Friday, March 25, 2011
The two Toyota Avensis racers that’ll be competing in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship have been shown off for the first time.
Both were built by GPR Motorsport in accordance with the new Next Generation Touring Car regulations. Series organisers have introduced these to help keep costs down, primarily through the use of standardised components and robust two-litre turbocharged engines developing around 300 bhp (223 kW / 304 PS).
Car #11 will be run by Dynojet Racing for driver Frank Wrathall, the reigning Ginetta G50 Cup champion. However, as his Avensis hasn’t done any test miles yet, the team faces a challenge to get everything fettled before the first race on the 3rd of April at Brands Hatch.
Speedworks Motorsport meanwhile is looking after the #50 Avensis of Tony Hughes, another ex-Ginetta competitor. Although his pre-season preparations are a little more advanced, teething problems such as fuel and power steering pump failures have slowed progress.
Related posts:
2011 BTCC Chevy Cruze
2011 BTCC entries
The two Toyota Avensis racers that’ll be competing in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship have been shown off for the first time.
Both were built by GPR Motorsport in accordance with the new Next Generation Touring Car regulations. Series organisers have introduced these to help keep costs down, primarily through the use of standardised components and robust two-litre turbocharged engines developing around 300 bhp (223 kW / 304 PS).
Car #11 will be run by Dynojet Racing for driver Frank Wrathall, the reigning Ginetta G50 Cup champion. However, as his Avensis hasn’t done any test miles yet, the team faces a challenge to get everything fettled before the first race on the 3rd of April at Brands Hatch.
Speedworks Motorsport meanwhile is looking after the #50 Avensis of Tony Hughes, another ex-Ginetta competitor. Although his pre-season preparations are a little more advanced, teething problems such as fuel and power steering pump failures have slowed progress.
Related posts:
2011 BTCC Chevy Cruze
2011 BTCC entries
Silverline Chevrolet, the works outfit run by RML, has unveiled its new livery for the 2011 British Touring Car Championship. The new paintjob is similar to that also being used on the team’s WTCC contenders.
While some BTCC competitors are going to be fielding cars compliant with the new Next Generation Touring Car regulations, the Cruze racers remain in Super 2000 specification for this season.
Behind the wheel of the #1 Chevrolet will be reigning driver’s champion Jason Plato, who has decided to stay with the team to defend his title. Completing the unchanged driver line-up is team mate Alex MacDowall in the #20 car.
Images © GM Corp.
Related post:
2011 BTCC entries
Silverline Chevrolet, the works outfit run by RML, has unveiled its new livery for the 2011 British Touring Car Championship. The new paintjob is similar to that also being used on the team’s WTCC contenders.
While some BTCC competitors are going to be fielding cars compliant with the new Next Generation Touring Car regulations, the Cruze racers remain in Super 2000 specification for this season.
Behind the wheel of the #1 Chevrolet will be reigning driver’s champion Jason Plato, who has decided to stay with the team to defend his title. Completing the unchanged driver line-up is team mate Alex MacDowall in the #20 car.
Images © GM Corp.
Related post:
2011 BTCC entries
Thursday, March 24, 2011
2011 will see the biggest grid ever for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship since it switched to a two-litre formula. Despite the presence of only two full factory teams - Silverline Chevrolet and Honda Racing Team - ten manufacturers will be represented this season, including newcomers Audi, Proton and Toyota.
The boosted entry list is mainly down to the introduction of the Next Generation Touring Car technical regulations, which have been brought in to slash car development and running costs. Most of those savings will be achieved through the use of standardised parts including brakes, suspension and gearboxes. Using durable two-litre turbocharged engines in the NGTCs should help make the BTCC more affordable, too.
This year starts a period of transition, with the intention being that existing Super 2000-spec cars should have equal performance to the NGTC entries for the next two seasons, after which the latter will become dominant.
 | |
| Team Aon Ford Focus: S2000 chassis with NGTC engine. |
Good news for spectators is that children will get free admission at every round, while pit lane autograph sessions will continue to be a popular feature of race day.
For television viewers, the live package shown on ITV4 and ITV4 HD is going to be six to seven hours long, backed up by a one-hour highlights programme shown later on ITV1 and ITV4. Excellent terrestrial coverage that other championships would do well to emulate (WRC, that means you…).
The opening race of the series is at Brands Hatch on the 3rd of April.
| 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship: Entry List | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full S2000 Specification Cars | |||
| No. | Driver | Team | Car |
| 1* | Jason Plato (GBR) | Silverline Chevrolet | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 20* | Alex MacDowall (GBR) | Silverline Chevrolet | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 8 | Robert Collard (GBR) | WSR | BMW 320si |
| 18 | Nick Foster (GBR) | WSR | BMW 320si |
| 17 | Dave Newsham (GBR) | Geoff Steel Racing | BMW 320si |
| 28 | John George (GBR) | GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 29 | Paul O’Neill (GBR) | GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 78 | Chris James (GBR) | Team ES Racing.com | Chevrolet Lacetti |
| 43^ | Lea Wood (GBR) | Central Group Racing | Honda Integra |
| S2000 Specification Cars Using NGTC Engines | |||
| No. | Driver | Team | Car |
| 2* | Matt Neal (GBR) | Honda Racing Team | Honda Civic |
| 52* | Gordon Shedden (GBR) | Honda Racing Team | Honda Civic |
| 5** | Tom Chilton (GBR) | Team Aon | ‘Global’ Ford Focus |
| 44** | Andy Neate (GBR) | Team Aon | ‘Global’ Ford Focus |
| TBA** | TBA | Team Aon | ‘Global’ Ford Focus |
| 7 | Mat Jackson (GBR) | Airwaves Racing | Ford Focus |
| 66 | Liam Griffin (GBR) | Airwaves Racing | Ford Focus |
| 14 | James Nash (GBR) | 888 Racing with Collins Contractors | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 34 | Tony Gilham (GBR) | 888 Racing with Collins Contractors | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 22 | Tom Boardman (GBR) | Special Tuning Racing | Seat Leon |
| 55 | Jeff Smith (GBR) | Pirtek Racing | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 77 | Andrew Jordan (GBR) | Pirtek Racing | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 99 | Tom Onslow Cole (GBR) | AmD Milltek Racing.com | Volkswagen Golf |
| Full NGTC Specification Cars | |||
| No. | Driver | Team | Car |
| 11 | Frank Wrathall (GBR) | Dynojet | Toyota Avensis |
| 12 | David Pinkney (GBR) | Rob Austin Racing | Audi A4 |
| 13 | TBA | Rob Austin Racing | Audi A4 |
| 42 | Daniel Welch (GBR) | Welch Automotive | Proton Gen-2 |
| 50 | Tony Hughes (GBR) | Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota Avensis |
| * Eligible for Manufacturer and Constructor championships. All other cars eligible for Independent championships. | |||
| ** Eligible for Constructor championship. | |||
| ^ BTC specification. | |||
2011 will see the biggest grid ever for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship since it switched to a two-litre formula. Despite the presence of only two full factory teams - Silverline Chevrolet and Honda Racing Team - ten manufacturers will be represented this season, including newcomers Audi, Proton and Toyota.
The boosted entry list is mainly down to the introduction of the Next Generation Touring Car technical regulations, which have been brought in to slash car development and running costs. Most of those savings will be achieved through the use of standardised parts including brakes, suspension and gearboxes. Using durable two-litre turbocharged engines in the NGTCs should help make the BTCC more affordable, too.
This year starts a period of transition, with the intention being that existing Super 2000-spec cars should have equal performance to the NGTC entries for the next two seasons, after which the latter will become dominant.
| |
| Team Aon Ford Focus: S2000 chassis with NGTC engine. |
Good news for spectators is that children will get free admission at every round, while pit lane autograph sessions will continue to be a popular feature of race day.
For television viewers, the live package shown on ITV4 and ITV4 HD is going to be six to seven hours long, backed up by a one-hour highlights programme shown later on ITV1 and ITV4. Excellent terrestrial coverage that other championships would do well to emulate (WRC, that means you…).
The opening race of the series is at Brands Hatch on the 3rd of April.
| 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship: Entry List | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full S2000 Specification Cars | |||
| No. | Driver | Team | Car |
| 1* | Jason Plato (GBR) | Silverline Chevrolet | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 20* | Alex MacDowall (GBR) | Silverline Chevrolet | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 8 | Robert Collard (GBR) | WSR | BMW 320si |
| 18 | Nick Foster (GBR) | WSR | BMW 320si |
| 17 | Dave Newsham (GBR) | Geoff Steel Racing | BMW 320si |
| 28 | John George (GBR) | GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 29 | Paul O’Neill (GBR) | GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed | Chevrolet Cruze |
| 78 | Chris James (GBR) | Team ES Racing.com | Chevrolet Lacetti |
| 43^ | Lea Wood (GBR) | Central Group Racing | Honda Integra |
| S2000 Specification Cars Using NGTC Engines | |||
| No. | Driver | Team | Car |
| 2* | Matt Neal (GBR) | Honda Racing Team | Honda Civic |
| 52* | Gordon Shedden (GBR) | Honda Racing Team | Honda Civic |
| 5** | Tom Chilton (GBR) | Team Aon | ‘Global’ Ford Focus |
| 44** | Andy Neate (GBR) | Team Aon | ‘Global’ Ford Focus |
| TBA** | TBA | Team Aon | ‘Global’ Ford Focus |
| 7 | Mat Jackson (GBR) | Airwaves Racing | Ford Focus |
| 66 | Liam Griffin (GBR) | Airwaves Racing | Ford Focus |
| 14 | James Nash (GBR) | 888 Racing with Collins Contractors | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 34 | Tony Gilham (GBR) | 888 Racing with Collins Contractors | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 22 | Tom Boardman (GBR) | Special Tuning Racing | Seat Leon |
| 55 | Jeff Smith (GBR) | Pirtek Racing | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 77 | Andrew Jordan (GBR) | Pirtek Racing | Vauxhall Vectra |
| 99 | Tom Onslow Cole (GBR) | AmD Milltek Racing.com | Volkswagen Golf |
| Full NGTC Specification Cars | |||
| No. | Driver | Team | Car |
| 11 | Frank Wrathall (GBR) | Dynojet | Toyota Avensis |
| 12 | David Pinkney (GBR) | Rob Austin Racing | Audi A4 |
| 13 | TBA | Rob Austin Racing | Audi A4 |
| 42 | Daniel Welch (GBR) | Welch Automotive | Proton Gen-2 |
| 50 | Tony Hughes (GBR) | Speedworks Motorsport | Toyota Avensis |
| * Eligible for Manufacturer and Constructor championships. All other cars eligible for Independent championships. | |||
| ** Eligible for Constructor championship. | |||
| ^ BTC specification. | |||
Thursday, February 17, 2011
A major appeal of touring car racing is that the machinery used is similar - at least in looks - to the models that the public can buy from their local showroom.
Honda has decided to capitalise on this association by launching the limited edition Civic Ti. Unashamedly inspired by its own British Touring Car Championship contender, the Ti is based on the five-door 1.4 i-VTEC SE and 1.8 i-VTEC SE. Production will be restricted to just 500 examples.
A marketeer’s dream, the Ti builds on relationships already forged by the Honda Racing Team. For starters, the 17” wheels are supplied by Team Dynamics, and their dark finish undoubtedly looks good against the Premium White Pearl paintwork - the only colour choice available for the Ti.
There’s also a navigation system from Pioneer which, conveniently, is the company that has just been announced as title sponsor for Honda’s 2011 BTCC campaign. Featuring a 3D graphical touch screen, the Pioneer hardware includes mapping for 44 countries, incorporates a hands-free phone system and supports playback for CDs, DVDs and USB devices.
The package is completed by a fairly subtle ‘GP’ body kit.
According to Honda, all of that extra specification adds up to £3,700, but the good news is that the cost hasn’t been reflected in the Ti’s pricing.
In fact, the on the road prices for the Ti variants are over £300 less than their equivalent SE models. That makes the £15,995 1.4 i-VTEC Ti and £16,995 1.8 i-VTEC Ti rather a bargain. Both will go on sale in March.
Meanwhile, Honda Racing has made its intentions for the imminent BTCC season very clear, stating that the target is to win the Drivers’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles.
Team Dynamics will again be running the cars, although a big difference for 2011 is that they are going to be powered by NGTC-spec turbocharged engines. Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden continue as Honda’s works drivers.
A major appeal of touring car racing is that the machinery used is similar - at least in looks - to the models that the public can buy from their local showroom.
Honda has decided to capitalise on this association by launching the limited edition Civic Ti. Unashamedly inspired by its own British Touring Car Championship contender, the Ti is based on the five-door 1.4 i-VTEC SE and 1.8 i-VTEC SE. Production will be restricted to just 500 examples.
A marketeer’s dream, the Ti builds on relationships already forged by the Honda Racing Team. For starters, the 17” wheels are supplied by Team Dynamics, and their dark finish undoubtedly looks good against the Premium White Pearl paintwork - the only colour choice available for the Ti.
There’s also a navigation system from Pioneer which, conveniently, is the company that has just been announced as title sponsor for Honda’s 2011 BTCC campaign. Featuring a 3D graphical touch screen, the Pioneer hardware includes mapping for 44 countries, incorporates a hands-free phone system and supports playback for CDs, DVDs and USB devices.
The package is completed by a fairly subtle ‘GP’ body kit.
According to Honda, all of that extra specification adds up to £3,700, but the good news is that the cost hasn’t been reflected in the Ti’s pricing.
In fact, the on the road prices for the Ti variants are over £300 less than their equivalent SE models. That makes the £15,995 1.4 i-VTEC Ti and £16,995 1.8 i-VTEC Ti rather a bargain. Both will go on sale in March.
Meanwhile, Honda Racing has made its intentions for the imminent BTCC season very clear, stating that the target is to win the Drivers’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles.
Team Dynamics will again be running the cars, although a big difference for 2011 is that they are going to be powered by NGTC-spec turbocharged engines. Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden continue as Honda’s works drivers.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Following this weekend’s round at Croft, the 2010 British Touring Car Championship season is already at its mid-point.
Going into the seven-week summer break, the top five drivers are separated by only 27 points, which is great news for fans. Honda Racing’s Matt Neal heads the table, just ahead of archrival Jason Plato. Neal’s team mate, Gordon Shedden, has propelled himself into third slot, following victories in the first two Croft races - his first BTCC wins since Oulton Park way back in July 2008.
Series organisers will have been pleased with the result in race three at Croft, because it saw the maiden victory of a car powered by TOCA’s Next Generation Touring Car turbocharged engine. Andrew Jordan lead from pole to flag in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra, helped by a first corner slide by second-place Tom Onslow-Cole which backed the field up. Plato in his Chevrolet Cruze then mounted a challenge for the lead, but a puncture put paid to his efforts.
Steven Kane, driving a BMW 320si, gave an impressive performance, starting from 19th on the grid but eventually finishing third. That result means Kane has maintained his run of achieving a podium finish at every round so far this season.
British Touring Car Championship standings after fifteen races:
Pos. / Driver / Car / Points
01 / Matt Neal / Honda Civic / 119
02 / Jason Plato / Chevrolet Cruze / 111
03 / Gordon Shedden / Honda Civic / 100
04 / Tom Onslow-Cole / Ford Focus / 97
05 / Steven Kane / BMW 320si / 92
06 / Mat Jackson / BMW 320si / 79
07 / Paul O'Neill / Honda Integra / 79
08 / Robert Collard / BMW 320si / 67
09 / Tom Chilton / Ford Focus / 60
10 / Andrew Jordan / Vauxhall Vectra / 51
11 / Tom Boardman / Seat Leon / 40
12 / Fabrizio Giovanardi / Vauxhall Vectra / 38
13 / Alex MacDowell / Chevrolet Cruze / 35
14 / James Nash / Vauxhall Vectra / 30
15 / Philip Glew / Vauxhall Vectra / 9
16 / David Pinckney / Vauxhall Vectra / 9
17 / Daniel Lloyd / Vauxhall Vectra / 7
18 / Andy Neate / BMW 320si / 4
19 / John George / Honda Integra / 2
20 / Martin Johnson / Vauxhall Astra Coupe / 2
21 / Matt Hamilton / Honda Civic / 2
22 / Martin Depper / BMW 320si / 0
23 / Arthur Forster / BMW 320si / 0
24 / Lea Wood / Honda Integra / 0
25 / Shaun Hollamby / Volkswagen Golf / 0
Following this weekend’s round at Croft, the 2010 British Touring Car Championship season is already at its mid-point.
Going into the seven-week summer break, the top five drivers are separated by only 27 points, which is great news for fans. Honda Racing’s Matt Neal heads the table, just ahead of archrival Jason Plato. Neal’s team mate, Gordon Shedden, has propelled himself into third slot, following victories in the first two Croft races - his first BTCC wins since Oulton Park way back in July 2008.
Series organisers will have been pleased with the result in race three at Croft, because it saw the maiden victory of a car powered by TOCA’s Next Generation Touring Car turbocharged engine. Andrew Jordan lead from pole to flag in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra, helped by a first corner slide by second-place Tom Onslow-Cole which backed the field up. Plato in his Chevrolet Cruze then mounted a challenge for the lead, but a puncture put paid to his efforts.
Steven Kane, driving a BMW 320si, gave an impressive performance, starting from 19th on the grid but eventually finishing third. That result means Kane has maintained his run of achieving a podium finish at every round so far this season.
British Touring Car Championship standings after fifteen races:
Pos. / Driver / Car / Points
01 / Matt Neal / Honda Civic / 119
02 / Jason Plato / Chevrolet Cruze / 111
03 / Gordon Shedden / Honda Civic / 100
04 / Tom Onslow-Cole / Ford Focus / 97
05 / Steven Kane / BMW 320si / 92
06 / Mat Jackson / BMW 320si / 79
07 / Paul O'Neill / Honda Integra / 79
08 / Robert Collard / BMW 320si / 67
09 / Tom Chilton / Ford Focus / 60
10 / Andrew Jordan / Vauxhall Vectra / 51
11 / Tom Boardman / Seat Leon / 40
12 / Fabrizio Giovanardi / Vauxhall Vectra / 38
13 / Alex MacDowell / Chevrolet Cruze / 35
14 / James Nash / Vauxhall Vectra / 30
15 / Philip Glew / Vauxhall Vectra / 9
16 / David Pinckney / Vauxhall Vectra / 9
17 / Daniel Lloyd / Vauxhall Vectra / 7
18 / Andy Neate / BMW 320si / 4
19 / John George / Honda Integra / 2
20 / Martin Johnson / Vauxhall Astra Coupe / 2
21 / Matt Hamilton / Honda Civic / 2
22 / Martin Depper / BMW 320si / 0
23 / Arthur Forster / BMW 320si / 0
24 / Lea Wood / Honda Integra / 0
25 / Shaun Hollamby / Volkswagen Golf / 0
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Tom Chilton, driving his Team Aon Ford Focus ST, won the first race of a rain-lashed British Touring Car Championship round at Brands Hatch this weekend.
Amazingly, the last time a Ford was victorious in a BTCC race was ten years ago. That was during the 2000 season, which saw the top three championship positions ultimately taken by Alain Menu, Anthony Reid and Rickard Rydell in their Ford Mondeos. But the lean spell since wasn’t because the cars were uncompetitive, they just didn’t compete: between 2001 and 2008, there weren’t any Ford entries at all on the BTCC grid.
Chilton should have made it two wins in succession but, despite being first across the line in the second race as well, he was later disqualified due to a ride height infringement. His demotion handed the win to team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole.
It will be interesting to see if the pace of the LPG-powered Focus is a sign of things to come, or whether the car was simply suited to the circuit and conditions. The other teams might start talking about some kind of performance equalisation if the successes continue.
All three races were affected by the weather, with the safety car making regular outings to enable the marshals to shift stranded cars to safety. The Kent circuit started to gradually dry out as the afternoon went on though, so that by the time of the third race teams were left deciding whether to go for wet tyres, slicks or a mixture of both.
Mat Jackson elected to stick to wets all round on his Airwaves BMW 320si, a gamble that paid off. He managed to fend off Matt Neal, finishing just under half a second ahead of the Honda Civic to secure his first victory of the season.
Neal’s main championship rival, Jason Plato, had a day he’ll probably want to forget. He only managed to finish eighth in the first race, just behind his Silverline Chevrolet team mate Alex MacDowell. Then, in both of the next two races, he was forced to retire with technical problems.
All of which eroded the championship lead Plato had coming to Brands Hatch - he is now equal first on points with archrival Neal, but assumes second place because of his fewer race wins:
Pos. Driver / Points
01 Matt Neal / 67
02 Jason Plato / 67
03 Steven Kane / 59
04 Paul O'Neill / 56
05 Mat Jackson / 53
06 Gordon Shedden / 50
07 Tom Onslow-Cole / 42
08 Robert Collard / 39
09 Fabrizio Giovanardi / 38
10 Tom Chilton / 32
11 Andrew Jordan / 30
12 Tom Boardman / 26
13 Alex MacDowell / 25
14 Philip Glew / 9
15 James Nash / 9
16 David Pinckney / 8
17 Andy Neate / 3
18 John George / 2
19 Martin Johnson / 2
20 Matt Hamilton / 2
21 Martin Depper / 0
22 Arthur Forster / 0
23 Lea Wood / 0
24 Shaun Hollamby / 0
Tom Chilton, driving his Team Aon Ford Focus ST, won the first race of a rain-lashed British Touring Car Championship round at Brands Hatch this weekend.
Amazingly, the last time a Ford was victorious in a BTCC race was ten years ago. That was during the 2000 season, which saw the top three championship positions ultimately taken by Alain Menu, Anthony Reid and Rickard Rydell in their Ford Mondeos. But the lean spell since wasn’t because the cars were uncompetitive, they just didn’t compete: between 2001 and 2008, there weren’t any Ford entries at all on the BTCC grid.
Chilton should have made it two wins in succession but, despite being first across the line in the second race as well, he was later disqualified due to a ride height infringement. His demotion handed the win to team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole.
It will be interesting to see if the pace of the LPG-powered Focus is a sign of things to come, or whether the car was simply suited to the circuit and conditions. The other teams might start talking about some kind of performance equalisation if the successes continue.
All three races were affected by the weather, with the safety car making regular outings to enable the marshals to shift stranded cars to safety. The Kent circuit started to gradually dry out as the afternoon went on though, so that by the time of the third race teams were left deciding whether to go for wet tyres, slicks or a mixture of both.
Mat Jackson elected to stick to wets all round on his Airwaves BMW 320si, a gamble that paid off. He managed to fend off Matt Neal, finishing just under half a second ahead of the Honda Civic to secure his first victory of the season.
Neal’s main championship rival, Jason Plato, had a day he’ll probably want to forget. He only managed to finish eighth in the first race, just behind his Silverline Chevrolet team mate Alex MacDowell. Then, in both of the next two races, he was forced to retire with technical problems.
All of which eroded the championship lead Plato had coming to Brands Hatch - he is now equal first on points with archrival Neal, but assumes second place because of his fewer race wins:
Pos. Driver / Points
01 Matt Neal / 67
02 Jason Plato / 67
03 Steven Kane / 59
04 Paul O'Neill / 56
05 Mat Jackson / 53
06 Gordon Shedden / 50
07 Tom Onslow-Cole / 42
08 Robert Collard / 39
09 Fabrizio Giovanardi / 38
10 Tom Chilton / 32
11 Andrew Jordan / 30
12 Tom Boardman / 26
13 Alex MacDowell / 25
14 Philip Glew / 9
15 James Nash / 9
16 David Pinckney / 8
17 Andy Neate / 3
18 John George / 2
19 Martin Johnson / 2
20 Matt Hamilton / 2
21 Martin Depper / 0
22 Arthur Forster / 0
23 Lea Wood / 0
24 Shaun Hollamby / 0
Sunday, April 25, 2010
At the Thruxton round of the British Touring Car Championship three weeks ago, the races were won by the independent entries of Fabrizio Giovanardi and Steven Kane. This weekend at Rockingham, it was the turn of the factory teams.
Matt Neal, who received a reprimand from stewards following his ambitious overtaking attempt at the Thruxton chicane, managed to keep out of trouble and won races 1 and 3 in his Honda Racing Civic.
Jason Plato secured victory in race 2, which was the first win in the BTCC for the Chevrolet Cruze. It was a close result though, with the WSR BMW 320si of Rob Collard that challenged Plato’s lead in the closing stages finishing less than half a second behind.
Rockingham, however, was perhaps notable for its absences. Neither Giovanardi nor Philip Glew competed, both of the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra drivers sidelined by sponsorship issues at the team. There was still no sign of reigning champion Colin Turkington either, despite hopes he would be driving a third WSR BMW to defend his title. Again, a lack of sponsors seems to be the problem.
Plato leads the championship going into the third round, which is at Brands Hatch in a week’s time:
Pos. Driver / Points
01 Jason Plato / 64
02 Matt Neal / 47
03 Steven Kane / 45
04 Paul O'Neill / 43
05 Fabrizio Giovanardi / 38
06 Mat Jackson / 36
07 Gordon Shedden / 23
08 Robert Collard / 23
09 Andrew Jordan / 18
10 Tom Boardman / 15
11 Tom Onslow-Cole / 15
12 Alex MacDowall / 11
13 Philip Glew / 9
14 Tom Chilton / 9
15 David Pinkney / 5
16 James Nash / 4
17 Andy Neate / 3
18 John George / 2
19 Martin Johnson / 2
20 Martin Depper / 0
21 Arthur Forster / 0
22 Lea Wood / 0
23 Matt Hamilton / 0
24 Shaun Hollamby / 0
At the Thruxton round of the British Touring Car Championship three weeks ago, the races were won by the independent entries of Fabrizio Giovanardi and Steven Kane. This weekend at Rockingham, it was the turn of the factory teams.
Matt Neal, who received a reprimand from stewards following his ambitious overtaking attempt at the Thruxton chicane, managed to keep out of trouble and won races 1 and 3 in his Honda Racing Civic.
Jason Plato secured victory in race 2, which was the first win in the BTCC for the Chevrolet Cruze. It was a close result though, with the WSR BMW 320si of Rob Collard that challenged Plato’s lead in the closing stages finishing less than half a second behind.
Rockingham, however, was perhaps notable for its absences. Neither Giovanardi nor Philip Glew competed, both of the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra drivers sidelined by sponsorship issues at the team. There was still no sign of reigning champion Colin Turkington either, despite hopes he would be driving a third WSR BMW to defend his title. Again, a lack of sponsors seems to be the problem.
Plato leads the championship going into the third round, which is at Brands Hatch in a week’s time:
Pos. Driver / Points
01 Jason Plato / 64
02 Matt Neal / 47
03 Steven Kane / 45
04 Paul O'Neill / 43
05 Fabrizio Giovanardi / 38
06 Mat Jackson / 36
07 Gordon Shedden / 23
08 Robert Collard / 23
09 Andrew Jordan / 18
10 Tom Boardman / 15
11 Tom Onslow-Cole / 15
12 Alex MacDowall / 11
13 Philip Glew / 9
14 Tom Chilton / 9
15 David Pinkney / 5
16 James Nash / 4
17 Andy Neate / 3
18 John George / 2
19 Martin Johnson / 2
20 Martin Depper / 0
21 Arthur Forster / 0
22 Lea Wood / 0
23 Matt Hamilton / 0
24 Shaun Hollamby / 0
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Entries for the 2010 British Touring Car Championship have been confirmed. In total there’ll be a healthy 23-car grid this season, with seven different manufacturers and nine different models represented.
For the first time in the BTCC, Chevrolet will be entering a works-backed team. It’ll be debuting the Cruze, following the car’s inaugural campaign in last year’s World Touring Car Championship. The team will be run by RML, also responsible for Chevrolet’s WTCC operation.
Having a second factory team in the championship alongside Honda is good news. Chevrolet’s decision to compete also allows Jason Plato to stay in the BTCC. Having just missed out on the championship last year in his independently entered Chevrolet Lacetti, he’ll be a serious challenger for the 2010 title.
From the picture above, it would appear that Plato has participated in a ‘bring your kid to work day’. In fact it’s his new Chevrolet team mate, 19-year-old Alex MacDowall, who was runner-up in 2009’s Renault Clio Cup.
Pirtek Racing and Pinkney Motorsport - both running a Vauxhall Vectra each - will be the first teams to use the BTCC’s own turbocharged engine, in anticipation of the ‘Next Generation Touring Car’ regulations.
The NGTC rules are due to come into force in 2011, and over the next few years they will see a gradual replacement of the Super 2000 cars currently used in the BTCC. The idea behind NGTC is to cut racing budgets by some 50%, thereby encouraging fuller grids.
Much of that reduction is to be achieved by standardising major components such as gearboxes, suspension and brakes. Switching to more durable two-litre turbo engines will also be a significant cost saver, especially as teams that don’t want to develop their own engines will be able to use an unbranded one developed by TOCA.
That’s what Pirtek and Pinkney are doing, and doubtless all the other teams will be watching closely to see how competitive they are.
The full entry list is:
No. / Driver / Team / Car
2 / Jason Plato / Silverline Chevrolet / Chevrolet Cruze
20 / Alex MacDowall / Silverline Chevrolet / Chevrolet Cruze
4 / Matt Neal / Team Honda / Honda Civic
52 / Gordon Shedden / Team Honda / Honda Civic
5 / Mat Jackson / Airwaves BMW / BMW 320si E90
11 / Steven Kane / Airwaves BMW / BMW 320si E90
6 / Robert Collard / WSR / BMW 320si E90
44 / Andy Neate / WSR / BMW 320si E90
21 / Tom Onslow-Cole / Team Aon / Ford Focus ST
23 / Tom Chilton / Team Aon / Ford Focus ST
22 / Tom Boardman / Special Tuning UK / SEAT Leon
27 / Martin Johnson / Boulevard Team Racing / Vauxhall Astra Coupe
28 / John George / Tech-Speed Motorsport / Honda Integra
29 / Paul O'Neill / Tech-Speed Motorsport / Honda Integra
30 / Martin Depper / Forster Motorsport / BMW 320si E90
37 / Arthur Forster / Forster Motorsport / BMW 320si E90
43 / Lea Wood / Central Group Racing / Honda Integra
55 / David Pinkney / Pinkney Motorsport / Vauxhall Vectra
77 / Andrew Jordan / Pirtek Racing / Vauxhall Vectra
88 / TBA / Triple Eight Race Engineering / Vauxhall Vectra
888 / TBA / Triple Eight Race Engineering / Vauxhall Vectra
98 / Matt Hamilton / TH Motorsport / Honda Civic Type R
99 / Shaun Hollamby / AmD Milltek Racing.com / VW Golf MK5
Entries for the 2010 British Touring Car Championship have been confirmed. In total there’ll be a healthy 23-car grid this season, with seven different manufacturers and nine different models represented.
For the first time in the BTCC, Chevrolet will be entering a works-backed team. It’ll be debuting the Cruze, following the car’s inaugural campaign in last year’s World Touring Car Championship. The team will be run by RML, also responsible for Chevrolet’s WTCC operation.
Having a second factory team in the championship alongside Honda is good news. Chevrolet’s decision to compete also allows Jason Plato to stay in the BTCC. Having just missed out on the championship last year in his independently entered Chevrolet Lacetti, he’ll be a serious challenger for the 2010 title.
From the picture above, it would appear that Plato has participated in a ‘bring your kid to work day’. In fact it’s his new Chevrolet team mate, 19-year-old Alex MacDowall, who was runner-up in 2009’s Renault Clio Cup.
Pirtek Racing and Pinkney Motorsport - both running a Vauxhall Vectra each - will be the first teams to use the BTCC’s own turbocharged engine, in anticipation of the ‘Next Generation Touring Car’ regulations.
The NGTC rules are due to come into force in 2011, and over the next few years they will see a gradual replacement of the Super 2000 cars currently used in the BTCC. The idea behind NGTC is to cut racing budgets by some 50%, thereby encouraging fuller grids.
Much of that reduction is to be achieved by standardising major components such as gearboxes, suspension and brakes. Switching to more durable two-litre turbo engines will also be a significant cost saver, especially as teams that don’t want to develop their own engines will be able to use an unbranded one developed by TOCA.
That’s what Pirtek and Pinkney are doing, and doubtless all the other teams will be watching closely to see how competitive they are.
The full entry list is:
No. / Driver / Team / Car
2 / Jason Plato / Silverline Chevrolet / Chevrolet Cruze
20 / Alex MacDowall / Silverline Chevrolet / Chevrolet Cruze
4 / Matt Neal / Team Honda / Honda Civic
52 / Gordon Shedden / Team Honda / Honda Civic
5 / Mat Jackson / Airwaves BMW / BMW 320si E90
11 / Steven Kane / Airwaves BMW / BMW 320si E90
6 / Robert Collard / WSR / BMW 320si E90
44 / Andy Neate / WSR / BMW 320si E90
21 / Tom Onslow-Cole / Team Aon / Ford Focus ST
23 / Tom Chilton / Team Aon / Ford Focus ST
22 / Tom Boardman / Special Tuning UK / SEAT Leon
27 / Martin Johnson / Boulevard Team Racing / Vauxhall Astra Coupe
28 / John George / Tech-Speed Motorsport / Honda Integra
29 / Paul O'Neill / Tech-Speed Motorsport / Honda Integra
30 / Martin Depper / Forster Motorsport / BMW 320si E90
37 / Arthur Forster / Forster Motorsport / BMW 320si E90
43 / Lea Wood / Central Group Racing / Honda Integra
55 / David Pinkney / Pinkney Motorsport / Vauxhall Vectra
77 / Andrew Jordan / Pirtek Racing / Vauxhall Vectra
88 / TBA / Triple Eight Race Engineering / Vauxhall Vectra
888 / TBA / Triple Eight Race Engineering / Vauxhall Vectra
98 / Matt Hamilton / TH Motorsport / Honda Civic Type R
99 / Shaun Hollamby / AmD Milltek Racing.com / VW Golf MK5
Friday, March 19, 2010
Honda and Team Dynamics Motorsport have announced the Honda Racing Team driver line-up for 2010’s British Touring Car Championship.
After spending the past two seasons with the now-departed Vauxhall VX Racing team, Matt Neal will be returning to the outfit run by his father.
It’s a driver / team / manufacturer combination that has worked well in the past. Both times Neal won the championship (in 2005 and 2006) he was at the wheel of a Team Dynamics Honda Integra.
Joining him at Honda will be Gordon Shedden who, just to reinforce the sense of déjà vu, was Neal’s team mate in 2006 and 2007.
If previous form is anything to go by, they should be close competitors. Shedden just beat Neal to third place in the 2007 season, the Honda drivers finishing behind Jason Plato and eventual champion Fabrizio Giovanardi in his Vauxhall Vectra.
This year’s first BTCC race is at Thruxton, Hampshire on 4 April.
Honda and Team Dynamics Motorsport have announced the Honda Racing Team driver line-up for 2010’s British Touring Car Championship.
After spending the past two seasons with the now-departed Vauxhall VX Racing team, Matt Neal will be returning to the outfit run by his father.
It’s a driver / team / manufacturer combination that has worked well in the past. Both times Neal won the championship (in 2005 and 2006) he was at the wheel of a Team Dynamics Honda Integra.
Joining him at Honda will be Gordon Shedden who, just to reinforce the sense of déjà vu, was Neal’s team mate in 2006 and 2007.
If previous form is anything to go by, they should be close competitors. Shedden just beat Neal to third place in the 2007 season, the Honda drivers finishing behind Jason Plato and eventual champion Fabrizio Giovanardi in his Vauxhall Vectra.
This year’s first BTCC race is at Thruxton, Hampshire on 4 April.
