BTCC 2013 : Oulton Park Teams reactions

Airwaves Racing battles back at Oulton Park

Aron Smith in action at Oulton Park

Another challenging weekend for Airwaves Racing ended with a glimpse of promise this weekend (June 8/9) during round 4 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

Cheshire’s picturesque Oulton Park circuit provided the backdrop to a drama filled race weekend that saw the Airwaves Racing squad suffer yet another run of torrid bad luck; securing two top ten finishes; despite showing promising pace in the Mountune-powered Ford Focus ST next generation touring cars.

An uneventful qualifying session on a blistering track on Saturday afternoon left the Airwaves Racing drivers with much work to do during Sunday’s three races. Mat Jackson and Aron Smith ended the session in P11 and P17 respectively; as Smith’s #8 Focus struggled with an intermittent engine fault that hindered the Irishman’s progress throughout the session.

Sunday’s opening race started well, with both Jackson and Smith making good ground through the pack in the opening laps. The good news proved to be short lived however as the Smith’s engine fault kicked in during lap 4, relegating the Irishman through the ranks - eventually forcing the #8 Focus into the pits for an early retirement. The #7 Focus ST’s improved pace and set up paid dividends for Airwaves Racing team-mate Mat Jackson, with the 32 year old managing to pick his way through the field to cross the line in 7^th position.

A momentous effort in the Airwaves Racing garage to pull a rabbit out of the hat during the midday break, saw the Motorbase crew successfully changed Smith’s engine against the clock in an impressive 1 hour 15 minutes; allowing the Irishman to join the back of the grid for the start of race 2. The team’s hard work was rewarded with a sterling drive from Smith – making up an impressive 11 places to come home in P14.

Jackson looked to be on for a strong top 5 finish during the opening laps, when disaster struck once again following a coming together with Tordoff’s MG – causing damage to his #7 Focus which could only manage a crawl to the finish to end race 2 in P20.

Mat Jackson leads his teammates at Oulton Park

With a new set up and last minute coolant repairs to Smith’s Focus forcing a pit lane start; both Airwaves Racing NGTC’s started the final race of the day from the back of the pack. Once more, both Airwaves Racing drivers showed their remarkable  race craft as they picked their way through the packed grid, battling to the mid field within the first eight laps – with Smith collecting an, albeit short-lived, fastest lap time on the second lap. As has been the story too frequently thus far this season, luck played a cruel trick on the Airwaves squad once more, with Jackson’s charge through the field thwarted by a similar issue to the damage experienced in race 2 – forcing an unscheduled pit visit and return to the back of the pack. Despite a gallant effort from Jackson, it proved too little too late and the #7 Focus could only muster a P19 finish for the last race of the weekend.

Smith’s final race of the day proved to be more positive, with the Airwaves Racing driver producing a stunning drive from the back of the grid to secure the team’s second top ten finish of the weekend and some much needed championship points.

Liam Griffin on his way to a Jack Sears Trophy win.

Addison Lee Motorbase team-mate Liam Griffin had a more successful weekend to further boost his Jack Sears Trophy campaign; collecting another two class wins in his S2000 Focus ST during Sunday’s opening and closing races. A judicial reversal of the opening race results leaves Griffin just one race win off the top spot now, with everything still to play for at the next round.

Despite suffering another frustrating weekend, the Airwaves Racing squad have made promising steps forward with the pace and set up on the NGTC Focus ST’s and now have a two week break to put the lessons learned this weekend into practice before the racing gets underway when The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship returns for round 5 at North Yorkshire’s Croft circuit on June 22/23.

Motorbase Performance Team Manager Oly Collins said:

“As bad weekends go, that has got to be right up there. We just haven’t had a break - despite being confident we had made good progress leading up to and during this weekend. Fundamentally a poor qualifying result hurt us amongst a very competitive top twelve.

“Both drivers were dealt some really bad luck today but we have to pick ourselves up and work hard to make Croft our turning point.”

Airwaves Racing driver Mat Jackson said:

“We’ve really made progress with the car this weekend. I think we would have had three top five finishes this weekend, but performance wise we had a few issues that cost us that, which is a real shame but we’re still learning.

“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel now and we’re moving in the right direction – we’re challenging the Honda’s and faster than the Toyota’s and I feel comfortable with the direction that we’re heading in.”

Airwaves Racing driver Aron Smith said:

“It’s been a little bit of a troubling weekend; and it’s unfortunate because we’ve done so much testing and developed the car so much from where we were – but we just never got to show our hand to be fair.

“We had engine issues in qualifying on Saturday which affected us in race 1 and forced the retirement. I’ve never seen a team work so hard to change an engine between races; because it’s one of those things that you don’t even make it out at all and even though we had to start at the back, we still made it to the grid, which was impressive.”

“Now we have a much clearer direction going into the next round which is really positive. Hopefully Croft will be a turning point for us.”

Addison Lee Motorbase driver Liam Griffin said:

“All in all I’m pretty happy with the weekend.  Race 1 was a bit disappointing with the result being reversed, but the ying and yang came through with us getting another win in race 3.

“Overall the weekend was a fair result; Lea Wood had the pace- but to come away with one of the trophies from the weekend is a good result for us and a good sign for the championship.”

Double podium for eBay Motors at Oulton Park

eBay Motors enjoyed success at Oulton Park

The eBay Motors team secured a return to the podium with Colin Turkington enjoying a second and third place finish as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season resumed at Oulton Park after a five-week spring break.

a successful launch of the Hub Live project

Alongside the strong outing on-track, eBay Motors also enjoyed a successful weekend away from the circuit following the debut of the eBay Motors Hub Live – a new interactive zone allowing race fans to get closer to both the team and the sport with a special four-person simulator, Q&A sessions with the drivers, trophy photo opportunity, download terminal for the eBay Motors app and the chance to collect a free eBay Motors Team cap.

Paul O'Neil, local lad and winner of Oulton Park in 2002, hosted the drivers in Hub Live and entertained the crowds, with the drivers answering his questions and being on the receiving end of his fun jokes.

Having worked to make improvements to its NGTC-spec BMW 125i M-Sports in a series of tests during the break, the team was able to add to its collection of silverware, with 2009 title winner Colin Turkington bringing home a brace of top three finishes.

Colin led the eBay Motors challenge in qualifying to put his car seventh on the grid, with team-mates Rob Collard and Nick Foster with more work to do on race day from 16th and 22nd respectively.

A solid run in the opening race saw Colin take the flag in fifth place, with Rob also lapping strongly to cross the line in tenth, despite a scare when Tom Onslow-Cole’s VW got out of shape ahead of him at Druids mid-race. Nick however was the undoubted star as, having elected to run the Soft compound Dunlop tyre in the opening race, he stormed through the field to take twelfth – making up no fewer than ten places in the process.

Race two saw Colin make a strong start to run in the top three before an opportunistic move from Honda’s Gordon Shedden demoted him to fourth just before a Safety Car period that bunched up the field. Pushing hard on the restart, Colin was able to get ahead of Sam Tordoff’s MG to take his second podium finish of the campaign.

Although the reverse grid draw for race three left him eighth on the grid, Colin was able to secure further podium glory in race three with a strong drive through to second place while there were more points for both Nick and Rob as they took the chequered flag in eighth and eleventh following a hectic race in the midfield.

Colin Turkington with the spoils of the weekend

Following the weekend, Colin sits sixth in the championship standings with Rob and Nick in 16th and 17th, while eBay Motors hold fourth in the HiQ Teams Championship having picked up its biggest points score to date from the trip to Cheshire.

The eBay Motors Hub Live will be back in the paddock at a number of events later in the year.

Colin Turkington, eBay Motors Team driver, (5th/3rd/2nd) said:

“It’s been a really positive weekend and the car was a massive improvement compared to Thruxton. I didn’t expect to get two podium finishes after qualifying, as I thought we’d be around the top six, so it’s a good way to finish. This is a circuit where the rear-wheel drive cars do go well and the higher temperatures helped us as well. We still have time to find in qualifying as we showed with the gap to the pole sitter, so even though we are moving in the right direction, there is still a lot of work for us to do.”

Rob Collard, eBay Motors Team driver, (10th/NC/11th) said:

“It’s been a really frustrating weekend for me. We can see the potential that there is in the car and we’ve made improvements again, but I just wasn’t able to get the best out of it in terms of results. This is a difficult circuit when you are in traffic to try and make up places and it didn’t go my way. This is a weekend I’m just going to put behind me and focus on Croft, which is a circuit where the rear-wheel drive cars have gone well in the past.”

Nick Foster, eBay Motors Team driver,  (12th/15th/8th) said:

“I had a great run in race one to make up ten places and the car felt strong. If I’m being honest, I didn’t expect to make up so many places on a circuit where overtaking is tough. Race two I got mugged off the line and after the incident with Rob and some contact from behind, I managed to score despite the damage to the car. It was good again in race three and it was an action-packed way to end the weekend. I’ve scored some good results but we know we are still lacking the pace over a single lap and even though the team is doing a great job, there is more to find.”

Toyota Man Morgan Claims Podium Finish At Oulton

Adam Morgan sprays the champagne after finishing third at Oulton Park

Toyota Avensis racer Adam Morgan is celebrating his maiden BTCC podium finish after a gutsy drive to third place for Ciceley Racing in the final race of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s Oulton Park raceday. The result was not only a personal best for the 24-year-old from Lancashire on his home circuit, but also the best BTCC finish so far this season for a Toyota driver.

Morgan’s success came at the end of another remarkably consistent day for the Toyota independent - he finished ninth and seventh in the earlier races to maintain his run of form. He’s one of only four drivers to have scored in every race and has claimed a top-10 result 11 times from 12 starts.

“It’s fantastic to get a podium finish, especially at a circuit that has been a bit of a bogey one for us in the past,” said Morgan, who holds seventh place in the drivers championship and is second in the Independents Trophy standings. “I have to give massive thanks to the guys in the Ciceley Racing team and to all our sponsors for their support, as I wouldn’t be here without them.”

Adam’s podium charge saw him battle past Adam Welch’s Proton for third in the early laps to latch on to the tail of the lead battle, being disputed by Jeff Smith’s Honda and Rob Austin’s Audi. Smith ousted Austin from the lead at mid-distance and Morgan followed him through for second before being returned to third by Andrew Jordan’s Honda. Jordan went on to win from BMW driver Colin Turkington, with Morgan holding off a determined challenge from multiple champion Matt Neal (Honda) by just 0.078s at the line.

Added Adam: “It is fantastic for me to be able to race side-by-side with people like Colin Turkington and Matt Neal - and it was a great feeling to hold off Matt at the end when my tyres were shot. We’d gone with an aggressive set-up and I knew we had to push early on to get ahead.”

Dave Newsham (17) leads Adam Morgan

There was a strong showing today also from the Speedworks Motorsport team and in particular Dave Newsham, who scored his and the team’s best results of the season - fourth in qualifying and eighth and sixth respectively in races one and two. Unfortunately a thump from another car led to a spin in the finale after he showed strong early pace. “We have really turned a corner with the Toyota,” said Newsham. “It’s better to drive and we showed we had a good qualifying car. Today, we struggled in race one but made changes and now we have a good race car as well, so I feel very positive for the future.” His team-mate, Ollie Jackson, scored his first point since the season-opener at Brands Hatch with 15th place in race three.

After a good qualifying performance, Dynojet Racing Toyota driver Frank Wrathall endured another day of misfortune. He started the first race from sixth on the grid but a knock from another car in the

first-lap melee knocked his Avensis about sufficiently to demand a pit stop for investigation; Frank
rejoined a lap down and finished 23rd.

In race two Wrathall drove brilliantly to claim back 11 places and secure 12th position, which he used as a springboard to race to ninth in the finale. “The Toyota felt really good and was strong, but we were up against it because of where we started,” said Frank. “We set the fourth-fastest lap in the final race, which showed what we were capable of. We were really on the back foot as a result of the first race - it is so difficult around here to make up places from the back of the field.”

Toyota’s quartet of independent racers will be back in action in a fortnight (23 June) at the Croft circuit in North Yorkshire.

 Honda Yuasa Racing Battles on at Oulton Park

Mat Neal in action at Oulton Park

 Honda Yuasa Racing maintained its lead in all the major Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship standings despite a trying event at Oulton Park last weekend.

Shedden celebrates 3rd in race one

The Honda Civics of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden again handled well around the Cheshire track, but success ballast from previous rounds and low turbo boost levels thanks to the championship’s engine equalisation system made life tricky.

Shedden qualified third after having his best time disallowed for exceeding track limits, while Neal – running with the maximum 45kg of ballast – was eighth quickest.

Reigning champion Shedden tracked the leading MGs relentlessly in race one to finish third and then went one better second time out to grab the runner-up spot.

He was in the jostling lead pack in the reversed-grid encounter, which he started on the BTCC’s soft tyre, before contact with a rival punctured a tyre and sent him to the pits.

“Splitting the MGs was good in race two,” said Shedden, who remained fourth in the drivers’ standings. “The car has been fantastic all weekend and we maximised what we had.

“The Civic was great on the soft tyre again, but it was a crazy reversed-grid race and it didn’t go my way.”

Neal battled his way to sixth in race one and, with no ballast for race two, improved to fourth in the second event.
After a battling drive in the finale, which included a dramatic fight with former champion Colin Turkington, Neal came home fourth to hold a four-point lead over Pirtek Racing Honda driver Andrew Jordan in the title race.

“The weight and the boost made it hard,” said the triple champion. “You’ve got to drag the weight up in four places here.

“When we had the weight out for race two we made a set-up change that didn’t quite work and we didn’t reap the benefits.

“We changed it again for race three and the car came alive. It was awesome. I wanted the race to go on. It felt like the soft tyre was lasting better than the hard!”

As well as holding first and fourth in the drivers’ championship, Honda Yuasa Racing also maintained its lead in the teams’ championship. To complete the set, Honda leads the manufacturers’ standings and Jordan and Pirtek Racing head the independents’ championships.

Plato on fire at Oulton Park – literally

 

MG Drivers Plato and Tordorff on the podium

Jason Plato thrust himself right into the heart of the fight for this season’s 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship by taking his MG KX Momentum car to two stylish wins at Oulton Park in Cheshire on Sunday.

The former champion was the highest points scorer across the weekend’s three races, but was ruled out of the final event when damage caused his car to erupt in flames.

Plato’s team-mate, Sam Tordoff, underlined the team’s competitive showing in Cheshire by landing the best result of his career to date when he followed his sister car over the line in the opening race. 

Plato said he was delighted to have turned the car’s potential into a big points pay day with his 77^th and 78^th career victories in Britain’s leading motor racing championship.

“That was one heck of a weekend,” he said afterwards. “We had a fantastic car underneath us but that is only part of the job. You still have to land the results and we did. The team has worked hard to get the best out of this car, and I am now confident that we will be able to go anywhere and be fast. It is a joy to drive.”

After his fiery exit from the third race of the weekend, Plato said during the lap prior to retirement slight contact in the pack during the early jostling might have contributed. “There was a concertina effect at the hairpin on lap two, and everyone tapped into the back of each other,” he explained. “I nudged into the car in front, and that may have a link to the failure but there is no apparent damage we can see on any external components. It is a shame, but we’re still able to walk away form here with a smile.”

Tordoff was all smiles after the opening race of the weekend. The Leeds ace, a member of the KX Akademy, banked a career best second place finish behind Plato after a brave opening lap. He ran side-by-side with a rival through the first two corners before securing the spot.

He failed to finished the second event after a brush with another car – incredibly, Tordoff’s first non-points finish of the season – before staging one of the drives of the weekend to go from 21^st to seventh in race three.

“I was delighted with the podium in the opening race and, as Jason says, it underlines the progress we have made in the car throughout the year,” explained Tordoff. “I was still able to push at the end of the first race if I had needed too, but fortunately, I didn’t have to. I went with the softer option tyres in race two, which went off towards the end and I dropped back before the contact.

“Race three was really good fun, and that shows what we are capable of – I think if I had have started in the top ten, I could have won that race,” he added.

Tordoff consolidated fifth place in the standings, while Plato has moved to within seven points of the title summit as the title fight reaches its halfway point at Croft in North Yorkshire in two weeks’ time.

MG KX Momentum team principal Ian Harrison said he thought that the team had exploited its chances with the wins at Oulton Park.

“When you have won two out of three races, you can’t complain,” he explained. “But what I am delighted about is that we have two cars up there capable of battling for wins, which we haven’t had before. Sam had some rough times this weekend but hey, this is the BTCC. It isn’t easy. Jason’s narrowed the gap to the points leaders and we are in a strong frame of mind.”

Standings

British Touring Car Championship

Afer 12/30 rounds

1                                                                   Matt Neal (Honda Civic)       173

2                                                                   Andrew Jordan (Honda Civic)      169

3                                                                   Jason Plato (MG KX Momentum MG6)  166

4                                                                   Gordon Shedden (Honda Civic)   142

5                                                                   Sam Tordoff (MG KX Momentum MG6)        129

Autosport International 2013 : Formula Ford video Interview

Since 1967, Formula Ford has been a staple of British and indeed international motorsport. Now the latest incarnation of the Formula Ford car has something none of it's predecessors have... Wings! Launched at the Autosport show the new Formula Ford 200 features a 1600cc Ecoboost engine with 200bhp, and looks fantastic. Overdrive's Chris Lucas spoke to Ford Racing Europe's manager, Mike Norton.

New Formula Ford unveiled

Young race drivers from across the globe are eyeing this season’s new-look Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain.

Competitors from 10 countries have registered firm interest with series organisers. With 10 weeks until the opening round, officials are delighted with the response to the major changes introduced to the category for 2013.

Months of design work have gone into the new car

“We’re hugely encouraged at the interest shown by teams and drivers,” said Ford Racing motorsport manager Mike Norton. Norton attended today’s opening day of the Autosport International racing car show in Birmingham, England, where the new Formula Ford EcoBoost 200 car is on display until Sunday.

“The number of serious inquiries from international drivers who are considering committing to the series has exceeded our expectations.

“Competitors from USA, Finland, South Africa and Argentina, countries that are regular participants in the championship, have either tested a car or been in talks. But what is particularly encouraging is that we’ve had similar interest from drivers in Greece and Norway.

The new car will compete on the TOCA package

“The Autosport show traditionally raises the curtain on the motorsport season and we’ve maintained the strong momentum here by displaying the car and meeting with other prospective competitors and teams wishing to join us for 2013,” added Norton.

The new high-tech EcoBoost 200 car will provide racers with the world’s most technically advanced junior single-seater cars. Increased power from the turbocharged engine allied to the introduction of aerodynamic front and rear wings, one of the biggest technical advances in the championship’s history, will transform the car into the UK’s fastest junior single-seater.

The 1.6-litre unit is a proven and reliable entity. It is the same downsized, high-efficiency EcoBoost engine as used in Ford’s latest production cars and has a successful season’s race development behind it. For 2013 its electronics will be remapped to boost power output in excess of 200PS.

The chassis complies fully with the FIA’s latest stringent safety requirements equivalent to that of Formula 3 and also boasts a Formula 3-specification six-speed gearbox and on-board data logging and track mapping.

Ford of Europe’s design team played a key role in the look of the car. Its input ensured the EcoBoost 200 visually reflects the successful kinetic design styling cues synonymous with Ford’s product line-up.

The new car looks fantastic with hit's new wings

Formula Ford has an increased profile to match, as a support series to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship for the next three years. The agreement delivers live TV coverage at each of the 10 race weekends, incorporating 30 races, on UK terrestrial channel ITV4.

The calendar begins on 30 / 31 March at Brands Hatch and visits Donington Park, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Croft, Snetterton, Knockhill, Rockingham and Silverstone before returning to Brands Hatch for the final rounds on 12 / 13 October. 

Wrathall beats Plato to take his first Pole Position

Frank Wrathall narrowly beat Jason Plato to achieve his first BTCC pole position at Snetterton Norfolk.

Frank Wrathall has spectacularly taken the first pole position of his Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship career at the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk.

 

The 25-year-old from Preston achieved pole in a time of 1m57.595s in his Dynojet Toyota Avensis to pip former double Champion, Oxford’s Jason Plato in his MG KX Momentum Racing MG6 by just 0.015s.

Motorbase debured the new Focus ST

 

Wrathall’s pole is the first for a Toyota driver in the BTCC since 1993 and also a qualifying record for the championship around the Snetterton track.

 

Inverness’s Dave Newsham was also close to pole, just 0.054s away from Wrathall in third in his Team ES Racing.com Vauxhall Vectra.

 

An elated Wrathall said: “That was very close as Jason and I were trading fastest times but in the end I came out on top. I’d come back into the pit lane and knew he was out there giving it one final go, but it seems he made a mistake and went off the track – when the team told me I was shouting a lot in the car! To beat a driver of his stature makes it all the more rewarding and I’m delighted.”

 

Plato replied: “Congratulations to Frank – it’s always nice to see a young driver doing well, even if it is at my expense! The important thing is I’m ahead of the two drivers I’m chasing for the title and from here can start thinking about taking points back off them.”

 

And added Newsham: “Finally the Vectra feels like it did back at the start of the season when I had three really strong opening events. From what we’ve seen in the earlier practice sessions our tyre wear rate is also excellent so I’m hoping for three very strong races tomorrow.”

 

Marshals rush to put out Gordon Shedden's burning Honda

There were career-best qualifying results, too, for Preston's Adam Morgan and Fleet's Daniel Welch – a fine fifth and sixth fastest in their Speedworks Motorsport Toyota and Welch Motorsport Proton respectively.

 

That'll polish out. The mechanics had the car out later on.

But there were major frustrations for the two championship leaders, Honda Yuasa Racing Team team-mates Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden. Worcestershire's Neal was a lowly seventh by his standards and Fife's Shedden 22nd and last after on-going problems with his Civic – which had suffered a major fire in practice this morning – prevented him from setting a time.

 

Elsewhere Warwickshire's Mat Jackson, another of the championship’s top names, qualified the Redstone Racing team’s all-new Ford Focus ST an encouraging 16th fastest on its debut. The Focus, only completed at 7.00am, becomes the seventh different make of car to be built to the BTCC’s new and much-applauded NGTC regulations…

 

Meanwhile Neal will go into tomorrow’s three BTCC races at Snetterton leading the standings by a point from Shedden. Plato is a further 28 back with 20 awarded for a race win. All the action will be shown live on the ITV4 and ITV4 HD channels plus www.itv.com in a seven-hour show from 11.00am-6.00pm.

 

Top positions, Dunlop BTCC qualifying, Snetterton, Sat 11 Aug 2012

1. Frank Wrathall (GBR), Dynojet/Toyota Avensis, 1m57.595s
2. Jason Plato (GBR), MG KX Momentum Racing/MG6, +0.015s
3. Dave Newsham (GBR), ES Racing.com/Vauxhall Vectra, +0.054s
4. Andrew Jordan (GBR), Pirtek Racing/Honda Civic, +0.538s
5. Adam Morgan (GBR), Speedworks/Toyota Avensis, +0.610s
6. Daniel Welch (GBR), Welch Motorsport/Proton Persona, +0.668s
7. Matt Neal (GBR), Honda Yuasa Racing Team/Honda Civic, +0.957s
8. Lea Wood (GBR), BINZ Racing/Vauxhall Vectra, +1.104s
9. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), eBay Motors/BMW 320si, +1.286s
10. Jeff Smith (GBR), Pirtek Racing/Honda Civic, +1.620s

Pictures courtesy of BTCC.net

Special silver anniversary for RS500

It’s 25 years since Ford’s iconic Sierra Cosworth RS500 burst onto the world’s roads and racetracks and next month’s Silverstone Classic powered by the AA (20-22 July) will pay homage to the winged wondercar. The RS500’s silver anniversary will be marked with two special touring car races plus a large display dedicated to both competition and showroom derivatives.

It was back in 1985 that Ford shocked the world by launching the original Sierra Cosworth – a turbocharged version of its basic family hatchback that came complete with a ‘whale-tail’ rear spoiler and ample performance to embarrass many a supercar.

Once 5000 of these ‘standard’ 150mph ‘Cossies’ had been produced, international Group A competition rules allowed Ford to develop an even hotter evolution version of which only 500 were needed to meet the homologation regulations – hence the introduction of the flame-spitting RS500 in August 1987.

Now armed with a bigger turbocharger plus a host of other aerodynamic and performance related upgrades, racing versions could develop more than 500bhp and were quick to make their mark in motor sport. In 1988 the RS500 dominated the European Touring Car Championship and won national titles in Germany, Belgium, Spain and Holland. It was in the coveted British Touring Car Championship, though, that the RS500 really earned its reputation with drivers such as Andy Rouse, Steve Soper and Robb Gravett enjoying a record unbeaten run of 40 consecutive victories between September 1987 and the end 1990 after which saloon car racing adopted a new non-turbo Super Touring formula.

Twenty five years on, those remarkable achievements will be showcased in two momentous Fuji Film Touring Car Trophy races to be staged at the Silverstone Classic. Marking the occasion, no fewer than five RS500s will head an impressive entry list that includes close to 50 of the world’s finest touring cars from 1975-1999  – and more are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Among the RS500s already confirmed is Dave Brodie in his familiar ‘Run Baby Run’ Sierra, a regular BTCC front-runner back in the late Eighties.

Adding to the celebrations the RS Owners Club is putting together a large collection of more than 40 road and racing RS500s for display over the weekend.

“The RS500 is already part of motor sport folklore and we are thrilled to have so many participating at this year’s classic,” enthused event director Nick Wigely. “Watching the mighty Cossies racing against the more modern generation of Super Tourers is going to be every bit as intriguing as spectacular. The newer cars may be more advanced in terms of technology but with rear-wheel-drive and massive turbos the dramatic RS500s are sure to be huge crowds pleasers.”   

Adult tickets for 2012’s Silverstone Classic powered by the AA (20-22 July) cost from as little as £35 and special two- and three-day weekend tickets are also available with savings of up to 20 per cent if purchased in advance. Full details are available via the event’s official HYPERLINK "http://e2ma.net/go/11609114144/4166337/113240288/39710/b64/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zaWx2ZXJzdG9uZWNsYXNzaWMuY29t" www.silverstoneclassic.com website. 

Bulldog Rally Round Up

Bulldog Rally points haul for Cotton..

Matt Cotton at the finish of the Bulldog Rally

British Rally Championship contender Matt Cotton finished on the podium once again last weekend when he contested the second round of the world renowned series, The Bulldog International Rally of North Wales. Cotton piloted his AVS Motorsport run Ford Fiesta ST to a worthy 18^th overall and 2^nd in class, ensuring he remains in the championship title hunt for the remaining rounds of the season.

International competitors from all corners of the globe assembled in the market town of Welshpool in Powys to tackle 90 competitive stage miles in the classic Welsh forests of Dyfi and Gartheiniog. With 15 of those miles to be contested in the dark on Friday night, the event was already shaping up to be a classic battle for all the British Rally Championship crews.

With co-driver Glyn Thomas alongside, the South West pairing were looking forward to the challenge ahead which included night stages for the first time this year. But a bitter blow was dealt just a few hours before the event was due to start when the organisers of the rally had to cancel the 2 stages on Friday which were due to run in the dark. This meant that the 10 stages planned for Saturday would become more critical for the team as they would need to attack from the very first stage.

After the ceremonial start in Welshpool town centre, the first loop of stages took crews into the fast and undulating Dyfi Forest complex where Matt would need to remain focused on the task in hand if he was to return to the first service of the day in the lead of his class. Matt said “I had a very scrappy first stage and we lost a lot of time with a few overshoots. It was hard adjusting to the different surface of the Welsh forests compared to Rallye Sunseeker as we haven’t got the budget to carry out testing between events, but hopefully we can learn quickly as its loosing us time on the faster sections”.

After a brief service halt, the crews returned to complete a second run of the morning’s stages which would prove critical for the Cornishman. As the stages were repeated, Matt started to build his confidence on the slippery gravel and set some encouraging stage times. He said “Every mile I drive in the car I feel more confident and comfortable with how it performs. We should be able to claw back the seconds we lost this morning when we tackle the afternoon stages for the first time”.

However with the event running behind schedule due to a number of incidents, the organisers were forced to cancel the last 3 stages meaning the results were declared final after the second service of the day and the crews were re-routed to the ceremonial finish in Welshpool.

Can't see the wood for the... Cotton??

“I’m pleased that we have shown good pace today but we know what areas we need to improve on the remaining rounds. It was a shame we had 5 cancelled stages as we were building confidence with every stage. We need to look forwards to the Pirelli Rally where we can really push for that illustrious win” said Glyn at the finish.

Matt lies in 14^th place in the British Rally Championship, 2^nd in class 8 and 4^th in the Fiesta Sport Trophy. The next round of the series The Pirelli International Rally based in Carlisle, takes place on 27^th/28^th April. Keep up to date with Matt’s progress both on and off the stages by visiting www.mattcottonrallying.co.uk, following us on Twitter, or finding us on Facebook.

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Tom Cave Celebrates Multiple Wins in Wales

Tom Cave's borrowed Citroen (Read on)

 After brief testing just days before Round Two of the MSA British Rally Championship, young rally driver, Tom Cave celebrated his first win in the Citroen DS3 R3 rally car. Building on his past success, Tom, partnered with Craig Parry, took the win at his 'home' event, the Bulldog Rally in Wales, finishing three seconds ahead of Keith Cronin/Marshall Clarke. Tom also won the Pirelli 'Star driver' award. 


As the first outing for Tom in the DS3 R3, he hopes to build on this success as the BRC progresses as well as continuing to impress in the newly created Citroen Racing Trophy.

Who wanted a shower?

The new Citroen DS3 R3 offered a multitude of challenges. The main one came with testing, as the car wasn't ready in time to offer a significant testing period. Converted to gravel spec by DMS, Tom had only a few days to get a feel for the  Citroen before driving in a competitive environment. However, he was satisfied that the set-up he developed would perform brilliantly come the event.

The morning of the Bulldog rally went well, though Tom admits the first stage was a little slower than his usual pace as he was getting used to the car. Such worries were soon in the past though, as Tom pushed harder in stages two and three. A tyre change between those timed tests was a wise tactical move, leaving Tom with fresh tyres for the longer, more aggressive third stage.

Commenting, Tom said: "We knew that stage three was going to be really hard on the tyres. Not only because of the gravel, but also because it was really warm. That's strange for Wales in March! With new tyres on the front we could push harder with a 10-15 second gain a real possibility. We carried the two tyres we'd used in stages one and two as spares though, just in case something did happen."

Tom went back to service after stage three with a five second lead, though the decision was made not change the setup of the car in any way. After the performance in the first three stages, Tom was confident he could push even harder through the next three without taking any unnecessary risks.

What would turn out to be the final three stages of the day saw similar tactics from Tom, with a slightly more aggressive push on stages 4 and 5 along with a considerable increase in pace on stage 6. Much like the morning's stages, tyres were used sparingly leaving plenty of life in them for the longer, more important stage six. Tom explains:

"We only carried one spare for stage six because the front tyres still had loads of life left in them. Again, like the morning's stages, we just wanted to push hard on the longer stage and create the biggest time difference we could. We did have one moment on a long right-hander. It tightened towards the end and there was the danger of colliding with some logs. Luckily the car powered out of the trouble and we were able to carry on. Lucky really, as some other drivers were having much bigger moments."

The last few miles of stage six offered even more challenges, thanks in no small part to the heat and gravely conditions pushing the tyres to their extremes. Even so, Tom easily held onto the lead. More stages were due to take place, but due to safety concerns surrounding lighting issues, the Bulldog Rally came to a close after stage six, securing Tom and Craig's first win the brand new Citroen DS3 R3, along with their first MSA British Rally Championship victory.

Tom's next event will be the Pirelli International leg of the BRC, centred around 100 miles of Welsh and Cumbrian forests during the 27th and 28th of April. Another two-day event, it promises even more challenges, though Tom is confident that with the AutoMeca Racing prepared Citroen DS3 R3 beneath him, he can achieve another podium finish. 

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Sykes storms into championship lead after Bulldog rally success

Richard Sykes in action on the Bulldog Rally

Stourbridge’s Richard Sykes took his first rally win in three years on the Bulldog Challenge event last weekend, a performance which put him in the lead of the BRC Challenge rally championship.
The Welshpool-based event, which was round two of the championship, started with the Big Ray stage. Keen to get a good haul of points Sykes and co-driver Simon Taylor were immediately on the pace, setting third fastest time in their Bathams Brewery, G I Sykes Ltd, Boroughbridge Marina and Silverstone Tyres-supported Citroën C2 R2 Max.


Sykes maintained his position after the second stage in Dyfi forest before powering into the lead with a stunning time in stage three, Gartheiniog.


"We made a decent start to the event although we had small problems in both of the opening two stages," said Sykes. "We got held up in the dust of the car in front on stage one which cost us around 10 seconds and then we beached the car on a corner in stage two. Fortunately some spectators got us going again so we didn’t lose too much time."


"It was brilliant to be leading after the third stage, we didn’t know how we were getting on till we got back to service so it was pleasing to see we were fastest."


The rally headed north for a pair of stages near Bala, Llangywer and Penllyn, with Sykes 30 seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Despite his lead Sykes continued to push hard, setting the fastest time on both stages to extend his lead by a further nine seconds.

Celebrating the win and the lead of the BRC Challenge

There was no let up in the final Dyfnant stage either, Sykes taking his fourth consecutive stage win to complete a dominant performance.


"Even though we had a relatively comfortable lead I wanted to keep going as quick as I could on the final three stages and I was aiming to set as many fastest times as possible. I was delighted to be quickest on them all!"


"It was my fourth time contesting the Bulldog, the previous three occasions resulted in the car breaking so it is great both to finally finish the event and to win it."


"The event was very tough, some of my main championship rivals didn’t make it to the finish so we didn’t get to have a battle with them although I think we had the pace to still do the job. For once we have had a great start to the season while other crews are having problems and we will continue working as hard as we can to try and take the championship win."


Sykes now leads the BRC Challenge championship on 56 points ahead of James Watts on 46. The next championship round will take place in April with the Carlisle-based Pirelli Challenge rally.

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TWINGO TROPHY: USA 1, SCOTLAND 2

Nick Allen and Tony Bull toast their success on the Bulldog Rally

 Californian Nick Allen and British co-driver Andy Bull won the inaugural event in the 2012 Twingo Renaultsport R2 Trophy UK this weekend, Scots pairing Garry Pearson and Craig Wallace taking the R1 Trophy honours on their second event in this series.

The event, Bulldog International Rally of North Wales was the second round of the MSA British Rally Championship, this year an all two wheel drive affair which has attracted drivers from around the world.

Having only contested a small number of events in his home country, Allen has been putting in the stage mileage since moving to the UK to fulfil his BRC ambition. He cites himself as a long-time follower of rallying in the UK, so this was a real dream come true for the ever-smiling American. However as with all rallies, it is not always the fastest on a given stage that wins.

It was actually Formula 1000 graduate Chris Ingram who set the early pace in his freshly upgraded Twingo R2 Evolution, although his path to the start of the rally was not an easy one.

Allen and Bull in action on the Bulldog

Having opted for the 190 horsepower upgrade, courier delays meant that the car was literally completed hours before the start on Saturday, the youngster benefitting from the cancellation of Friday’s two tests. He and co-driver Joe Cruttenden attended the 6pm ceremonial start on foot, leaving the team to bolt on a new engine computer and attend a late safety check arranged by the organisers.

But with the bit between his teeth, he set about the stages, climbing to an impressive 14^th place by the eventual penultimate stage. Sadly the fuel filler had not been attached after refuelling and given the low level remaining in the tank, he took the sensible option to limp through to service, handing the lead to the American.

It was at this point that Allan and Bull proved the immense camaraderie in rallying. With Ingram’s car now out of fuel and potentially out of the rally, Allen stopped to see if he could help. This he duly did by pushing the youngster’s Twingo with his own, eventually changing to a tow rope when their engine temperature soared through lack of air-flow.

Pearson and Wallace in their R1 version of the Twingo

Meanwhile Garry Pearson and Craig Wallace were on their way to another maximum points haul in the Twingo Renaultsport R1 Trophy UK, Class 10 and Junior categories in the MSA British Rally Championship.

Their rally went according to plan, the sole Scottish crew on the event even finding themselves too quick on a couple of stages. Having made excellent time, they caught the dust of the car ahead, eventually managing to pass it, but losing time in the process.

Like Ingram, they also had a problem in the penultimate stage, clipping a log pile and bending the rear axle. But a degree of skill and commitment got them through the next stage relieved that it could then be repaired at service.

However on the road section back to the Dolgellau service area, a car from one of the preceding events had caught fire, the fire brigade and police closing the road. The subsequent delay forced the cancellation of the final three stages leaving just the ceremonial finish back in Welshpool.

Undeterred, the crews arrived at the finish, Pearson and Allen spraying champagne while Ingram rued a missing fuel filler cap, nevertheless picking up valuable points in the R2 Trophy.

Garry Pearson and Craig Wallace

Importantly, as the end of season Twingo Renaultsport R1 Trophy prize drive depends on Junior victory, Pearson leads the MSA British Junior Rally Championship too, beating Fiesta rival Steve Røkland in their first real encounter.

The next event in the BRC calendar, counting towards both Twingo Trophies, is the Pirelli International Rally which is based in Carlisle and uses the infamous Kielder Forest complex. The rally starts on Friday 27^th April with stages continuing into Saturday 28^th.

For more information on the Twingo Renaultsport R1 & R2 Trophy UK visit www.renaultsport.co.uk

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DS3 DOMINATION ON BULLDOG RALLY! CAVE TAKES VICTORY AND CITROËNS FILL EIGHT OF THE TOP TWELVE PLACES!

Citroen Drivers lock out the podium at the Bulldog rally. 

Round two of the MSA British Rally Championship, the Bulldog Rally, marked the best ever result for Citroën in British rallying history. Young Welsh ace Tom Cave took a splendid overall victory in his DS3 R3, and the 1600 turbo charged rockets filled the following three places. All eight of Citroën DS3’s that started the event finished in the top twelve places! Citroën UK now lead the Manufacturers series after two rounds.

Rallying is a dramatic sport, and the dramas were even happening before the start in Welshpool, particularly for young Welsh man Tom Cave! The Davies Motorsport team had worked hard to finish his new DS3, and Tom was testing the Tuesday before the start when a freak mechanical failure in the steering caused the car to plunge off the road in 5^th gear! “We landed on a jump, something broke and we plunged 50 yards through a bog, and landed on our side in 5 foot of water, before the car turned onto it wheels. It was a real mess with water everywhere, and I didn’t even know if we could be starting the rally at all.” With just 25 miles of testing before-hand, they had nevertheless arrived at a new set up. Frantic phone calls were made to hire a replacement DS3 and the French Auto Meca, run by Citroën rally legend Philippe Bugalski came up trumps. “We phoned them on Tuesday night and they had a car here for Friday morning, and Andy and the Davies team did a great job helping to run us on the event, and applying our test settings to the car.” It would prove to be a dream run for Tom and also very good for 2009 and 2010 British Rally Champion, Keith Cronin. After a deal to drive a Honda fell through the DGM Sport team’s second DS3 was readied at the eleventh hour for Keith to take the start. Leader for much of round one, Jarkko Nikara had a rebuilt engine in his DS3, and both Jonny Greer and James Grint were making their DS3 debuts.

Tom Cave in his borrowed DS3 somewhere in the Welsh forests

With the cancellation of the two Friday night stages, stage three - Big Ray 1 was the first and it was Nikara fastest from his round one rival Mark Donnelly in his Clio. But Donnelly’s challenge ended against a tree just after the finish line of stage 2, and it was set to be a DS3 battle. Keith Cronin was an impressive third, despite his very limited mileage in the car, but it was Tom Cave who set the pace, fastest on the next test to leap into the lead. With a further fastest time on the famous Garheiniog stage he had a three second lead over Jarkko Nikara. “Our first stage wasn’t great. I still had Tuesday’s incident in the back of my mind,” commented Tom. “On stage two however it seemed to click again, and we got into a good rhythm. At least we got a setting on our brief test, and without that we wouldn’t have been on the pace, but the car felt very good, especially on the fast stuff where it was very stable. The harder we went the more planted it seemed to be, and with so much torque it drives almost like a four wheel drive out of the corners.” There was even more to come from Tom as on the Dyfi Main test he took ten seconds off his nearest rival, who at this stage was Keith Cronin. Keith had his own dramas, stopping to assist Alastair Fisher on stage 5, after the Fiesta caught fire. The resultant nominal stage time he felt cost him a little, but he was to charge in the late afternoon stages, closing the gap to just 3 seconds at the finish, but just unable to catch the flying Cave. However he was lucky to finish at all, arriving late after a fuel pump related failure on the final road section.

Indeed the event wasn’t the smoothest with frequent delays starting the stages, and the last loop being cancelled due to a fire on a road section, meaning a total of just 56 competitive miles. It was maybe just as well for Jarkko Nikara, who limped home in third after breaking a drive-shaft on the final stage. In fourth place was 19 year old Osian Pryce in his Davies Motorsport DS3, a result that leaves him in a fantastic joint second place in the British Rally Championship. However the Welsh youngster feels he’s more improvements to make. “We still have some work to do, as we have to make up about a second a mile in some places on the leaders. I think I started too cautiously and was braking too early on the opening stages, having to go on the throttle again before some corners. I was happier with the handling of the car, with the improvements that we made, and had no problems all day. Certainly it’s good for the championship, but for the next couple of events we need to aim and see if we can climb onto the podium.”

The first non Citroën was Elfyn Evans who had a great drive in his R2 class Fiesta, with Jonny Greer making his DS3 debut claiming sixth. Jonny was getting used to front wheel drive again, and a new co-driver in Damien Connolly, and aside from a spin and a dash-board read out issue had a trouble free day. Desi Henry in eighth wasn’t quite so lucky with a costly puncture on stage 5, and the Co.Antrim driver who claimed second place on round one couldn’t get into the groove during the day. Eleventh place was an impressive finish for James Grint, on his first event in a DS3, and with his relative lack of rally experience. Just 13 seconds behind him was welcome French visitor Vincent Dubert.

The day however very much belonged to Tom Cave and co-driver Craig Parry, scooping €6000 of Citroën Racing Trophy UK prize money for their first overall finish. “It’s a dream result, and I’ve been waiting on a result like this for a while. Everything seemed to click, and the car ran perfectly. It was a tough fought event. We knew Keith would get quicker in the afternoon, but we had enough to hold on. It’s probably my best ever result, particularly after the steering failure on Tuesday. It’s brilliant!” Keith Cronin’s second place awards him €3500 whilst Jarkko Nikara claims €1500 for third.

With Citroën UK moving into the lead in the manufacturer’s table and the DS3 R3 proving its speed, reliability and durability it’s a fantastic performance for the Citroën brand in this extreme competition. The next round of the MSA British Rally Championship is the Pirelli International Rally on the 27th and 28th April.

Results Bulldog Rally 2012- Round Two MSA British Rally Championship

1 Tom Cave/ Craig Parry Citroën DS3 56 min 39s

2 Keith Cronin/Marshall Clarke Citroën DS3 +3s
3 Jarkko Nikara/ Petri Nikara Citroën DS3 +14.7s
4 Osian Pryce/ Iestyn Williams Citroën DS3 +49.4s

6 Jonny Greer/ Damien Connolly Citroën DS3 +1m17.9s
8 Desi Henry/ Niall Burns Citroën DS3 +2m04.5s

11 James Grint/ Craig Drew Citroën DS3 +2m39.3s
12 Vincent Dubert/Stephane Rey Citroën DS3 +2m52.6s

Manufacturer Standings after Round Two

1 Citroën UK 71points
2 Renault UK 61points
3 Ford Motor Co 60points