UK’s premier race series is ready for the off – with new rules set to deliver more thrilling action than ever
Are you ready to hit the track with the UK’s hottest race series? The curtain is raised this weekend on what promises to be the most thrilling season yet of the Auto Express-backed British Touring Car Championship.
Last year’s title race went down to the wire, with four drivers in contention going into the final round. However, bosses are confident the 2011 championship will be even more exhilarating, thanks to a radical shake-up of the technical regulations (see panel, opposite), more TV coverage than ever before and an expanded grid.
When the lights go out at Brands Hatch in Kent, the numbers on the grid will be at a 20-year high – and series chief Alan Gow feels this is a real achievement in the current economic climate.
“I’m very proud about the way our 2011 season is taking shape,” said the Aussie. “Our entry list includes 10 different makes and 13 different models of cars, which is a record for the two decades of the BTCC’s 2.0-litre formula. In what remain difficult financial times, this is incredible.” With so many drivers going wheel-to-wheel on the track, reigning champ Jason Plato will have his work cut out to defend his crown.
However, the record-breaking 42-year-old has 60 BTCC wins to his name, plus factory backing from his Chevrolet team, and is quietly confident of sealing a third drivers’ title. “Will I win again? I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was possible,” said the veteran. “The team proved last year it could provide the hardware to win the title, and this year’s Cruze is more advanced, so I expect a dramatic and exciting season.”
But Plato won’t have it all his own way, as there is a host of fast drivers out to take the spoils – and leading the charge is his arch-rival, Matt Neal. The two-time champ won five races last year, and missed out on the drivers’ crown by only 31 points.
In 2011, Neal and team-mate Gordon Shedden are boosted by a new turbo version of their works Honda Civic. Its engine is built to the new Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) rules, and is expected to give the hatches race-winning pace. “It has lots of torque, and it changes the way the car delivers its power significantly,” explained team leader Neal. “The Civic has a great deal of potential.”
Another outfit with high hopes for 2011 is Team Aon. Headed by Tom Chilton, the Sussex-based squad proved a formidable force last season, taking seven wins and the Independents prize with its LPG-fuelled Ford Focuses. This year, it will give the all-new Focus its global track debut.
Unveiled at last month’s Geneva Motor Show, the 2.0-litre turbo hatchback has already shown impressive testing pace. Yet while Plato, Neal and Chilton have their eyes on each other, they will still need to check their rear view mirrors for some of the series’ dark horses – including Tech-Speed’s Paul O’Neil.
After two years of giant-killing showings in an outdated Honda Integra, the 31-year-old has got his hands on a Chevrolet Cruze – and is in confident mood. “It has been everything I expected from a title-winning car. Now I just need to make the most of it,” he said. “We don’t have the top teams’ budgets, but are still targeting top six finishes and race wins.”
And fans can watch every single lap of the action, as ITV is serving up an unprecedented amount of television coverage. ITV4 will show more than seven hours of non-stop race day coverage on its HD and standard channels, while qualifying sessions will be broadcast live on the www.itv.com/sport website.
So, wherever you are, there’s no excuse for missing any of the thrills and spills that will make this year’s BTCC the best yet.
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