, gearboxes and suspension to make significant savings to both development and running costs. A new budget-conscious turbo-charged two-litre engine specification was also announced and has already made an excellent competition debut.

Cars conforming to the NGTC specification will be eligible for the BTCC from the start of next season – there will be performance parity with the current S2000 cars until 2013, after which time the performance level of the NGTC car will be further increased.

TOCA has now confirmed that both front and rear wheel drive formats will be permitted under the 2011+ NGTC technical regulations - in accordance with the drivetrain used on the model on which the race car is based. TOCA has also confirmed that the regulations will adopt the use of front and rear sub-frames with double wishbone suspension all-round, as originally envisaged.

GPR Motorsport* has been commissioned to carry out the design, validation, prototype manufacture and testing programme for the new subframe/suspension assemblies. GPR will be the nominated supplier of those suspension subframes and associated assembly components, while TOCA has also appointed the following major control component suppliers as its Technical Partners: Xtrac, AP Racing and Cosworth Electronics.

A full detailed design for both FWD and RWD drivetrain layouts will be carried out using CAD (Computer Aided Design) technology supported by a physical vehicle buck, to validate the component designs and system packaging. A technical working group comprising representatives of the teams, suppliers, GPR and TOCA will regularly meet to provide input throughout the design process.

A prototype NGTC car will be built and undergo a comprehensive track-testing programme to validate and demonstrate the reliability, integrity and performance of the design and assemblies. This car will also take part in the official BTCC practice sessions at the Brands Hatch final round.

At the conclusion of this development/testing process, early October 2010, teams planning to build NGTC for the 2011 BTCC will be provided with all the drawings and data for the mandated component assemblies - thus enabling teams to more easily and effectively design and build their own cars to incorporate those specified components.

Thereafter GPR will be providing on-going technical assistance and will support competitors at all future BTCC rounds and official test days, providing sufficient stock of the suspension components, sub-frames and assemblies – further reducing the need for teams to tie-up their own capital in major parts stock.

“Tremendous progress has been made and we are right on schedule. Its genuinely exciting to see how the car is developing - it will be a fantastic piece of kit!” said Alan Gow, BTCC Series Director.

“At the culmination of the design & development program, our teams will have a comprehensive package of component assemblies around which they can more easily build, individualise and develop their own chosen car. And at around £100k, plus engine, they will then have a better car – which is easier to maintain and has greater performance potential - at about half the cost of a current one. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.”

“After we released details of the NGTC program last year, I stated that we would revisit the question of incorporating rear-wheel drive in the regulations if there was enough interest or commitment from teams and manufacturers of rear-wheel drive cars to support it. Having now had those discussions, I’m confident that there is and so we have now included it.”

“As these NGTC technical regulations provide a much more cost-effective opportunity for teams to compete in Britain’s biggest motor-racing championship, I’ve no doubt that the BTCC ambitions of many new drivers and teams will now be realised.”

Based on the established dimensions and specifications, attached are renditions of a car designed to the BTCC-NGTC regulations.

NGTC - OUTLINE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Engine:
• 300+bhp 2-litre turbo-charged direct-injection engine with ‘fly by wire’ throttle control.
• Low cost to develop, build, buy and maintain – either by teams and/or race engine-builders developing their own, or through lease/purchase of the TOCA-BTCC engine
• Engine can be sourced from a manufacturers broad ‘family’ range, including subsidiary marques under their effective control.
• Over-boost function and increased power output from 2013.

Drivetrain:
• Xtrac 6 speed sequential-shift gearbox.
• AP Racing carbon clutch.
• Drive-train layout (i.e. front or rear wheel drive) as per base vehicle.

Suspension:
• Full front sub-frame incorporating suspension, brakes, transmission and engine location that attaches to specified roll cage locations. Multi-adjustable double wishbone suspension with coil-over dampers.
• Rear sub-frame that attaches to specified roll cage locations. Multi-adjustable double wishbone suspension with coil-over dampers.

Bodyshell:
• 2,3,4 or 5 door of a minimum 4.4m length. (2 or 3 door cars must share the same basic body profile as the 4/5 door model).
• Equalised width of 1875mm
• Specified front aerodynamic device incorporating flat floor, apertures for radiator, brake cooling ducts, intercooler and side exits.
• Specified rear wing profile
• Stylised front & rear wheel-arch extensions.
• Increased driver protection
• Side exhaust permitted
• 80 litre fuel tank
• Base vehicle must be freely on sale in the UK through the manufacturers normal dealer network
• Base vehicle weights, for front and rear-wheel drive, to be determined.

Wheels/Tyres:
• Specified 18” centre-lock wheel
• Dunlop: 245 x 650 x R18

Brakes:
• AP Racing specified package
• AP Racing specified pedal-box

Electronics:
• Cosworth Electronics specified package incorporating ECU, dash, data-logging and scrutineering logger.
• Data channels limited to 16.
• Common power management box and switch panels
• Common wiring loom design

Target Price:
Complete car, less engine: £100,000*
Engine: £25,000
* 5-10% price-shift possible, depending on final components used by each team

Introduction:
Eligible from 2011.
Performance parity will be maintained with current S2000 cars until 2013, after which time the performance level of the NGTC car will be increased.

*GPR Motorsport is a motor-sport engineering and manufacturing company, headed by Gary Blackham and Roger King, based near Buckingham. It has a wealth of experience in Touring Car racing, both with manufacturer and independent teams in the BTCC and other Touring Car series such as SCCA. This experience has been gained with teams including Audi, Ford, TWR, BMW and Vauxhall. GPR has extensive experience in the design and manufacture of complex frame and suspension systems, as demonstrated in recent projects such as the Jaguar GT3, JCB DieselMax and Peugeot XVR8. In-house capabilities include CAD design, engineering, machining, fabrication, manufacturing, vehicle assembly, vehicle set-up and testing.

[Greig]

you going aint you mate?

Yeah me and my Julie gonna cheer for Gio if he is still around :-D

[Julie B]

Yeah me and my Julie gonna cheer for Gio if he is still around :-D

I won't be cheering for Gio :lol

[Greig]

You won't be going then :-D

[Rob]

I won't be cheering for Gio :lol

and whats wrong with Gio? ;-) Im not going, bit gutted. Snetterton :-D:clap and hopefully, fingers crossed Brands

[Greig]

Don't worry Rob, Julie just likes to be awkward and pick the opposite driver that I like :-D

[Julie B]

Don't worry Rob, Julie just likes to be awkward and pick the opposite driver that I like :-D

:roll

[Rob]

Don't worry Rob, Julie just likes to be awkward and pick the opposite driver that I like :-D

:lol:lol let me think Julie :Hmm Matt Neal?? ;-)

[Greig]

See what I have to put up with :-P

[Tifosi]

:lol:lol let me think Julie :Hmm Matt Neal?? ;-)

Where's the *vomit* smilie when you need it?

[Julie B]

Where's the *vomit* smilie when you need it?

Noooooo don't really like him :lol not too sure yet who I'm supporting

[Tifosi]

Noooooo don't really like him :lol not too sure yet who I'm supporting

I assumed you'd be after Paul O'Neill Jules. He's not quite as Irish as Turkers (Irish parents though) but he is the half-brother of Mel C, so....... err.... maybe not! :-??

Steven Kane's legit!

[Julie B]

From Autosport

James Nash will replace current points leader Fabrizio Giovanardi at Triple 8 Engineering for the rest of the British Touring Car Championship season.

Nash, 24, made a number of appearances in an RML Chevrolet last season and scored a best finish of third at Silverstone.

"Missing the first race of the season obviously means I'll be playing catch-up, but I'm looking forward to racing at the front end and making a fight for the championship," he said.

Giovanardi, who currently leads the championship following a double win at the season-opening round at Thruxton, is understood to be chasing a drive in other championships. His last minute deal with Triple 8 for Thruxton was always billed as potentially a one-off outing.

The announcement means that next weekend's Rockingham races will be the first since 1992 not to feature a foreign driver.

[Greig]

crap lol :-)

[Tifosi]

Bugger :-??

[Julie B]

Well no rain yet, hope its a good day's racing at Rockingham :-)

[Rob]

Neal romps to race 1 win www.btcc.net

Matt Neal romped to an easy victory in the first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Rockingham that was decided by tyre choice on a damp but drying track surface.

Former double champion Neal took the lead at the start in his Honda Civic and from there quickly drew clear as his rivals fought among themselves for his third career race win at Rockingham.

Coming through to finish second was his team-mate Gordon Shedden to give the Honda Racing Team a dream 1-2 result. After a tangle at the start, Jason Plato finished third in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze – his and Shedden’s cars, like Neal’s, fully fitted with slick tyres. As a result, Plato has taken over the championship lead from the absent Fabrizio Giovanardi with today’s second and third races still to go.

However, it took seven laps for Shedden and Plato to establish themselves in second and third, each needing to pick his way past a number of drivers who, thanks to a mixture of slick and wet weather tyres on their cars, were quick in the opening the stages but then started to fade.

Team Aon Ford Focus drivers Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole and Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan all held second place at some point in the early laps before falling back. Chilton, who’d started from pole position in his LPG-powered car, would require a pit stop to change his car’s tyres and disappointedly finished outside the points.

In the end, fourth, fifth and sixth spots were filled by three more ‘all-slick’ drivers, namely the excellent Tom Boardman in his Special Tuning UK SEAT Leon, Airwaves BMW’s Steven Kane and Paul O’Neill, in his Sunshine.co.uk/Tech-Speed Honda Integra.

Jordan took seventh after passing Onslow-Cole at the Tarzan hairpin on the final lap. Chilton looked to be set for tenth until he, too, was passed on the final lap – in fact at the very last bend – by Robert Collard’s WSR BMW that had also needed to pit for slick tyres. Collard set the race's fastest lap during his drive back through the order...

Ahead of these two, however, and causing the biggest shock of the race, thanks to another nifty tyre choice, was Martin Johnson – a hugely popular career-best ninth in his tiny Boulevard team’s ten-year-old Boulevard Vauxhall Astra. This was despite being knocked into a spin on the opening lap and then, later, his car's fifth gear breaking!

Plato’s young team-mate Alex MacDowall, who’d started a superb third on the grid, also struggled with a mixture of slick and wet weather tyres and was therefore back in 12th. Airwaves’ Mat Jackson, whose BMW started with wet weather tyres all-round, was down in 13th. He remains third in the standings but has now been joined on points by Neal and O’Neill.

The remainder of the 18 finishers – headed by Shaun Hollamby’s AmD Milltek Racing.com VW Golf – also all required tyre change pit stops. Among them was Arthur Forster, 17th on his BTCC debut in his Forster Motorsport BMW having briefly been on the fringes of a top ten finish before his wet weather tyres expired in the drying conditions.

BTCC returnee James Nash – very much a fancied front-runner here in Uniq Racing with Triple Eight’s Vauxhall Vectra – and WSR BMW driver Andy Neate both retired from the race after their cars collided, Neate having run into Nash after a brush with Matt Hamilton's TH Motorsport Honda Civic Type R.

[Rob]

Plato gives Cruze 1st win www.btcc.net

http://i41.tinypic.com/nodfdw.jpg
Jason Plato just fended off Robert Collard to win today’s second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race at Rockingham – and give Chevrolet’s Cruze model its first victory in the BTCC.

A perfectly judged getaway allowed Silverline Chevrolet driver Plato to shoot through from third to first at the start and from there he would lead all the way. But in the closing stages Collard closed on him dramatically in his WSR BMW and at the line there was less than half a second between them.

Finishing third after running second for much of the race was Airwaves BMW’s Steven Kane.

Collard’s drive to second was truly mesmeric. He started only tenth, but by lap two was already up to fifth. On lap five he overtook Matt Neal’s Honda Civic into the Deene hairpin and on lap eight that became third as he slipped inside Andrew Jordan’s Vauxhall Vectra at Pif Paf. On lap 12 he was then into second as Kane, pushing on to try and catch Plato, ran wide at Deene.

Still there was work to be done but in one lap he took a second out of Plato to start the final lap some 7/10ths behind. When Plato appeared to struggle for grip through the Tarzan hairpin, Collard closed right in to give himself a chance of passing Plato into the final bend.

Indeed, as they negotiated the corner there was light contact between their cars as Collard looked for a way by, but Plato held on for what is his 54th race win in the BTCC. With an extra point for setting the fastest lap, he has extended his lead in the championship, although will start race three from ninth following the reverse grid draw and with maximum ballast in his Cruze.

Fourth – making it three BMWs in a row – was Airwaves BMW’s Mat Jackson, like Collard having come through the order, this time from 13th. Pirtek Racing’s Jordan ended up a lonely fifth, safe from a mighty scrap behind which eventually fell the way of Tom Chilton who was followed in seventh by Team Aon Ford Focus team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole. Eighth was Paul O’Neill’s Sunshine.co.uk/Tech-Speed Honda Integra and ninth, having held off this trio for much of the race, Matt Neal’s Honda Racing Team Honda Civic – laden with the maximum success ballast of 45kgs after its win in race one and, as a result, now struggling for pace. Ninth, though, has given him pole position for the start of race three - when his car will be ballast-free.

Team-mate Gordon Shedden, second in race one, was similarly affected and ultimately slipped to 13th behind James Nash’s Uniq Racing with Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra, Andy Neate’s WSR BMW and Alex MacDowall’s Silverline Chevrolet Cruze. Notably, Nash took tenth spot after a lengthy battle with Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning UK SEAT Leon which ended with them tangling and Boardman’s car sliding into a barrier.

Having finished a career-best ninth in race one, Martin Johnson again starred until a clash with MacDowall dropped his Boulevard Vauxhall Astra down to 15th – although he still set a fastest race lap only just over a second off Plato’s best!

In addition to Boardman, O’Neill’s team-mate John George and Shaun Hollamby’s AmD Milltek Racing.com VW Golf were retirements, the latter being tipped into a spin on lap one from which it crawled back to the pit lane.

[Rob]

Neal adds 2nd win in race 3 www.btcc.net

http://i42.tinypic.com/2jbk7q.jpg
Matt Neal has won for the second time today in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship's third race at the Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire.

Former double champion Neal led every lap of the race in his Honda Racing Team Honda Civic to finish more than five seconds clear of the opposition and add to his victory from race one earlier in the day.

Paul O’Neill finished second in his Honda Integra to give the Sunshine.co.uk/Tech-Speed team its best ever result in the BTCC to date while Steven Kane took third for Airwaves BMW.

Neal looked to have given away his pole position advantage at the start of the race as Tom Onslow-Cole’s Team Aon Ford Focus ST got the better of him into Turn One. But further round the lap, into the Tarzan hairpin, Neal quickly re-asserted himself at the front and from there rapidly built up a lead.

Behind there was chaos as Alex MacDowall (Silverline Chevrolet) and David Pinkney (Pinkney Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra) both retired following collisions. And there was further drama at the Short Link corner, as Tom Chilton (Aon Ford) and Mat Jackson (Airwaves BMW) both went spinning off the track, also into retirement.

The race then progressed in a much more orderly fashion until the final five laps when there was further re-shuffling of the order behind Neal. Onslow-Cole had held on to second since the opening lap but on lap 12 he succumbed to O’Neill as they exited Yentwood. On the same lap, Robert Collard (WSR BMW) passed James Nash (Uniq Racing with Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra) for eighth into the final corner and suddenly the chase was on – could he catch the group ahead of him, now led by Onslow-Cole, fighting it out for third?

By the final two laps he was right with them but the driver to lose out was Onslow-Cole when he ran wide at the Deene hairpin. Instantly he was down to seventh as the following Kane, Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Vauxhall Vectra), Jason Plato (Silverline Chevrolet Cruze) and Collard all filed past, this remaining the order to the finish (Kane had spent many laps looking for a way past Jordan and it took until Short Link on the penultimate lap before his persistence finally paid off).

As a result, Plato remains in charge at the top of the points table as the BTCC next heads to the spectacular Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in just seven days time (Sunday 2 May), but Neal is now up to second with Kane in third.

Meanwhile, Nash finished the race in eighth followed by Andy Neate – a career-best ninth in his WSR BMW – and Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning UK SEAT Leon. Neal’s team-mate Gordon Shedden had looked to be on for a top ten finish but he also retired when his Honda nose-dived into the barriers following a clash with Collard.

[Rob]

ROCKINGHAM RACE ROUND-UP www.btcc.net

Arch rivals Matt Neal and Jason Plato shared the wins in today’s three Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rounds at Rockingham. Neal won both races one and three in his Honda Racing Team Honda Civic but it is Plato, victorious in race two in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze, who leaves Northamptonshire leading the standings from Neal as the BTCC now heads to the world-famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in Kent in just seven days time (Sunday 2 May) for its third round out of ten in 2010.

Neal, BTCC Champion in 2005 and 2006, was suitably overjoyed with his performances. Not only has he made up some of the ground he lost to Plato in Thruxton’s opening round earlier this month, he’s also achieved a double victory – the last time he did that was almost four years ago to the day in April 2006.

And his day could not have started any better – he won by the crushing margin of more than eight seconds, while team-mate Gordon Shedden followed him across the line in second to give the Honda Racing Team a dream 1-2 result.

“I am overjoyed,” said the Worcestershire driver. “In one day I’ve just doubled my wins tally for the last two years! Race one was just perfect as we’d gone for slick tyres all-round on a damp but drying track – I had no-one in my mirrors at the end of lap one and I needed no second invitation. The Civic again was terrific in race three and helped me make the break – it was vital we capitalised in that one, with Jason starting further back on the reversed grid. We’ll both go into qualifying and race one at Brands with a lot of success ballast in our cars so it’ll be difficult doing this again, particularly as there are a lot of other very strong car-driver combinations out there.”

Oxford-based Plato, hoping this year to add to his BTCC title of 2001, was satisfied with his days work but says his team needs to keep pushing development of its Cruze. Notably, his victory in race two was the 54th of his BTCC career and also the first for Chevrolet’s Cruze model in the championship, although he only just managed it after a determined late charge from Robert Collard’s WSR BMW.

Plato commented: “We’ve had a good day, but we need to sit down and do some more thinking to get just that bit more out of the car. The Cruze is still new to the BTCC so we’re still finding out what makes it tick and the opposition today – not just the Hondas but the Fords and BMWs – have clearly demonstrated they are very strong. Still, we’re enjoying a very good start to the season which is what we wanted and I had a great day on the Brands GP track last year with all three wins in one day. Whether I can do that again in next weekend we’ll see…”

Elsewhere, there were huge cheers in the Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport team as Paul O’Neill gave Marvin Humphries’ squad a best-ever second place finish behind Neal in race three. Furthermore, leaving Rockingham, he has taken over the lead of the Independent Drivers’ championship. Airwaves BMW driver Steven Kane is a happy man as well after third-place finishes in races two and three today have elevated him to third behind Plato and Neal in the outright title race.

Meanwhile, Chevrolet/RML retains its lead in the Manufacturer/Constructor table as does Airwaves BMW in the HiQ Teams’ Championship, although remains hotly pursued by both the Silverline Chevrolet and Honda Racing Team outfits. Airwaves has also taken over at the top of the Independent Teams’ standings from Sunshine.co.uk.

[Julie B]

Just back, good day out but Rockingham is as poor track to watch racing, good view but you feel detatched from the racing compared to the older tracks !

[Rob]

I never been there. The stands look big!!! can you see all track? Looked like you could but, as you say Julie not close to action when they go round track.

[Greig]

Stands are big but miles away from the action, poor place to watch BTCC :-(

[Greig]

http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=140553

go to 17m 33 secs to see me lurking behind Louise :-D

[Tifosi]

http://www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=140553

go to 17m 33 secs to see me lurking behind Louise :-D


:lol


My claim to fame at touring cars is following Tim Harvey into the loos at Oulton Park but I don't talk about that much. ;-)

[Ste]

:lol


My claim to fame at touring cars is following Tim Harvey into the loos at Oulton Park but I don't talk about that much. ;-)

My sister used to go out with his Nephew :-D

[Julie B]

:lol You can see Greig stealing all the airtime whilst I only get a mlilisecond pfffft:lol

[Greig]

Unlucky :-D

[Tifosi]

:lol You can see Greig stealing all the airtime whilst I only get a mlilisecond pfffft:lol

you should have followed his lead Julie and done a "wide sweep". The man's a pro ;-)

[Greig]

She was too busy looking at drivers :-D I am sure I heard her say "Super Sheds" as Sheddon signed a hat :-D

[Rob]

Brands GP BTCC's next stop www.btcc.net


There is less than a week to go before the stars and cars of the UK’s premier motor racing series – the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – arrive at the world-famous Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit in Kent (Sunday 2 May) for the latest exhilarating round of their 2010 season.

The awesome Brands GP track played host to 2009’s nail-biting final round (last October) and never fails to produce some of the best action of the BTCC season. Furthermore, the atmosphere on BTCC race day at Brands is electric – the circuit hosted the very first BTCC race back in 1958 – and its high-profile touring car events regularly attract tens of thousands of public from across the region.

Tickets for the event cost just £24.00 per adult if booked before midday this Wednesday (28 April) from the www.brandshatch.co.uk website or the hot line 0870 950 9000. Admission for children aged 12 and under is FREE.

Jason Plato ruled the roost in last year’s title-deciding event with wins in all three races on the day and returns to the circuit leading 2010’s points table following a victory yesterday in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze at the Rockingham circuit in Northamptonshire. However, he is being chased by ‘old foe’ Matt Neal who took a pair of wins at Rockingham to move up to second in the standings behind Plato. Neal and Honda Racing Team team-mate Gordon Shedden are both in electrifying form and will surely be among Plato’s biggest rivals.

Others targeting glory will undoubtedly include Steven Kane and Mat Jackson – both driving for one of two local teams to Brands, Wrotham-based Airwaves BMW. Kane is third in the championship with Jackson – a winner in the past in the BTCC at Brands – not far behind in sixth. Boss David Bartrum also knows a race victory on home ground will help boost his squad’s lead in the HiQ Teams Championship.

Meanwhile, Orpington’s Shaun Hollamby will be keen to make an impression in front of his home audience – the 44-year-old is in his first BTCC season in his VW Golf, prepared by the West Thurrock-based AmD Milltek Racing.com team and improving by the round.

The Team Aon Ford Focuses of Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole are also certain to be right in the thick of the bumper-to-bumper action. Chilton achieved the first BTCC pole position for an LPG-powered car at Rockingham and many predict his and Onslow-Cole’s turbo-charged machines will be well-suited to the challenging demands of the high-speed Brands GP lay-out.

Robert Collard’s WSR BMW and Paul O’Neill’s Sunshine.co.uk/Tech-Speed Honda Integra are potential race winners as well, while one to watch after three solid points-scoring results at Rockingham could be the ever-improving NGTC turbo-charged Vauxhall Vectra of Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan. With SEAT also represented on the grid, fans will have a choice of up to seven different manufacturers to cheer on this Sunday.

Uniquely in top-line sport these days, the public will also be able to meet the BTCC’s drivers during a specially organised autograph session in the pit lane, while the Brands spectator areas always provides those trackside with some of the closest views of the BTCC all season. Brands Hatch has also confirmed giant TV screens – showing the ITV4 channel’s live feed – will add to the viewing experience.

The BTCC is in action three times on the Brands GP circuit this Sunday (2 May). Adding to the on-track entertainment are seven more races from the supporting Ginetta G50, Ginetta Junior, Porsche Carrera, Renault Clio and Formula Renault categories that provide the very best in one-make sportscar, saloon and single-seater racing in the UK.

Sunday’s on-track action starts at 10.00am with the BTCC’s three headline races scheduled to take place at 11.45am, 2.05pm and 4.55pm.

ITV4’s live coverage of the event is from 11.30am-6.00pm with the event also being live-streamed on the www.itv.com website.

[Rob]

you should have followed his lead Julie and done a "wide sweep". The man's a pro ;-)

that was very nice touch Greig :clap i give that ago Snetterton ;-)

[Tifosi]

I'll try it at Oulton Park too :lol

...we could start a rage!

[Rob]

TV's Rider praises BTCC
Top TV sports presenter Steve Rider believes 2010’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is shaping up to be an all-time classic.

Although his career has taken him to some of the biggest sporting events around the world, Rider says the UK-based BTCC continues to conjure up some of the most exciting atmospheres he has experienced.

Indeed, his CV includes some 12 summer and winter Olympics, every kind of World Cup (football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league), over 100 Formula 1 grands prix and 15 golf Majors plus a further 200 tournaments.

Rider told btcc.net: “I think the championship is absolutely fantastic at the moment. The personalities are very definitely there in strength and depth. There are also rivalries and a mutual respect but as we saw at Brands Hatch a couple of weeks ago people are not just going through the motions out there – there are some very serious battles on.

“It’s that level of chemistry that sustains the popularity of the series and of course we’ve now also got a few new technological twists. The BTCC in 2010 is every bit as exciting and entertaining as we saw, say, in the early Nineties.”

Rider says the secret to the BTCC’s popularity among the public is its consistent ability to put on an exhilarating show for its audiences while retaining strong sporting values.

He added: “Good television is good television. I still look back at that day at Donington Park in 1998 with Nigel Mansell in the BTCC as one of the best days I’ve ever been involved with in TV. It doesn’t matter that it’s a national event. The spectacle and the endeavour was of the highest quality and I felt exactly the same way at the final round at Brands Hatch last year.

“The BTCC has great personalities and presentation and is a sport that also has a great deal of respect for its audience. It understands what the people want from their live sporting experience. It’s now enjoyed a long relationship with TV and one feeds off the other. When we started showing it regularly in the late Eighties the trackside numbers instantly increased ten-fold. People realise from watching it on TV that the BTCC is a serious sporting day out.

“I have been fortunate to present from some of the world’s biggest sporting events, but the BTCC is right up there in my affections. A full-on winner-takes-all BTCC day I don’t think can be beaten. And with people like Jason Plato around, you can never quite afford to relax or think that you’ve seen or heard it all before...

“There is nothing worse from a TV point of view where you feel it doesn’t matter or where you might feel the hearts of the competitors aren’t really in it. That is something you never get with the BTCC. There is nothing artificial about what you see. You are witnessing a genuine desire within the event from participants, who are at the peak of their career, to win.”

[Rob]

Free offer for Oulton fans
Fans handing in tickets from a prior event will receive a free programme at Oulton Park’s up-coming Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round.

Public attending BTCC title sponsor Dunlop’s Great & British Festival race day at Oulton on bank holiday Monday 31 May should keep hold of their ticket stubs.

They can then hand in them in at Oulton’s main paddock gate programme booth during BTCC race weekend in exchange for a free programme worth £5.00 (the offer can only be redeemed at this particular booth).

For more details about this offer click on this link: http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/news/article.asp?NewsID=5658

Tickets for Oulton’s BTCC fixture on 6 June – round four of this year’s ten-round calendar – are priced just £24.00 per adult if booked online at www.oultonpark.co.uk or via the hotline 0870 950 9000. Admission for children is FREE.

Note: the above offer is not open to MSV season pass holders.

[Rob]

Aon targeting gains elsewhere
Team Aon still expects an increase in speed from its Ford Focus despite having its engine’s performance restricted.

British Touring Car Championship organiser TOCA has decided any car running on LPG fuel – such as the Aon Focuses – must now have a 37mm turbo inlet restrictor fitted to its engine.

Aon’s cars, driven by Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole, won two of Brands Hatch’s three races earlier this month. Chilton also qualified on pole position at both Rockingham and Brands.

But while TOCA’s ruling comes into effect from the Dunlop-backed BTCC’s next round at Oulton Park on 6 June, Aon team boss Mike Earle believes other areas of development on the Focus will outweigh the engine restriction.

He said: “Obviously we do not welcome the reduction in restrictor size, but it is quite within the BTCC regulations for TOCA to do this so we have to take it on the chin and deal with it.

“Whilst any change to our engine’s specification and the resulting reduction in power will surely hurt us, I also feel that the engine is only one part of our overall package and we have worked incredibly hard to make all aspects of the package as strong as possible and will continue to do so.

“I said after Brands Hatch that I felt we were at about 75 per cent of the car’s potential and most of our expected gains will come from work on the chassis.

“A car is presently undergoing some suspension development at Ford’s testing facility at Lommel in Belgium and this is part of our on-going plans. I believe we will still be competitive and look forward to another strong performance at Oulton Park in three weeks time.”

[Rob]

Jordan sets Rockingham pace www.btcc.net

Andrew Jordan set the pace in today’s official Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship test at Rockingham by 1000th of a second from Jason Plato.

Jordan set the pace in this morning’s session with a lap in 1m23.886s in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra that is powered by TOCA’s turbocharged NGTC engine.

Joint championship leader Plato was then fastest in this afternoon’s session in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze with a lap in 1m23.887s to just miss out on the top spot.

James Nash in his Triple Eight Race Engineering Vauxhall Vectra was third fastest overall, thanks to his morning time of 1m23.957s – the last driver to break the 1m24s barrier.

Jordan, who celebrated his 21st birthday last week, told btcc.net: “We came here with some set-up tweaks in mind, stuff we’ve never tried before, and they’ve transformed the car. The handling is phenomenal through the mid-high speed corners – we’ve got rid of the understeer on turn-in – and that bodes well for the BTCC’s next round at Oulton Park as there are some similar sections there. The changes we’ve made also make the car kinder on its tyres. I’m delighted with today.”

Matt Neal, who is tied on points at the top of the championship with Plato, was fourth in his Honda Racing Team Honda Civic with his morning time of 1m24.050s. Neal’s Team Dynamics-prepared Civic was also shared during the day by team-mate Gordon Shedden and James Thompson, the former double BTCC Champion who won three races for Dynamics in 2009’s BTCC helping with development work on the car. They were eighth and ninth fastest respectively.

A hugely impressive seventh fastest in his first drive in a BTCC car was 18-year-old Daniel Lloyd. The Huddersfield youngster was given a chance in Triple Eight’s second Vectra and wound up just 0.375s off the ultimate pace. He said: “To drive one of these cars is fantastic and the level of professionalism is on another planet. I thought I’d be six or seven tenths off the pace when I got a set of new tyres but the time just came to me. I’d love to race in the championship, even more so now I’ve shown I can be on the pace.”

Elsewhere, fellow 18-year-old Alex MacDowall continued the impressive form he has been displaying in his debut BTCC season with the fifth fastest time in Silverline’s second Cruze. Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole, the dominant pair at Brands Hatch three weeks ago, were this time sixth and tenth in their Team Aon Ford Focuses. Notably, both tried practice starts at the pit lane exit shortly before the end of the day…

Paul O’Neill set the 11th fastest time as he jumped between his and team-mate John George’s Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Honda Integras. David Pinkney in his team’s NGTC Vectra was 12th. Forster Motorsport duo Arthur Forster and Martin Depper were 14th and 15th and clearly making progress with their BMWs. Forster was able to get under the 1m26s marker and Depper was not far behind, although did cause a brief stoppage when he span his car into the gravel trap exiting Gracelands.

For full times from today’s test click on this link: http://www.tsl-timing.com/toca/2010/102142trg.pdf

[Rob]

North West BTCC's next stop www.btcc.net


There is now just over a week to wait before Britain’s premier motor racing series – the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – arrives in the North West at the popular Oulton Park circuit in Cheshire (Sunday 6 June) for the latest round of its exhilarating 2010 season.

It’s a fixture that annually attracts a trackside crowd of over 30,000, making it one of the biggest sporting and social events of the year for the North West region – and for many reasons. Oulton enjoys a huge catchment area including the nearby cities of Chester, Liverpool and Manchester. Furthermore, the surrounding motorway network (M6, M62, M53, M56) also provides swift access from Cumbria, Derbyshire, Lancashire, North Wales, Shropshire, Staffordshire, West Midlands and Yorkshire.

In addition, the undulating Oulton circuit is steeped in history and is regarded as arguably the most daunting challenge for drivers on the BTCC calendar. Its picturesque parkland setting also provides terrific views of the track and with the BTCC in bumper-to-bumper action three times on race day the crowds are guaranteed plenty of drama, excitement and unpredictability.

What’s more, the public can also take advantage of the open paddock policy and specially organised Pit Lane Walkabout session to meet the BTCC’s star drivers for autographs, photos and plenty of team giveaways. Admission for children aged 12 and under is FREE while adult tickets are priced from just £24.00 when booked on the www.oultonpark.co.uk website or by calling 0870 950 9000.

“There’s always an electric atmosphere at Oulton,” says current championship leader Matt Neal. “It’s a proper ‘old school’ race circuit where the crowds are still pretty close to the cars and can smell the rubber, oil and brakes from the cars. The drivers love it even though at times things can start to get a bit rough out there. It’s very fast but also quite narrow in places meaning there’s always a bit of push and shove between the cars. It’s definitely one for the crowds to savour.”

Honda Racing Team driver Neal is actually tied for the series lead with arch rival, Silverline Chevrolet’s Jason Plato who adds: “Oulton is one of those ‘ultimate’ circuits that the drivers and fans both love. It’s a great feeling when you head out of the pit lane and see the spectator banks packed with people and colour. All that history also really gives the place soul and winning there is always very special.”

This year’s BTCC is turning out to be one of the closest on record – the season’s opening nine races have been won by seven different drivers* in five different makes of car*. Just 17 points – equivalent in effect to one race win – cover the top six arriving at Oulton which could play a pivotal role in the outcome of this year’s title race.

Fourth overall is one of two local stars to Oulton, Widnes’s Paul O’Neill. The 30-year-old has so far taken third and second place finishes in 2010 in his Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Honda Integra and Oulton would be the perfect place to open his victory account – it was at Oulton in 2002 that he achieved an emotional first race win in the BTCC. O’Neill will also arrive at Oulton jointly leading the Independents’ table for drivers competing with privately-run teams.

Hoping for a big result as well on home ground will be Tom Boardman who races a SEAT Leon for his family-run Special Tuning UK team based in Preston. Boardman, aged 26, led briefly at Brands Hatch in early May and has impressed many with in his first full season in the BTCC with a number of top six finishes.

Oulton Park’s big BTCC race day (Sun 6 June) includes nine races in total. While the BTCC’s three showdowns headline the bill, there will be a further six races from the high-profile supporting Ginetta Junior, Ginetta G50, Porsche Carrera, Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault categories that offer the very best in single-seater, saloon and sportscar action.

Acitivity begins with the Pit Lane autograph session (10.35am-11.10am) followed by a BTCC Drivers Parade around the circuit in front of the crowds. The BTCC then kicks off the race action with the first of its three races on the day at 12.15pm. Its second and third races are scheduled for 2.30pm and 5.10pm respectively.

ITV4's live coverage of the event is from 12.00pm-6.30pm and will also be live-streamed on the www.itv.com website.

[Rob]

Jordan confident of strong Oulton
Rockingham test pace-setter Andrew Jordan says he’s more confident than ever of challenging for his first win in the Dunlop MSA British Car Championship at Oulton Park this Sunday…

Jordan and his single-car Pirtek Racing team pipped the factory Chevrolet outfit’s driver Jason Plato by one thousandth of a second to be fastest in last week’s official BTCC test at Rockingham.

The 21-year-old says a change in direction on car set up has transformed the behaviour of his Vauxhall Vectra that uses BTCC organiser TOCA’s new-for-2010 turbocharged NGTC engine.

He’ll go into this weekend's event lying 11th in the Drivers’ standings and although a race win has so far eluded him in the BTCC – he’s twice finished second before and it was Oulton in 2008 he achieved his first podium result with a third – he clearly fancies his chances this weekend.

The Lichfield youngster said: “The aim for Oulton is to qualify well and focus on three strong scores in the races. I’m definitely aiming for the top three and after the development we made at the Rockingham test I’m confident we’ll be able to do it.

“I’d say there are a good few cars who could win this weekend and so it is going to be tough. The track will suit the BMWs with its long straights and uphill drags and you can’t discount Jason (Plato) and Matt (Neal) from being at the front.

"We’re still working hard with the new package of the TOCA NGTC engine and the Vectra but we made huge leaps forward at the test and we’re in the best shape we have been all season.”

[Rob]

Shedden aims for four in a row

Gordon Shedden believes he can keep up his ‘100 per cent’ winning record in the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park this weekend.

The Scot has won at least one race in all three BTCC events he’s contested at Oulton – each of them in a Team Dynamics-prepared Honda (the Integra in 2006 and the Civic in both 2007 and 2008).

While he missed 2009’s event, he’s hoping to add a fourth win on his return to the Cheshire circuit this weekend with the Honda Racing Team squad.

He’ll go into this weekend’s round there lying sixth in the Dunlop-backed series, but it’s a close sixth – he’s only 17 points off team-mate Matt Neal who leads the series.

Furthermore, due to being just outside the top five, Shedden will have the luxury of starting the weekend – qualifying and race one – without having to carry success ballast in his Civic.

“I have won at Oulton in every season I have raced a touring car there and it has always been in a Honda! Talk about putting the pressure on...” joked the 31-year-old from Dalgety Bay.

“I love the place because it is a real classic circuit and it gives the driver an adrenaline rush to nail a quick lap. Unlike Matt, I don’t have any extra weight on the car so I will be gunning for pole position to start the weekend off right.

“I want three big scores to push me to the front of the championship and given the developments we have made on the car I am confident we will be right at the front.”

[Julie B]

Turkington seals three-round deal

From Autosport

Colin Turkington will race in three rounds of the World Touring Car Championship this season with the WSR BMW squad.

Turkington, 28, has not raced since winning the British Touring Car title with WSR last year, but will make his return to Bennetts' squad at the Algarve circuit on July 4.

"I feel this is a natural progression for me after last year's championship," said Turkington.

"Obviously I know the WSR guys very well. They're a top team and have been a big part of my success in recent years. I'm also indebted to because he's been working so hard over the past few months to make this a reality."

Following the Algarve round, Turkington will also take part in the Brands Hatch and Brno events.

WSR's initial three-round deal could be expanded to include further races before the end of the season, and Turkington hopes to take in a full campaign in 2011.

Turkington took part in two WTCC rounds in 2007, finishing on the podium at Brands Hatch and later racing at Macau, each time also with WSR.

WSR's BTCC programme with Rob Collard and Andy Neate will not be affected by Turkington's signing.

Whoooooooohooooooooooooooooooo but a shame it's not British Touring cars :clap

[Rob]

Jackson fan of 'gladiator' Plato
Mat Jackson has likened Jason Plato’s fighting spirit to that of a Roman gladiator…

The two former team-mates clashed in the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship most recent round at Oulton Park.

Both were later reprimanded by officials for being too robust in their actions, but despite their contact on-track Jackson says Plato’s refusal to give in is a trait he admires.

Jackson’s Airwaves BMW knocked Plato’s Chevrolet off the track during an overtaking attempt in race one at Oulton. In race two Plato returned the compliment, shoving Jackson wide to gain another place as he came through from tenth on the grid to record the 55th win of his BTCC career.

Jackson, who'll reach 100 BTCC races at Croft this weekend, told btcc.net: “Jason is a hardened pro and did not give an inch. I’ve done that move (in race one) many times before with other drivers and always pulled it off, but Jason never flinched and did not yield.

“I was disappointed to see him on the grass as that was not my intention to do that, but he showed that he will fight to the very last and you have to respect that. His race pace was slowing and I will never stop pushing and I will use any chance I spot to move forward. That’s what the fans want; it’s why they turn up in the thousands.”

And added Jackson: “In race two he was perhaps showing me how I should have done it. I wouldn’t be surprised to look in the history books to find a few Roman gladiators with the name of Plato!"

Jackson goes into this weekend’s fifth round of the season at Croft a strong fifth in the standings, but knows he can ill afford to lose further ground to the Honda Racing Team’s Matt Neal and Silverline Chevrolet’s Plato who lead the table.

“I don’t want that gap getting much bigger otherwise they will be difficult to catch, even with half the season still to go,” said Jackson. “I know it can’t really go any worse there than it did last year when I spent the morning on a medical drip and crashed out in race one before being sent home by the BTCC doctor.

"I still don’t know if a curry in Darlington on the Friday night was to blame but I might just ask my mum to pack me some sandwiches this time to be safe!”

[Rob]

Airwaves looks to stay ahead
Airwaves BMW hopes to go into the mid-season break still holding the lead in three of the BTCC’s points tables…

In Steven Kane and Mat Jackson, David Bartrum’s squad has one of the strongest driver line-ups on the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship grid.

Indeed, since round one they have helped Airwaves BMW stay ahead in the outright HiQ Teams championship but it’s a close-run thing – it holds just a two-point lead over nearest challenger Honda Racing Team arriving at Croft this weekend. Team Aon and Silverline Chevrolet are also not afar adrift in what is shaping up to be a captivating title race.

Airwaves holds a bigger, 17-point advantage over Team Aon in the battle for Independent teams honours as well. Kane and Jackson also currently lie 1-2 at the top of the Independent drivers’ standings. Both, though, need to watch their backs as ‘man on form’, Team Aon’s Tom Onslow-Cole, is up to third and closing and Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed’s Paul O’Neill has also shown himself capable of fighting for silverware – indeed, he jointly led the standings with Kane until losing ground last time out at Oulton Park.

Croft this weekend then is a crunch event for Airwaves BMW if it wants to maintain its hold on those three trophies heading into the seven-week summer break. Mathematically of course it could even leave the North Yorks track heading four championships with Kane, third, and Jackson, fifth, both within striking distance of the top of the outright drivers’ table.

Ulsterman Kane, whose BMW will start the weekend with 27kgs of success ballast, said: “I love Croft and I have some experience there. In 2008 I had an excellent weekend and secured a fourth place finish, but this year the car is so much quicker and I should be able to push it even harder. I’m hopeful that will translate into points and I can continue to lead the Independent drivers’ championship. I would also like to move up a position or two in the outright drivers’ championship and challenge for the title.”

Warwickshire-based Jackson, whose BMW will be slightly lighter with only 9kg of extra weight, added: “Going in with only a 9kg success ballast will help us and this weekend we need to capitalise on our opportunity. I think we’ve had a little bit of bad luck so far – we’ve been taken out in one race and blown a differential in another. We have the pace, and Croft is a mega circuit. If it’s dry I think we can be confident of a solid points haul and podiums too.”

The Airwaves crew can justifiably feel confident of pulling off a title or three in 2010. Its team manager is Oliver Collins who held the same position with, ironically, nearest challenger in the HiQ Teams' battle, Team Dynamics – now re-named Honda Racing Team – when it won back-to-back BTCC crowns in 2005 and 2006.

Collins commented: “We’re really looking forward to Croft, it’s a great venue, the circuit is fantastic and the locals are extremely passionate about their motor sport. We’re arriving as leaders of the both the outright and Independent teams championships and we dearly want to leave in the same position, though it will be tough. The championship is extremely competitive at the moment and it’s tough to finish in the top ten, let alone on the podium. All our fans can be rest assured though that everyone has been working hard at Airwaves BMW.”

[Rob]

17/Jun/2010 Shedden hoping bad luck is over www.btcc.net


Gordon Shedden is among the favourites for race wins at Croft this weekend.

The Scot has always been among the very strongest performers at Croft – having qualified on pole position and won a race there in the past – although he’s suffered his fair share of bad luck at the North Yorks track as well.

And it’s bad luck that also accounts for much of the current deficit Shedden needs to make up if he’s to challenge for the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title.

Indeed, on three out of four occasions so far this season (Thruxton, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park) he’s qualified on the front row of the grid yet a victory is still to come his way. He goes into Croft lying sixth in the standings, some 33 points – equivalent to two race wins – behind Honda Racing Team team-mate Matt Neal who tops the table.

It means he will at least go into qualifying still free of any success ballast in his Honda Civic giving him a great opportunity to make it four front rows out of five and another crack at eating into the gap to the leaders.

“I have had some bad luck which has kept me off the top step,” said ‘Flash’. “But the thing that keeps me going is that I know the car is fast and that I am fast. I have been on the front row of the starting grid more times than not this year and I have set a number of fastest laps (including a BTCC race lap record at Oulton). That shows it is all there.”

“Croft is a great circuit and it will play to our strengths – but the field is so competitive this season it will be hard to get to the front,” he added. “I need three solid finishes but I have every chance here. It is a track I like because you have to be aggressive and the racing is always close. It creates a great atmosphere too and for me, being from Scotland, it is almost like a local circuit.”

[Rob]

TV promo for Snett BTCC
Snetterton is promoting its up-coming Dunlop British Touring Car Championship fixture (Sunday 8 August) on national and regional TV.

The advertising campaign will ultimately be shown six times on ITV4 between 18-31 July (the channel, which broadcasts each BTCC race event live, reaches some 96 per cent of the UK population).

Between 24 July-3 August the ad will receive a further 20 slots on regional ITV outlet Anglia which reaches living rooms as far west as Northampton (some 100 miles-plus from Snetterton).

Click here to take a look at the ad: http://www.youtube.com/btccdotnet

To remind fans, race day tickets can be bought for as little as £24.00 if booked in advance online at www.snetterton.co.uk while kids aged 12 and under will be admitted for FREE.

As well as the three latest BTCC showdowns of 2010, there will be nine more races for Ginetta Juniors, Ginetta G50s, Porsche Carreras, Formula Renaults, Renault Clios and Heritage Grand Touring Cars.

The on-track action begins at 9.00am with the big three BTCC races at 11.40am, 2.00pm and 4.40pm.

[Rob]

got mine coming!!!! cannt wait :-D:-D:clap

[Greig]

have a great day, can't wait for Knockhill, its a great day out and some fab racing :-)

[Rob]

Chilton dominant at Snetterton www.btcc.net

Tom Chilton left the rest in his wake as he headed Snetterton’s official Dunlop British Touring Car Championship test by more than half a second.

Chilton, driving his LPG-powered Team Aon Ford Focus ST, set a best time of 1m11.408s around the high-speed Norfolk circuit. It came on an almost fully dry circuit and, dramatically, against a series of lightning bolts in the distance following rain which severely restricted running during this afternoon’s session.

His time, well inside the race lap record, was a staggering 0.550s clear of the rest who were headed by Alex MacDowall. The Cumbrian youngster had set a best time of 1m11.958s to lead the way during the morning but his day then ended early when his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze suffered an engine failure during the afternoon.

Poole-based Chilton told btcc.net: “I was struggling for pace this morning but we’ve worked hard on our brakes and front geometry settings and it’s turned it around for us. It’s a shame it rained as that’s meant yet again I’ve missed out on doing a race run so I’m still a little nervous about our form in actual race trim. Maybe it’s something I’ll have to focus on during free practice back here in a couple of weeks for the race weekend.”

Track conditions this morning, as is often the way at Snetterton, proved generally quicker on the whole and it came as no surprise that the next six drivers all set their best times before the lunchbreak.

A hugely impressive third was Paul O’Neill in his Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Honda Integra (his team choosing to call it a day shortly after lunch). Silverline’s Jason Plato was fourth and with chief title rival Matt Neal’s Honda Racing Team absent today may well have stolen an advantage in terms of ‘hitting the ground running’ when the BTCC returns to Snetterton in a fortnight for its latest round (Sunday 8 August).

James Nash, a winner on the road here 12 months ago before being excluded, was fifth in Triple Eight’s Vauxhall Vectra ahead of Croft winner Andrew Jordan’s Pirtek Racing Vectra.

Chilton’s team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole, very much a man on form in recent rounds, was back in seventh – he was left playing catch-up after damaging the front end of his car in a rough ride off the circuit early this morning, the incident also playing havoc with his planned test programme. Eighth was Airwaves’ Mat Jackson, the fastest of the BMW runners.

Onslow-Cole aside, the only other incidents of note were a similar ‘bouncey-bouncey’ moment for Arthur Forster’s Forster Motorsport BMW and a brief red flag period to recover Shaun Hollamby’s AmD Milltek racing.com VW Golf which stopped with an electrics failure (a second stoppage was required later to tow back MacDowall’s broken Chevrolet).

[Rob]

have a great day, can't wait for Knockhill, its a great day out and some fab racing :-)

its been along wait. I be at the esses end of revett straight (again) great action. Will get loads of pictures and post them that evening. :thumb

Oh yeah, and try to get some camera time aswell ;-)

[Greig]

Stalk Louise :-D

[Rob]

Stalk Louise :-D

mission accepted ;-):thumb

[Rob]

Nash stays with Triple Eight

James Nash has confirmed he’ll race for multiple title-winning Triple Eight Race Engineering for the remainder of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The news comes just in time for the start of the second half of the BTCC season at Snetterton, Norfolk (Sunday 8 August) where Nash will be looking to achieve the first win of his career in the UK’s premier motor racing series.

Last year at Snetterton in only his third BTCC event the 24-year-old crossed the line in first place only to be later excluded for a driving infringement.

The Newport Pagnell ace has raced for Triple Eight in four of this season’s opening five rounds, at the wheel of the Banbury outfit’s ultra-successful Vauxhall Vectra. And there have been some very promising showings, notably third in qualifying at Brands Hatch and a podium result with a third place outright at Oulton Park.

That strong form continued in recent testing at Snetterton where Nash was fifth fastest overall (and second only during the afternoon session to Tom Chilton).

However, only last night was it confirmed by Nash’s manager Justin Keen that the budget required to see out the rest of the season had been secured. Keen said: “We have been working hard with James’s backers in securing the remainder of the season. In these challenging times it is great to have this opportunity in place so James and the team can build on what they have learnt so far in working together in what is a relatively new partnership compared to other teams and drivers in the series.


"With the working relationship of the team and driver now on a solid footing James is mentally and physically prepared to challenge consistently for podiums during the remainder of the season.”

Keen added: "The pressure is on James and the team to dig deep and unlock the potential that has been shown in previous races. James works well under pressure and I am certain that he will deliver. We are all confident that the team will also respond now that we are secured for the year.”

[Rob]

whoooop!!! my tickets for Snetterton arrived today. . Just checked weather, looks little rain.

[Rob]

Hollamby buoyed by Golf tweaks

Shaun Hollamby hopes to be much closer to his mid-field target in Snetterton's Dunlop British Touring Car Championship round even though it’s not his VW Golf’s best track.

Hollamby believes his AmD Milltek racing.com team has made significant improvements with its lone Golf in the seven weeks since the previous round at Croft.

Significantly in recent testing at Snetterton he matched the pace of fellow newcomer Forster Motorsport’s pair of BMWs and Boulevard Team Racing’s Vauxhall Astra. That in part was thanks to an engine rebuild at specialist company Lehmann's factory in the alpine microstate of Liechtenstein which helped restore power to pre-Croft levels.

“On the Tuesday after Croft, we ran the car on the rolling road at AmD’s Thurrock base”, explained Hollamby. “The figures showed us running 245bhp, compared to 300bhp of the leaders! Considering we were two seconds a lap off the pace at Croft but were losing 8-10mph down the straights means that with similar power to the leaders we will be getting much closer to our mid-field target.”

Hollamby says the signs that his team had already started to improve the Golf’s competitiveness – as well as its own performance in the high-pressure world of the BTCC – were clear at Croft.

He added: “Croft was our best weekend of the year so far. The feeling amongst the whole team to go away from Croft with a straight car, two race finishes, much improved pace and doubling our points tally in the Independent teams championship was brilliant!”

Now during the season’s second half he’s hoping to build on that following the promise shown in testing at Snetterton. There his squad also tried a more integrated front bumper to aid the Golf’s aerodynamics plus concentrated on fine-tuning its new KW suspension – the Germany company have flown in renowned engineer Lutz Passon to work with the team's technical boss Stuart Beaton on set-up.

Hollamby continued: "The testing restrictions in the BTCC mean that this was our first test session of the year and we made a myriad of set-up changes to which the Golf responded well and which allowed us to set times ahead of cars that we normally struggle to match on outright pace.

“We ended the morning session just over 2 seconds off the front running pace of the works Chevrolet and, more importantly, ahead of the Forster BMWs and Boulevard’s Vauxhall, which bodes well for the rest of the season”. Heavy rain during the afternoon session prevented any further improvement in lap times.

"Snetterton was always going to be our least competitive circuit due to its high speed nature, which favours cars with the most horsepower. But we’ve improved our speed trap figures and our other developments will become more apparent on circuits where horsepower isn't such an important factor".

[Rob]

Neal: we're playing catch-up www.btcc.net

Series leader Matt Neal is hopeful his Honda Racing Team’s absence from testing at Snetterton won’t prove too harmful to its form in the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship’s latest round there this weekend.

Neal and team-mate Gordon Shedden were both highly notable absentees from the official BTCC test a fortnight ago, whereas title rivals like Jason Plato and Tom Onslow-Cole were able to use the day to fine-tune their cars to the Norfolk circuit’s high-speed lay-out.

But Neal, the most experienced driver on the grid and with two previous titles to his name, doesn’t necessarily believe it’s all doom and gloom.

He told btcc.net: “Sure we wanted to do the test and it’s not ideal that we weren’t there, but it’s what we got and I’m still confident in my car (the Team Dynamics-prepared Honda Civic) and its capabilities.

“Some bits of the circuit have changed slightly. There’s some new kerbing and some corners you can’t cut as much and others which have opened up a bit. There are also a few bits of the track which have a new surface which may alter grip levels in both wet and dry conditions.

“We’re playing catch-up slightly but at least we’re not facing anything too radical.”

[Rob]

Plato cranks up the pressure
Jason Plato has joined fellow former champion Matt Neal in cranking up the pressure on Team Aon’s drivers ahead of Snetterton’s Dunlop British Touring Car Championship round this weekend.

Plato says the extra grunt produced by the LPG-turbo engines in the Aon Ford Focuses should put drivers Tom Onslow-Cole and Tom Chilton out of reach down Snetterton’s two long straights.

The Silverline Chevrolet driver goes into the event lying second in the standings just eight points behind current leader Neal who yesterday – along with third-placed Honda Racing Team team-mate Gordon Shedden – said the Fords could prove unstoppable at Snetterton and also the next event, Silverstone.

Oxford’s Plato, aged 42, said: “If they (Team Aon) don’t destroy the opposition this weekend then they need to look very hard at themselves, their drivers and their engineers. My target is to be the first non-gas car.”

Plato, who won the BTCC in 2001 and whose wins tally of 55 is now just five shy of Andy Rouse’s record of 60, believes tweaks to his Chevrolet Cruze in recent testing at Snetterton will pay dividends in the season’s second half and keep him right in the frame for a second title.

He added: “We’ve certainly improved our car, particularly its stability at the rear which has been its Achilles Heel. Until now we’ve had to work to stop the car biting us at corner entry.

“You want the rear of the car to move a bit but we’ve just had this bit of snappiness at the rear and so needed to sort that out because that has a bearing on how you set the car up for corner entry.

“Now I think we’re in a position where we will almost certainly be able to push harder and attack corners more. It’s not necessarily going to give us a big leap in qualifying pace, but I think race-wise it will give us the opportunity of a slightly better overall balance.

“It’s now just that bit easier to drive and operate with when you’re wringing every last bit of performance and hopefully that means we can look after tyres a bit better.”

[Tifosi]

Rob, didn't Alan Gow do summat to limit the advantage of the Gas powered AON's earlier in the season or is it just that they are STILL too fast? :Hmm

[Greig]

Yeah they did try and limit them but don't think it worked too well, probably make them run with 3 wheels or something :-)

[Rob]

here we go, found it, i thought it was. Had to triple check. This is from May....

Aon targeting gains elsewhere
Team Aon still expects an increase in speed from its Ford Focus despite having its engine’s performance restricted.

British Touring Car Championship organiser TOCA has decided any car running on LPG fuel – such as the Aon Focuses – must now have a 37mm turbo inlet restrictor fitted to its engine.

Aon’s cars, driven by Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole, won two of Brands Hatch’s three races earlier this month. Chilton also qualified on pole position at both Rockingham and Brands.

But while TOCA’s ruling comes into effect from the Dunlop-backed BTCC’s next round at Oulton Park on 6 June, Aon team boss Mike Earle believes other areas of development on the Focus will outweigh the engine restriction.

He said: “Obviously we do not welcome the reduction in restrictor size, but it is quite within the BTCC regulations for TOCA to do this so we have to take it on the chin and deal with it.

“Whilst any change to our engine’s specification and the resulting reduction in power will surely hurt us, I also feel that the engine is only one part of our overall package and we have worked incredibly hard to make all aspects of the package as strong as possible and will continue to do so.

“I said after Brands Hatch that I felt we were at about 75 per cent of the car’s potential and most of our expected gains will come from work on the chassis.

“A car is presently undergoing some suspension development at Ford’s testing facility at Lommel in Belgium and this is part of our on-going plans. I believe we will still be competitive and look forward to another strong performance at Oulton Park in three weeks time.”

[Tifosi]

Thanks Rob. :-)

It did make me laugh when ITV were desperately trying to get radio comms with one of the cars after the final race and they accidentally got a snatch of Jason Plato moaning to the pits about the straight line speed of the Ford :lol

a 3 second pit radio "sound byte" and he was still moaning. No wonder he gets a reputation sometimes heheh.

[Rob]

Matt Neal reckons Donington’s new, faster chicane will lead to more drama at its notorious Redgate Corner.
www.btcc.net

Worcestershire racer Neal sampled the recently re-opened track last week in a road-spec Honda Civic Type R as he gave high-speed passenger laps to media ahead of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s crucial penultimate round this coming weekend.

While the lay-out is near identical there is one significant change – its end-of-lap chicane that has been ‘relocated’ 100 yards further back meaning higher speeds on the following start-finish straight which leads into Redgate.

Former double champion Neal, currently second in the standings, told btcc.net: “It’s 18 months or so since we last raced here in early ’09 and it feels a bit like they are starting from scratch again with it as a venue, but the circuit is as good as it ever was. The new chicane certainly puts new life into it and they’ve done a good job re-designing it.

“The start of the lap is going to catch a few people out as they’ll instinctively use their old braking points – forgetting the pit straight is quite a bit longer and that we’re coming into Redgate at 20mph or so faster than before. This will mean long braking zones and more opportunities to overtake and probably more spills!”

The Honda Racing Team ace added: “Into the chicane, we now flick right where we used to turn left onto the GP loop. It’s quite an open entry and exit. There’s a slight bit of kerb on the entry you might want to keep off – it’ll actually deter the sort of corner cutting we got with the old Goddards chicane – but the kerb on the exit is really flat so will get used.

“The old chicane was second or third gear but this one will be third gear and screaming for fourth. It’s also going to be critical because you need to carry good speed onto what is now a very long pit straight.”

[Rob]

Chilton: title hopes "remote"
Tom Chilton has admitted his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title hopes are looking ‘remote’ but says he’ll not give up until it’s impossible.

Chilton will go into this coming weekend’s penultimate round at Donington Park lying fifth in the standings but 59 points adrift of series leader Jason Plato.

However, he needs to get that down to within 52 of whoever is leading leaving Donington to ensure he still has a mathematical chance of becoming champion in Brands Hatch’s season finale (10 October).

Meanwhile, Team Aon team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole is in with a stronger chance of the title – he lies third in the standings, 24 points shy of Chevrolet driver Plato (see separate story).

Chilton, who’s won once before at Donington (in 2004), said: “Realistically I think my chances of winning the driver's title are now remote. I really need the leaders to have bad races, but anything is possible with the BTCC!

“I think our car will be good around Donington and so I really hope we can challenge for podiums in each race. That will help in the battle for the other championships up for grabs, like the Manufacturers/Constructors and the Independents titles. I've always enjoyed racing at Donington, so I'm looking forward to the weekend.”

[Rob]

picture of the new chicane lay out. Looks good, great that Donnington is back open for racing.
Looking forward to this weekends racing. Only 6 races left, and all still very close. Not sure who to back for BTCC crown :-??
http://i56.tinypic.com/14cdxud.jpg

[Rob]

TO-C out to cut gap
Tom Onslow-Cole feels confident he can win and eat into Jason Plato’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship lead at Donington Park on Sunday.

Onslow-Cole, third in the standings but with 24 points to make up on leader Plato, believes his LPG-turbo Ford Focus can regain its winning touch around Donington’s mix of long straights and high-speed swoops and swerves.

Indeed, he's out for the same sort of results he achieved recently at Silverstone where he scored the highest points tally of any driver at any event this season with pole position, fastest lap in all three races plus third, second and first place finishes.

The Team Aon star said: “With six races to go (three at Donington, three at Brands Hatch) 24 points is a manageable target but I can’t afford to leave Donington that far behind.

“I have simply got to gain ground on him to be in with a shout at Brands Hatch. This is really a make or break weekend. I will need another points haul similar to Silverstone's if I am going to remain in contention and push Jason (Plato) and Matt (Neal) for the title.”

And the New Malden racer believes there’s no better way to keep Plato and Neal, who lies just four points in front in second, on their toes than by nabbing a win at Donington, a circuit he ranks among his favourites and where in 2008 – his missed 2009’s event – he starred for the former factory Vauxhall team.

“I have had some great races at Donington in the past and that has helped make it one of my favourite tracks on the calendar,” added the BRDC Superstar. “It flows so well, one corner leads into another and you have to be inch-perfect to get the most out of it.

“There is the long back straight which will be good for us but our chassis has been developed a lot too so we will be fast around the corners as well. I think we’re in good shape for Donington so I am optimistic of climbing onto the top step of the podium this weekend.”

[Rob]

Neal has "nothing to lose"
Matt Neal is pinning his title hopes on a “nothing to lose” approach at Donington and Brands Hatch.

Neal will go into this coming weekend’s penultimate round of 2010, at the Donington Park circuit, lying second in the current standings – 20 points adrift of series leader Jason Plato.

The Honda Racing Team ace believes the only way to close down the gap to his Chevrolet rival is to go for every position and point possible on the track at Donington and in Brands Hatch’s season finale three weeks later (10 October).

A fired-up Neal told btcc.net: “Someone asked me what I’ve got left and the simple answer is I’ve got nothing to lose. It’s totally Jason’s to lose, whereas if I crash out or it doesn’t work then I have lost nothing. At the minute I’m second – first of the losers. As far as I’m concerned I’m going to these final two events with the same approach as if I were starting the season from afresh. I can’t not go for it so there’ll be no settling for points finishes.”

And Neal, who has won the title twice before (2005 & ’06) believes even Plato, the Champion in 2001, might be starting to feel edgy as the season nears its climax.

Neal added: “He’s got to have some nerves because he’s finished runner-up so many times before and at the moment it’s his to lose and like I say, I have nothing to lose

“We’ve now got all the bolt-on goodies on our car, the Civic, to make it go as fast as possible – we had the uprated engine at Silverstone and now improved dampers at the front-end. There is no more to come now this season.

"I also think the Fords have got something in their back pockets. They will be strong at Donington but they will be even stronger at Brands and Jason I’m sure is going to be quick everywhere. For both of them to mess up I am going to have to put them under pressure so that leaves me with no option but to go on maximum attack.”

[Rob]

could be in for some good action, especially if Neal hits (bumps) Plato few times to get him wide into a corner :-D