MSA BTCC’s official newsletter-Volume 2-Issue No. 3

APRIL 28, 2005 Volume 2 - Issue No. 3

Welcome to the latest edition of the MSA British Touring Car Championship’s official newsletter. So on we roll to Thruxton – the fastest circuit on the BTCC calendar – where there are always spills and thrills aplenty. A bumper bank holiday weekend crowd is expected at the Hampshire circuit and little wonder – based on the sensational racing that the BTCC produced at Donington Park, plus fantastic live television coverage from ITV1, a lot of people want to see how Act Two of this nailbiting drama will pan out.

Can Matt Neal hold onto his lead or will Yvan Muller – so successful at Thruxton in the past –overhaul him? Will local heroes Rob Collard and James Kaye break their BTCC victory ducks in front of their home crowd? Or can Jason Plato and SEAT bounce back to winning form?

All will be revealed shortly…

BTCC IN BRIEF:
Too cool: Yvan Muller
ITV’s live Donington BTCC show drew 1.2 million viewers

THRUXTON IS BTCC’S FASTEST WEEKEND
Thruxton is the fastest circuit on the BTCC calendar, with an average lap speed of around 110mph. The race lap record for modern-era BTCC cars is held by Vauxhall’s Yvan Muller who in 2002 set a time of 1m17.303s (109.72mph). Muller also holds the fastest ever lap time for current BTCC cars at Thruxton of 1m16.369s (111.06mph), set in qualifying in 2002.

MULLER THE MASTER OF THRUXTON
Vauxhall driver Yvan Muller can justifiably claim to be a master of Thruxton: in addition to holding both qualifying and race lap records around the Hampshire circuit, he has won seven times there in the last five years. In 2000 and 2003 he was a doublewinner and was also first past the post in races in 2001, 2002 and 2004. In fact, Muller has never failed to finish off the Thruxton podium since his wins in 2000.

DONINGTON BTCC COVERAGE BEATS WRC
More than 1.2 million people tuned in to watch ITV1’s live coverage of the opening BTCC round at Donington Park on 10 April. That is some 400,000 more viewers than watched the World Rally Championship coverage that preceded it on the channel.

YOUNGEST EVER WINNER CHILTON SET FOR RETURN
Tom Chilton, the BTCC’s youngest race-winner, will return to the championship at Thruxton this weekend, in Arena Motorsports’ Honda Civic Type R. Chilton last year made history when he won a BTCC race with Arena at Silverstone aged just 19, adding a second win at Donington Park.

NEAL FEARS THRUXTON JINX MAY CONTINUE
Matt Neal fears he could lose his BTCC points lead if his Thruxton jinx strikes again this weekend. Neal has never won at the Hampshire circuit and said: “I love Thruxton – it’s a big challenge because of the speeds – but something always gets in my way there, whether it’s a puncture, a crash or something weird going wrong with the car. I don’t expect to set the world alight this weekend – I’ll be happy to just take some solid points finishes and get out of there.” Neal has tipped Vauxhall pair Yvan Muller and Colin Turkington, his own Team Halfords team-mate Dan Eaves and WSR’s Rob Collard to be his biggest challengers. More at www.btcc.net

CURLEY SET FOR BTCC DEBUT
Multiple Mini champion Ian Curley is set to make his BTCC debut at Thruxton in a second HPI Racing with Friends Reunited-run Lexus IS200. Curley, a double race-winner in last year’s BTCCsupporting Renault Clio Cup, will team up alongside Richard Williams.

COLLARD’S TON UP!
Rob Collard will take part in his 100th BTCC race in front of his home crowd this weekend at Thruxton. Collard will reach his century in the first of Sunday’s three races. The Hampshire man told BTCC Newsletter: “Winning at Thruxton would be extra special. I can’t wait to get on the track and put on a show for the crowds.” More on www.btcc.net

F1 STAR WEBBER AT THRUXTON
BMW WilliamsF1 driver Mark Webber will be at Thruxton’s BTCC round along with team boss Frank Williams and Mario Thiessen (head of BMW Motorsport). They will be present to oversee activities and present trophies to the winning drivers in the supporting Formula BMW UK Championship.

MULLER’S EMBARRASSING TV MOMENT
Vauxhall’s Yvan Muller has admitted he gets embarrassed watching himself race on television – because he is too relaxed! ITV1’s on-board cameras have caught Muller rolling up his sleeves, wagging his finger at rivals and even wiping his nose during the heat of battle. The Frenchman said: “To be honest, when I watch the races afterwards, I feel a bit embarrassed about it.” More on www.btcc.net

PLATO POSES A QUESTION
SEAT driver Jason Plato will star in BBC1’s A Question Of Sport quiz programme at 7pm this coming Friday night, 29 April. After a day’s filming at Oulton Park, Jason will feature in the ‘Mystery Guest’ round, but there’s a twist… tune in to find out more.

MURRAY HELPS BIG UP THRUXTON BTCC
Thruxton’s pre-BTCC race meeting promotion is well under way with a major regional advertising campaign on regional ITV television outlet Meridian, with the world-famous voice of legendary motor sport commentator Murray Walker – himself a member of the Thruxton-based British Automobile Racing Club – narrating. Murray will also attend on race to enjoy the BTCC action.

TOP FIVE GAIN WEIGHT
Under new BTCC sporting regulations, the cars of the top five drivers in the championship following Donington Park’s opening round will go into this bank holiday weekend’s meeting at Thruxton carrying success ballast. The weights being carried are: Matt Neal – 45kgs; Yvan Muller – 36kgs; Dan Eaves – 27kgs; Rob Collard – 18kgs; Jason Plato – 9kgs. The cars of the sixth-placed driver (Gavin Smith) onwards are unaffected by ballast so go into the meeting at their original base weights.

SEAT & LEXUS LOSE WEIGHT
Super 2000-spec cars competing in this weekend’s BTCC round at Thruxton will do so with a 40kg reduction in base weight, granted by Series Director Alan Gow. Cars affected include SEAT Sport UK’s Toledo Cupra and HPI Racing with Friends Reunited’s Lexus IS200. Base weights now stand at: front-wheel-drive H-pattern gearbox 1070kgs; front-wheel-drive sequential gearbox (SEAT) 1100kgs; rear-wheel-drive H-pattern gearbox 1100kgs; rear-wheel-drive sequential gearbox (Lexus) 1130kgs.

HUGE PRAISE FOR DUNLOP BTCC TYRE
Dunlop’s new-for-2005 BTCC control tyre, constructed with a Kevlar-type material, resulted in huge gains in performance at Donington Park’s opening BTCC round. VX Racing driver Colin Turkington’s pole position time of 1m12.092 seconds (97.74mph) will stand for a while as the fastest ever for a modern-era BTCC car around Donington’s shorter National circuit. Meanwhile, race two winner at Donington, Yvan Muller, set a new race lap record of 1m12.889 (96.67mph) in Vauxhall’s Astra Sport Hatch – well under 2004 champion James Thompson’s benchmark of 1m13.706s (95.60mph).

Neal said: “The tyres were great. They make the car a bit more nervous to drive but there’s a massive amount of grip and it’s meant we can go through some of the corners in higher gears than before.” Rob Collard, driver of WSR’s MG, said: “My fastest laps were at the end of the race. The new Dunlop tyre is not only an increase in performance and traction, but its durability is awesome.” And John Waterman, Yvan Muller’s race engineer at reigning champion team VX Racing added: “The new tyre’s a proper racing tyre – it stands up better in mid-corner and can take more weight
from the car, making it possible to go faster around corners.”

HINES HARD WITH CHARITY WORK
Luke Hines will wear a World Orphan Week wristband during Thruxton’s BTCC meeting to raise awareness of the plight of homeless children around the globe. The SEAT star has attended several fund-raising events in the past two weeks, helping to generate money for children’s charity SOS.

VX’s PARTY IN THE PARK
Vauxhall’s VX Racing brand invited 350 guests to Donington Park’s opening BTCC round to celebrate the launch on the same weekend of the manufacturer’s new VXR Astra Sport Hatch model. Colin Turkington gave the car a dream debut when he qualified on pole position on Saturday while team-mate Yvan Muller steered it to a victory the following day. Across the country, Vauxhall’s 300-plus showrooms welcomed more guests through their doors to watch ITV1’s live BTCC action.

SEAT’S PARTY IN LONDON
SEAT Sport UK and 400 invited journalists and guests celebrated the manufacturer’s entry into this year’s BTCC – and its new-look Cupra series that supports the BTCC – at a swanky ceremony at London’s Sports Café last Thursday (21 April).

KAYE’S DONINGTON DISASTER
James Kaye has described Donington Park as “my worst weekend ever in the BTCC”. And considering the Synchro Motorsport veteran has been in the championship since 1992, that’s saying something. The 41-year-old’s first race ended with engine failure – that was after he had been spun round in the middle of the pack. He joined race two late and managed just a lap when he pitted for good… again with engine maladies. In race three, his Honda Civic Type R crashed out after half a lap when a suspension damper broke. More on www.btcc.net

HALFORDS GOES ‘BLING’
Team Halfords led a street cruise for modified cars from London’s famous Ace Café to Alexandra Palace last Saturday (23 April). The cruise, sponsored by Halfords’ team partner Castrol lubricants, was part of the American ‘Hot Import Nights’ craze for motor-tuning enthusiasts that has now come to the UK. Halfords’ replica Honda BTCC car led the parade of 150 ‘bling mobiles’ to a static display at Alexandra Palace that ran until midnight. Team Dynamics, that runs the Halfords cars, used the event to promote its alloy wheels business.

DENNIS ON THE MEND
BTCC Newsletter is happy to report that Dennis Carter, chief executive of the BTCC’s organising club, the British Automobile Club (BARC), is back at work dishing out the orders after falling ill suddenly at Donington Park.

RENAULT’S THREE-YEAR BTCC EXTENSION
Renault UK’s Formula Renault and Renault Clio Cup categories will continue to support the BTCC until the end of 2007 at least, it has been announced. Formula Renault has played a supporting role to the BTCC since 1992 while the manufacturer has been active in UK motor sport since the mid-Seventies. Renault UK Motorsport Manager Tim Jackson said: “We’re absolutely delighted to confirm our continued place on the country’s premier motor sport package as it’s essential for both of our championships to perform in front of the biggest crowds and with the country’s most popular series, the BTCC.”

BTCC IN BRIEF:
James Pickford (above) will turn 26 during Thruxton qualifying Rob Collard will reach 100 BTCC races at Thruxton BIRTHDAY BOYS SEAT Sport UK driver James Pickford will turn 26 on Saturday 30 April at Thruxton, but with two practice sessions and official qualifying will have little time to celebrate. Next Wednesday 4 May, team-mate Luke Hines will celebrate his 23rd birthday.

GERRY MARSHALL:
1941-2005
BTCC Newsletter is sad to report the death of former touring car legend Gerry Marshall, aged 63. Gerry was testing a car at Silverstone last Thursday (21 April) when he fell ill. In the Seventies, Gerry was a Vauxhall dealer team driver, wowing the crowds with his sensational car control at the wheel of the manufacturer’s ‘Big Bertha’ machine – a car with which he became synonymous. He was a BTCC class champion in 1976 in a Vauxhall Magnum and it was in a similar car he finished second in the ’77 Spa 24 Hours race with Australian legend Peter Brock.Despite a huge crash in the 1979 British GP support race, in a Dolomite Sprint that left him with chronic back injuries, Gerry raced on and in 2000 sensationally achieved his 600th race victory.

A true legend has passed…

PORSCHE TO UNVEIL 2006 CUP CAR
The BTCC-supporting Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship will officially unveil its 2006 car, the all-new 911 GT3 Cup (Type 997), to prospective 2006 teams and drivers at a reception at Porsche Cars GB, Reading this Saturday evening 30 April.

SUPPORT RACE LATEST
Matt Howson (Filsell) took a win and a second at Donington Park so leads the Formula BMW UK standings heading to Thruxton. One to watch is Australian rookie Nathan Antunes (Motaworld) who led Donington’s first race but spun out before making amends with victory in the next encounter.

Tom Boardman (Triple R) and Richard Westbrook (Redline) were double winners in the Smartnav SEAT Cupra and Porsche GB Carrera Cup races at Donington so arrive at Thruxton leading their respective championships. Westbrook, the defending champion, also leads the overseas-based Porsche Carrera Supercup thanks to maximum points scores in the opening two races that supported the Bahrain and San Marino Formula One Grands Prix. Both the Formula Renault UK and the ELF Renault Clio Cup standings are led by drivers who failed to win a race at Donington. Oliver Jarvis, thanks to a pair of seconds, leads the single-seater category ahead of race-winners Patrick Hogan (Manor) and Sean McIntosh (Firstair). In the Clio Cup, Ed Pead (Mardi Gras) and Jonathan Adam (TCR) are tied at the top after each took second and third place finishes. Race-winners Matt Allison (Boulevard) and Tom Onslow-Cole (TCR) are back in sixth and seventh respectively after also suffering retirements.