INSIDEBTCC.COM issue 6 : mar 2012
PLUS - MG MAKES BTCC RETURN WITH PLATO AND NEATE
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LOSER C S P E E R EASON C S W E N E S AS TH W E N T S E AT ALL THE L
www.insidebtcc.com Inside BTCC MORE ... ON THE GRID? / TALKING TYRES WITH DUNLOP / MUCH WHO’S
Jakob Ebrey
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WELCOME... As the clock continues to tick down to the opening rounds of 2012 at Brands Hatch, the news is coming thick and fast regarding the make up of the BTCC field for the season ahead. With teams announcing their plans and heading out on track to kick-start their testing programmes, its time to relaunch Inside BTCC for 2012 with a look at where the series stands heading to the official media day and season opener later this month. The big news of the winter is that MG return this season with Jason Plato and Andy Neate driving the Triple Eight-prepared cars, although their arrival coincides with the departure of Chevrolet – who will instead focus on their WTCC programme. Of course, the team MG – and the rest – have to beat is Honda, with the NGTC-version of the Civic having already started on-track work, albeit with some issues along the way. In this issue of Inside BTCC, we look at the new programmes from both manufacturer teams in the series this season and also round up the latest offseason headlines as drivers and teams sign up for the year ahead. We chat with Rob Collard and Nick Foster about WSR after the
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news they will be turbo-powered this year, catch up with rookie Adam Morgan who chatted to us about his drive with Speedworks prior to the start of his preseason testing programme; which is now underway. There is a look at two of the teams taking up the challenge of fighting on the world stage after winning on British shores last year, we talk tyres with BTCC supplier Dunlop, and find out what James Pickford has been up to since the end of his season with SEAT back in 2005. Once the official entry list has been revealed, we’ll have a full in-depth preview of the season ahead, which will include the first exclusive feature with Inside BTCC’s new columnist for 2012. You’ll have to wait to find out who it is, but lets just say it’s a driver with his eyes on a championship trophy... In the meantime, we welcome your feedback as ever through our Facebook page or on Twitter at @InsideBTCC, while you can e-mail us at contact@insidebtcc. com For those of you who already ‘Like’ us on Facebook, check out our page for details on how to enter a competition – all in the name of fun – to provide a timeline image for us to use during the season ahead.
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Jakob Ebrey Lanyon/PSP
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S T TEN
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IN THIS ISSUE... MG MAKES BTCC RETURN Plato and Neate line up for MG Motor UK
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BTCC 2012 GRID TAKES SHAPE Who’s in and who’s out...so far
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PLATO’S BTCC CAREER How the star remains hot property
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WSR AIM HIGH WITH TURBO POWER Three-car assault in 2012 for eBay Motors
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NGTC HONDA HITS THE TRACK Neal and Shedden start 2012 testing programme
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GINETTA CHAMPION TARGETS REGULAR POINTS Adam Morgan steps up to the BTCC
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TAKING ON THE WORLD Team Aon swaps BTCC for WTCC
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CONSISTENCY KEY FOR MOTORBASE A second year with the ‘little red devils’
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NEWS IN BRIEF Round-up of the latest BTCC news
18 - 19
TALKING TYRES We ask Dunlop what makes their rubber special
20 - 23
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? James Pickford
24 - 25
ABOUT INSIDE BTCC... Inside BTCC is an independent publication that is in no way endorsed by, or affiliated to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship or its organisers.
Photos are credit PSP IMAGES or JAKOB EBREY unless otherwise stated. To get in touch, please email: CONTACT@INSIDEBTCC.COM. Written, produced and edited by Matt Salisbury and Matt Lamprell. Front cover images: Main - Honda Racing’s new Civic in the wind tunnel (Honda Racing); Top right - Jason Plato and Andy Neate (MG Motor UK). Back cover: BTCC grid girls (Jakob Ebrey).
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PLATO LEADS MG’S BTCC RETURN
STAR QUITS CHEVROLET FOR MG NGTC CHALLENGE MG Motor UK will return to the BTCC in 2012, with Jason Plato and Andy Neate driving a pair of the Birminghambased manufacturer’s MG6 GT models. The announcement of MG’s return – and Plato’s switch to the team – was followed by news that Chevrolet would be absent from the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, opting instead to focus on retaining its World Touring Car crown. MG’s entry in the BTCC comes nine years after it was last represented by a works entry in the series – its drivers back then were Colin Turkington and Anthony Reid.
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The 2012 programme will be run by Ian Harrison’s Triple Eight Race Engineering outfit, who enjoyed huge success with Vauxhall until the Luton marque left the championship in 2009. Sponsorship comes from Tesco’s Momentum fuel brand and energy drink KX.
the brand.” The MG6s that Plato and Neate will drive are being built to full NGTC specifications for both chassis and engine, bringing to six the tally of manufacturers represented under the series’ ‘next generation’ regulations.
The full list of NGTC manufacturers is: Toyota, Proton, Honda, Vauxhall, Audi and MG.
Images: MG Motor UK
BY MATT LAMPRELL
Jason Plato said: “It’s really exciting to be involved in a brand-new all-British team and it’s just brilliant that the iconic name of MG will be back on the track.” Guy Jones, MG Motor’s Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted that the new MG6 will be seen by millions of fans in Britain and beyond and this continues the famous sporting lineage of www.insidebtcc.com
BTCC 2012 GRID TAKES SHAPE...
WHO’S IN? MG KX MOMENTUM Jason Plato and Andy Neate HONDA RACING Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden PIRTEK RACING Andrew Jordan and Jeff Smith MOTORBASE PERFORMANCE Mat Jackson, Liam Griffin and Aron Smith eBAY MOTORS Rob Collard, Nick Foster and Tom OnslowCole SPEEDWORKS MOTORSPORT Adam Morgan and Tony Hughes AMD TUNING.COM Ollie Jackson DYNOJET Frank Wrathall CENTRAL GROUP RACING Lea Wood THORNEY MOTORSPORT John Thorne and Rob Hedley TEAM ES RACING Chris James and Dave Newsham TONY GILHAM (TEAM TBC) Tony Gilham
AND WHO’S OUT? Team Aon Tom Chilton and James Nash will contest the FIA World Touring Car Championship with the Arena Motorsport-run squad RML/Chevrolet Will focus on defending its titles in the WTCC Alex MacDowall Will drive a Chevrolet Cruze for Bamboo Engineering in the WTCC (See story below) Tom Boardman Will drive a SEAT Leon for Special Tuning Racing in the WTCC James Thompson Will help develop the new LADA Granta Sport and compete in two rounds of the WTCC Martin Byford Will drive a Lotus Evora for the Bullrun team in Britcar BTC-spec BTC-spec cars, such as the Honda Integra, are no longer eligible to compete in the BTCC Michael Caine Will drive a Porsche 911 GT3R for Motorbase Performance in the British GT Championship MacDowall joins WTCC brigade
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Alex MacDowall will head to the WTCC for 2012 after the departure of Chevrolet from the BTCC over the offseason.
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After two years in the series, MacDowall has inked a deal to move to the world stage with former BTCC team Bamboo Engineering. The youngster will be at the wheel of a Chevrolet Cruze
similar to the one he has raced in recent years, albeit with a 1.6 litre turbo-charged engine under the bonnet. “I really enjoyed my two years in the BTCC and I’ll miss the fans, my supporters and the sponsors who helped me achieve the success and experience I gained there,” he said. “Moving into the WTCC is a massive opportunity though and could be a major turning point for my career. We’re aiming for some top results.”
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PLATO’S BTCC CAREER Jason Plato has landed his fifth works deal in the BTCC for 2012. Just why has MG put its faith in the veteran star? MATT LAMPRELL looks at how Plato’s career has unfolded.
THE RENAULT YEARS Plato’s early career consisted of karting and a host of single-seater championships.
The star’s long association with the French manufacturer began in 1989 when he attended the Elf Renault Winfield racing school at Magny Cours. During the early-nineties, he contested Formula Three,
Formula Vauxhall and Formula Renault championships. Plato won the Elf Renault Sport Spider UK Cup in 1996, with victory in 10 of the 14 races. That was enough to land him a drive alongside Alain Menu at the Williams Renault Dealer Racing team.
Plato’s BTCC race debut (he was a test driver for the Janspeed Nissan team in 1994) came at Donington Park in 1997. During his first season in the series, he claimed two wins and finished on the podium nine times.
the other Renault Laguna in ‘97, with Plato ending the season third. Plato spent a further two seasons with Renault (under the Nescafe Blend 37 Williams Renault banner), but could only manage fifth in the points standings on both occasions.
Alain Menu won the title in
Photos: Still/PSP
A FIRST BTCC TITLE WITH VAUXHALL Plato joined Yvan Muller at Vauxhall in 2000. The season started well with a win at Brands Hatch at the opening meeting but there was only one more win to come - at Snetterton.
Vauxhall.
2001 was better for Plato. New regulations heralded the start of a dominant period for
However, Plato opted not to return and defend his title the following year.
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It was between Plato and Muller for the title and it ended in the Englishman’s favour at an action-packed final round at Brands Hatch.
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BACK WITH SEAT AFTER OVAL BREAK 2002 was spent oval racing in the ASCAR series, but Plato linked up with SEAT in 2003 to become the mentor for drivers in their Cupra championship. That paved the way for a return to the BTCC when SEAT entered the championship in 2004.
Jakob Ebrey
It was the first of five seasons with the Spanish brand. But despite plenty of wins (including the first with a diesel engine), there was no second title. Runner-up twice, third twice and fourth once, it just didn’t quite all come together.
TITLE NUMBER TWO WITH CHEVROLET 2009 brought a last-moment entry into the series with an RML-run independent Chevrolet Lacetti. Despite lacking any sort of pre-season testing campaign, it was another runner-up medal for Plato. 2010 brought a switch to the Cruze and full works support from Chevrolet. That was enough to take Plato to his second BTCC title, beating arch rival Matt Neal.
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It was the same line-up in 2011 and the same rivalry. This time though, it was Neal who claimed the title. Plato had to settle for third.
AND ON TO MG... The MG project reunites Plato with Triple Eight, with whom he won his first title in 2001. It will also be his first taste of NGTC machinery and with a lack of pre-season testing, it’s going to be far from easy. But love him of hate him, Plato knows how to get the best out of every car he drives. If you’re a manufacturer want to make sure you get www.insidebtcc.com
your share of coverage during the season, then employing Plato is a shrewd move. Oh, and he’s never finished lower than fifth in the championship and has won races in each and every BTCC season he’s contested...
MG Motor UK
So, it’s a new challenge for Plato in 2012.
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eBay Motors
WSR AIM HIGH WITH TURBO POWER
BY MATT SALISBURY Back in October, Inside BTCC sat down with West Surrey Racing boss Dick Bennetts to discuss what the future held for the team that took the title in 2009 with Colin Turkington. The chat came towards the end of a trying season for the team as it was unable to challenge the turbo-powered cars with its BMW 320sis, despite the best efforts of Rob Collard and Nick Foster behind the wheel. Bennetts made it clear that the team had to be turbopowered for 2012 to stand any chance of success; it was just a case of whether or not the time was right to make the switch to a full-blown NGTC-spec car. As it turns out, WSR is the first of the front-running teams to decide not to run a Next Generation Touring Car in 2012, having elected to fit a Neil Brown Engineeringdeveloped BMW turbo engine into its current cars. Running under the eBay Motors banner thanks to a new sponsorship deal, the team has also added Tom Onslow-Cole to its driver lineInside BTCC 10
up in an expanded three-car team, with the former Team Aon man returning to the team that gave him his debut in the sport back in 2007. “I believe eBay Motors has a very strong driver line-up for this year’s championship,” Bennetts said. “We have worked with Rob, Nick and Tom in the past and together they make a fantastic team. We have been busy developing the cars over the winter, which will have new BMW turbo-charged engines developed by Neil Brown Engineering. “With the prospect of added horsepower and torque alongside our in-depth understanding of the BMW chassis, we are expecting a very competitive season.” Much has been made of the fact that Onslow-Cole will be back in WSR colours for the season ahead after a mixed campaign in 2011, where a series of giant-killing drives in the AmD Volkswagen earlier in the year were followed by a return to Team Aon that failed to deliver the kinds of results that had seen him fight for the title in 2010. However, the switch to the new turbo engine will also
give Collard and Foster the chance to shine after both were effectively forced to write off their chances of success last year as the issue of parity between normallyaspirated and turbo cars reared its head. “Last year was a difficult year for us because we came out expecting it to be quite equal and after the first couple of rounds, it was evident how much more horsepower the turbo cars had compared to us,” Collard told Inside BTCC. “We weren’t too vocal about it all, unlike some, and we just tried to make the most of what we had. It left us in a bit of a dilemma because it meant we had to effectively settle for second best as we knew we couldn’t compete, and it was frustrating to be driving down a straight and have a car that shouldn’t be overtaking you simply driving past you. “We did look at putting a turbo in the car half-way through last year, but it was a practical impossibility so we decided to stick with what we had and go for reliability over performance. That was the right decision at the time but we now hope that the improvements that are being made to the car will allow us
to be competitive against the NGTC cars. “Going into the new season, you look at the new Honda and you have to say that that is going to be the car to beat. However, I look at the BMW and I know that we can do a good job with the extra horsepower. I’m confident that we’ll be near the front.” For Foster meanwhile, the fact that WSR will be turbopowered this season means a return to his roots; albeit in a vastly different environment. “I’ve not driven race car with a turbo before, although my old rally cars did have a turbo,” he said. “That’s a totally different environment though so I can’t really use that experience with the touring car. “A lot of how we do will be down to the amount of turbo lag that there is with the car, although I certainly think it is going to be a step forward from last year. The BMW is a good car although fitting the turbo engine means we will have to carry a bit more weight, so we’ll have to see how it goes.”
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NGTC HONDA HITS THE TRACK
BY MATT LAMPRELL Honda Racing has started testing its new NGTCspecification Civic ahead of the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The Team Dynamics-built Honda ran for the first time at MIRA’s test facility, before getting its first full track outing at Brands Hatch in late February.
The car shown above is the first of the new Hondas that Team Dynamics has built. Four of the cars will race in the BTCC this year – two driven by Honda Racing drivers Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, with two more for Pirtek Racing pairing Andrew Jordan and Jeff Smith. From Brands Hatch, the Honda team headed on to
Donington Park, Oulton Park and Rockingham for further test sessions. Although the team has encountered a few teething problems with the new model, reigning champion Matt Neal is optimistic. “We’re working through it with the new NGTC Civic”, said Neal to btcc.net. “And, while it’s proving to be
challenging, I think it’s fast which is very positive. We still have a lot of wrinkles to iron out but that’s to be expected when developing a brand new car.” Honda is set to officially launch its 2012 charger a week ahead of the BTCC’s media day, at its Swindon base on Monday, 12 March.
WHILE NEAL KEEPS FANS UP-TO-DATE ON TWITTER If you follow Matt Neal on Twitter (@MattNealRacing), you may have seen for yourself how the new-for-2012 Honda has been coming along. The images below show some of the photos that the reigning champ has tweeted over the past few months, keeping fans up-todate with the Civic’s progress...
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Inside BTCC 11
GINETTA CHAMPION TARGETS REGULAR POINTS
Pics: Jakob Ebrey
Adam Morgan on his step up to the BTCC in 2012... BY MATT SALISBURY
touring car competition.
Adam Morgan says regular points finishes are his target this season as he moves into the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship for the first time.
Initially, one option was for Morgan’s own team to make the move into the BTCC with him, but that option was soon ruled out due to the logistics involved in running a touring car programme.
Morgan earned his place on the grid for 2012 as winner of the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup, with Ginetta boss Lawrence Tomlinson having offered a fully-funded drive in an NGTC-spec car to the man who managed to lift the 2011 crown.
Instead, Speedworks will be behind his entry as the team expands to two cars, with Morgan at the wheel of a 2012-spec Toyota Avensis; as was seen in the paddock during the 2011 season finale at Silverstone.
A dramatic season finale at Silverstone back in October saw Morgan beat Tom Sharp and Carl Breeze to the crown; the Cicely Racing driver beating Breeze by just five points. Having secured the title, Morgan then faced a wait to discover the team he would be with for his first season in
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have needed to hire in a lot of people and it made more sense to go with a team that already has everything in place.
programme underway and starting our preparations for the new season. Hopefully we can hit the ground running and take it from there.
“Speedworks are a very professional and determined team and I’m looking forward to getting our testing
“I know that the BTCC is a competitive championship and that there are some good drivers on the grid, but
There is little doubt that the step up from the Ginetta series will be a big one, but Morgan goes into his debut campaign eager to impress. “It is a massive step up into touring cars, and the team we had last year was a bunch of my dad’s mates,” he told Inside BTCC. “If we were going to try and run the car ourselves, we would
Morgan became accustomed to silverware during his successful Ginetta season in 2011... www.insidebtcc.com
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Morgan will partner Tony Hughes at Speedworks Motorsport in the 2012 BTCC I want to be regularly inside the top 15 and fighting for championship points. That might be a bit optimistic, I don’t know, but we’ll give it a good go.” Expanding to two cars means an even busier year ahead for Speedworks, with Tony Hughes back for a second season in his Toyota and the team also returning to the British GT Championship; where it runs a Corvette for Piers and Ron Johnson. Although its first season in the BTCC was far from easy, the Cheshire-based team has high hopes of a strong year with its new look lineup having surprised many by securing the deal to run Morgan in 2012. “We’ve got a long relationship with Ginetta and we were aware of the prize that was being offered – and then of course when the season ended we knew who had won the prize and would be driving the car,” team boss Christian Dick said. “That excited us as Adam is a very quick and competent driver but is also a nice guy at the same time. We got in touch www.insidebtcc.com
with Ginetta and started to talk. We worked on our engineering team to put the people in place who we wanted to put in place and that helped to make sure that we ticked all the boxes from both Ginetta’s and Adam’s point of view. Fortunately, they went for the deal. “It’s too early to say [what we can achieve] but we are seriously optimistic about the year ahead. We have worked hard since the end of last season to make sure we improved out engineering team, we had a successful test before Christmas [with James Thompson] and have more testing planned to continue our development work. “I’m happy with all the choices we have made and that we have got everything we wanted in place for the year ahead.”
CALLING IN THE CAVALRY Double champion Thompson lends a helping hand as Speedworks goes testing
Showing how serious Speedworks is about its second season in the BTCC, the team has called on the services of James Thompson to aid in its testing programme. The double champion has been out in the car at Donington Park, Brands Hatch and Oulton Park to help develop the NGTC-spec Toyota Avensis and also to aid drivers Adam Morgan and Tony Hughes and give tips to improve their performance on track.
“Working with James has been a massive help as he’s been able to go out and set-up the car,” Morgan said with his testing programme now underway. “If I’ve had any questions about what I should be doing, he has been totally straight with me and given me the answer.” Thompson will drive in the WTCC again this season, having signed a deal to race for LADA in a limited programme during 2012.
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Jakob Ebrey
TAKING ON THE
WORLD...
Arena Motorsport heads for World Touring Cars
BY MATT SALISBURY
to good use.
Eight drivers tasted victory during the 2011 BTCC season, but three of those drivers won’t be back in 2012 having decided to make the step up to the World Touring Car Championship for the year ahead.
“I’m incredibly excited about the WTCC,” he said. “It’s a new challenge for me and the team, but I know we’ve got the experience and the tools to do a good job at that level. It’s going to be a different season, not knowing the tracks or the competition like we did in the BTCC, but that’s part of the appeal – new challenges and new targets.
Tom Chilton, James Nash and Tom Boardman will join forces with Rob Huff and James Thompson in flying the flag for Britain, with Chilton and Nash set to make their WTCC debuts in the season opener at Monza in March, and Boardman returning to the series after two years back in Britain. Chilton and Nash, winners of the Indy title in the BTCC for the past two seasons, will join forces as Team Aon takes the Global Ford Focus into the WTCC for its second season of competition. Chilton won twice with the car in the BTCC in 2011, taking the chequered flag first at both Knockhill and Brands Hatch in a car powered by an NGTC-spec engine. The car, now fitted with a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine and having undergone a series of changes over the off-season, has already been out testing in Europe ahead of the new campaign with Chilton hoping the knowledge gained with the car thus far can be put Inside BTCC 14
“I’m very happy with the work we have done so far with the new car, the package is improving day by day which is really positive. The WTCC car is an evolution of the BTCC car, and the chassis is sensitive to small changes which is a good sign we have built a great race car.” When the curtain came down on his successful 2011 season, many expected Nash to be a shoe-in to lead Triple Eight into 2012 as the team prepared to switch to NGTC machinery for the first time. However, the announcement that the team was to run the MG factory outfit this season and had signed Jason Plato and Andy Neate left Nash to look at his options elsewhere. After paddock speculation that he could be part of the Motorbase line-up, having previously tested for the team back in 2008, Nash instead put together a deal
to join Chilton in an all-British lineup and he too heads into 2012 full of optimism. “I’m really excited and pleased to be moving on to the next step of touring cars,” he said. “I’ve had a great time in the BTCC, however everyone has aspirations and this was ultimately the next step in my career. I believe that I’m in the best position to have a successful 2012 season with Team Aon and I’m looking forward to my first season in the WTCC. “I’ve bonded with the team well over the three test sessions and we’ve had a really positive test schedule. The team put a lot of miles on the car and we worked on a variety of different components. The chassis and engine feels great – I can’t wait to get out on track at Monza.” The news that Boardman would spearhead Special Tuning Racing’s entry into the WTCC was as unsurprising as the news that Chilton would be at the wheel of the Aon Ford, with the world series being very much unfinished business for the Lancastrian – who took fifth in the Indy standings in 2009 driving for the SUNRED Engineering team. Key to Boardman’s hopes is the fact that his STR-run SEAT Leon will be fitted with a 1.6 litre turbo-charged unit being
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Jakob Ebrey
Chilton and Nash will lead Ford’s assault on the Chevrolet-dominated WTCC
While the loss of races in Britain and Germany has made the task of putting together a programme more difficult, but Boardman heads back to the WTCC with one aim in mind. “Not having a British or a German round is madness,” he said. “We had two sponsors lined up, one for the British round and one for the German round, and then it was cancelled. We are a British team and we have British sponsors who were really looking forward to going to Donington Park so it has made it difficult. “However, we’ll keep building and that is our aim – to build STR. I’ve been involved with SEAT for a long time and I want to do the WTCC again at a time when it looks like they are going to come back in. Personally, I think its about time that I got a break and if I can do a good job this season in the WTCC, then maybe SEAT will consider me for a works drive. Being a driver for a manufacturer team is all I have dreamed of since I started racing.” Boardman’s move back to the WTCC comes after he achieved his goal of winning a race for the first time in the domestic series during 2011; taking the chequered flag first in somewhat
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controversial fashion at Knockhill after a clash with Jason Plato. It was the highlight of what was – at times – a frustrating campaign, with no weekend being more frustrating that his home event at Oulton Park. “When I look back at the season as a whole now, I think it was quite rewarding,” he reflected. “I got a podium at Thruxton at the start of the season, there was the win at Knockhill and then a great drive through the field from the back at Silverstone. It was a tough year at times but I really enjoyed it, although without some of the problems we faced, it could have been a lot better. “However, what happened at Oulton Park [when he was forced out after a collision with Jeff Smith] was probably the worst incident of my racing career – simply because I didn’t expect it to happen. I’d taken the gamble on slicks and dropped down the field but then came through the field again as the circuit started to dry.
“I think I would easily have got a podium and then as I turned into the hairpin – bang! The crazy thing about it is that because it was so unexpected, I was quite shaken up and my first reaction was to get out of the car. The car could have been driven back and I’d probably have scored some points, but for some reason, I got out. “That isn’t what I do and my instinct has always told me to try and get the car back to the pits. I was kicking myself about that and I still can’t believe I did it!”
Tom Boardman returns to WTCC action in 2012
Inside BTCC 15
Still/PSP
developed by SEAT themselves, as opposed to the SR Sport engine used by the SEAT cars last year.
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CONSISTENCY KEY FOR MOTORBASE
KENT SQUAD AIMING FOR “SERIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE”
Motorbase Performance will hope that past knowledge will be key to a successful title bid after confirming its plans for the new season. The team will continue to field its NGTC-powered Ford Focus STs in 2012 and will field three cars for the full season; having expanded its programme to run a third car for the final rounds of 2011. Both Mat Jackson and Liam Griffin return while a programme described by the team as its ‘most ambitious campaign to date’ is completed by Clio Cup graduate Aron Smith, who joins Motorbase having impressed in a one-off outing for rivals Triple Eight at Knockhill last season. With the team having worked to improve the Focus over the course of the winter, hopes are high that a proven package will be key to a championship challenge, while big things are also expected of new recruit Smith – the younger brother of former Vauxhall driver Gavin. Inside BTCC 16
“We’re very excited about this year,” team boss David Bartrum said. “We will be continuing with the same cars from last year which we learnt a lot from in our first season with them in 2011. We have been busy further improving over the winter, so to also keep the continuity of Mat and Liam as well is very important for us moving forward this year, and to welcome Aron to the team is fantastic. “Aron has settled straight in to the team and has impressed us all in testing. I’m sure he will be competitive very quickly this year. Liam has had a year in the BTCC under his belt now so knows what to expect this year so we’re looking forward to him hitting the ground running come round one. “With Mat, he will be starting in a car he knows well and which has been further improved, so there is no reason why we can’t mount a serious championship challenge as we did last year, but hope for some better luck in 2012!”
With Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden and Jason Plato all switching to NGTC-spec cars this season, and James Nash having moved on to the WTCC, lead driver Jackson is now the only one of the five championship contenders from 2011 to be going into the new season with the same package he raced last season. Had it not been for a tough run of form through the latter stages of 2011, where he
races, Jackson may well have a championship title to his name already. However, with a proven car underneath him and with others taking on the challenge of developing a car to the new regulations, Jackson will hope that 2012 is his year. “It’s fantastic to be back driving with Motorbase for the third year in a row – it feels like home now!” he said. “We have the same core personnel
Jakob Ebrey
BY MATT SALISBURY
Aron Smith willtop line Mat finished inside the tenup in alongside in place for thisJackson season, just of Griffin the final for twelve which in I believe andthree Liam Motorbase 2012is key to our www.insidebtcc.com
Pics: Jakob Ebrey
Motorbase have started their testing programme ahead of the 2012 season Performance is the type of team I know I’ll feel right at home in, this all feels like a dream come true and I can’t wait for the racing to begin!”
Hildrew/PSP
However, at the same time as confirming an extended BTCC programme, Motorbase has also revealed that it will be missing from the supporting Porsche Carrera Cup GB for the year ahead.
Mat Jackson took four wins in 2011 and starts the 2012 season among the title favourites... challenge for the outright driver’s title. “2012 looks to be an exciting year in the BTCC. With the new NGTC regulations being adopted by many of the front running teams, the season could prove to be very interesting indeed. We showed last year that we have the car and skills in place to compete against the ‘big boys’ and hopefully the other teams will experience some teething problems that we can capitalise on!” www.insidebtcc.com
While the target for Griffin will be to continue the progress he made towards the end of his debut season, Smith will hope to make the most of the opportunity now facing him having managed to secure one of the top slots on the grid for his full-time touring car graduation. “I couldn’t be more excited about this season; the past two years have literally been building up to this moment,” he said. “Motorbase
With Motorbase having been part of the series since being formed in 2004 - and with Bartrum having made no secret of his love of the series - the news that the team won’t feature in 2011 comes as something of a surprise. Bartrum however was keen to point out that the move wasn’t a permanent one and that Motorbase will be back in future. “I love the Carrera Cup, but we were looking for a new challenge for 2012,” he said. “This isn’t an ending, it’s a sabbatical. Give us a year or two and we’ll be back. Carrera Cup has been a big part of our team and Porsche will always be part of our
future.” Indeed, while the team will be missing from the Carrera Cup in 2012, it will still maintain an involvement with Porsche during the season ahead with an entry into the British GT Championship alongside its BTCC programme. Michael Caine and Daniele Perfetti will share driving duties in a GT3-spec Porsche as the team returns to the series for the first time since 2006. “Porsche is a tried and trusted brand,” Bartrum continued. “It is familiar ground, but the car is stepping up a league. It is a new challenge, but we’re going back to something we’re used to doing.” “We understand the car and it is a product we know and love.”
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NEWS IN BRIEF | NEWS IN BRIEF | NEWS IN BRIEF
RENAMED AMD SIGNS JACKSON
ITV’s commentary team will have a new look for 2012 after Ben Edwards elected to switch to the BBC’s F1 team. Edwards will be replaced by Toby Moody; a man best known for his work on Eurosport’s MotoGP coverage for the past 15 years. “I’ve got big boots to fill – Ben was a class act – but when the opportunity came up I had to go for it,” Moody said. “The
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MOODY NAMED NEW ITV COMMENTATOR
chance to commentate on a major sport with the BTCC’s following and for ITV Sport was too good to miss and I’m over the moon to have been offered the job.” Moody will continue to commentate on the MotoGP events that don’t clash with the ten BTCC rounds, while Tim Harvey will be alongside him despite signing a deal to race a Porsche in the British GT Championship.
O’NEILL STRAPPED FOR CASH PAUL O’NEILL has revealed that he is still searching for sufficient sponsorship to get him on the grid for the 2012 BTCC season. The fan-favourite recently posted an update to Facebook and Twitter, stating: “Right then... So I can tell you guys what’s happening BTCC wise for those of you wanting to know, I’m 35K short of staying with T-Speed...”
in a Honda Integra before a switch to a Chevrolet Cruze last year. Tech-Speed continues working to put together its programme for the season ahead.
Ollie Jackson will take part in a full BTCC season for the first time in 2012 after signing up to drive AmD Tuning.com’s VW Golf. Jackson joins AmD having made his debut in the BTCC in the final two rounds of 2011 with Triple Eight. “After the two rounds last season in the Vectra, I knew the BTCC was where I wanted to be full-time in 2012 and I’m delighted that I’ve been able to agree a deal with AmD Tuning.com,” he said. “I’m really pleased to have a deal confirmed nice and early, which will give me time to carry out some
decent testing before the opening rounds. “My initial aim is to see where I stand when we get to Brands Hatch and then make improvements and move forwards. However, the Golf is a proven car that showed good pace in 2011 and my target is to bring home top ten finishes as the year goes on. The team has welcomed me on board and I can’t wait to get started.” Jackson has already started his pre-season testing programme with outings at Thruxton and Snetterton.
FIRST LOOK AT MORGAN’S TOYOTA The image below shows the livery that Adam Morgan’s Speedworks
Motorsport Toyota Avensis will sport in the 2012 BTCC.
O’Neill has driven for the team for the past three seasons after returning to the BTCC, with two years
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TWO INSIGNIAS FOR THORNEY
Tony Gilham will race the Honda Civic that took Gordon Shedden to second in last season’s championship during the 2012 season.
After a brief appearance at Silverstone last year, Thorney Motorsport has announced it will field two cars during the 2012 season.
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Jakob Ebrey
GILHAM SECURES DYNAMICS HONDA
Gilham joined the grid last year with Triple Eight, but sponsorship issues saw him lose his drive ahead of the Knockhill race weekend. The former cage fighter then switched to Geoff
Vectras to race on in 2012 The Vauxhall Vectra will still be part of the BTCC field in 2012, with two teams having announced plans to run the car this season. Lea Wood will swap his Honda Integra for the car that was raced last season by Andrew Jordan, with the car being run by his small Central Group Racing team. “Obviously the car won two races with Eurotech and I feel was can make it run just as well,” he told the official series website. “I believe it will make us quite a bit more competitive in 2012 and we need to be knocking on the door of the top ten www.insidebtcc.com
Steel Racing for the final two races of the year but will hope for better results with his new car. “I’m massively excited to have got my hands on one of the title-winning Hondas,” he said. “I’ll be in a proven car and can’t wait to get going.” Gilham hasn’t yet announced who will run the car. at each event.” Team ES Racing has also picked up Vectras for the season ahead, having purchased the cars raced in recent years by Triple Eight after its switch to MG. Chris James will drive one car, with former STR driver Dave Newsham having signed up as his team-mate as the team expands to two cars. “These are race-winning cars and will continue to be highly competitive in 2012,” said James. “We’re delighted to get the deal concluded to run the Vectras and look forward to pushing hard at the start of the season. They come with a great spares package and a massive
Team boss John Thorne will be at the wheel of one car, while the second NGTC-spec Vauxhall Insignia will be driven by Rob Hedley. Delays in parts mean the second car won’t appear until round four of the year at Oulton Park. “We are delighted to have Rob on board as not only has he shown considerable amount of data so we should be able to hit the ground running.” ES has also signed former Pinkney Motorsport team manager Andrew Dean to oversee its championship campaign.
New backing for Wrathall Frank Wrathall has secured backing from Mac Tools for his second season in the BTCC.
talent in a variety of championships but he’s also demonstrated sheer commitment to the drive and the team,” Thorne said. “I’ve never known a driver work so hard to impress us both on and off track, it’s admirable. “This year we have the first three rounds in the first month so there’s no way we will be able to get the second car prepared for then. Apart from anything there are parts we simply won’t be able to receive in time and we’ve no intention of rushing this, but Oulton Park is an achievable target.” hope to shine again in the Dynojet Racing-run car. “Mac Tools is committed to a shared set of values and team work is at the core of our business,” Tony Prueitt, UK Sales Director for Mac Tools, said. “To be aligned with Dynojet Racing for the 2012 BTCC season is very exciting and we are looking forward to contributing to and celebrating the success of such a committed and race-ready outfit.”
Wrathall impressed last year with his NGTC-spec Toyota Avensis and will
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TALKING TYRES
MATT SALISBURY TALKS TO DUNLOP’S JAMES BAILEY... Inside BTCC 20
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One request we had from a reader of Inside BTCC last season was on the subject of tyres, and the impact that the Dunlop rubber used on the series can have on the on-track action... The question came after we’d seen two very different race weekends, with Brands Hatch being swelteringly hot, but then Finals Day at Silverstone being almost the exact opposite, showing how the tyres provided by Dunlop have to work in a wide range of conditions.
Inside BTCC: Tyres are obviously a vital part of motorsport and what we saw between Brands Hatch and Silverstone last season was a huge change in conditions; from blistering heat at Brands Hatch to frost on the ground in the morning at Silverstone on Finals Day.
With that in mind, we decided to catch up with James Bailey, marketing and communications director for Dunlop Motorsport, to talk tyres and how they play a pivotal role in the BTCC action.
From Dunlop’s point of view, how does that change in conditions affect the performance of the tyres on track?
If you think it’s just as simple as bolting four tyres on a car and hitting the track, then you’d be sadly mistaken…
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James Bailey: It’s very difficult to design such a versatile tyre that has to cope and perform well in such diverse conditions. If you compare the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship to a series where there are open tyre
regulations – such as Le Mans – where one of our teams could chose from any one of ten compounds that are on the truck to suit the conditions, the BTCC tyre has to work in all conditions. What becomes important first of all is to design the tyre with a very wide range of performance potential, so in the compound we put in the tyre it has to have an operating window that goes from a track temperature of below ten to over 30; whereas normally a racing tyre has a very small operating window. That is something where we do a lot of compound engineering and design to find a versatile compound and make sure we have the
right kind of materials in there to make a tyre that can cope with those varied temperatures. But the most important factor is to make sure that the tyre works with the car, and that is why is why the set-up advice that the Dunlop engineers give to the teams is even more critical when there is one standard tyre. We measure the temperature across the footprint of the tyre and we can go back to teams and tell them exactly what temperatures are being generated across the tyre and what that means in terms of camber settings for the car. It might be that on a circuit kind of circuit and in a certain temperature, we can allow more flexibility in terms of Inside BTCC 21
Jakob Ebrey set-up than we would, for example, on a very hot day on a very demanding circuit with long corners. It is more how do we tune the set-up of the car from a camber point of view and the set-up of the tyre from a pressure point of view to make sure if has the right operating range of temperature for a whole race. The whole set-up is probably as important as the actual construction of the tyre. Inside BTCC: So in theory, the tyre should perform roughly the same no matter what the temperature? James Bailey: Not at exactly the same level as there is still a perfect operating range and we have designed the tyre around the typical average English summer temperature; but they can be quite variable! Clearly if we turned up at a race in October and the track temperature was below five, or we experienced something
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over 40 in the middle of summer, that would be outside the ultimate desired operating range of the tyre, although they are designed with a safety margin to cope with those. If it was below five, you’d just need extra warm-up laps! To make the comparison with F1, or in Dunlop’s case with GT racing, where you can chose the tyre to suit the conditions, it is a lot easier to do that. If we brought a range of different tyres to the BTCC and gave the teams a choice, we’d probably find that each of the cars on any given circuit could possibly go two seconds a lap quicker than they do on the tyre that we bring. But we are trying to make a tyre that works across different circuits and in different temperatures, so we have to come up with what is an effective compromise for all circuits. Inside BTCC: That compromise though all goes towards improving the show as there aren’t certain
compounds that may favour one team over another… James Bailey: It does, and the tens of thousands of fans who come along to watch a BTCC race want to know that the guy who is winning is winning because he is doing the best job; not because he has made the right tyre choice. It is important for us to bring a consistent product that works for all of the teams and one of the things that we are proud of in the BTCC is that it doesn’t matter whether you are Chevrolet, Honda or a privateer team running a single car, you will get a Dunlop service engineer and you will get the same level of service engineering and the same fitting service. Parity is a word used a lot in the BTCCin 2011 but we are proud that we bring parity to the tyres. Inside BTCC: You mentioned that the engineers will suggest camber settings and pressures to
teams to get the best result, but do teams have to listen to what they are told to do as we’ve seen in F1 this season? Do they have to go within certain limits or can they do as they wish if they think they know better? James Bailey: It’s always a challenge. The teams in general are pretty good. We’ve been working on BTCC tyres under the current rules since this era started and have been working with this specification of tyre now for two years. We understand the tyre, we know how it works in different conditions, on different circuits, on frontwheel drive, on rear-wheel drive, on a turbo car, on an NGTC car and all because we have masses of data. When we go to a team and tell them the best way to get the most out of the footprint of the tyre – which is what we are trying to do from a service engineer point of view to keep – they have good reason to believe us because we have the data from the cars in the paddock to back in up.
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Jakob Ebrey Inside BTCC: In 2011, we saw the NGTC cars join the grid and they run an 18-inch tyre compared to the 17-inch tyre on S2000 cars, which has led to development work from Dunlop’s point of view. But what kind of difference in performance is there from having a different size of tyre fitted?
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James Bailey: One of the briefs we were given with the NGTC engine was to have parity, so it would be no good if we’d come out with that tyre and it had been two seconds a lap quicker. We had to make sure it performed in a certain framework that was discussed with TOCA. At the end of the day, we could make any of these tyres two seconds a lap quicker, but it comes down to how many tyres the teams want to use, how much it will cost, and how much choice you give in choosing tyres. We chose a conservative and known quantity from our 18-inch range and developed that using the knowledge we had built up over years of racing in touring cars with our 17-inch tyre.
the actual tread dimension but it is that design change that increases the footprint, rather than the fact it is an 18-inch tyre. What we’ll see as more cars start to run on the NGTC tyre and it becomes the main tyre, we can discuss with TOCA what they want to do and see how we can evolve the tyre. We need to look and see if it is the right specification for the cars on the grid and see if they need to be going quicker, or in
fact, if they need to be going slower! I’m sure we’ll have those discussions but it was important to have the new tyre performing on the same level as the old one as there are enough variable in performance without us throwing something else into the mix!
Jakob Ebrey
Nearly all of the teams have been able to work with us on that and understand that we have the data to show how their tyres can be in great shape at the end of a race. It is difficult because a racing driver often wants a tyre that will feel quick over one or two laps and you put these settings on to make a tyre perform over 25 laps and the reaction you get is that the car doesn’t feel as good or it is slower than before. But they have to trust us and we have to build their trust and show we can help them to have a tyre that will perform as well on the final lap of a race as it will do on the first.
One misnomer that people do seem to have is that switching from 17-inch to 18-inch tyres increases the footprint, but it isn’t the diameter that increases the footprint. Okay, the 18-inch tyres are wider because of
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Y E H T E
R A E R E
WH
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JAMES PICKFORD WE CATCH UP WITH THE FORMER WORKS SEAT BTCC DRIVER When SEAT first introduced its one-make Cupra Championship, the prize on offer was a fully-funded touring car drive; making the series an attractive option for young drivers looking to make their mark. The first man to clinch the crown, Rob Huff, has since gone on to establish himself as one of the leading lights in the WTCC with Chevrolet after impressing in his single BTCC campaign, where he partnered Jason Plato in what was SEAT’s first foray into the series with the Toledo Cupra. Huff’s replacement in 2005 was the second driver to win the Cupra Championship, with James Pickford having taken the title in 2004 against rivals including Gordon Shedden, Tom Boardman and Gavin Smith. Although unable to match
Inside BTCC 24
Huff in winning a race, Pickford took numerous podium finishes, with a best result of second on no fewer than three separate occasions as he finished the year eighth in the championship standings and took the honour of top rookie in the title race. Despite that however, Pickford failed to return to the series in 2006 and since then, his racing career has seen him primarily focus on more powerful machinery, with race outings in a range of different GT machinery and work with some of the most prestigious manufacturers seen on the road. “I’ll never forget my year in touring cars,” he reflects. “It was a great year to be with SEAT and the BTCC was really on its way back up then. “After my year with SEAT,
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“Amongst all that, I had a customer called Paul Hogarth, who is local to me, and I was driving with him in Britcar doing the odd round and having fun along the way. We got some good results as well and I think it was in 2008 that he bought a Lamborghini - one of the first GT3 cars in the country and we did well with that before it had its issues and got involved in a big accident at Spa [where it was hit behind the Safety Car]. “After that it went a bit quiet
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and more bills started to creep in so I had to go and find a way of keeping myself busy and bringing some money in. In the background while I was racing, I had been busy working with manufacturers trying to find a way to fund my life. My role was helping people like Ferrari and BMW with developing their relationship with their customers and showing them what their cars could do. Now I am very close to Ferrari North Europe and I do a lot of driver development with their customers – things like track days and arrive and drive events. I get sent to dealerships and test tracks to show people what the latest Ferrari cars can really do which is a great thing to be involved with. I also do a lot of in-dealer training with BMW so I’ll go and get some training on the latest cars and then will go to the dealers to make them aware of the product and the new features we have with it. “But I’ve tried to keep racing as well. I’ve done the odd few races in British GT and have also done some races in the Fun Cup, which is what it
says on the tin. It’s a great little championship and I’ve done the Spa 25 hours for the past two years – and actually put it on pole this year. We had a good chance of winning the race until we broke a driveshaft in the night but we still finished inside the top ten. I try to keep my hand in with racing and am looking at hopefully doing British GT next year, but with bills to pay, I do my work for Ferrari, for BMW and people like Vauxhall and make sure I keep busy.” With girlfriend Roxie being a grid girl for the TechSpeed team, and a number of friends still in action on track, Pickford does keep an eye on what is happening on the BTCC grid, but he admits that a return to the series in future is unlikely – unless he was offered a paid drive with the lure of GT machinery seemingly being too great.
getting paid to race and how many people can say that now? There might be one or two who are making money from it and I would only go back if I was being paid to race. “I do miss the racing and I have to admit that when I did it with SEAT I was in the right environment. It was a factory team, we had three cars and we had a big budget. However, I don’t actually miss the cars. I like a fast car and something that people can look at and think ‘Wow – look at that’. It isn’t just a Ford Focus, a Vauxhall Vectra or a SEAT Leon for example. They are all good road cars but GT cars like a Ferrari 458, a Lamborghini Gallardo; they are special pieces of kit that make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. While I enjoyed my time in the BTCC, GT racing is where I see the future for myself in racing.”
“If someone came along to me and said here is some money to go and drive a touring car then I would do it,” he said. “What you’ve got to remember is that when I was in the BTCC, I was
Jakob Ebrey
I did the Porsche Carrera Cup with In2Racing in 2006 and it was nice to show Tim Harvey the way home at Silverstone. I did a deal for three rounds and had fastest laps and a few podiums. I then went to Trackspeed and did the FIA GT3 championship in a Porsche. I had a great time with Richard Williams as my team-mate, and also David Ashburn, and we won the Porsche manufacturers trophy. We got second on the street circuit in Bucharest and I really enjoyed the experience and got a lot from it.
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2012 BTCC CALENDAR
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Jakob Ebrey
31 March-1 April, Brands Hatch Indy 14-15 April, Donington Park National 28-29 April, Thruxton 9-10 June, Oulton Park Island 23-24 June, Croft 11-12 August, Snetterton 300 25-26 August, Knockhill 22-23 September, Rockingham 6-7 October, Silverstone 20-21 October, Brands Hatch GP
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