Tag: BTCC

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship offered a glimpse into the future this past week at Snetterton as the Cosworth-developed Toyota Corolla TOCA Hybrid car broke cover and hit the track for the first time.

Built and run by front-running team Speedworks Motorsport, the front-wheel-drive machine kicked off an extensive testing and development programme before the full introduction of hybrid technology comes in 2022.

Joining the 26-car grid that will battle for the UK’s premier motorsport crown on-track at the Norfolk venue, former BTCC race winner Darren Turner clocked valuable mileage across both days in mixed weather conditions.

The BTCC’s Hybrid System will be used by each driver for either passing or defending and will introduce new competitive strategies and opportunities during each race.

Performance simulations carried out by Cosworth Electronics show that the most significant gains will be achieved at the low engine RPM ranges; the hybrid power burst bringing the engine up into the turbo ‘window’ more quickly.

Drivers will have a steering wheel mounted button to engage the hybrid once full traction has been achieved whilst the system will deactivates on a second button press, the use of brakes, on reaching the time or energy limit, a reduced throttle pressure or sudden acceleration/deceleration.

Following the first foray for the TOCA Hybrid car, Turner said: “It is a great initiative and I am delighted to be a part of it. I fully aware it’s an historic moment for the series and we are all delighted to have completed an extremely successful test.

“The BTCC is the biggest and best championship in the UK and it’s right that it should be leading the way in this technology. The BTCC is leading from the front yet again, and this will be a great addition to the racing. We have regularly deployed the system on-track and it works really well – it will undoubtedly add an extra and exciting dimension to both the defensive and attacking aspects of the racing.

“We will of course be developing the system and integration further and further – this is just the beginning of the car’s track life – and we’ll be getting more and more miles in the car over the coming months.

“The project is going extremely well, it is on schedule and there is no need to rush things – every bit of information is vital at this point to ensure we have a robust system that enhances what the BTCC is all about, and I’m absolutely convinced we will achieve that.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, added: “It’s an extremely proud moment for everyone involved in the BTCC and the TOCA Hybrid project itself. The BTCC was the first major touring car series to confirm its intentions and pathway for introducing hybrid technology and this is clearly another hugely significant milestone as part of that.

“This is obviously just the start of the extensive programme ahead, prior to the full introduction of hybrid technology into the BTCC in 2022, but Cosworth, Speedworks and all of the technical partners involved should be congratulated for the professionalism, expertise and efficiency shown.

“Despite these challenging times the BTCC and its partners have worked extremely hard to ensure that the TOCA Hybrid car made its track debut as originally planned and it has been an extremely positive and successful test.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has ramped up its preparations for the start of the revised 2020 campaign this week by conducting a two-day test at Snetterton, with all teams and drivers present to clock valuable mileage ahead of next month’s season-opener.

With it being 112 days since the series’ Season Launch at Silverstone, the annual Goodyear tyre test served as a much-needed second pre-season group test following the delays caused to the schedule by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the news that Andrew Jordan, Jason Plato and Mat Jackson won’t race as originally planned, 26 cars took to the challenging Norfolk venue.

Mixed weather conditions greeted teams on the opening day of track action as Rory Butcher recorded the fastest time in his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus.

Despite a small electrical issue hampering his running early on, the Scotsman made the most of the dry conditions to set a 1:56.504 benchmark – narrowly pipping BTC Racing’s Tom Chilton and Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram.

Times wouldn’t improve in the afternoon as a heavy rain shower during the lunch break and continuing drizzle put pay to a majority of the running.

Of those that did battle the challenging conditions, Team HARD’s Jack Goff got the best out of Goodyear’s wet compound to top the times ahead of Chilton and Carl Boardley.

Wet weather continued to batter the circuit on the second and final day of running, where 2017 champion Ashley Sutton topped the times across both sessions.

Making the jump to Laser Tools Racing to pilot the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti Q50 this year, Sutton showcased his wet weather prowess to master the greasy conditions and underline his credentials as one to watch once racing begins.

Alongside the protagonists competing for the biggest prize in UK motorsport, the two-day test also provided an opportunity to see the TOCA Hybrid Toyota Corolla hit the track for the first time.

Piloted by former BTCC race winner Darren Turner, the car began an extensive test and development programme before the competitive introduction of hybrid technology in 2022.

To view the full classification from both test days, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set to kick off a condensed 27-race season at Donington Park on August 1/2.

Fans of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be primed for the start of the post-lockdown 2020 season, whether watching at home on the sofa or trackside, courtesy of the ‘Raceday Programme with a Difference’ which is on sale now.

Put together by ITV4’s lead commentator David Addison, Motorsport News’ Matt James and more, the programmes serves as the perfect season guide ahead of the curtain-raiser at Donington Park on August 1/2.

The programme is packed with the latest news, features, the revised calendar, an extensive entry list and team guide, social media directory and much more.

The 2020 BTCC Raceday Programme with a Difference can be purchased from https://www.btcc-programme.co.uk/ and costs £6.00, including postage.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has confirmed that it has awarded a five-year contract for the supply of a new ‘TOCA BTCC engine’ to global motorsport industry leader M-Sport.

Following its successful tender submission and subsequent voting by all teams, M-Sport will now develop, build and supply the TOCA engine to the UK’s premier motorsport series from 2022 to 2026.

Since the introduction of the NGTC regulations in 2011, one key aspect of the regulations has been to make available the competitive TOCA engine with proven durability and strict cost-controls, should any team choose not to run their own engines.

M-Sport will work through a development programme of the new TOCA engine, including rigorous testing and manufacture during 2021, before then introducing it into the series the following year.

In addition to the production of the new-specification engine in the next year, M-Sport will also work closely with Cosworth – who have been awarded the contract to design, supply and service the new BTCC Hybrid System, which will also be introduced in 2022.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to welcome M-Sport into the BTCC family and congratulate them on their successful tender.

“The opportunity to supply the TOCA engine from 2022 understandably attracted great interest from an extremely high calibre of bidders, so it is testament to M-Sport’s professionalism and expertise that they were able to come out on top of such a competitive and comprehensive process.

“I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Swindon Powertrain, who have been such an integral part of the success of the BTCC engine regulations, and we look forward to working closely with them for the remaining two seasons of their contract.”

Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport Managing Director, added: “We’re delighted to have been selected to supply the new TOCA BTCC engine in 2022. The BTCC has long been a popular and prestigious part of the British motorsport scene, and we’re all looking forward to working with TOCA and the relevant teams on this new and exciting project.

“I firmly believe that M-Sport has some of the best engineering expertise in the country, and with the development of our on-site Evaluation Centre this capability is only going to increase.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has unveiled a revised calendar for the 2020 season, comprising of nine events instead of the scheduled ten and set to run from August through to mid-November.

Series organisers TOCA have taken the decision to provisionally plan events from August onwards, however, the calendar will of course remain conditional upon receiving appropriate government directives and approvals regarding the resumption of sporting activities. Should the BTCC be unable to resume at that time, the calendar will be amended accordingly.

In the new provisional schedule, Donington Park will play host to the 2020 season-opener as originally planned, albeit on August 1/2. The first of two visits to Brands Hatch will swiftly follow the next weekend before trips to Oulton Park and Knockhill round out what is set to be a busy month of four events in five weekends for the series.

Thruxton will then stage the fifth event of the season on September 19/20 before Silverstone follows a week later for three high-octane races around the National layout of the Northamptonshire venue. Silverstone’s second meeting around the International layout has been cancelled.

The BTCC’s annual pilgrimage to North Yorkshire and Croft has been moved to October 10/11 whilst Snetterton will provide the backdrop for the penultimate event of the season.

As has been the case in years gone by, the Grand Prix layout of Brands Hatch will stage the final round of the season, but at the later date of November 14/15.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “These are incredibly challenging times for the whole nation. Through it all, we have seen the importance of being both adaptable and pragmatic… and the BTCC is no different. So it’s entirely logical to draft plans and lock-in our provisional dates, with the ability to amend those if circumstances dictate.

“Obviously this calendar presents a hectic four months, with three separate back-to-back events and four events in the first five weeks alone. But our teams and drivers are fully up for the challenge – there’s such enormous energy, enthusiasm and passion for the BTCC that everyone will want to just roll up their sleeves and get the action underway when the time comes to go racing.

“However, the over-arching element will always be to ensure we have the correct procedures and protocols in place, in order to provide a safe environment. But before that time comes the most important thing we can all do is to please stay safe and also protect the health of others.”

Provisional 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Donington Park – Rounds 1, 2 & 3 – August 1/2

Brands Hatch Indy – Rounds 4, 5 & 6 – August 8/9

Oulton Park – Rounds 7, 8 & 9 – August 22/23

Knockhill – Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – August 29/30

Thruxton – Rounds 13, 14 & 15 – September 19/20

Silverstone National – Rounds 16, 17 & 18 – September 26/27

Croft – Rounds 19, 20 & 21 – October 10/11

Snetterton – Rounds 22, 23 & 24 – October 24/25

Brands Hatch GP – Rounds 25, 26 & 27 – November 14/15

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship organisers TOCA have confirmed that its hybrid power introduction project is running ahead of schedule and is set to hit the track for the first time later this year.

Announcing back in August 2018 that the BTCC will boast hybrid power in all cars from the start of the 2022 campaign, impressive progress has been made to establish the roadmap for the introduction of hybrid energy in the BTCC.

Awarding the contract to Cosworth Electronics for the design, supply and servicing of the BTCC Hybrid System, both TOCA and Cosworth will select an existing BTCC race car for the initial hybrid integration and comprehensive testing programme.

With all technical and practical targets being met during the design and build stage, the hybrid equipped car is set to hit the track in June ahead of the annual two-day tyre test at Snetterton in July – marking its first public appearance.

Following the test at Snetterton, rigorous testing and simulations will commence in order to refine the exact nature of the driver-selectable hybrid power delivery as well as configuring the varying amounts of regeneration and hybrid power that will be used to replace the current success ballast system.

The additional hybrid power will be used by each driver using a steering wheel mounted button – after lap one – for either passing or defending. This will provide new competitive strategies and opportunities during each BTCC race.

“I’m incredibly pleased with the fantastic progress we are making on this project,” said BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow.

“One always assumes there will be some hiccups along the way, but so far…nothing. And that’s great testament to the high quality of the technical partners involved – not just Cosworth of course but also Xtrac, PWR, Delta Motorsport, AP Racing and Goodyear.”

Further updates will continue to be provided by TOCA over the coming weeks.

Britain’s premier race series will once again tackle the fastest circuit in the UK in 2020; with the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returning to Thruxton on May 16/17 – and tickets are now on sale discounted pre-Christmas prices.

Coming off the back of a memorable 2019 season which saw the home of the British Automobile Racing Club enjoy two bites of the BTCC cherry, Thruxton is revved up for another blockbuster race meeting to kick off a sensational summer of motorsport.

Tens of thousands of spectators descended on the Hampshire venue in both May and August of this past year to see frenetic wheel-to-wheel action; with Andrew Jordan, Sam Tordoff, Josh Cook and Dan Cammish all sharing the spoils.

Staging the fourth event of the season in 2020; Rounds 10, 11 & 12 at Thruxton are likely to play a pivotal role once again in the championship battle as momentum begins to build.

As ever, edge-of-the-seat entertainment alongside the BTCC will come from the TOCA support package; with the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship, F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost, Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup and the MINI Challenge all set to take centre stage.

With discounted tickets prices frozen until Christmas, tickets to Thruxton to watch the BTCC next May are the perfect present for the petrolhead in your lift.

Head to https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc to purchase yours now.

Tickets for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to Croft Circuit on August 15/16 2020 are now on sale, with discounted prices confirmed in the run up to Christmas.

In what is set to be one of headline events as part of a spectacular summer of motorsport in North Yorkshire, tickets to the seventh event on the BTCC calendar could make the the perfect present for the petrol head in your life.

Having traditionally featured during the first half of the season, the annual BTCC trip to the north east will now take place during the second half of the 2020 campaign, with the venue set to play a pivotal role in the destiny of the title – playing host to Rounds 19, 20 & 21.

Croft’s blend of high-speed and tight technical corners makes it a favourite amongst competitors and spectators alike, with edge-of-the-seat entertainment all-but guaranteed. In 2019, Andrew Jordan and Tom Chilton reigned supreme on an action-packed race day.

In addition to the thrills and spills of the BTCC, fans will also see bumper support race action over the course of the weekend courtesy of the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship, Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup, MINI Challenge, Porsche Sprint Challenge GB and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost.

Tracey Morley, Croft Circuit Manager, said: “We’re delighted to now be able to allow fans to buy tickets to next year’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship event – all of which are at discounted prices.

“After several years of hosting the event in June, we are excited to take up a spot on the calendar in August and we’re sure it will be one of the highlights of the summer; especially with three high-octane BTCC races and a bumper bill of support race action too.

“With tickets available to purchase at discounted prices from now right the way up to Christmas, these really are the perfect presents for any petrolhead.”

Visit www.croftcircuit.co.uk/racing/btcc to view full tickets offers and prices, as well as more information on 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has confirmed that a number of minor regulation changes will be implemented for the 2020 season following the annual end-of-season meeting between organisers TOCA and teams.

One of the first changes for next year surrounds tyres and comes off of the back of an initiative that was successfully introduced in the summer. At Snetterton and Croft, drivers will now use all three Goodyear tyre compounds – hard, medium and soft.

The way in which tyres are nominated has been altered too, with drivers not specified to select what race they will use the ‘option’ tyre before qualifying. Instead, they will have free choice during the course of race day – thus providing an opportunity to modify their strategies.

Maximum success ballast will increase to 60kgs and then reducing in 6kgs increments down to tenth place. Success ballast for the forthcoming 2020 campaign will be as follows: 60-54-48-42-36-30-24-18-12-6.

Finally, a new qualifying format will be trialled at Snetterton. Instead of the traditional 30-minute session, a shorter 25-minute session will take place to allow drivers to set a lap time.

The fastest top ten competitors will then progress into a ten-minute shootout for pole position to determine the top ten positions on the grid for the opening BTCC encounter of that weekend.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “Clearly, the regulations for the BTCC work tremendously well. That’s self-evident from the fantastically close racing and championship battles, but we’re always looking at ways in which they can be improved, so whilst these are fairly minor tweaks, they will certainly add some interesting new elements to next season’s championship.”

For more information on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, head to http://www.btcc.net/