Inside BTCC - Issue 1

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Airwaves star leads title huntas BTCC heads to Scotland

issue 1 : sept 2011

INSIDE: KNOCKHILL PREVIEW / SNETTERTON REVIEW / INSIDEBTCC.COM

JACKSON TAKES CHARGE

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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 In-side BTCC, a new publication focused on the British Touring Car Champion-ship. 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 web-sites doing just that - including the official series website btcc.net and BTCCPages.com, the long-running site run by one of Inside BTCC’s co-founders. Rather than just bringing you the news you’ve read elsewhere, we in-stead 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 week-end 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 sug-gests 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 en-joy 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...

INSIDE BTCC


CONTENTS


CONTENTS

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 BTCC.NET unless otherwise stated.

To get in touch, please email: [email protected].

IN THIS ISSUE...

Snetterton race report 6

Wrathall hits the podium 8

Snetterton in pictures 12

Knockhill preview 14

A lap of Knockhill...with Gordon Shedden 16

Championship standings 18

Race results 20

Qualifying - the season so far 22

Where are they now?... Michael Doyle 24

Twitter directory 27

Swanwick gets a second chance 28

Matt Neal: Switching sides 32

INSIDE BTCC


Jackson kicks up a

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

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

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

gear to hit the front Airwaves Racing star takes points lead with race three win at Snetterton

Matt Salisbury reports

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

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

“It’s the first time I’ve ever led the Championship and it feels great.”

Mat Jackson


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 Tech-Speed-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 off-set 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

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.

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

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


WRATHALL


HITS THE PODIUMTOYOTA 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.

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.”

WRATHALL

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SNETTERTON IN PICTURES

PHOTOS: BTCC.NET

INSIDE BTCC


S C O T L A N D C A L L I N GJust 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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 112.10-12.50 – Free Practice 215.05-15.35 – Qualifying (live on ITV.com)

Sunday 4 September

11.45 – Round 19, 24 laps13.00-13.30 – Paddock Autograph Session14.15 – Round 20, 24 laps17.05 – Round 21, 24 laps

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

WE PREVIEW ROUNDS 19, 20 & 21 AT KNOCKHILL


NEWS IN BRIEF

NEAL SUFFERS BROKEN HAND

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.

Team Aon meanwhile went back

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.”

KNOCKHILL: RECENT HISTORY2010

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 STATSLENGTH 1.30 miles

2011 RACE LAPS 24

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

S C O T L A N D C A L L I N G

INSIDE BTCC


“Clark’s is another overtaking opportunity but again, it is also relatively easy to defend. The best chance of making a move stick is if the driver in front gets slightly out of shape exiting the Chicane and you have the opportunity to get up the inside. If you can do that, you can almost have the move made before you turn right.

A LAP OF

WITH GORDON SHEDDEN

“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.”

KNOCKHILL

3

4

Mat Jackson - 2007

Shedden wins at Knockhill in 2010

Jason Plato - 2009

CLARKS

REALRADIOHAIRPIN

HISLOP’S

START - FINISH

Knockhill - 2007


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

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

“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.

“Clark’s is another overtaking opportunity but again, it is also relatively easy to defend. The best chance of making a move stick is if the driver in front gets slightly out of shape exiting the Chicane and you have the opportunity to get up the inside. If you can do that, you can almost have the move made before you turn right.

1

2

Shedden leads - 2007

Yvan Muller, spectacular in 2005

Neate in qualifying - 2010

An unconventional line

“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

the circuit – me included.”

SEATCURVES

SCOTSMAN

JOHN R.WEIRCHICANE

KNOCKHILL

3

INSIDE BTCC


DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP MANUFACTURER/CONSTRUCTOR INDEPENDENT DRIVERS INDEPENDENT TEAMS1 Mat Jackson 158 1 Honda/Dynamics 367 1 Mat Jackson 195 1 Airwaves Racing 199

2 Gordon Shedden 150 2 Chevrolet/RML 323 2 James Nash 176 2 Triple Eight/Collins 185

3 Matt Neal 148 3 Ford/Arena 248 3 Andrew Jordan 153 3 Pirtek Racing 168

4 Jason Plato 138 4 Tom Chilton 108 4 Team Aon 132

5 James Nash 127 TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP 5 Rob Collard 100 5 WSR 131

6 Andrew Jordan 113 1 Honda Racing 266 6 Paul O’Neill 93 6 GoMobileUK.com/Tech-Speed 111

7 Alex MacDowall 73 2 Silverline Chevrolet 200 7 Nick Foster 57 7 Special Tuning Racing 88

8 Rob Collard 67 3 Airwaves Racing 152 8 Tom Boardman 51 8 AmD Milltek Racing.com 45

9 Tom Chilton 66 4 Triple Eight/Collins 138 9 Tom Onslow-Cole 50 9 Central Group Racing 27

10 Paul O’Neill 54 5 Pirtek Racing 124 10 Dave Newsham 47 10 Team ES Racing 21

11 Tom Boardman 31 6 WSR 95 11 Tony Gilham 42 11 Rob Austin Racing 16

12 Nick Foster 29 7 Team Aon 81 12 Jeff Smith 36 12 Geoff Steel Racing 15

13 Dave Newsham 18 8 GoMobileUK.com/Tech-Speed 54 13 Andy Neate 31 13 Dynojet 12

14 Tom Onslow-Cole 16 9 Special Tuning Racing 45 14 Frank Wrathall 18 14 Speedworks 7

15 Tony Gilham 12 10 AmD Milltek Racing.com 9 15 Lea Wood 11 15 Welch Automotive 2

16 Jeff Smith 12 11 Central Group Racing 4 16 Rob Austin 8

17 Andy Neate 9 12 Rob Austin Racing 1 17 John George 5

18 Frank Wrathall 8 13 Geoff Steel Racing 1 18 Liam Griffin 5

19 Lea Wood 4 14 Team ES Racing 0 19 Chris James 2

20 Liam Griffin 2 15 Speedworks 0 20 Dave Pinkney 0

21 Rob Austin 2 16 Dynojet 0 21 Dan Welch 0

22 Dave Pinkney 0 17 Welch Automotive 0 22 Tony Hughes 0

23 John George 0 23 Shaun Hollamby 0

24 Dan Welch 0 24 Martin Byford 0

25 Tony Hughes 0

26 Chris James 0

27 Martin Byford 0

28 Shaun Hollamby 0

RACE FOR THE TITLECHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER 18 OF 30 RACES


DRIVERS CHAMPIONSHIP MANUFACTURER/CONSTRUCTOR INDEPENDENT DRIVERS INDEPENDENT TEAMS1 Mat Jackson 158 1 Honda/Dynamics 367 1 Mat Jackson 195 1 Airwaves Racing 199

2 Gordon Shedden 150 2 Chevrolet/RML 323 2 James Nash 176 2 Triple Eight/Collins 185

3 Matt Neal 148 3 Ford/Arena 248 3 Andrew Jordan 153 3 Pirtek Racing 168

4 Jason Plato 138 4 Tom Chilton 108 4 Team Aon 132

5 James Nash 127 TEAMS CHAMPIONSHIP 5 Rob Collard 100 5 WSR 131

6 Andrew Jordan 113 1 Honda Racing 266 6 Paul O’Neill 93 6 GoMobileUK.com/Tech-Speed 111

7 Alex MacDowall 73 2 Silverline Chevrolet 200 7 Nick Foster 57 7 Special Tuning Racing 88

8 Rob Collard 67 3 Airwaves Racing 152 8 Tom Boardman 51 8 AmD Milltek Racing.com 45

9 Tom Chilton 66 4 Triple Eight/Collins 138 9 Tom Onslow-Cole 50 9 Central Group Racing 27

10 Paul O’Neill 54 5 Pirtek Racing 124 10 Dave Newsham 47 10 Team ES Racing 21

11 Tom Boardman 31 6 WSR 95 11 Tony Gilham 42 11 Rob Austin Racing 16

12 Nick Foster 29 7 Team Aon 81 12 Jeff Smith 36 12 Geoff Steel Racing 15

13 Dave Newsham 18 8 GoMobileUK.com/Tech-Speed 54 13 Andy Neate 31 13 Dynojet 12

14 Tom Onslow-Cole 16 9 Special Tuning Racing 45 14 Frank Wrathall 18 14 Speedworks 7

15 Tony Gilham 12 10 AmD Milltek Racing.com 9 15 Lea Wood 11 15 Welch Automotive 2

16 Jeff Smith 12 11 Central Group Racing 4 16 Rob Austin 8

17 Andy Neate 9 12 Rob Austin Racing 1 17 John George 5

18 Frank Wrathall 8 13 Geoff Steel Racing 1 18 Liam Griffin 5

19 Lea Wood 4 14 Team ES Racing 0 19 Chris James 2

20 Liam Griffin 2 15 Speedworks 0 20 Dave Pinkney 0

21 Rob Austin 2 16 Dynojet 0 21 Dan Welch 0

22 Dave Pinkney 0 17 Welch Automotive 0 22 Tony Hughes 0

23 John George 0 23 Shaun Hollamby 0

24 Dan Welch 0 24 Martin Byford 0

25 Tony Hughes 0

26 Chris James 0

27 Martin Byford 0

28 Shaun Hollamby 0

RACE FOR THE TITLECHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER 18 OF 30 RACES

INSIDE BTCC


THE SEASON

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Jason Plato 1 1 5 18 DNF 6 DNF 8 1 2 1 11 4 DNF 11 1 3 3

Matt Neal DNF 7 1 1 3 7 2 1 5 8 DNF 4 1 1 7 18 17 4

Tom Onslow-Cole 13 DNF 12 11 7 DNF 7 DNS 10 11 16 DNS 11 10 13 8 8 11

Tom Chilton 3 8 8 4 4 DNF 4 4 DNF 17 10 7 7 6 9 9 12 13

Mat Jackson 4 3 2 5 10 1 6 5 2 DNF 9 1 2 5 1 6 6 1

Rob Collard 17 9 7 6 5 DNF 12 14 13 5 3 14 3 2 3 23 10 12

Frank Wrathall R DNS DNS 16 NC NC DNF DNS DNF DNF 13 DNF 12 DNF DNF 4 DNF DNS

David Pinkney DNS DNS DNS / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Rob Austin / / / DNF DNF 13 DNF DNS DNS DNF 12 16 DNF NC DNF 15 DNF 10

James Nash 2 4 6 3 2 3 8 6 4 4 2 13 8 11 5 5 2 6

Dave Newsham 10 11 11 DNF 15 DNF / / / 12 17 8 19 8 10 10 7 8

Nick Foster 12 14 14 12 DNF 10 15 16 17 6 8 9 13 7 2 13 11 9

Alex MacDowall 5 13 16 9 9 4 10 7 8 3 5 18 14 DNF 8 2 4 5

Tom Boardman DNF DNF 10 7 DNF DNF 5 9 3 DNF NC 5 10 DNF DNF DNF DNS DNS

John George 14 15 17 DNF 12 11 17 15 16 DNF DNF DNF DNF 14 17 19 DNF DNF

Paul O’Neill 7 5 3 8 DNF 8 13 11 14 13 7 DNF 9 DNF DNF 7 5 2

Tony Gilham 8 10 9 15 8 DNF 11 10 9 14 DNF 12 DNF 12 12 DNF 13 15

Daniel Welch / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 22 18 19

Lea Wood / / / / / / / / / 7 11 15 16 15 19 DNF 15 18

Andy Neate 11 12 15 14 11 DNF 16 13 12 9 15 6 DNF 9 DNF 16 DNF DNF

Tony Hughes DNF 19 21 19 16 DNF / / / 16 14 17 / / / 21 DNF DNS

Gordon Shedden 6 2 4 DSQ 6 DNF 1 2 6 1 6 2 5 4 6 3 1 7

Jeff Smith 9 16 13 10 13 5 9 12 11 DNF DNF 10 15 DNF 14 11 16 17

Liam Griffin R 18 18 13 DNF 9 14 17 15 15 18 DNF 18 DNF 16 17 14 DNF

Andrew Jordan 16 6 20 2 1 2 3 3 7 10 4 3 6 3 4 12 9 14

Chris James 15 17 19 17 14 12 18 DNF 18 DNF DNF DNS DNF DNF 18 20 DNS DNF

Martin Byford / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 14 DNF 16

Shaun Hollamby / / / / / / / / / / / / 17 13 15 / / /

BOLD denotes pole position

ITALICS denotes fastest lap

RACE-BY-RACE RESULTS FOR THE 2011 DUNLOP MSA BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP


SO FAR

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Jason Plato 1 1 5 18 DNF 6 DNF 8 1 2 1 11 4 DNF 11 1 3 3

Matt Neal DNF 7 1 1 3 7 2 1 5 8 DNF 4 1 1 7 18 17 4

Tom Onslow-Cole 13 DNF 12 11 7 DNF 7 DNS 10 11 16 DNS 11 10 13 8 8 11

Tom Chilton 3 8 8 4 4 DNF 4 4 DNF 17 10 7 7 6 9 9 12 13

Mat Jackson 4 3 2 5 10 1 6 5 2 DNF 9 1 2 5 1 6 6 1

Rob Collard 17 9 7 6 5 DNF 12 14 13 5 3 14 3 2 3 23 10 12

Frank Wrathall R DNS DNS 16 NC NC DNF DNS DNF DNF 13 DNF 12 DNF DNF 4 DNF DNS

David Pinkney DNS DNS DNS / / / / / / / / / / / / / / /

Rob Austin / / / DNF DNF 13 DNF DNS DNS DNF 12 16 DNF NC DNF 15 DNF 10

James Nash 2 4 6 3 2 3 8 6 4 4 2 13 8 11 5 5 2 6

Dave Newsham 10 11 11 DNF 15 DNF / / / 12 17 8 19 8 10 10 7 8

Nick Foster 12 14 14 12 DNF 10 15 16 17 6 8 9 13 7 2 13 11 9

Alex MacDowall 5 13 16 9 9 4 10 7 8 3 5 18 14 DNF 8 2 4 5

Tom Boardman DNF DNF 10 7 DNF DNF 5 9 3 DNF NC 5 10 DNF DNF DNF DNS DNS

John George 14 15 17 DNF 12 11 17 15 16 DNF DNF DNF DNF 14 17 19 DNF DNF

Paul O’Neill 7 5 3 8 DNF 8 13 11 14 13 7 DNF 9 DNF DNF 7 5 2

Tony Gilham 8 10 9 15 8 DNF 11 10 9 14 DNF 12 DNF 12 12 DNF 13 15

Daniel Welch / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 22 18 19

Lea Wood / / / / / / / / / 7 11 15 16 15 19 DNF 15 18

Andy Neate 11 12 15 14 11 DNF 16 13 12 9 15 6 DNF 9 DNF 16 DNF DNF

Tony Hughes DNF 19 21 19 16 DNF / / / 16 14 17 / / / 21 DNF DNS

Gordon Shedden 6 2 4 DSQ 6 DNF 1 2 6 1 6 2 5 4 6 3 1 7

Jeff Smith 9 16 13 10 13 5 9 12 11 DNF DNF 10 15 DNF 14 11 16 17

Liam Griffin R 18 18 13 DNF 9 14 17 15 15 18 DNF 18 DNF 16 17 14 DNF

Andrew Jordan 16 6 20 2 1 2 3 3 7 10 4 3 6 3 4 12 9 14

Chris James 15 17 19 17 14 12 18 DNF 18 DNF DNF DNS DNF DNF 18 20 DNS DNF

Martin Byford / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / 14 DNF 16

Shaun Hollamby / / / / / / / / / / / / 17 13 15 / / /

RACE-BY-RACE RESULTS FOR THE 2011 DUNLOP MSA BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP

INSIDE BTCC


REVIEW OF SEASON-SO-FAR QUALIFYING PERFORMANCES PUTS HONDA RACING STAR MATT NEAL IN POLE POSITION

1. M

att Neal

2. Jaso

n Plato

3. A

ndrew

Jord

an

4. G

ord

on S

hed

den

5. To

m C

hilto

n

6. Jam

es Nash

7. A

lex MacD

ow

all

8. M

at Jackson

9. Pau

l O’N

eill

10. R

ob C

ollard

11. Jeff S

mith

12. A

ndy N

eate

13. To

m B

oard

man

14. To

m O

nslo

w-C

ole

15. To

ny G

ilham

16. D

ave New

sham

17. N

ick Foster

18. Fran

k Wrath

all

19. Liam

Griffi

n

20. R

ob A

ustin

21. M

artin B

yford

22. Jo

hn G

eorg

e

23. D

an W

elch

24. S

hau

n H

ollam

by

25. Lea W

ood

26. C

hris Jam

es

27. To

ny H

ughes

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 ri-val.

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 Snetter-ton, where he failed to qualify inside the top five for the first time this sea-son. Gordon Shedden saw his sea-son start in the worst possible fash-ion 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 in-side 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 wood-en 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.

NEAL HEADS QUALIFYING STANDINGS

THE GRID OF GRIDS...


REVIEW OF SEASON-SO-FAR QUALIFYING PERFORMANCES PUTS HONDA RACING STAR MATT NEAL IN POLE POSITION

1. M

att Neal

2. Jaso

n Plato

3. A

ndrew

Jord

an

4. G

ord

on S

hed

den

5. To

m C

hilto

n

6. Jam

es Nash

7. A

lex MacD

ow

all

8. M

at Jackson

9. Pau

l O’N

eill

10. R

ob C

ollard

11. Jeff S

mith

12. A

ndy N

eate

13. To

m B

oard

man

14. To

m O

nslo

w-C

ole

15. To

ny G

ilham

16. D

ave New

sham

17. N

ick Foster

18. Fran

k Wrath

all

19. Liam

Griffi

n

20. R

ob A

ustin

21. M

artin B

yford

22. Jo

hn G

eorg

e

23. D

an W

elch

24. S

hau

n H

ollam

by

25. Lea W

ood

26. C

hris Jam

es

27. To

ny H

ughes

NEAL HEADS QUALIFYING STANDINGS

INSIDE BTCC


MICHAEL DOYLEBY 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 Racing-run 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.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?


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

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.”

DOYLE’S BTCC STATS

Debut:Brands Hatch, 30 March 2008

Races:30 (26 starts)

Best finish:8th, Silverstone

race three

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

INSIDE BTCC



directorya who’s who of btcc on twitter...

TEAMSChevrolet @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

DRIVERSJason 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

Follow us at...@InsideBTCC

OTHERSOfficial 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

INSIDE BTCC


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

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 front-wheel 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

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,

SWANWICK GETS A SECOND CHANCECLIO RACER SET TO MAKE BTCC MOVE

“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

INSIDE BTCC CATCHES UP WITH 17-YEAR-OLD SET FOR BTCC DEBUT...


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.

CHRIS SWANWICK - PROFILE

BORN 22/10/93

NATIONALITY BRITISH

LIVES NOTTINGHAM

RACING CAREER2011 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).

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

INSIDE BTCC


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FROM THEARCHIVES...

JAMES PICKFORD KNOCKHILL, 2005


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INSIDE BTCC


SWITCHING SIDES

Neal 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

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.”

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

NEAL SWAPS COCKPIT FOR COMMENTARY BOX


www.silverstonedesignsolu ons.com01327 856752

http://www.silverstonedesignsolutions.com/

INSIDE BTCC


Inside BTCC - Issue 1

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