Inside BTCC - Issue 1 by Inside BTCC

issue 1 : sept 2011

JACKSON TAKES CHARGE

Airwaves star leads title hunt as BTCC heads to Scotland

www.insidebtcc.com Inside BTCC KNOCKHILL PREVIEW / SNETTERTON REVIEW / INSIDEBTCC.COM INSIDE:

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WELCOME... It’s been in the pipeline for a number of

months, but finally we’re able to say welcome to the opening edition of Inside BTCC, a new publication focused on the British Touring Car Championship. Inside BTCC is the brainchild of two regular members of the press room who have decided to combine their skills to produce a new e-mag that will provide reports, features and analysis of the series throughout the year. We’re not aiming to bring you every piece of news that breaks in the BTCC paddock as there are plenty of websites doing just that - including the official series website btcc.net and BTCCPages.com, the long-running site run by one of Inside BTCC’s cofounders. Rather than just bringing you the news you’ve read elsewhere, we instead want to tell some of the other stories from the BTCC world – so if there is something in particular that you want to hear about, then please feel free to get in touch.

So where do we start? With Knockhill just around the corner, we look ahead to the Scottish weekend and look back at a Snetterton weekend where the championship took a number of twists – with a new name on the top of the standings. However, a look at some qualifying stats suggests his position as championship leader could be a lot stronger than it is… We also speak to the new boy on the BTCC block, Chris Swanwick, while one of the more experienced figures in the field chats about his new role outside racing. Gordon Shedden talks us through a lap of Knockhill and in the first of a series focused on drivers who’ve not been seen on the BTCC grid for some time, we speak to a man who made his return to the paddock in Norfolk a few weeks ago. So it’s over to you. We hope you enjoy your first taste of Inside BTCC and give us a follow on Twitter of ‘Like Us’ on Facebook to make sure you keep up to speed with everything we have going on. Until next time...

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S T TEN

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IN THIS ISSUE... Snetterton race report

Wrathall hits the podium

Snetterton in pictures

Knockhill preview

A lap of Knockhill...with Gordon Shedden

Championship standings

Race results

Qualifying - the season so far

Where are they now?... Michael Doyle

Twitter directory

Swanwick gets a second chance

Matt Neal: Switching sides

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.

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Photos are credit BTCC.NET unless otherwise stated. To get in touch, please email: CONTACT@INSIDEBTCC.COM.

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ID Jackson kicks up a gear to hit the front

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Airwaves Racing star takes points lead with race three win at Snetterton

When Mat Jackson only managed to qualify 13th for the opening race of the weekend at Snetterton, the last thing the Airwaves Racing man would have imagined is that he would have come away from the sixth round of the BTCC season on top of the championship for the first time. However, in an action-packed weekend of racing on the new Snetterton 300 layout, that’s exactly what happened as the Motorbase driver picked up his fourth win of the season and firmly established himself as a serious contender for this year’s crown. Jackson admitted that his qualifying session had been nothing short of a nightmare after changes made to his Focus ST failed to work in spectacular fashion and left him with work to do on race day. Seeing title rival Matt Neal spin at the start of the opening race after contact with Jason Plato was a boost and two solid points finishes in the first two races left him on the front row for race three when Dave Pinkney made the reverse grid draw. Getting ahead of Dave Newsham quickly was what Jackson needed in race three and a second lap pass was the vital moment of the race as he then went on to take win number four this season – and his fourth in the reverse grid race. “I was amazed that the reverse grid worked

in our favour again and knew that we were capable of taking the lead; it was then just a case of keeping our heads and not making any mistakes to bring in another win for the team,” he said afterwards. “It’s the first time I’ve ever led the Championship and it feels great. We’re the underdogs and maybe we’re starting to get under their skin a bit going by some of the comments that have come our way – it’s all mind games and we’ll not fall for it.” Jackson had gone into the Snetterton weekend sitting nine points behind Neal in the standings but will instead go to Knockhill with an eight point advantage in the standings – but a tough weekend for Neal saw him drop outside the top two in the championship race. The double champion’s demon start looked set to give him the advantage in race one but when two into one wouldn’t go through Riches, it was his Honda that came off worst in an incident that saw rival Plato handed a fine later on. Dropped to the back of the field as a result, Neal failed to add to his tally and was again outside the points in race two when – having battled up to sixth – he was forced to pit with a puncture. While he came from 17th on the grid to finish fourth in race three, it was pretty much a weekend to forget as he was the

li t Sa

Mat

big loser amongst the top drivers in the championship. Although Neal’s luck was out, there was encouragement for the other side of the

“It’s the first time I’ve ever led the Championship and it feels great.” Mat Jackson garage as Gordon Shedden took his third success of the campaign in race two, having earlier picked up a podium finish with third in race one. That success meant the Scot briefly headed the championship standings but the fact he could only take seventh in race three means he will go into his home round at Knockhill eight points down on Jackson. It could however have been worse after Shedden was handed a black and orange flag for a flailing front wing which he managed to remove on track with a nifty piece of driving that saw him brush against a bale on the outside of the circuit at Williams. The other victory during the weekend went the way of defending champion Plato as he brought himself firmly back into championship contention with a hat-trick of podium finishes. As was the case last year, Chevrolet came out fighting after the summer break, aided to a certain extent by further revisions to the boost level on the turbo cars. Plato had admitted that his best chance of victory this season was to lead from the front, so pole position was ideal ahead of race day, although he wouldn’t have expected to find Neal on his outside through turn one. Who was at fault divided opinion afterwards but the crucial fact for Plato was that he escaped unscathed and was able to secure his fifth win of the year. A brace of third place finishes that followed mean the defending champion is now just 20 points off the pace – having halved the deficit to top spot in the course of one weekend. Podium finishes also went the way of James Nash and Paul O’Neill, with the results being important for both drivers but for differing reasons. Nash was one of the more impressive drivers over the course of the

Good weekend: Mat Jackson: Turned what looked like being a weekend to forget into one to remember as he battled to win number four and secured the championship lead for the first time

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Jason Plato: Three podium finishes mean the defending champion is still in the hunt for honours Frank Wrathall: Showed why people think he is a champion of the future as he took the fight to the established runners

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weekend at the wheel of his Triple Eight-run Vectra, with a top six finish in all three races meaning he is only 31 points away from top spot despite the fact he still hasn’t broken his victory duck. O’Neill meanwhile visited the podium for the second time this season on what was his best weekend of the year in his TechSpeed-run Chevrolet, Having endured a tough weekend at Croft where he failed to finish twice, O’Neill was on form all weekend and raced his way to a second place finish in the final race. Such was his speed that winner Jackson admitted afterwards that he would have struggled to fend off his rival if he’d been able to battle ahead of Newsham’s SEAT earlier in the race. Elsewhere there was massive disappointment for Andrew Jordan, who came away from the weekend with just one ninth place finish after struggling throughout in his Pirtek Racing Vectra and for Tom Chilton, who also managed to take just one top ten finish after electrical issues hampered his challenge. That was still more than Tom Boardman achieved after his engine lasted three laps on race day. Boardman’s lack of performance was offset somewhat by an improved showing from team-mate Newsham, who scored in

all three races. Seventh in race two was the highlight but it should have been bettered in race three, where he ran inside the top three for the majority of the twelve laps before being knocked back to eighth when Alex MacDowall forced him wide exiting the final corner on the final lap. That helped MacDowall to secure his third top five finish of the weekend – his best of the year so far – although it could have a lot different if a flash fire during qualifying after his car suffered a fuel leak had taken hold. Quick work from the Chevrolet team, assisted by rivals in the pit-lane, meant cosmetic damage was all his Cruze suffered and from third on the grid, the Cumbrian would run strongly in all three races. Perhaps the most encouraging performance of the weekend came from an unlikely source, as the future of the series scored points for the first time. Frank Wrathall opened eyes when his put his Dynojet Toyota Avensis inside the top ten in qualifying and the NGTC machine performed even better on race day. A fourth place finish in race one, which also gave him Independent honours, was a breakthrough result for driver, team and car and would have been bettered in race two when Wrathall ran in a podium position before being forced to retire late on with an overheating problem; which also put him

Bad weekend: Matt Neal: Failed to score twice and now playing catch-up in the standings, the saving grace being less weight in his car at Knockhill

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out of race three. Wrathall wasn’t the only NGTC driver to score for the first time, with Rob Austin’s fastest lap in race two opening his account for the season despite him failing to make it to the finish. The improving speed of his Audi was shown by a run to tenth in race three as he too celebrated points from the weekend. Dan Welch meanwhile took three finishes on the debut of the Welch Motorsport Proton Gen-2; the fourth NGTC-spec car to appear on the grid this season.

KEY MOMENT Matt Neal attempts to go around the outside of Jason Plato at turn one when the opening race gets underway but finds himself tipped into a spin. He fails to score as a result and then scores a zero again after picking up a puncture while coming through the field in race two. Plato wins race one as a result to move back into championship contention while Gordon Shedden and Mat Jackson also win to move ahead of Neal in the standings.

Andrew Jordan: Went into the weekend as a championship contender but came out of it saying that his hopes for this season are all but over Tom Boardman: It’s a long trip from Lancashire to Snetterton. Boardman might as well have stayed at home Inside BTCC

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HITS THE PODIUM TOYOTA STAR GRABS FIRST NGTC TROPHY AT SNETTERTON BY MATT LAMPRELL Frank Wrathall made BTCC history at Snetterton, claiming the first trophy for an NGTC-specification car, with Independent victory in the first race of the weekend. Wrathall, in his debut BTCC season with the family-run Dynojet, finished fourth overall after starting seventh on the grid. It marked an impressive start to the second half of the season for Wrathall, whose best result before Snetterton was 12th place at Croft. “It’s been a continual development” said Wrathall. “The seven week break did us a lot of good. We spent the first half of the season sorting out the reliability, the weaknesses in the car that you’re always going to get with a new car.

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The engine has always been very strong and now we’ve dialled the chassis in to support and given ourselves such a good package that I’ve stood on the podium.” 2011 is a transition year for the BTCC, with NGTC cars on the grid for a full season for the first time. The first appearance on the podium of an NGTC driver shows how far the new-for-2011 cars have come just a few months, even if it hasn’t been plain sailing all the way – Wrathall was only classified as a finisher in three of the first 15 races. Wrathall’s Snetterton result brought him not only maximum BTCC Independent Drivers points but also his first main championship points the first-ever championship points scored by the driver of

an NGTC car. It looked like a repeat performance – or even better – could be on the cards in the second race. Wrathall was running third until a damaged radiator brought his weekend to a premature close. The number of NGTC cars on the grid is increasing as the season goes on. The Welch Motorsport Proton joined the championship at Snetterton and Chris Swanwick has been confirmed for the last two rounds of the year in a second Rob Austin Racing Audi. The influx of ‘Next Generation Touring Cars’ bodes well for the future of the series. Each points-scoring finish is a step in the right direction and the first NGTC victory could come before the end of the year.

At just 24 years of age, Wrathall himself looks set to have a bright BTCC future ahead of him. Having won the Ginetta G50 Cup in 2010, he knows what it’s like to run at the front, but his newfound BTCC success seems to have struck a chord. “Being stood up on that podium means more than anything in my career. To do it in such a way that we’ve been developing the car from scratch, and in the first race the car wasn’t even really ready to go… to be on the podium six rounds in as top independent is incredible. “It’s incredible to have done it so soon.”

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SNETTERTON IN PICTURES

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SCOTLAND CALLING ID

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WE PREVIEW ROUNDS 19, 20 & 21 AT KNOCKHILL

Just weeks after visiting the longest circuit on the calendar, the new Snetterton 300 layout, the BTCC now heads to one of its shortest with the annual trip north of the border to Knockhill. The Snetterton race weekend saw the fight for the 2011 title take another twist as Mat Jackson battled back from 13th on the grid to emerge from the sixth meeting of the season at the head of the standings. Perhaps almost as remarkable is the fact that it was the first time the Airwaves Racing man has been the man to beat in the title race… Jackson’s success at Snetterton has the downside of maximum ballast on his Focus for the weekend ahead, but as the season has gone on, so Motorbase has pushed on with the development of the car; finding more and more from what was already a strong base package. So far this season, all of Jackson’s four victories have come in the final race of a weekend, so don’t be surprised if he focuses on points in race one before making progress towards the front as race day wears on. Although Jackson is a popular figure at the head of the standings, it could be argued that he will be the villain of the piece if he remains there post-Knockhill, given that closest rival Gordon Shedden will be competing on home soil. The Honda driver was a winner at Knockhill twelve months ago and returns to his home event with a bumper crowd set to cheer him. While the 31-year-old is experienced enough to know that anything can – and probably will – happen on race day, he count on the fact that he goes into the weekend armed with probably the strongest package on the grid, with well-sorted chassis of the Civic and the Neil Brown turbo engine likely to be a formidable force. Team-mate Matt Neal, also a winner at Knockhill twelve months ago, will aim to benefit from the same strengths and is only two points further back in the standings. However, the leading turbo runners would be wise to keep one on their mirrors, given the way in which defending champion Inside BTCC 14

Jason Plato moved back into contention at Snetterton. Three trips to the podium and win number five of the season mean the Chevrolet man is now just 20 points off the championship lead himself ahead of a return to a circuit where he has won more times – eight – than any other driver.

320si, while O’Neill was back on form at Snetterton with his best result of the year and will be at the wheel of the car Plato drove to victory last year. There would be few more popular results than if the Tech-Speed man was to end his victory drought during the weekend.

Like the Civic, the Chevrolet Cruze is a well-sorted chassis – as it should be with a team of the calibre of RML behind it – and its engine is more than a match for any normally-aspirated unit around. Twelve months ago, Alex MacDowall put his car on pole and Plato ended the weekend with a victory; a repeat would be welcome this time around. With the team having focused on qualifying pace during a recent test at Donington, don’t bet against Plato taking at least one trip to the top of the podium as he’s shown already this season that he can win from the front.

The likes of Special Tuning pair Tom Boardman and Dave Newsham have a good chance of strong points, while Frank Wrathall and Rob Austin scored the first points for NGTC machines at Snetterton and should stand a solid chance of fighting towards the top ten again this time around.

MacDowall in the sister car will hope he can repeat the form he displayed at Snetterton to retain seventh in the standings while the two drivers ahead of him – James Nash and Andrew Jordan – will be chasing results but for differing reasons. Nash has scored in 16 of the 18 races run so far to build a championship challenge and a first win surely can’t be far away in the Triple Eight-run Vectra, which may be the only one on the grid this weekend after the departure of Tony Gilham. Fellow Vauxhall driver Jordan meanwhile endured a torrid weekend at Snetterton and will hope that the power problems he suffered in Norfolk are in the past. Eighth was his best result in Scotland last year and will surely be bettered this time around. Elsewhere, Team Aon pair Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole will hope that a recent Snetterton test will allow them to turn a corner with the new Global Ford Focus, which has so far been overshadowed in results terms by the car it replaced, while normally aspirated duo Rob Collard and Paul O’Neill will seek to maintain top ten championship positions.

Aside from the BTCC, the Ginetta and Porsche support series’ also head for Scotland, although the recent Renault World Series meeting at Silverstone played host to the latest rounds of the Formula Renault Championship and the single-seaters don’t make the trip as a result. The Clio Cup is also missing for the weekend, which means fans will instead be treated to action from the Scottish Classic Sports and Saloons series and the Celtic Speed Mini Cooper Cup.

Knockhill BTCC schedule: Saturday 3 September 09.35-10.15 – Free Practice 1 12.10-12.50 – Free Practice 2 15.05-15.35 – Qualifying (live on ITV. com) Sunday 4 September 11.45 – Round 13.00-13.30 Session 14.15 – Round 17.05 – Round

19, 24 laps – Paddock

Autograph

20, 24 laps 21, 24 laps

All times subject to change. Race day action live on ITV4, ITV4HD and ITV.com from 11.30-18.00

Collard was a winner at Knockhill back in 2005 during his MG days but may need the weather to be on his side to make the most of the performance of his BMW www.insidebtcc.com

KNOCKHILL: RECENT HISTORY

NEWS IN BRIEF NEAL SUFFERS BROKEN HAND

2010 Pole

Alex MacDowall, Chevrolet Cruze

Race One

Gordon Shedden, Honda Civic

Race Two

Matt Neal, Honda Civic

Race Three

Jason Plato, Chevrolet Cruze

2009 Pole

Jason Plato, Chevrolet Lacetti

Race One

Jason Plato, Chevrolet Lacetti

Race Two

Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall Vectra

Race Three

Mat Jackson, Chevrolet Lacetti

2008 Pole

Darren Turner, SEAT Leon TDI

Race One

Jason Plato, SEAT Leon TDI

Race Two

Jason Plato, SEAT Leon TDI

Race Three

Darren Turner, SEAT Leon TDI

2007 Pole

Darren Turner, SEAT Leon

Race One

Darren Turner, SEAT Leon

Race Two

Darren Turner, SEAT Leon

Race Three

Gordon Shedden, Honda Civic

2006 Pole

Jason Plato, SEAT Leon

Race One

Jason Plato, SEAT Leon

Race Two

Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall Astra

Race Three

Matt Neal, Honda Integra

2005 Pole

Colin Turkington, Vauxhall Astra

Race One

Yvan Muller, Vauxhall Astra

Race Two

Matt Neal, Honda Integra

Race Three

Rob Collard, MG ZS

KNOCKHILL STATS LENGTH

1.30 miles

2011 RACE LAPS

RACE DISTANCE

31.20 miles

LAP RECORD (QUALIFYING)

53.001s (Alex MacDowall, 2010)

LAP RECORD (RACE)

53.383s (Darren Turner, 2008)

MOST WINS (1991-)

8 – Jason Plato

Championship hopeful Matt Neal was left to rue his love of martial arts after breaking a bone in his hand during a training session. Neal was taking his Second Dan examination when he broke the bone connecting his little finger to wrist in his right hand. The Honda driver insists he will be fit to compete at Knockhill but speculation has suggested James Thompson could replace the double champion if he isn’t fit. Thompson is a free agent after splitting with Volvo in the STCC.

GILHAM LEAVES TRIPLE EIGHT Tony Gilham’s time with Triple Eight has come to an end after he was forced to leave the team thanks to ‘commercial issues’. The Porsche Carrera Cup driver has struggled for budget all season after losing a potential sponsor on the eve of his debut campaign but had managed to put together deals to compete through to the conclusion of the Snetterton weekend. Gilham is working on a deal to be back out in the BTCC before the end of the season while Triple Eight is looking for a replacement for the Essex racer. STOP PRESS: Aron Smith will drive the second Triple Eight Vectra at Knockhill. Aron is the younger brother of Gavin Smith - a former works driver for VX Racing.

TEAMS TEST AHEAD OF KNOCKHILL A number of teams took the chance to test after the Snetterton weekend before preparing for the trip to Scotland. Both RML and Pirtek Racing headed to Donington, where the former worked on qualifying laps in an effort to secure better grid positions through the remaining four meetings and Pirtek working on engine mapping amongst other things after a tough Snetterton weekend.

to Snetterton with Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole as it looks to get more speed from its Global Ford Focus, while three NGTC teams tested in Rockingham – albeit in wet conditions. Rob Austin Racing and Toyota teams Dynojet and Speedworks were all on track trying out new parts ahead of the remaining races this season.

MARTIN HINES Karting guru Martin Hines has died at the age of 64 after losing his fight with cancer. Hines, a multiple karting champion during his own career, played a crucial role in launching the careers of a number of top line racing drivers, including current BTCC champion Jason Plato and F1 stars Lewis Hamilton, David Coulthard and Anthony Davidson. Hines’ son Luke was also a multiple race winner in the BTCC and has been a linked to a return to the series having tested a Triple Eight-run Vectra recently.

CHAMPIONS HEAD FOR UAE Multiple title winners Triple Eight are to contest the UAE Touring Car Championship over the winter. The team will miss the first two rounds due to a clash with the end of the BTCC season, but will take part in the remaining six meetings with its Vauxhall Vectras. No drivers have been named for the programme. “We have seen the UAE touring car series grow dramatically over the past couple of years and it’s clearly a series with a bright future,” Triple Eight chairman Ian Harrison said. “The calendar fit works well for us around our BTCC activities in the UK, and we will be coming to the UAE to compete at the highest level. We will be bringing our core race team personnel from the UK to operate the cars because we do not underestimate the level that we will need to operate at to be competitive, but would also like to see some local technicians helping us out during the series.”

Team Aon meanwhile went back

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A LAP OF

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KNOCKHILL WITH GORDON SHEDDEN

REAL RADIO HAIRPIN

START - FINISH

“Out of Clark’s, you have the run down to the final Hairpin and the fact that the approach is around a bend makes it slightly easier to defend than if it was one long straight. However, it is still a difficult corner because you come out of it onto the main straight and if you don’t get the exit speed then you open yourself to attack on the run up to the line.”

Jason Plato - 2009

HISLOP’S

Mat Jackson - 2007 Shedden wins at Knockhill in 2010

CLARKS

Knockhill - 2007

Inside BTCC 16

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“Clar again chan front and y If yo mad

Next stop

for the BTCC is one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar as the field heads over the border to Scotland for the annual trip to Knockhill. At just 1.30 miles per lap, Knockhill is the second shortest circuit on the calendar – second only to the Brands Hatch Indy

1 Yvan Muller, spectacular in 2005

layout – but it could be argued that setting a quick lap around the venue overlooking the Firth of Forth is more difficult than anywhere else visited by the series. So what do you need to do to nail a lap of Knockhill? Who better to ask than home hero Gordon Shedden…

“Knockhill is a challenging lap as it features a number of blind corners, the first of which is turn one. Coming into the corner, you have to be ready for the circuit to drop away from you and while you have to be aggressive, you also have to be controlled. “It’s one of the most critical parts of the circuit as you need to carry the speed through Leslies and into Scotsman and it isn’t unusual to either make or break a lap through that section of the track. You almost have to treat it as one corner because if you get the first part wrong, it will compromise you for the rest. It often looks spectacular when you see cars coming through on two wheels, but it isn’t always the fastest. “Although you do see some overtaking at Scotsman, it’s a corner where you can defend quite easily but you need to carry the speed through the corner for the drop into Butchers

SEAT CURVES

SCOTSMAN Shedden leads - 2007

Neate in qualifying - 2010

rk’s is another overtaking opportunity but n, it is also relatively easy to defend. The best nce of making a move stick is if the driver in t gets slightly out of shape exiting the Chicane you have the opportunity to get up the inside. ou can do that, you can almost have the move de before you turn right.

An unconventional line

JOHN R. WEIR CHICANE

“Changes have been made to the chicane for this year...if the letter of the law had been applied, the whole field would have faced penalties for putting four wheels off

“Changes have been made at the chicane for this year with new kerbs in place and it means you won’t see corner cutting like there has been in the past. To be honest, it was ridiculous to see the amount of corner cutting that we saw last season and if the letter of the law had been applied, the whole field would have faced penalties for putting four wheels off the circuit – me included. “One thing that won’t have changed is how difficult the corner is as we are sat so low in the car that you can’t see the apex and can’t see where the exit is. You also don’t know if you are going to come over the brow of the hill and find a car that has spun in front of you so you need to be brave but again, it’s all about being aggressive and controlled at the same time to carry as much speed as possible for the run to Clark’s.

the circuit – me included.” www.insidebtcc.com

Inside BTCC 17

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RACE FOR

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP

MANUFACTURER/CONSTRUCTOR

Mat Jackson

158

Honda/Dynamics

367

Gordon Shedden

150

Chevrolet/RML

323

Matt Neal

148

Ford/Arena

248

Jason Plato

138

James Nash

127

Andrew Jordan

113

Honda Racing

266

Alex MacDowall

Silverline Chevrolet

200

Rob Collard

Airwaves Racing

152

Tom Chilton

Triple Eight/Collins

138

Paul Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill

Pirtek Racing

124

Tom Boardman

WSR

Nick Foster

Team Aon

Dave Newsham

GoMobileUK.com/Tech-Speed

Tom Onslow-Cole

Special Tuning Racing

Tony Gilham

AmD Milltek Racing.com

Jeff Smith

Central Group Racing

Andy Neate

Rob Austin Racing

Frank Wrathall

Geoff Steel Racing

Lea Wood

Team ES Racing

Liam Griffin

Speedworks

Rob Austin

Dynojet

Dave Pinkney

Welch Automotive

John George

Dan Welch

Tony Hughes

Chris James

Martin Byford

Shaun Hollamby

Inside BTCC 18

TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP

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THE TITLE

GS AFTER 18 OF 30 RACES INDEPENDENT DRIVERS

INDEPENDENT TEAMS

Mat Jackson

195

Airwaves Racing

199

James Nash

176

Triple Eight/Collins

185

Andrew Jordan

153

Pirtek Racing

168

Tom Chilton

108

Team Aon

132

Rob Collard

100

WSR

131

Paul Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill

GoMobileUK.com/Tech-Speed

111

Nick Foster

Special Tuning Racing

Tom Boardman

AmD Milltek Racing.com

Tom Onslow-Cole

Central Group Racing

Dave Newsham

Team ES Racing

Tony Gilham

Rob Austin Racing

Jeff Smith

Geoff Steel Racing

Andy Neate

Dynojet

Frank Wrathall

Speedworks

Lea Wood

Welch Automotive

Rob Austin

John George

Liam Griffin

Chris James

Dave Pinkney

Dan Welch

Tony Hughes

Shaun Hollamby

Martin Byford

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Inside BTCC 19

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THE SEASON ID

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RACE-BY-RACE RESULTS FOR THE 2011 DUNLOP

DNF

DNS

Tom Chilton

DNF

Mat Jackson

Rob Collard

DNF

Frank Wrathall

DNS

DNF

DNS

David Pinkney

DNS

Rob Austin

DNF

DNS

James Nash

Dave Newsham

DNF

Nick Foster

DNF

Alex MacDowall

Tom Boardman

DNF

John George

DNF

Paul Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill

DNF

Tony Gilham

DNF

Daniel Welch

Lea Wood

DNF

Gordon Shedden

DSQ

DNF

Jeff Smith

Liam Griffin

DNF

Andrew Jordan

Chris James

DNF

Martin Byford

Shaun Hollamby

Jason Plato Matt Neal Tom Onslow-Cole

Andy Neate Tony Hughes

BOLD denotes pole position ITALICS denotes fastest lap

Inside BTCC 20

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SO FAR

P MSA BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

DNF

DNS

DNF

DNS

DNF

DNS

DNF

DNS

DNF

DNS

DNF

DNS

DNF

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NEAL HEADS QUALI ID

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REVIEW OF SEASON-SO-FAR QUALIFYING PERFORMANCES BY MATT SALISBURY A quick look at the qualifying results from the BTCC season so far makes welcome reading for Matt Neal with six rounds of the season gone, with the Honda driver having by far the best average starting position of the campaign to date. Neal hasn’t qualified outside the top four in the six sessions held so far and has two pole positions, which leave him with a qualifying average of 2.17 – well clear of his nearest rival. That closest rival is Jason Plato, the defending champion having an

qualifying average of 3.67. While the Chevrolet driver has matched Neal’s record of two pole positions, he has also qualified off the front two rows on two occasions, at Donington Park and Thruxton. Behind the two double champions, Andrew Jordan comes next despite his average taking a hit at Snetterton, where he failed to qualify inside the top five for the first time this season. Gordon Shedden saw his season start in the worst possible fashion when a practice shunt at Brands Hatch meant he only lined up 22nd on the grid for the season opener – which is reflected in a qualifying average of 5.83.

Interestingly enough, championship leader Mat Jackson is only the eighth best qualifier so far in 2011 – with an average of 8.83 reflecting the fact that he has only once qualified inside the top six. On the other side of the coin, Tom Chilton has been the fifth best qualifier with an average of 6 but finds himself well down the championship standings. At the back of the field, Tony Hughes is the unlucky man holding the wooden spoon, with a qualifying average of 23 from the four meetings he has taken part in so far, just behind Chris James on 22.33.

THE GRID OF GRIDS... 15. Tony Gilham

17. Nick Foster

19. Liam Griffin

21. Martin Byford

23. Dan Welch

25. Lea Wood

27. Tony Hughes

16. Dave Newsham

18. Frank Wrathall

20. Rob Austin

22. John George

24. Shaun Hollamby

26. Chris James Inside BTCC 22

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IFYING STANDINGS

PUTS HONDA RACING STAR MATT NEAL IN POLE POSITION

1. Matt Neal

3. Andrew Jordan

5. Tom Chilton

7. Alex MacDowall

9. Paul Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill

11. Jeff Smith

13. Tom Boardman

2. Jason Plato

4. Gordon Shedden

6. James Nash

8. Mat Jackson

10. Rob Collard

12. Andy Neate

14. Tom Onslow-Cole

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WHERE ARE THEY MICHAE ID

INS

BY MATT SALISBURY When he joined the BTCC grid at the start of the 2008 season, young Scot Michael Doyle had his sights firmly set on establishing himself as a front-runner in the series. Despite having a tiny budget with which to run his Honda Civic, Doyle regularly punched above his weight in the In-Tune Racingrun car, most notably at Silverstone where he came through from 17th on the grid to take eighth place in the final race of the weekend – battling ahead of the new Civics of Tom Chilton and Gordon Shedden in the process. It was a performance that helped Doyle to secure backing from the Scottish Sun for his second season, but unfortunately, it was a season that failed to take off as a lack of financial backing forced him onto the sidelines. “When I headed to Brands Hatch for the final weekend of 2008, I didn’t think it was going to be my final outing in a race car for more than two and a half years,” he says. “The gearbox went in the second race and at that moment, I knew it was going to be a challenge to get the funds in place to replace the gearbox and get back on track for 2009.

Inside BTCC 24

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Y NOW? EL

DOYLE

“We focused on making it happen and for a long time it looked like we were going to be back for a second season. We were really close to a deal with a huge company but they pulled the plug in January and it was hard to take.

“Even when it became apparent that we wouldn’t have the budget for the full season, we hoped to get out to do one or two rounds. The plan was to hire a gearbox to put in the car and try and do Knockhill at least but it never happened. It didn’t help matters than I contracted Swine Flu and couldn’t do anything for about three months. “We then hoped to get out for 2010 but again, we just couldn’t put the budget together. Touring cars is a fantastic place to be with the exposure you get and with the quality of the racing, but it is expensive and the money just wasn’t there.” With his racing career temporarily halted, Doyle turned his focus to other things, which included the family business – the In-Tune garage that had been the main sponsor of his BTCC programme. As well as that, Doyle also enrolled on a health and fitness course at college to give himself the opportunity to focus on one of his main interests away from the racetrack.

he was approached by Beacon Racing and a deal was done to join the Ginetta GT Supercup at Snetterton. Despite his time away from the track, a best finish of 13th overall and fifth in the G50 class was the end result as the Scot aims to relaunch his career. “Being away from the action for so long wasn’t easy but then I look at people like Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi who are still going strong and it makes me realise that time is still on my side,” he says. “I’m still in my early 20s and as a racing driver, I’ve not reached my peak yet. “People know how much of a challenge it’s been for me to get back into a race car and even though there have been opportunities in the past, I’ve talked myself out of them because they weren’t right. I didn’t think I’d be racing this season but then I got a message on Facebook that led to the deal to race the Ginetta with Beacon. Hopefully I can get some strong results and get them noticed while its also good for me to be racing again. “As a racing driver it is a lot easier to sell yourself when you are on track than if you are sitting on the sidelines. At the moment, it’s a race-by-race thing, but it’s good to be back.”

Although opportunities did come his way, Doyle remained on the sidelines until the 2011 season reached the half-way point when

DOYLE’S BTCC STATS Debut: Brands Hatch, 30 March 2008 Races: 30 (26 starts) Best finish: 8th, Silverstone race three

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www.insidebtcc.com

directory a who’s who of btcc on twitter... TEAMS Chevrolet

@RMLgroup @chevroletbtcc

Honda

@hondaracingbtcc

Team Aon

@TeamAON

Airwaves Racing

@Motorbase

WSR

@Official_WSR

Rob Austin Racing

@RobAustinRacing

Triple Eight

@official888race

Geoff Steel Racing

@GeoffSteelBTCC

Special Tuning

@BTCCSTR

Central Group Racing

@teamwoodracing

Speedworks

@SpeedworksMS

Team ES Racing

@teamESracing

AmD Milltek Racing

@AmDessex

Toyota

@ToyotaBTCC

OTHERS Official BTCC

@DunlopBTCC

Inside BTCC

@InsideBTCC

TinTop Tuesday

@TinTopTuesday

Alan Hyde

@AlanHydeStudio

Not Alan Gow

@alan_gow_btcc

Talking Point Broadcasting

@TPBroadcasting

ITV

@ITVtouringcars

Richard John Neill

@richardjneill

Ben Edwards

@bennythebulb

YourRacingCar

@YourRacingCar

eBay BTCC

@eBayMotorsBTCC

Unlap

@unlap

Brands Hatch

@Brands_Hatch

Oulton Park

@Oulton_Park

Snetterton

@SnettertonMSV

Silverstone

@SilverstoneUK

Rockingham

@RockinghamUK

Knockhill

@krcircuit

Croft

@CroftSupporters

Thruxton

@thruxtonracing

www.insidebtcc.com

DRIVERS Jason Plato

@jasonplato

Matt Neal

@MattNealRacing

Tom Chilton

@Tom_ChiltonBTCC

Mat Jackson

@mat_jackson

Tom Onslow-Cole

@tomonslowcole

Frank Wrathall

@frankwrathall

Rob Austin

@RobertoAustini

James Nash

@jamesnashracing

Dave Newsham

@newshamracing

Tom Boardman

@TomBoardmanBTCC

Paul O’Neill

@PaulONeill29

Tony Gilham

@tonygilham

Dan Welch

@WelchMotorsport

Tony Hughes

@TonyHughesBTCC

Gordon Shedden

@gordonshedden

Liam Griffin

@liamgriffinbtcc

Andrew Jordan

@andyjordanbtcc

Chris James

@ChrisJamesBTCC

Martin Byford

@MartinByford

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SWANWICK GETS A SECOND CHANCE ID

INS

CLIO RACER SET TO MAKE BTCC MOVE

INSIDE BTCC CATCHES UP WITH 17-YEAR-OLD SET FOR BTCC DEBUT... BY MATT SALISBURY Little under twelve months ago, young racer Chris Swanwick was at a crossroads in his fledgling career after a controversial weekend in the Ginetta Junior Championship at Silverstone. After a number of incidents on track, Swanwick saw his campaign brought to an early end before he returned to action in the Renault Clio Cup this season having inked a deal with Team Pyro – the same team that carried Dave Newsham to the title in 2010. If the move into the Clio Cup was meant to be the springboard to relaunch his career, then things didn’t go to plan for the 17-year-old and when the season entered its summer break following the Croft weekend – where he failed to score – Swanwick found himself down in eleventh place in the championship standings. Admitting he had struggled with the switch to front-wheel drive, the decision was taken to call time on the Clio programme when the opportunity to join Inside BTCC 28

forces with one of the BTCC’s newest teams arose – and a deal with Rob Austin Racing agreed. Following a test in its NGTC-specification Audi A4, Swanwick is now due to make his debut before the season is at an end before joining the team for a full season in 2012, with the teenager keen to prove a point to those doubting he has what it takes to be a success. “I’m a changed driver now compared to last season,” he told Inside BTCC, “and I’m a lot more mature. I’ve got a point to prove to people and I want to show what I can do. I want to make a career from racing and I know there is a lot of hard work ahead of me. “I struggled a bit with the switch to frontwheel drive in the Clios and the deal with Rob Austin gives me the chance to make a return to rear-wheel drive and get into the BTCC. This is where I want to be although I didn’t think the chance would come so soon. Silverstone is part of the plan this season and hopefully we can get the budget together for some other

outings as well ahead of next year. “I felt really comfortable driving the car during the test at Pembrey and the whole atmosphere within the team was very

“I’ve got a point to prove to people and I want to show what I can do. I want to make a career from racing and I know there is a lot of hard work ahead of me.” Chris Swanwick relaxed. They are developing the Audi and making it quicker all the time and are a good team for me to be involved with.” The announcement that Swanwick was to join RAR as a junior driver came as something of a surprise given the challenge facing the team when it comes to finding more speed from the Audi,

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the only rear-wheel drive car on the grid designed to the NGTC regulations. Although the car has improved vastly since its ill-fated ‘debut’ at Brands Hatch – where Dave Pinkney managed half a lap – there remains plenty of work still to do, which begs the question, would an experienced touring car racer have been a better option? “Younger drivers are the way forward,” team boss Austin said. “The reactions of a younger driver are better, certainly better than mine, and they train the right way. They also listen to what is being said and will learn. At the end of the day, if you are good enough, you are old enough – look at F1 and the way the average age of the grid has dropped in recent years. “Chris exceeded our expectations when we had the test in Wales. There is more to come when he spends more time in the car as he needs to get used to the fact that the Audi is different to cars he has driven before; it’s a lot bigger for a

start! He listened to everything we told him to do and when he was on old tyres, we brought him in for a chat about what he should be doing and when he went back onto the circuit, he was hitting every apex and doing exactly what he was told. On new tyres we told him not to try too hard and overdrive the car and he set some good times. Then as the tyres went off, he stayed controlled which was impressive for such a young driver on his first time in the car.” Austin added that he was confident that Swanwick – who looks set to become the second youngest driver to appear in the BTCC – would learn from happened on track last season and take the chance given to him with both hands. “You honestly tell me that you didn’t do something stupid when you were 16?” he said. “I know I did, I still have a picture of me writing off my first chassis at Snetterton when I was 16 after I made a mad lunge trying to make up places after stalling at the start.

“The issues last year have probably helped Chris, although I can’t say for sure as I haven’t discussed it with him. I know myself that if you make a mistake and do something wrong, then you have to learn from the experience. “If you are given a second chance, then you take it.”

STOP PRESS / STOP PRESS Rob Austin Racing has now confirmed that Swanwick’s debut in the second Audi A4 will come at Brands Hatch in October. The teenager had been confident of appearing in the season finale at Silverstone but has instead been given the chance to take part in the final two meetings of the season. “It’s still not quite sunk in knowing I’m going to be signing-on as a driver with the likes of Plato, Neal and Jackson,” he said after the deal was announced following a day of testing at Rockingham.

“If you are given a second chance, then you take it.”

CHRIS SWANWICK - PROFILE BORN

22/10/93

NATIONALITY

BRITISH

LIVES

NOTTINGHAM

RACING CAREER 2011

First half of season in the Renault UK Clio Cup.

2010

Half season in Junior Ginetta Championship - 2 Podiums. Awarded the ‘Hard Charger’ Trophy.

2009

Junior Ginetta Championship – 7th. 10 podiums.

2008

KF3 British Super 1 – 13th in Championship.

2007

KF3 British Super 1 – 6th in Championship.

2006

Moved into JICA’s.

2005

Mini Max at SYKC & PFI, Winner of the Northern Regional Final.

2004

Honda Cadets at SYKC (Jan - Mar), Comer Cadets at SYKC (Apr 2004 - Sept 2005).

2003

Started karting. Novice in Honda Cadets at SYKC (Oct - Dec).

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FROM THE ARCHIVES...

INS

JAMES PICKFORD KNOCKHILL, 2005 Inside BTCC 30

www.insidebtcc.com

btcc 2011

race dates

Rounds 19, 20 & 21

Knockhill

3 - 4 September

22, 23 & 24

Rockingham

17 - 18 September

25, 26 & 27

Brands Hatch (GP)

1 - 2 October

28, 29 & 30

Silverstone

15 - 16 October

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SWITCHING

SIDES

NEAL SWAPS COCKPIT FOR COMMENTARY BOX It’s not uncommon for former racing drivers to turn their hand to something else when their career comes to an end; the BBC F1 commentary team of Martin Brundle and David Coulthard are a prime example. However, some other stars don’t wait for the time when they are hanging their helmet up to join the media on the ‘other side’, with double BTCC champion Matt Neal amongst those to be taking up a new role when he isn’t at the wheel of his Honda Civic. Aside from working in the family business, Neal can now be heard as part of the Eurosport commentary team during its World Touring Car Championship coverage, with the 44-year-old joining Eurosport’s regular anchor man Martin Haven to provide a racer’s insight into the racing action.

BY MATT SALISBURY

eal follows in the footsteps of people like the late David Leslie and former BTCC title winners John Cleland and James Thompson but how did he end up dovetailing his racing programme with a commentary role for the season? “I did some work a few years ago for [production company] Hayfisher alongside Martin and I really enjoyed it,” Neal explained. “Martin is a really enthusiastic figure and he could talk for honours about the inside of a tennis ball; he is like an encyclopedia of a motorsport! “When James couldn’t do a few events last year, Martin gave me a shout and I filled in and then they asked me if I was free to do more this year. It’s something I enjoy doing for a bit of fun and its some extra pocket money as well. It’s not something I’ll be able to retire on though!” However, while fun, Neal admits that taking on the new role does create some problems when he finds himself in the WTCC paddock trying to hunt down any stories to tell during the Eurosport coverage. “There are some habits I can’t get out of,” he said. “In the BTCC paddock, I wouldn’t just walk into some of the garages up and down the pitlane – such as RML – but in the WTCC, I have to go into them to get the stories and do the journalistic side of the job. I can be walking along with Martin and he’ll duck into a garage to speak to someone and I find myself automatically stopping when I get to the door as it feels awkward. “I’ve also got to be factual in what I say when the racing is on and not let my

Inside BTCC 32

opinions get in the way all the time. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t want to say anything about any of the drivers on the grid that I wouldn’t want someone to say about me.” While his previous outings in the commentary booth mean he couldn’t be classed as a rookie, Neal’s performances alongside Haven this season have gone down well with fans watching at home on TV. It’s also clear that his performances have gone down equally well with the man alongside him in the booth calling the action. “Matt has been an outstanding addition to the WTCC team,” Haven admits. “His knowledge of the sport in terms of racing strategy and technique as well as the technical aspect of the cars is exemplary, as you’d expect of someone who’s spent his entire adult life racing front-drive touring cars. “Matt is, of course, a household name and that lends gravitas to his thoughts and words, as well as scoring highly in terms of audience recognition. He has the knack of explaining the technical aspects of the sport in straight-forward layman’s terms and has a driver’s eye for the imperceptible details that explain the hows and whys of what’s going on, that non-racers simply don’t spot. “My commentary model is to include the audience in our chats, as if they sitting in their lounges with Matt and I watching the racing alongside them, pointing out what they might not have spotted and painting in the colour around the cut-and-thrust of the action. Matt is perfect for this, as

his “TV voice” is exactly what you’d get if he really were there with you. He’s got a good turn-of-phrase and his on-air manner is relaxed, informative and fun. “Off the air, he’s relaxed company, great fun to travel with and a pleasure to be around – plus, of course, he’s a decent height! I love to work with guys like Matt, as I learn every day. It’s a real privilege for me to have him in the booth with me.” Aside from telling the story of the WTCC title fight to millions of fans, Neal’s new role has also enabled him to examine at close quarters how the WTCC compares to the domestic series where he has made his name, and where a number of former rivals now ply their trade. While the cars may look the same, the WTCC’s regulations have moved in a different direction from the BTCC this season – with 1.6 litre turbo-engines as opposed to the two litre units found in the new NGTC rules – but Neal insists it is the way the rules are being implemented that are the biggest difference. “If you look at the WTCC then it’s simple,” he says. “The best car is going to win, and that isn’t how it is here [in the BTCC]. In the WTCC, RML have got the best chassis, have worked hard to build the best engine and have got three of the best drivers in Huffy, Yvan Muller and Alain Menu. They are reaping the rewards of that and fair play to them. “For us [Honda], the rules in the BTCC are a moving platform which I don’t agree with, and it means the people doing the best job aren’t always being rewarded.”

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www.silverstonedesignsoluĆ&#x;ons.com

01327 856752

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