POSITION CARS, CRASHES AND CONSTRUCTION – WELCOME TO THE BTCC POLE

JOHN SURTEES ASKED ME TO RACE... I WON MY CLASS, FINISHED SECOND AND CLOCKED THE FASTEST LAP OF THE DAY.

Hurtling around corners at over 100 mph taking part in a car contact sport, might not be everyone’s idea of a good time, but everyone isn’t British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) driver Michael Crees.

Michael had to delay our meeting by a week as the day before he was a passenger and driving coach for a new driver. When travelling at 100mph the trainee accidentally shifted from fourth to fi rst gear, which resulted in Michael spending a week in the hospital after the car crashed into water at 85mph and staved in the passenger door. It’s the worst accident he’s ever been in, but Michael doesn’t seem fazed; “These things happen” he tells me.

Four years ago, Michael hadn’t raced at all; “I entered a monthly competition at Buckmore Park, it was £100 a month which I thought would be a bit of fun, and it was! I won a championship, and it turned out it was the British Hire Kart Championship. After winning that, they put me in the World Finals at Le Mans, I went, ended up with a pole position, and it all snowballed from there.”

Michael is friendly and engaging, with a real and obvious passion for racing, and talking to him about his entry into BTCC it seems like a story too good to be true; “I came to the attention of John Surtees (a racing legend who won world championships on two and four wheels), who asked me to race in the Surtees Foundation, against professional drivers and future Formula One stars. I won my class, fi nished in second position overall, and clocked the fastest lap of the day, which is when John asked what I drove. It seemed very strange to say that I didn’t!”

From there Michael started racing in the Ginetta GRDC where we he was the champion in his fi rst year, and then the Ginetta GT4 Supercup, where he once again fi nished fi rst. Now in his fi rst year as a professional driver, he is enjoying the challenge. “It’s a big difference to go from rearwheel to forward wheel drive, but there’s nothing else like it in the world”

Watching the BTCC it’s easy to wonder how anyone makes it out alive; Michael laughs; “I wouldn’t say that they exactly allow the cars to hit each other, but you can get away with a bit of contact, within reason”. Does he have any special methods to keep him safe or give him the edge? “I know it’s funny, but I always make sure I get dressed in a certain order, left boot, right boot, left glove, right glove. I don’t know why!” he says laughing; “It seems to be working so far though.”

One of the strangest things about Michael’s journey into racing is that it wasn’t planned. “I never thought about it till it happened, I had the success with the karting, but then what? It was through Paul Whitnell that I met Vince Caldicott from PCS who was generous enough to back me and who paid for my fi rst year. It’s only through them and the other sponsors (MJ Plumbing, Nutanix, DDS Demolition, Hansgrohe, DPC Group, Roca, Next Level, Towelrads, Viega, Merlyn Showering, Radiators Online.com, Geberit, SMG Croydon and Team HARD) who have come on board that I have been able to get so far!”

Sponsoring a car in the BTCC does seem like a strange place for business to put their money at fi rst glance, but the Championship is rife with construction business. There are 60,000 fans at every race weekend, and viewing fi gures of 20 million on ITV4 live, that’s a big audience. “It’s predominately a construction industry car, and the races are like a small BITA! We have some great sponsors that we invite along to these events, and there is a lot of networking that goes on, in addition to the great spectacle of a race day. We get a lot of big names; Redrow, Persimmon, Barclay and others will all be going to brands hatch; it’s a great opportunity.”

For those with even a casual interest in racing, the name Jason Plato will be very familiar. Plato is currently racing in the BTCC, and has won two BTCC championships. “It’s inspiring to be racing alongside a legend like Jason. I’ve become really close friends with him, and considering we used to watch him on TV as kids, it’s phenomenal but a bit surreal to say the least! But that’s what the BTCC is like, there are so many incredible drivers, although of course Jason is one of the greats.”

Looking to the future, Michael has big plans; “I want to fi nish in the top 25 this year, and next year I would like to drive for a manufacture team. In the next fi ve years...? Honestly, I’d like to be winning.”

So, does the racing champion have any words of wisdom for our readers? “I think that it’s important to make the most of any opportunities that are given to you, or that you come across. Yes, you need talent and passion, but if you don’t grab a chance when it comes up it will skip you by.”

Michael would like to thank his support team; his wife Jody and two children, Hugo, 6, and Bonnie, 3, as well as his sponsors and supporters. You can connect with Michael on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with his handle @Creesy777

BITA members are encouraged to talk to Michael about sponsorship opportunities which are available at a very reasonable price.