BTCC 2011 news.

[Rob]

TO-C feeling right at home
Tom Onslow-Cole says he felt at home right away during his first run in Team Aon’s new Ford today.

The New Malden racer got his first go in the outfit’s ‘Global’ Focus during a damp lunchbreak at Brands Hatch, Kent.

Starting at Croft this weekend he’ll join Tom Chilton and Andy Neate in the Aon line-up for the remainder of this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Last year he won four times for Aon in its 2010 Focus and came close to winning the drivers’ title outright.

Today though was his first opportunity since leaving the AmD Milltek racing.com team at Oulton Park a fortnight ago to sample the Arena Motorsport-developed ‘Global’ Focus, the successor to 2010’s model.

Onslow-Cole told btcc.net: “The car felt quite homely straightaway. Finding all the buttons and switches all came very naturally which sometimes isn’t the case with new cars.

“From the vibe in the pit garage the team seem pretty happy to see me back as well – obviously we went through a lot of emotions together in 2010. Tom Chilton also came down to Brands today and I have to say a big thanks to him – he’s been very supportive of my move back to Team Aon.”

Ironically, it was at Croft two years that Onslow-Cole had his first drive for Team Aon but in somewhat different circumstances.

“I got the call while I was still in bed in my hotel on the Saturday morning – I was meant to be driving the doctor's car that day! At least this time I’ve had a bit more notice!” he joked.

Onslow-Cole also believes the AmD Milltek team now has the foundations to turn its VW Golf into a regular front-running car in the BTCC.

He added: “It was a bit of a wrench leaving AmD as they’re a cracking team and have all the ingredients to thrive in the future. The fact that so many people have been in touch with the team wanting to drive the Golf shows how seriously people are now taking them.

“Shaun (Hollamby, team principal) and I remain good pals but the Aon deal was too good to turn down. I need to say a big thank you to him for putting me out there for the first part of the season and keeping my name in the frame…”

[Rob]

BTCC pegs turbos back again

By Kevin Turner Thursday, June 16th 2011, 15:30 GMT


British Touring Car organiser TOCA has introduced another turbo boost reduction ahead of this weekend's Croft round.

TOCA reduced the amount of boost allowed for the turbo machines by 0.1 bar ahead of round three at Thruxton. But with the turbo Hondas setting the pace at Thruxton and Oulton Park, it has now introduced another 0.05 bar boost reduction.

BTCC boss Alan Gow said: "We've reduced the boost as part of an ongoing review of the equivalency and will continue to look at it."

The suspended 0.05 bar reduction introduced prior to Oulton remains, meaning the turbo machines could be made to run 0.1 bar lower at Croft than they have done so far this season.

AUTOSPORT understands a comprehensive review of the turbo-normally aspirated equivalency will take place during the summer break between Croft and August's Snetterton round.

www.autosport.com

[Rob]

will it be enough to stop Plato moaning??

Snetterton. I be there again

[Rob]

Hollamby retires from driving

By Kevin Turner Monday, June 20th 2011, 08:28 GMT

Shaun Hollamby has retired from British Touring Car racing after making a one-off return to the series at Croft last weekend.

The AmD Milltek team boss contested the BTCC last year and stepped in to replace Tom Onslow-Cole, who has returned to the Arena Motorsport Ford Focus team, in his squad's VW for Croft.

After three solid runs, in which he scored a best finish of 13th, Hollamby has decided to leave the driving to someone else.

"That's me done with the driving now," he said. "I'm pleased with the job I did, but I think we'll do better with a younger driver.

"For the team it's best to have a driver come in and there are some good guys out there."

Hollamby confirmed he was speaking to several drivers about a deal for the rest of the season, and now has seven weeks before the next round at Snetterton to finalise a signing.

www.autosport.com

[Rob]

Byford for AmD Golf
AmD Milltek Racing.com has named Martin Byford as its new driver for the remainder of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Byford, from Colchester, will make his BTCC debut in the outfit’s VW Golf at his home circuit of Snetterton in just over four weeks’ time (6-7 August) with sponsorship from personal backer Eurocell as well as team partners AmD, Milltek and Tesco Momentum 99.

The 39-year-old has an excellent reputation in the BTCC’s supporting categories. He was a front-runner in the Renault Clio Cup as long ago as 2002 and won the crown in 2007. He was also a title protagonist in the SEAT Cupra series.

Byford told btcc.net: “Firstly, a big thanks to all those sponsors for putting their faith in me. It’s the opportunity I was looking for some years ago when I was scrapping in Clios and SEATs. When the chance to drive his Golf came up I put everything into making it work – it’s been well documented he had a lot of enquiries so to be ‘the chosen one’ is good for the confidence!”

The Essex racer believes he’ll fit in well with the BTCC’s bumper-to-bumper action after a decade of competition in saloons. He also arrives with good technical know-how having won the British Formula 3 class B title back in 1995. He also proved more than a match for Tom Onslow-Cole when, after several years out, he returned to race in the Clio Cup in 2006. It was Onslow-Cole of course who raced the Golf during the first half of this season before leaving to join Team Aon.

Byford added: “I wouldn’t be having a go if I didn’t think I could muck in with the rest of them. I’d certainly like to think I can hold my own in a pack, but of course this is perhaps the hardest pack imaginable! More than any other championship, you simply do not underestimate the competition when you come into the BTCC. I’m not going to spend too much time analysing things beforehand – I’m just going to arrive at Snetterton and get on with it.

“I’ll be looking to get the same sort of results with the Golf that Tom did. Sure he’s got a lot more BTCC experience than me, but I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be targeting what he achieved with it.”

AmD team principal Shaun Hollamby, who raced the car as a one-off at Croft last month, added: “I’m really pleased with our choice. We had massive interest from potential replacements for Tom and then it really came down to a shortlist of four. Martin ticked all the boxes for me – he’s no nonsense and just a thoroughly decent and easy bloke to work with which is exactly what we want in our team.

“His CV speaks for itself and bear in mind I had the Golf up to 12th place in one of the races at Croft and he’s much better than I am! Seriously, he perhaps should have got his chance in the BTCC a few years ago. We’re delighted he’s making his debut with us.”

Finally, Byford is looking forward to being one of the star BTCC drivers during the specially organised pit lane walkabout autograph sessions for the public on race day mornings.

He said: “I suppose I’ve had a taster of the BTCC crowds and public interest from Clios and SEATs but this is going to be ten or probably even 20 times that by comparison. I’ve always been amazed at just how many people get into the pit lane so I’d imagine it’s going to be a very busy 45 minutes! Being the new boy and given the following the team and the car have attracted I hope we get a lot of people coming to see us to say ‘hi’ and to grab a poster…”

[Rob]

08/Jul/2011 Neal reflects on 20 years

It’ll be 20 years ago this weekend that one Matt Neal made his debut in the British Touring Car Championship.

He’s since experienced just about every conceivable high and low possible in the sport and of course gone on to enjoy massive success in what is one of the world’s most competitive and best-loved race series.

A staggering 450 races have produced the following accolades:
- Two outright BTCC drivers’ crowns (2005 & 2006)
- Six independent drivers’ titles
- 41 careers victories
- 112 podium results
- 13 pole positions
- 39 fastest race laps
- 2305 points scored
- £250,000 for a race win

It all started at the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 1991. Alex MacDowall and Andrew Jordan would have been just six months and two and a bit years old respectively! At the time Neal was dominating the national production saloon car scene in a Nissan prepared by his family-run Team Dynamics outfit. But for GP weekend he was finally to get his BTCC break, at the wheel of a Godfrey Hall Motorsport BMW M3. His team-mate was no other than 1988 champion, ‘Fearless’ Frank Sytner.

Neal, though, says he was too caught up ‘in the moment’ to be daunted by his team-mate’s ‘hard man’ reputation. The 44-year-old from Worcestershire told btcc.net: “All I remember about that race in ’91 was a massive crowd and I was the only driver under 30 on the grid – back then you did all the junior formulae before you got to the BTCC. The cars were also mega to drive. Coming from production-based cars, these things were really direct and intimidating.”

Come the winter that year, Neal made the one decision he says will perhaps stand as the one regret he has when looking back on his tumultuous career.

He added: “Ray Mallock called me and said ‘I’m doing BTCC next year with a couple of Vauxhalls – would you like to drive one?’ Thing is, we at Dynamics had chatted to Vic Lee about one of his BMWs and they were winning the championship. I was young and didn’t know that much about Ray so turned it down and of course RML did a fabulous job. Had I said yes my career could have taken off immediately instead of scrapping for the next eight years.”

Of course, had Neal said yes to Mallock we would likely have never witnessed some of the giant-killing performances he was to turn in during the Nineties in Dynamics-run cars including BMWs, Ford Mondeos and, towards the end of the decade, Nissan Primeras. Independent titles were achieved in 1993, 1995, 1999 and 2000 and he quickly took on the mantle of ‘People’s Champion’. His comeback in ’95 is worth mentioning in particular for it came after a horrific crash in a Mazda at Silverstone in ’94 that left him badly injured.

That may have been one of his darkest days, but the best by far was yet to come for Neal. Famously, as has been well documented ever since, Neal won a cheque for £250,000 for taking victory at Donington Park in ’99 after Alan Gow had promised to make the pay-out to any privateer who could topple the all-conquering manufacturer team’s drivers in a race.

“That remains the biggest moment of them all. But I also remember it was a huge anti-climax. I thought it might change my life but it changed nothing! It was just like another statistic.

“Winning that money wasn’t the big thing at all. What was far more important and satisfying was that after eight years we’d done it. It had been the first time we’d ever got our hands on the quicker tyres that the factory cars had always used and it just went to show we were able to cut it at the sharp end.

“Looking back, if you were an independent in the Nineties you really didn’t stand a chance. There was a tyre war on back then between different makes of tyre manufacturers and the factory teams got the proper stuff. The best we could hope as privateers was to get within two seconds of them.

“There were times when that led to me questioning my own ability. Your confidence takes a knock. Donington ’99 proved to everyone we were good enough. I’d actually been offered the seat alongside Rickard Rydell in the second Volvo for 1999. I really thought about it lots but then had a good test in the Nissan pre-season. I also tested the Volvo at Jerez and told TWR ‘no’. Then the first race of the season I smashed 250 grand and I still get people coming up and telling me they were there.

“The difference between then and now is that in the Nineties it was unfair. What TOCA has done with equality with engines, tyres, everything… the cars now are much more even and that makes it far more attractive for teams to come in, be competitive and give their sponsors a good time.”

Neal would win the Independents’ twice more, in 2005 and 2006, but that almost paled into insignificance compared to the other trophy he lifted – that of the BTCC Drivers’ Champion. Armed with Dynamics’ mighty Honda Integra he brilliantly overcame other greats such as Yvan Muller, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Colin Turkington and Jason Plato to win the drivers’ crown. Notably, it was the first time since 1991 that an independent team had toppled the manufacturer teams – at the time Vauxhall and SEAT – and won the championship outright.

The 2006 season saw a fierce and bitter rivalry with Jason Plato begin to develop – their cars memorably clashing at Snetterton’s final bend. But in his two decades in the BTCC it is Italian maestro Giovanardi who Neal regards as the hardest driver he has ever faced.

“I really found out about Fabrizio when I joined him at Vauxhall for 2008,” said Neal. “Steve Soper was the one I always looked up to – he was the ultimate professional – but Fabrizio is pretty crazy. He’s won so much for a reason. He’s headless and he’s very good and doesn’t lie down. He’ll come across with this cool Italian persona but he is in fact a very fiery and very determined personality. If you give him any stick you’ll get twice as much back. He’s also a very amusing bloke to be around.”

For all his success, Neal shows no signs of slowing down – indeed, the desire to win burns as deep as ever as demonstrated by his results so far this season. Five wins from 15 races in Dynamics’ Honda Civic (for the second successive year enjoying factory support from Honda UK) mean he leads the championship at the mid-season point and many believe he can go on and clinch his third BTCC crown.

When asked to re-cap his career, he replied: “It has gone quick. It’s a lifetime – some of the drivers I’m up against now were hardly born! When I was at Vauxhall, Andrew Jordan was also there and I told him then if, for some reason, it all had to finish then I’d be happy because I’d had a really good crack at it. I have had 20 great years out of it. I’ve had a ball…”

[Rob]

GSR to run turbo BMW
Geoff Steel Racing is in the final stages of fitting a turbocharged NGTC-spec engine to its second BMW 320si chassis.

The Lincolnshire-based outfit contested the opening two rounds of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with reigning Renault Clio Cup GB champion Dave Newsham behind the wheel of its naturally aspirated BMW. However, the team has worked on developing a turbocharged version of the car to take them through the 2012 season.

And Geoff Steel team manager, Martyn Bell told btcc.net: “Development of the turbocharged BMW is well underway and we’re still on schedule. When we took delivery of the ex-Motorbase cars we had a plan and we’ve only deviated from that by missing three rounds of the championship.

“We had hoped to run a naturally aspirated BMW throughout the season until the NGTC-engined car was ready. We’ve been working closely with series organiser TOCA and the advice and support we’ve received has been brilliant. It has been like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, but we almost have the NGTC engine fitted and I think we’re about two-weeks from taking the car out on track.

GSR plans to run its non-turbo BMW for the next three rounds, starting with Snetterton on 6-7 August. It then hopes to switch to the NGTC-engined car for the final two meetings of the year at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

However, Bell is not yet in a position to reveal who will drive for the team during the five remaining rounds of the season, saying: “We’re not ready to name our driver because we’re still in strong negotiations with two candidates, but we’d like to hear from other people who are interested until a deal is done.”

[Rob]

only couple more weeks till Snetterton, been long break. Be booking tickets soon

[Rob]

Jordan tips Collard

Andrew Jordan has tipped Robert Collard for a pair of wins in Snetterton’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round this weekend (6-7 August).

Jordan believes the venue’s new, much twistier ‘300’ track will take its toll on front-wheel-drive cars’ tyres and significantly favour the rear-wheel-drive WSR BMWs of Collard and Nick Foster. The warning comes after Collard and Foster enjoyed much improved results in the most recent two rounds at Oulton Park and Croft.

Jordan, from Lichfield, Staffordshire told btcc.net: “I’d be surprised if Collard doesn’t win a race or two this weekend. Over a race distance the tyre wear around there will kill us, I’m sure.

“Anyone in a front-wheel-drive car is going to have major concerns, particularly those of us with turbo engines – the new Coram corner which just goes on forever is going to kill the left-front which is always the first to go on a clockwise circuit. On one-off qualifying laps we might be OK but over a race distance… you watch, Collard will be right up there.”

Jordan is currently fourth in the championship in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra, 29 points off leader Matt Neal in his factory Honda Civic. He’s also second in the independent driver standings, 15 points behind Airwaves Ford Focus driver Mat Jackson who is Neal’s nearest challenger in the outright table.

Jordan added: “I think Matt Neal will be very hard to beat at Snetterton. Just look what he did at Croft – two wins even with the maximum 45kgs of success ballast in his car – whereas his team-mate (Gordon) Shedden seemed to struggle to keep his tyres together. Matt seems to be doing something different and it’s working for him.

“Realistically, I’d love to finish the season in the top three and win the Independents Trophy. Jackson is therefore the driver we need to be taking points off.

“Out of the front-wheel-drive teams we seem to be better on our tyres than most so I’m feeling fairly confident for Snetterton, although it’ll be important to qualify on the first few rows as there are now some very tight and twisty hairpins which could cause a bit of mayhem mid-field – obviously I want to be clear of that when it kicks off.”

Meanwhile Jordan and the Eurotech outfit that runs his BTCC Vectra have all just returned from a gruelling trip to Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium where they ran a GT3 Mercedes SLS in the annual 24-hour race for team boss Mike Jordan (Andrew’s father)! A fine second in class and seventh overall was the result but Jordan Jnr said: “That was hard work – we had no sleep from 7.00am Saturday until 8.00pm Sunday. We all kept each other awake and, believe me, you didn’t want to fall asleep. There were a few photos taken…”

[Rob]

looking forward to this weekend. Ticket on its way. Cannt wait to have good walk around the new track layout. Be down at the esses again, always good spot for action.

[Rob]

the latest BTCC news letter...
http://files.e2ma.net/2973/assets/do...06_aug_11_.pdf

[Rob]

Nash predicts hectic action

James Nash predicts plenty of ‘cut-throat’ action during the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship's round on Snetterton’s new 300 circuit this weekend.

Newport Pagnell racer Nash, currently fifth in the BTCC standings, reckons the revised configuration, now including a twisting infield section, will lead to high drama during Sunday’s three races.

He told btcc.net: “A lot of the new corners look like they’ll require a late turn-in and therefore a late apex meaning a lot of drivers behind will be looking to stick their nose up the inside into the corner.

“That in turn will require the drivers in front to go on the defensive so there could be quite a bit of tripping up over one another. It could get quite cut throat in there.”

Nash will be hoping it’s third time lucky at Snetterton – in 2009, his first season in the BTCC, he won on the road only to be excluded and last year led in his Triple Eight Vectra (now title sponsored by Collins Contractors) for a lap before agonisingly spinning off the track.

Today he’s at Oulton Park, Cheshire shaking down an Aston Martin race car for a pal. “I feel a bit out of sync for a BTCC weekend – I won’t get to Norfolk until about 8.00pm tonight. Hopefully the M6 will be kind to me,” he added.

“But we had quite a good test at Donington Park recently. It was a bit wet-dry so not 100 per cent conclusive but hopefully we’ve found something. If not we’ll go back to our base set-up, which we know works having gone back to it at Croft where we were much stronger again. I want to be the top Vectra driver this weekend which means beating Andrew Jordan who is very quick but the main aim is to qualify inside the top six and leave still comfortably in the top six in the championship. I have a good feeling about things.”

Nash has been something of a jet-setter during the summer break with a business trip to China and then a holiday in Spain which didn’t quite go to plan. “I missed the flight going out there,” he confessed. “We got to the airport in plenty of time but went for a walk round and then looked up at the departure screens… it was 6.15am and it left at 6.20am. I didn’t get to Spain until about 8.00pm that night. The worst thing was having to spend the whole day sitting in Stansted airport…”

[Rob]

Plato driving to new limits

Jason Plato says he faces the biggest battle of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car career if he’s to retain his crown.

After several retirements, including a 120mph roll in his Chevrolet Cruze, 2010 title-winner Plato is down in sixth in the standings and some 40 points – equivalent almost to three race wins – behind current leader Matt Neal.

He and his RML-run Silverline Chevrolet squad know therefore the importance of achieving a major points haul in this weekend’s three races at the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk – a track at which Plato has won an unrivalled eight times.

Oxford racer Plato, who earlier this season set a new BTCC wins record with his 64th victory in the series, told btcc.net: “I came back from 56 points in 2009 and missed the title to Colin Turkington by five points. But even though it’s only 40 points this time around I’d say it’s much harder – the biggest ask of my career since I started in the BTCC in 1997.

“Matt is a seasoned pro and his team, Dynamics, know how to win titles. Plus of course their Honda has the turbo engine – our car can out-do them in the corners but can’t get on terms with them down straights."

Plato reckons his only realistic chance to stage a tight flight comeback is to qualify ahead of the turbo runners on the grid – that could mean something quite special for trackside fans and viewers watching live coverage of qualifying on www.itv.com/touringcars on Saturday afternoon...

He added: “From now on it’s pole position or bust – that’s my only chance because if I start behind the turbos then they’ll leave me down the straights.

“Qualifying has always been about screwing yourself up for that one-off, special ‘banzai’ lap but here I am, at 43, taking even bigger risks than I did when I was in my twenties.

“I’m still finding new limits within myself as I had to the last time out at Croft when I bagged the pole. I am over the limit in some places.

“Add in that at Snetterton there’s a new twisty stadium section and we’ve got 26 cars on track this weekend, it will be very easy to trip up over traffic… it’s going to be a case of shut your eyes in some places.”

Notably, Plato’s team has not tested its Cruze during the mid-season break whereas Neal and team-mate Gordon Shedden in their Civics and second-placed Mat Jackson in his Airwaves Racing Ford Focus have enjoyed more running.

Plato said: “We’ve still done our homework for Snetterton. I was here recently driving the track in my Porsche and taking photos to see where all the kerbs and bumps are – I could drive it in my sleep now. And the engineers at RML are, in my view, the best in the business.

“Our biggest compromise will be spending much more time working on our qualifying set-up during practice – because of the importance of getting in front of the turbo cars on the grid – and of course that means sacrificing time we’d normally spend working on our race pace. All is not lost but we’re having to take more risks.”

www.btcc.net

[Rob]

England footie star joins ES

Former England footballer Paul Merson will join Chris James’s Team ES Racing.com squad at Rockingham’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round this weekend (17-18 Sept).

Merson, who played for England and Premier League side Arsenal during the Eighties and Nineties, has accepted an invitation from James to be a guest of his team at both Rockingham and Brands Hatch (1-2 Oct).

Bedford-based James told btcc.net: “Paul’s a massive motor sport enthusiast and it made sense to get him involved. He’s a friend of my business, but it took me a while to put two and two together!”

He continued: “Of course, it’s my home race this weekend at Rockingham and I’m really excited about it. Paul will meet with and sign autographs for fans and he’ll be in the paddock in Team ES Racing kit with my grid girl.

“In all seriousness, while motor sport and football fans don’t always cross over, I think it’s a massive coup for us to get somebody as high-profile as Paul involved. We’ve had a lot of ups and down this season, but I think the outlook is good and I’m hoping he’ll be a bit of a lucky mascot for us…”

[Rob]

Chilton all pumped up

Knockhill race winner Tom Chilton expects Team Aon’s turbocharged 'Global' Ford Focus to excel again in Rockingham’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship round this weekend (17-18 Sept).

Reigate racer Chilton drove the car to a maiden pole position and race victory at the tight and twisty Fife track, following that up with fourth and sixth place results to achieve by far his biggest points haul of the season so far.

He’s now up to seventh in the outright standings and a similar performance at Rockingham could see him move into the top six. Furthermore Chilton’s Knockhill form has brought him back into contention for the Independents Trophy which he won in 2010.

Indeed the 26-year old is confident of mixing it with the main title protagonists at Rockingham which, like Knockhill, has several slow-to-medium-speed bends that place a premium on traction.

Chilton said: “I’m really excited because Knockhill was an extremely good weekend for us and Rockingham is a pretty similar track. Like Knockhill it’s very tight and twisty so we should have another good weekend.

“We were strong in the wet at Knockhill, too, so whatever the weather this weekend we know we have a car that will be quick. I’m feeling very positive heading into this weekend.”

[Rob]

Sideways Collard has a plan

The ever-spectacular Robert Collard is hunting more Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship podium results at Rockingham this weekend (17-18 Sept).

Collard’s breathtaking sideways style in his rear-wheel-drive WSR BMW has been a highlight of races this season and at Knockhill 11 days ago enabled him to achieve his fifth podium to date in 2011.

But it still wasn’t quite what he so desperately craves – his first win in the BTCC since 2009.

The Hampshire racer, who took a second place finish last season at Rockingham, told btcc.net: “It’ll all be down to the BMW’s race pace again.

“The car felt great during the shakedown today and it was very strong around Rockingham last year when got a second place. But times have moved on and we just can’t match the turbo cars in qualifying trim – we’ll probably be some way back on the grid.

“However, the tweaks to the technical regulations concerning the turbocharged cars should make a difference over a race distance. I think we’ll be able to come through the pack in the closing stages of the races as tyre wear becomes a factor for the turbos.

“In theory, from mid-way on you should see us making up ground. We’ll be all over the turbo cars in the infield section, but they’ll have the legs on the 1km pits straight. The BMW is phenomenally good on the brakes, too, so we’ll have opportunities to overtake into Turn Two and the infield hairpin.”

Collard, currently eighth in the outright standings and not yet out of the running for the Independents Trophy, also reckons an uncertain weather forecast could work to his advantage.

He added: “Of the last four meetings, we’ve excelled in the three that have been held in wet or changeable conditions so we’ll be pretty happy if the weather’s unpredictable again this weekend.”

www.btcc.net

[Rob]

Bye bye, Integra...

Honda’s Integra model, the car to beat in its heyday, will take a final bow in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship during this weekend’s (15-16 Oct) 2011 season finale at Silverstone.

Lea Wood’s tiny Central Group Racing team has continued to race on with the BTC-spec machine which made its debut in the series back in 2005.

And what a debut… the car, entered under the Team Halfords banner by Team Dynamics, won its first race in the hands of Matt Neal who achieved a second victory the same day at Donington Park.

It was no fluke, either, as Neal raced the low-line coupe to the BTCC title that year and followed it up in 2006 with a second crown. Dynamics’ decision to go with a car, not widely available in European showrooms, had proved a masterstroke and enabled it to become the first privateer team for 14 years to conquer the might of the manufacturer squads (namely Vauxhall and SEAT) and win the BTCC outright.

Its day of days perhaps came at Thruxton in 2005 when its slippery shape and unrivalled ability to nurse its tyres on the calendar’s most notoriously abrasive circuit enabled an on-form Dan Eaves to become the first driver in history to win all three races in a day since the BTCC moved to a triple-header format in 2004. It’s a feat that has been repeated only once since.

Still the car to beat, the Integra also enabled new privateer Mike Jordan, running in John Guest and Pirtek colours for his own Eurotech squad, to become the oldest race winner in BTCC history at Mondello Park in 2006! In two seasons the car won a staggering 27 times out of 60 races.

But the BTC-spec era was heading for a gradual close with most of the field switching to the newer S2000 cars for 2007. The Integra, though, still remained a potent weapon with Eurotech (Jordan and his son Andrew) and the Sunshine.co.uk-backed tech-speed outfit (particularly with Paul O’Neill) enjoying outright podium results with the car during the next few seasons.

More recently, of course, teams have begun preparing to enter the BTCC’s new era of Next Generation Touring Car machinery. That means it’s time for the last BTC-spec car on the grid, Wood’s Integra, to be retired.

The Hereford driver hopes to invest in a 'Next Gen' car, but for the time being will remember the Integra with great fondness – indeed, in tricky damp but drying conditions at Oulton Park earlier this season it lived up to the adage “a great car is always a great car” when it caught and passed Neal’s factory Honda Racing Team Civic as Wood and his team celebrated an emotional first outright top ten points finish.

Wood told btcc.net: “We desperately want to stay in the BTCC so fully understand it’s time to move on but, for a small team like ours, the Integra has been fantastic – even with the extra weight we have to carry with a BTC-spec car and the fact it’s not undergone any major development since the end of 2006 it’s still able to hold its own against some of the much newer machinery out there.

“It’s easy to see why this was the class of the field when it first came out. Many of the fans we meet during the autograph session still have a fascination with the Integra and, if it’s damp at Silverstone as it was at Oulton, then who knows what she might be able to do on her last appearance?”

[Rob]

Cannt wait for this weekends finale, 3 drivers all got chance to win the BTCC crown.

Who is everyone backing?? I like see Flash win, but as much as he annoys me, cannt ever count Plato out.

[Rob]

Turbo BMW makes track debut

Former Champion Colin Turkington is today (Thurs) giving the Geoff Steel Racing team’s turbocharged BMW a first test ahead of its race debut in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s season finale this weekend (15-16 October) at Silverstone.

Northern Irishman Turkington, who won the BTCC in 2009 in a BMW driving for WSR, is bedding in the car at Donington Park in Leicestershire. Dartford’s Tony Gilham, who joined the GSR outfit two rounds ago at Rockingham, will race it this weekend at Silverstone in Northants.

The car is the first BMW to be fitted with a turbo engine built to the BTCC’s new Next Generation Touring Car regulations and its performance compared to WSR's normally-aspirated cars this weekend will surely be of much interest.

GSR team manager Martyn Bell told btcc.net: “So far so good. Colin’s expertise in BMWs made him the perfect driver to call on to offer advice and set-up tips. Tony can’t wait to get in it!”

[Rob]

Honda to sponsor finale

Fans attending this Sunday’s (16 October) Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title-decider at Silverstone will see a Honda Civic spectacularly lap the track on just two wheels…

Stunt driver extraordinaire Terry Grant will guide the car, in full Honda Racing Team livery, around the 1.2 mile National circuit – the wrong way (and far closer to a 45-degree angle than even Honda Racing Team ace Matt Neal, pictured, achieved at Knockhill)! Grant is scheduled to begin the delicate balancing act from Brooklands corner just before the first of the day’s three BTCC races, at around 11.10am. Having negotiated the Wellington Straight and then Becketts and Copse corners he will eventually hone into view for many thousands of open-mouthed spectators in the grandstands overlooking the start-finish line area and Woodcote-Luffield-Brooklands complex.

The spectacle is all part of Honda’s sponsorship of the event – in addition it will also make its huge ‘World Skills’ structure available for public to try their hand at a number of manual tests (Honda backed this year’s high-profile World Skills final in London). Furthermore, Honda’s all-new 2012 Civic model – that will be raced by the Honda Racing Team in next year’s BTCC – will be on display next to the Wellington Straight grandstand.

Honda UK has also invited along a staggering 600 guests – including company and team partners, dealerships and workforce. All will be hoping to see one of the Honda Racing Team’s drivers, Matt Neal or Gordon Shedden, lift the 2011 BTCC crown. Honda/Dynamics and the Honda Racing Team are already almost certain to achieve the BTCC’s Manufacturers/Constructors and HiQ Teams Championship trophies for a second successive season…

Fans can currently see the third of the Honda Racing Team’s short on-line movies about life within the squad during the 2011 BTCC season. Click on this link to view it http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEw5hyOo0Vo

[Tifosi]

Cannt wait for this weekends finale, 3 drivers all got chance to win the BTCC crown.

Who is everyone backing?? I like see Flash win, but as much as he annoys me, cannt ever count Plato out.

As long as that hypocritical 2 faced Honda driver doesn't win i'll be happy Rob

(... and I don't mean Flash )