Tag: BTCC

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will continue its 2021 season at Snetterton this coming weekend (June 12/13) with spectators set to make a welcome return trackside for the first time in more than 18 months.

Running behind closed doors throughout 2020 and for last month’s curtain-raiser at Thruxton, Britain’s premier motorsport series is preparing for the return of its loyal fanbase over the coming weeks and months, as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.

Attendance levels at the Norfolk venue will be capped at 4,000 spectators per day, and those heading trackside – as well as the many more watching live on ITV4 – are set for a blockbuster trio of races.

Heading into the second event of the season sitting atop of the standings is MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square’s Jake Hill. The Ford Focus driver was one of the stars of the show at Thruxton five weeks ago as he claimed a hat-trick of podium finishes and he will be keen to extend his advantage over the course of the weekend.

One point behind Hill is Josh Cook, another driver that starred at Thruxton. Cook kicked off his championship challenge in style around his local circuit with two wins and three fastest laps to put himself within striking distance of top spot. 

After a year away from the series, Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato showed that he has lost none of his speed as he scored a podium of his own at Thruxton, vaulting him up to third in points as the series rolls into Snetterton.

Not far behind him is reigning champion Ashley Sutton, winner of the Thruxton reverse grid encounter. Sutton was in the thick of the action, producing two monumental comeback drives before finally standing on the top step of the podium to sit ten points off the summit.

Dan Cammish rounds out the top five in the standings however his one-off return to the BTCC was exactly that, and he has since been replaced by Senna Proctor at BTC Racing for the remainder of the season.

Tom Ingram, Daniel Rowbottom, Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant and Jack Goff occupy the remaining spots inside the top ten at the moment, having all experienced varying degrees of success in Hampshire last time out.

Beyond that are a number of drivers who will be hoping for better fortune at Snetterton, including former champion Gordon Shedden and his brother-in-law Rory Butcher. Both have been tipped for title challenges this year and will be gunning for glory as they bid to ignite their seasons.

Other notable names to look out for over the course of the weekend include Adam Morgan, Stephen Jelley, Daniel Lloyd, Aiden Moffat and Aron Taylor-Smith, to name but a few.

The weekend will also see two female BTCC drivers on the grid for the first time since 2001. Jade Edwards will be joined by Jessica Hawkins, who is stepping in for Andy Neate at Motorbase Performance for one event. Hawkins is no stranger to the series having made her touring car bow at Snetterton last year in a Vauxhall Astra.

One change to the weekend format will see the return of the exciting Qualifying Top Ten Showdown. The top ten fastest competitors at the end of the 25-minute session, will be rewarded with the opportunity to clinch first on the grid during a ten-minute pole position showdown.

Lap times will be reset ahead of the showdown as all ten cars head out on-track and complete an unlimited number of laps during the ten minutes.

To find out more information on this weekend’s second BTCC meeting of the season, including links to live timing and the timetable, CLICK HERE.

The British Automobile Racing Club’s season is now in full swing and in conjunction with our audio partners Cre8media, we’ve been speaking to key personnel within the Club and our championships.

Check out some of the best interviews from the past month below:-

Ben Taylor – BARC Chief Executive: With the 2021 season finally underway, we catch up with BARC Chief Executive Ben Taylor to find out about the experience of the past year, getting things underway this year and what we can look forward to as the season goes on.

Pat Blakeney – Thruxton Operations Manager: Thruxton Circuit kicked off its 2021 season behind closed doors with the BTCC so we caught up with Operations Manager Pat Blakeney to chat about the event, the prospect of spectators returning and what there is to look forward to this year at the high-speed Hampshire venue.

Phil Davies – Pembrey Circuit Manager: Following the announcement that race meetings at Pembrey in June have been cancelled due to restrictions imposed by the Welsh Government we speak to Circuit Manager Phil Davies to dig deeper into the situation there.

Jim Baynam – Lancaster Insurance MG Owners Club Championship: The MGOC is up and running for another season and after kicking things off at Mallory Park we caught up with Jim Baynam – a stalwart of the series – to discuss how the year is shaping up.

James Bailey – Sports Prototype Cup: After a delayed start, the Sports Prototype Cup roared into life at Silverstone recently and it proved to be an overwhelming success. Continuing to grow in stature, find out more about the prototype series and what is coming up later in the year (Spoiler alert: An F1 support race appearance is on the horizon).

Jason Plato – Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing: At the BTCC season-opener last month Jason Plato reached a special milestone in his career as he made his 600th start in Britain’s premier motorsport series.

To listen to more interviews from the BARC, head to https://www.barcaudio.net.

Josh Cook and Ashley Sutton claimed victory at Thruxton this past weekend (May 8/9) as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship lifted the curtain on its 2021 season in blockbuster fashion.

In what proved to be a pulsating day of action around the high-speed Hampshire venue, Britain’s premier Motorsport series took centre stage with a trio of action-packed encounters that undoubtedly had fans on the edge of their seats watching at home.

BTC Racing’s Cook powered his Honda Civic Type R to a brace of race wins before reigning champion Sutton came to the fore in race three, winning an exciting wet-dry-wet contest. However, three podiums from three races means that Jake Hill left the 2.36-mile circuit at the summit of the championship standings.

Coming off the back of a exciting wet-dry qualifying on Saturday which saw Laser Tools Racing’s Sutton power to pole position in the final moments, drama ensued immediately as the lights went out on the new campaign on Sunday with a number of lead contenders in strife.

After launching off the line and into the lead, Sutton was tipped into a spin by the BMW of Colin Turkington at the Complex and dropped to the rear of the field. Further back, Gordon Shedden and Chris Smiley had come together around one of the fastest parts of the circuit and hit the barriers, whilst there was also to be a spin for Tom Oliphant on the run up Woodham Hill.

When the dust had settled, Cook found himself in the pound seat and after soaking up early pressure from Tom Ingram, he managed to pull clear to claim victory. Hill withstood race-long pressure from Turkington to round out the podium, whilst Sutton managed to recover to ninth having been as low as 27th at one stage.

Race two saw would see Cook double his tally for the day as he led a BTC Racing 1-2 with Dan Cammish following in second and the ever-impressive MB Motorsport Ford Focus of Hill completing the rostrum once again.

The start of the race saw a scary accident which involved Andy Neate, Glynn Geddie and Jade Edwards as the field streamed through Allard. All three cars made heavy contact with the Team HARD. Cupra of Geddie being sent into a roll. Thankfully all drivers walked away unharmed however a red flag halted proceedings.

At the restart, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s Rory Butcher lost control of his Corolla and hit the tyre stack at Noble bringing out the safety car. When the race finally settled down it was Cook that controlled proceedings as he hustled his ballast ladened Civic Type R to a second win of the day.

Race three finally saw Sutton taste victory after completing two comeback drives earlier in the day. In what was a frenetic wet-dry-wet bout, the double champion made the most of the challenging conditions to claim a deserved win.

Hill was arguably one of the stars of the show as he scored his third podium of the day whilst scrambling on slick tyres. It would have been second had it not been for Jason Plato pipping him on the run to the flag.

Leaving Thruxton, Hill holds a slender one point advantage over Cook in the BTCC Drivers’ Championship. Motorbase Performance/Ford head the way in the BTCC Manufacturer/Constructors Champiionship whilst BTC Racing and Cook lead the way in the Teams’ and Independent Drivers’ categories.

Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing control the Independent Teams’ standings, with Sam Osborne the early pace-setter in the Jack Sears Trophy.

To view the full classification of results from this past weekend’s BTCC opener, CLICK HERE.

After months of driver announcements and many miles of pre-season testing, the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship finally roars back into life this weekend (May 8/9) around the fastest circuit in UK, Thruxton, and the stage is set for what promises to be another sensational season.

Boasting a 29-car entry list made up of proven contenders, young challengers and returning champions, the battle for supremacy in Britain’s premier motorsport series is shaping up to be a mouth-watering affair over the course of ten rounds and 30 races.

Kicking the season off at Thruxton for the first time since 2010, current government guidelines means that the event will take place behind closed doors but all is not lost as fans will be able to witness the BTCC in action around the Hampshire venue when the series makes its second visit in late August.

Headlining this year’s stellar line-up is reigning champion Ashley Sutton. Coming off the back of a mesmerising 2020 campaign with Laser Tools Racing, the now double champion is back behind the wheel of the Infiniti Q50 once again with his sights set on clinching a third championship – and you’d be hard-pressed to bet against him.

Whilst Sutton enters the year with the coveted number one adorning the side of his rear-wheel-drive machine, competition for his crown is set to come from all angles.

Team BMW’s Colin Turkington narrowly missed out on clinching a record-breaking fifth title last year and the Northern Irishman will be hungry to make it happen this year. Elsewhere, former champions Jason Plato and Gordon Shedden are back on the grid and aiming high as they represent Power Maxed Car Care Racing and Halfords Racing with Cataclean respectively.

Other notable contenders that will be keen to make their mark include Rory Butcher, who spearheads Toyota Gazoo Racing’s expanded programme and Tom Ingram, who is now behind the wheel of a Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com Hyundai i30N.

Throw into the mix race winners such as Dan Cammish (for one weekend only), Josh Cook, Tom Oliphant, Stephen Jelley, Adam Morgan, Tom Chilton, Jake Hill, Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Daniel Lloyd, Ollie Jackson and Aiden Moffat and you begin to see why the battle for the big prize is wide open.

Other notable names to look out for over the course of the weekend and the season include the Honda duo of Dan Rowbottom and Jade Edwards, as well as former British GT champion Rick Parfitt Jnr.

With three races set to play out around the ultra-fast 2.36-mile track, it will be a case of don’t blink or you’ll miss the action as the BTCC kicks off what will undoubtedly be another vintage year.

To find out more information on this weekend’s BTCC opener, including the official entry list and timetable, CLICK HERE.

Check out the official Digital Programme for the event HERE.

You can watch all the action live on ITV4 from 10:50 on Sunday, with qualifying broadcast on itv.com/btcc on Saturday.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is primed and ready for another memorable year after officially launching its 2021 season at Silverstone today (April 22), announcing a capacity 29-car entry list.

After an unprecedented yet entertaining 2020 campaign, which ended with Ashley Sutton clinching the Drivers’ crown for a second time, Britain’s premier motorsport series is set to return with a bumper grid and to its traditional ten round, 30-race format.

Kicking the season off behind closed doors at Thruxton next month, the series will then head to Snetterton, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Knockhill before making a second visit to Thruxton. Visits to Croft, Silverstone and Donington Park will follow before the traditional finale at back at Brands Hatch in late October.

Donning the mantel of defending champion and running the famed number one on his Infiniti Q50, Sutton sticks with Laser Tools Racing for the new season as he bids to retain his titles in both the overall championship and Independents’. Aiden Moffat and Carl Boardley will partner Sutton at the rear-wheel-drive squad.

West Surrey Racing and Team BMW proved to be the closest challengers to Sutton last year and the reigning Teams’ & Manufacturer champions have swelled to three cars once again with Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant and Stephen Jelley tasked with piloting the 330i M Sport to glory.

It is an all-new line-up at Halfords Racing with Cataclean however with Dan Cammish returning to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and Matt Neal taking a step back from driving duties. Whilst one three-time champion steps back, another returns in the shape of Gordon Shedden as the Scotsman rejoins Team Dynamics to partner Daniel Rowbottom.

Another driver to make a popular return to this grid after a year on the sidelines is Jason Plato. Electing to sit out 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the double champion is back at Power Maxed Car Care Racing in the Vauxhall Astra and gunning to tally his 100th victory in the series. Daniel Lloyd, a race-winner in the BTCC, gets a full-time drive to partner Plato.

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK steps up its BTCC programme this year as it expands to two cars. Rory Butcher fills the void left by Tom Ingram in the Speedworks Motorsport-run Corolla and he is joined by Sam Smelt, who last competed in the series in 2018.

Ingram’s departure from Toyota sparked a frenzy during the off-season and the former Independents’ champion has found a new home at Excelr8 Trade Price Cars. Armed with the Hyundai i30N, Ingram has his tail in the air and is hungry for success. He’s joined at the four-strong squad by Chris Smiley, Jack Butel and former British GT champion Rick Parfitt Jnr.

Elsewhere, Ciceley Motorsport have acquired the services of Tom Chilton to partner Adam Morgan and they have parted ways with the Mercedes Benz A-Class. In its place are a pair of West Surrey Racing-built BMW 330i M Sport’s and hopes are high for the Car Gods-backed outfit.

BTC Racing are another to have high hopes for the season ahead and with good reason as Josh Cook has remained with the team to drive their Honda Civic Type R. Michael Crees, Jack sears Trophy champion last year, has also inked a new deal to stay whilst Jade Edwards will get a full-season after debuting at Silverstone in 2020.

Motorbase Performance and MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square are another two teams to have joined forces over the winter to field a quartet of Ford Focus’, and they will run as Manufacturer/Construtors entrants. Sam Osborne and Andy Neate will run out of the Motorbase side of the garage whilst Jake Hill and Ollie Jackson will do the same for MB Motorsport.

Rounding off this years grid is Team HARD. Racing, which is bringing four brand-new Cupra Leon’s to the grid. In what has been a busy few months for the Tony Gilham’s team, there is plenty of excitement about what can be achieved. Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith, Glynn Geddie and Nicolas Hamilton will take on driving duties.

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Entry List

Car No.	Driver	Team	Car	Team/Driver Status
1	Ashley Sutton	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	Independent
2	Colin Turkington	Team BMW	BMW 330i M Sport	Manufacturer
3	Tom Chilton	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330i M Sport	Independent
4	Sam Osborne	Racing with Wera & Photon Group	Ford Focus ST	Manufacturer/Constructor/JST
6	Rory Butcher	Toyota Gazoo Racing UK	Toyota Corolla	Manufacturer
11	Jason Plato	Power Maxed Car Care Racing	Vauxhall Astra	Independent
12	Stephen Jelley	Team BMW	BMW 330i M Sport	Manufacturer
15	Tom Oliphant	Team BMW	BMW 330i M Sport	Manufacturer
16	Aiden Moffat	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	Independent
22	Chris Smiley	Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30N	Independent
23	Sam Smelt	Toyota Gazoo Racing UK	Toyota Corolla	Manufacturer/JST
24	Jake Hill	MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square	Ford Focus ST	Manufacturer/Constructor
28	Nicolas Hamilton	ROKIT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading	Cupra Leon	Independent/JST
31	Jack Goff	Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct	Cupra Leon	Independent
32	Daniel Rowbottom	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	Independent/JST
33	Adam Morgan	Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BMW 330i M Sport	Independent
40	Aron Taylor-Smith	Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions	Cupra Leon	Independent
41	Carl Boardley	Laser Tools Racing	Infiniti Q50	Independent/JST
44	Andy Neate	Racing with Wera & Photon Group	Ford Focus ST	Manufacturer/Constructor/JST
48	Ollie Jackson	MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square	Ford Focus ST	Manufacturer/Constructor
52	Gordon Shedden	Halfords Racing with Cataclean	Honda Civic Type R	Independent
62	Rick Parfitt Jnr	EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30N	Independent/JST
66	Josh Cook	BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	Independent
80	Tom Ingram	Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30N	Independent
88	Glynn Geddie	Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct	Cupra Leon	Independent/JST
96	Jack Butel	EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com	Hyundai i30N	Independent/JST
99	Jade Edwards	PHSC with BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	Independent/JST
123	Daniel Lloyd	Power Maxed Car Care Racing	Vauxhall Astra	Independent
777	Michael Crees	BTC Racing	Honda Civic Type R	Independent

The 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is scheduled to begin on May 8/9 at Thruxton Circuit. Due to current government guidelines, this event will take place behind closed doors and without spectators.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has announced further date changes to its 2021 calendar, in particular the second and third events which are being held at Snetterton and Brands Hatch Indy respectively.

Revisions to the schedule now sees Rounds 4, 5 & 6 at Snetterton move to the weekend of June 12/13, whilst Rounds 7, 8 & 9 at Brands Hatch Indy take place two weeks later than originally planned on the weekend of June 26/27.

In accordance with the government’s roadmap to gradually ease lockdown restrictions, the changes to the calendar further maximise the opportunity for spectators to return to race meetings.

As previously confirmed, the 2021 season-opener at Thruxton on May 8/9 will take place behind closed doors and without spectators.

No further changes have been made to the previously issued calendar with the series visiting Oulton Park and Knockhill before returning to Thruxton in later August. Events at Croft, Silverstone and Donington Park will follow before Brands Hatch’s legendary Grand Prix circuit brings the curtain down on the 2021 season.

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Calendar

May 8/9 – Thruxton

June 12/13 – Snetterton

June 26/27 – Brands Hatch Indy

July 31/August 1 – Oulton Park

August 14/15 – Knockhill

August 28/29 – Thruxton

September 18/19 – Croft

September 25/26 – Silverstone National

October 9/10 – Donington Park

October 23/24 – Brands Hatch Grand Prix

The 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Season Launch is scheduled to take place at Silverstone on April 22, and like Thruxton it will be without spectators in attendance.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has confirmed that it will stage its official 2021 Season Launch at Silverstone on April 22.

All 29 cars will be in attendance at the Home of British Motor Racing as teams and drivers take to the track together for the first time this year for the only official pre-season test.

Six hours of testing will take place over the course of the day around the National Circuit in total, with the opening session between 10:00-13:00, before the afternoon segment runs from 14:00-17:00.

Official championship photography and ITV filming will be carried out at the venue, as well as other media interviews and activities.

Following the UK Government’s latest directives surrounding COVID-19, spectators will not be permitted to attend the event.

As of midday on February 26, Series Organisers TOCA have confirmed that the deadline for entries has closed, with all 29 participants signed up for the forthcoming 2021 campaign. The official BTCC entry list will be published either on or just before the Season Launch.

Goodyear Tyres and TOCA, Series Organisers of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, have confirmed that Goodyear will continue its long-standing partnership with the BTCC for a further five years, through to the end of the 2026 season and into the introduction of hybrid power.

This extended partnership for Goodyear brings with it a number of accolades including owning the bragging rights to entering a third decade of continuous partnership in 2025, as well as continuing its non-stop development of tyres. 

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “The BTCC having a strong technical tyre partner is a key component of our success. As well, being the first major touring car championship to confirm its pathway for introducing hybrid technology, Goodyear is a hugely significant part of it.

“This is a very exciting period for the championship, and I’m pleased that we will continue our partnership with Goodyear through to the end of 2026. Goodyear has been an incredibly proactive and engaged partner of the BTCC for so many years and their ongoing commitment will help the championship continue to thrive into the future.”

Ben Crawley, Director Motorsport Goodyear Europe, added: “We are thrilled to have signed yet another extension to our partnership with the BTCC, continuing as tyre supplier and retaining the naming rights to the championship. We were really drawn to the contract extension as we wanted to be part of the next exciting chapter of the championship.

“With the introduction of hybrid power, new demands will be put onto the tyres and we are able to bring a lot of knowledge and expertise to the programme thanks to our experience working with leading OEMs where we are shod on some of their hybrid and electric vehicles.

“The fact that this contract also brings us fantastic milestones, such as entering a third decade of partnership, makes us feel really proud as we reflect on all of the fantastic things we have done as a company to promote and develop the championship, not only for the teams and drivers, but also the fans. We look forward to entering this new chapter with the UK’s leading racing championship.”

 

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has announced a revised calendar for the forthcoming 2021 campaign.

In order to maximise the opportunity to have spectators and guests in attendance at events this year, a decision by Series Organisers TOCA has been made to push back the start of the season by five weeks.

The shift in the schedule means that Thruxton will now play host to the opening event of the season for the first time since 2010.

Snetterton will immediately follow before Brands Hatch Indy stages the third event on the calendar. Late July and August will see Britain’s premier motorsport series visit Oulton Park and Knockhill before Thruxton’s second race meeting of the year.

Back-to-back weekends at Croft and Silverstone follow in September before Donington Park welcomes the series to Leicestershire for the penultimate event of the 2021 season.

Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix circuit will hold the Season Finale – as originally planned – albeit at the slightly later date of October 23/24.

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

May 8/9 – Thruxton

May 15/16 – Snetterton

June 12/13 – Brands Hatch Indy

July 31/August 1 – Oulton Park

August 14/15 – Knockhill

August 28/29 – Thruxton

September 18/19 – Croft

September 25/26 – Silverstone National

October 9/10 – Donington Park

October 23/24 – Brands Hatch Grand Prix

TOCA, Series Organisers of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, has announced that a maximum 29-car entry list has been confirmed for the 2021 season.

Following the entry approval deadline, the maximum number of TOCA BTCC Licences (TBLs) have been submitted by competing teams. Each team must hold a TBL for each car entered, with 29 being held between teams and a further three by TOCA.

As has been the case in recent years, TOCA has chosen not to allocate any of its TBLs to either existing teams or new entrants in keeping with its previously stated policy of wishing to gradually reduce the size of the BTCC grid.

Notable allocations amongst the grid include a second entry for Speedworks Motorsport, a third car for Laser Tools Racing and the return to three cars for West Surrey Racing.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “Although we are all going through this most incredibly gruelling period, it’s enormous testament to the strength and popularity of the BTCC that we have a full entry.

“Even more remarkable is the fact that a third of the grid will be new-build cars that have been constructed in the off-season. All of which means that we have yet another fabulous, and even more unpredictable, season in store.”

2021 TOCA BTCC LICENSE ALLOCATION

Aiden Moffat Racing – 1

BMR Racing – 1

Boardley Motorsport – 2

BTC Racing – 3

Ciceley Motorsport – 2

Excelr8 Motorsport – 2

Motorbase Performance – 4

Power Maxed Racing – 2

Speedworks Motorsport – 2

Team Dynamics – 2

Team HARD – 3

Trade Price Cars Racing – 2

West Surrey Racing – 3

Teams will announce full details regarding their respective entries (drivers, team names and sponsors) over the coming weeks and months, prior to the release of the finalised entry list for the forthcoming season in March.

The 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season is scheduled to begin at Brands Hatch on April 3/4.