BTCC news.

[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

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

[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