Category: Barc

Goodyear will make a return to UK motorsport in 2020 as it becomes the new sole tyre supplier for the British Touring Car Championship.

Sister company to Dunlop, Goodyear’s decision to bring the brand back to the UK racing landscape comes after the brand announced a return to the international arena – providing tyres for a number of LMP2 teams in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2019/2020.

The new agreement will run until the end of the 2021 season, with discussions set to take place before then on the tyre requirements that will be needed ahead of the BTCC’s move to hybrid technology in 2022.

Ben Crawley, Goodyear Motorsport Director, said: “The recent launch of Goodyear’s Eagle F1 SuperSport range and relaunch into motorsport shows how the brand is applying itself to a broader range of initiatives within the ultra-high-performance automotive sector.  

“The BTCC is one of the best-loved, most famous motor racing championships in the world and it will provide a great opportunity for Goodyear to get close to the hearts and minds of motorsport enthusiasts. We are thrilled to be partnered with the championship from 2020.”

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, added:  “Goodyear has a proud and proven history in motorsport, spanning multiple decades and championships. They provide knowledge from a global programme of racing experience making them a strong partner for the championship going forward.

“It also gives Goodyear the ideal opportunity to further increase their brand awareness via the UK’s largest motorsport championship. We are looking forward to welcoming the brand into the championship from 2020.”

The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will begin at Donington Park on March 28/29. To view the full calendar, head to https://www.barc.net/btcc-reveals-fresh-look-to-2020-calendar/

Colin Turkington admits he has been left stunned after securing a record-equalling fourth Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title in a dramatic final race of the season at Brands Hatch this past weekend.

On what is set to go down as one of the most memorable finales in history, the Team BMW driver overcame the odds in sensational fashion to retain the biggest prize in UK motorsport by just two points.

Entering the weekend holding a 16-point lead, Turkington was in superlative form behind the wheel of his WSR-built BMW 330i M Sport during Saturday’s qualifying session to clinch pole position; and the all-important bonus point that comes with it.

Seeing his advantage cut after a battling opening encounter around the Grand Prix layout of the Kent venue, the Northern Irishman’s world came crashing down around him in race two following contact with Matt Neal which tumbled him down the order and out of the points.

Trailing Dan Cammish by eight points and starting 25th on the grid for the final contest, Turkington produced what he described the race of his life to complete a remarkable turnaround.

Carving his way through the field, progressing ten spots on the opening lap alone, the 37-year-old fought his past Cammish and then Ollie Jackson to begin closing the gap to the top of the standings.

However, with less than two laps to go Cammish speared off at Hawthorns Bend after suffering a brake failure at high speed – ending his race and championship challenge on the spot.

With Cammish out, Turkington moved back to the summit of the championship and crossed the line to become a four-time champion; drawing level with Andy Rouse and becoming the first person since Rouse to win back-to-back titles in different cars.

“I can’t believe what has happened!” Turkington said. “It was just shock when I crossed the line and they told me that I was champion. I knew that Dan was out of the race but I couldn’t see Andy (Jordan) and didn’t know where he was – that was the race of my life!

“After race two I felt my chances were over given that we were starting at the back and had eight points to make up. I didn’t give up, the team didn’t give up and I am just stunned. It is a bitter pill for those guys and they gave me one hell of a fight.

“When I won last year I won it in race two, when I won in 2014 I won in race one, 2009 was obviously a big final but like I said I couldn’t see Andy so it was just a shock when I crossed the line. This is the first year with this car and it has been brilliant all year. We’ve had our ups and downs but we never stopped fighting.

“To match Andy Rouse’s record of four titles is obviously really cool too. I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would get close to that, you don’t really think too much about records.

“All I wanted to do was win this year. It is like a drug; I was chasing that feeling that can’t be replicated when you’re stood on that champions podium and soaking up everything up – four titles, wow!”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship produced one of the most dramatic final days of the season in history at Brands Hatch this past weekend (October 12/13) as Colin Turkington sensationally retained his title to become a record-equalling four-time champion.

Going down to the wire, the Team BMW driver overcame the odds in a Round 30 showdown with Dan Cammish and Andrew Jordan to complete a remarkable comeback; drawing level with Andy Rouse on four titles in the process.

Turkington arrived at the Kent venue in the pound seat with a 16-point lead and extended his advantage in qualifying as he stormed to pole position, clinching an additional point.

However, a frenetic opener in challenging conditions blew the title race wide open as Cammish stormed from 12th on the grid to his second win of the campaign. The Halfords Yuasa Racing mastered the wet track on his slick tyres to pick his way through the pack, leading a Honda 1-2.

With the standings even close heading into the penultimate race of the season, drama ensued further as Turkington was involved in a first-lap incident with Matt Neal – sending him into a spin and out of the points, finishing P25.

The Northern Irishman’s demise opened the door for Jordan and Cammish to power their way into contention, crossing the line second and third behind the dominate Ashley Sutton, who clinched his first win of the season in emphatic fashion.

Cammish’s second visit to the podium of the day propelled him to the top of the standings and with an eight-point lead over Turkington with one race to go. Jordan would make it a three-way fight by needing to make up 13 points if he was to become champion.

Virtue of the reverse grid draw, the top 11 were reversed – setting up a final race that will live long in the memory. Starting in 25th, Turkington’s hopes of retaining his crown looked slim whilst it was all to play for for Cammish and Jordan.

Launching off the line as the lights went out, Turkington’s charge to stay in contention began with ten places gained by the end of the first lap. Up ahead whilst Jason Plato led the way to the flag, Jordan muscled his way into the top five, with Cammish finding himself in the thick of the action inside the top ten.

As the laps ticked by, both Turkington and the Toyota of Tom Ingram were on the attack and the pair soon swarmed the back of Cammish. Finding a way past into Druids, Turkington was picking points off the series leader but it still wasn’t enough.

Knowing that eighth position was good enough to secure him a maiden BTCC Drivers’ crown, Cammish suffered heartache a lap and a half away from the chequered flag. Speeding towards Hawthorn Bend, the Yorkshireman’s Civic Type R suffered a brake failure and hit the barriers.

In an instant, his title dreams were over and suddenly Turkington found himself back on top of the pile and powered his way to the chequered flag to become a four-time BTCC champion.

Jordan and Cammish finished the season tied on points however it was to be the BMW Pirtek Racing driver that ended the year in second after winning more races.

BMW successfully retained their BTCC Manufacturer/Constructors’ Championship whilst Halfords Yuasa Racing regained the Teams’ title.

Rory Butcher clinched both the Independent Drivers’ Championship and the Jack Sears Trophy, with Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance scooping a first-ever Independent Teams’ title.

To view the full classification of results from Brands Hatch, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will return in 2020 with the opening event of the season taking place at Donington Park on March 28/29.

The 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set to go down to the wire at Brands Hatch this weekend (October 5/6) with no less than five drivers in contention to lift the most coveted prize in UK motorsport.

In what has been another blockbuster season for the BTCC, a gripping showdown is set to be played out around the legendary Grand Prix layout of the Kent venue across three highly-anticipated encounters.

Having topped the standings for a majority of the season, Team BMW’s Colin Turkington arrives at Brands Hatch in the pound seat holding a 16-point advantage after piecing together another ultra-consistent campaign which has been highlighted by five victories.

Bidding to clinch a record-equalling fourth title and become the first driver since Andy Rouse to win back-to-back crowns in two different cars, the Northern Irishman sits on the fringe of history but will have to be at this best to fend off his rivals.

“The key is going to Brands with a chance, and that’s the position I’m in,” said Turkington. “You only have to watch one race day to see how unpredictable the BTCC is. You scrap as hard for second place as you do for 20^th.

“It’s positive that I go with some points tucked away, but we need to be on the case at Brands. It’s the last step and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Sitting a lowly 18th at the end of the opening weekend, Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish has been one of the stars of the show after staging a mesmerising fightback to enter the season finale in second.

Victory at Thruxton has been part of an impressive run which has seen the Yorkshireman claim 11 podiums in 17 races, catapulting him into contention around a circuit where he was a double-winner at last year.

“It’s not a million miles away, 16 points,” said Cammish. “If you’d said that in the middle of the season, I wouldn’t have believed you. The team have been great, I’ve been consistent and we’ve put up a fight. I’ll keep hanging in there and make myself a nuisance.”

One point adrift of Cammish is BMW Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan. Despite non-scoring earlier in the year at Donington Park, the 2013 champion has been in top form – with six wins helping him claw his way back to being firmly in the mix.

“Going to Brands Hatch it is still all to play for,” Jordan said. “When I won the title, I lost 27 points to the guys behind at the final round so it certainly isn’t over, and having stayed right in the mix, I’m going there with one goal. I love the place so it would be fitting to win it there.”

BTC Racing’s Josh Cook has been a force to be reckoned with since the season-opener and despite needing to close a 34-point deficit, the Honda Civic Type R driver remains a very real threat for the title.

He said: “We’ll go to Brands Hatch with a chance of the title, and I wouldn’t want to be one of the three in front of me as it’ll be elbows out as far as I’m concerned. I have nothing to lose, am confident in the team and we’ll see what we can do.”

Tom Ingram is the fifth and final driver to enter the weekend with a mathematical chance of being crowned BTCC champion. Switching the Toyota Corolla aided with manufacturer backing, the Speedworks Motorsport driver heads into the final in contention for the third year in succession.

“Given where we were back at the start of 2019, I’m absolutely made up to be heading to Brands GP still in the reckoning for the third year in a row, especially in a series as ultra-competitive as the BTCC,” Ingram said. “Obviously we’re rank outsiders given the points situation, but it’s never over until it’s over and we will push right to the very end.”

With a total of 67 points on offer across the weekend at Brands Hatch, the battle for supremacy is likely to throw up plenty of thrills and spills; as well as go right down to the wire.

It won’t just be the BTCC Drivers’ Championship that will be settled either as champions will be crowned in the BTCC Teams’, Manufacturer/Constructors’, Independent Drivers, Independent Teams’ Championship’s, and the Jack Sears Trophy as well.

To find out more information on this weekend’s season finale, click here.

Following nine action-packed events, the destiny of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be decided at Brands Hatch this weekend (October 12/13) with no fewer than five contenders aiming to walk away as champion.

In what has been another pulsating year of wheel-to-wheel entertainment, Britain’s premier motorsport series will conclude around the Grand Prix layout of the Kent venue – and the ultimate prize is on the line.

Colin Turkington, Dan Cammish, Andrew Jordan, Josh Cook and Tom Ingram are all firmly in the hunt and with a maximum of 67 points up for grabs; anything could happen on the final day of the season.

Reigning champion Turkington will hold the advantage heading to Brands Hatch holding a 15-point lead over his nearest challenger. Getting to grips with the new-for-2019 BMW 330i M Sport, Turkington has been at his consistent best – wracking up five wins and a further three podiums.

Bidding to secure a record-equalling fourth crown, the Team BMW driver will know what is required to come out on top and will likely look to draw on all of his previous experience.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish is the Northern Irishman’s nearest challenger after moving into second place at Silverstone last time out. The epitome of consistency, tallying 12 podiums in total, the Honda ace will be on a one-man mission to reign supreme in just his second season.

One point adrift of Cammish in third place is the champion of 2013, Andrew Jordan. Hungry to clinch a second title, the BMW Pirtek Racing driver is set to be a man on a mission as he bids to close the gap in his West Surrey Racing prepared machine.

BTC Racing’s Josh Cook holds an outside chance of lifting the coveted trophy and with a 34-point deficit to make up, the Civic Type R race has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Following his third and fourth wins of the season at Silverstone, Team Toyota GB with Ginsters’ Tom Ingram has fought his way into the hunt late-on and rounds out the quintet of contenders, albeit 61 points off the top.

It won’t just be the BTCC Drivers’ Championship that will be settled however this weekend as champions will be crowned in the BTCC Teams’, Manufacturer/Constructors’, Independent Drivers Championship, Independent Teams’ Championship and the Jack Sears Trophy as well.

Beyond the championship battles, Brands Hatch will also see a number of drivers aiming to sign their campaigns off on a high by claiming victory for the first time this year.

Former champions Ashley Sutton, Matt Neal and Jason Plato are all yet to stand on the top step of the rostrum whilst the likes of Jack Goff, Jake Hill, Tom Chilton and Rory Butcher will be gunning for more silverware.

Elsewhere, a watchful eye should also be cast over the likes of Adam Morgan, Senna Proctor, Aiden Moffat, Mike Bushell, and Chris Smiley – all of whom could star as well.

As has been the case in recent years, all bets are off when it comes to the season finale of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and with plenty at stake, emotion and pressure at an all-time high – anything could yet happen.

To find out all the important information you’ll need for this weekend, click here.