Tag: BTCC

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship makes it long-awaited return this weekend (August 1/2) with three races at Donington Park marking the start of what is set to be an action-packed three-and-a-half months of blockbuster entertainment.

With motorsport having come to an abrupt stop back in March due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Britain’s premier race series has been busy preparing for a safe return and has put together a rescheduled 27-race schedule, taking place across nine of the UK’s best circuit layouts.

Like any championship, the BTCC has been impacted by the pandemic and has subsequently seen the likes of Andrew Jordan, Jason Plato and Mat Jackson all sidelined for the 2020 campaign.

One man that will be on-track however is reigning champion Colin Turkington, who is looking to clinch a record-breaking fifth BTCC title at the wheel of his West Surrey Racing BMW 330i M Sport.

Triumphing in dramatic style last year, the Northern Irishman is back to defend his crown with Team BMW alongside Tom Oliphant and will undoubtedly be hard to beat.

Whilst Turkington heads into the opening event of what is a condensed campaign, the list of challengers that threaten to take his title away from him in 2020 is vast.

Halfords Yuasa Racing came close to overall victory last year and the Honda Civic Type R outfit have retained the services of Dan Cammish and Matt Neal in the hope that they can go one better this time around.

BTC Racing will also field Honda Civic Type R’s once again and they will put their faith in Josh Cook, Tom Chilton and Michael Crees to finally deliver championship silverware.

Tom Ingram meanwhile has a season under his belt with the Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Corolla and his sights are firmly set on clinching a maiden title after finishing runner-up to Turkington in 2018.

Elsewhere, Laser Tools Racing have expanded their driver line-up for this season with former champion Ashley Sutton joining Aiden Moffat whilst Rory Butcher has switched to Motorbase Performance to spearhead its charge with the brand new Ford Focus.

Other notable names to keep an eye on over the course of the weekend at Donington Park include Jake Hill, Adam Morgan, Jack Goff, Senna Proctor, Stephen Jelley, Chris Smiley and Bobby Thompson – amongst others.

With three races scheduled to take place around the 1.9-mile Leicestershire venue, every point is set to be crucial in determining who will lift the coveted title come the end of the season at Brands Hatch in November.

ITV4 will present live coverage of all the race day action on Sunday with the broadcast scheduled to begin at 10:40.

For more information on this weekend’s race meeting, including links to the timetable and live timing, click here.

The British Touring Car Championship has announced that Motorsport Games has secured multi-year license to create the official video game and associated Esports for Britain’s premier race series.

Scheduled to launch in 2022, the new BTCC game will be developed for new generation consoles, as well as PC, using market leading technology with an option to also develop a mobile version. 

The BTCC proved popular with gamers in the 1990’s thanks to the TOCA Touring Cars series on PlayStation, but hasn’t appeared on PC or console platforms in an official capacity for more than 15 years.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “Finally, I’m proud to say that the huge demand from the BTCC and TOCA game fans is being answered.

“Just like the original BTCC/TOCA game, this will be a dedicated BTCC game featuring all the cars, all the teams, all the drivers and all the circuits – not merely some elements partially incorporated into an existing game. 

“It is hugely important to me, our teams, drivers and fans that any new BTCC game reflected exactly what everyone loves about our championship; the incredibly close non-stop action, intense competition and great enjoyment. I’ve no doubt that Motorsport Games will deliver exactly that.”

Stephen Hood, President of Motorsport Games, added: “This partnership is a clear signal of the enormous trust that the BTCC has placed in Motorsport Games. Our team demonstrated real enthusiasm for the project from day one, and our ambitions were immediately aligned.

“The opportunity is clear for all to see and we look forward to deploying the significant and proven capabilities of our esports, game development and media teams to return this series back to the forefront of gaming.”

Tickets for the re-scheduled Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship race meeting at Thruxton on September 19/20 have now been made available to purchase.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent suspension of motorsport in the UK, the original date of May 16/17 was postponed and a revised calendar issued was issued by series organisers TOCA.

Ticket numbers will be limited and must be purchased in advance to guarantee admission.

All tickets that were previously purchased for the original date of May 16/17 will be valid for the rescheduled event.

Children aged 12 and under that are accompanied by an adult (maximum of five children per adult) are admitted to the circuit free of charge.

Information regarding camping and grandstands will be provided in due course.

Joining the BTCC on September 19/20 will be support race action courtesy of the Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship, Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, MINI CHALLENGE and F4 British Championship certified by FIA – powered by Ford EcoBoost.

To purchase tickets, head to https://thruxtonracing.co.uk/racing/btcc

The British Touring Car Championship has today (July 20) announced the official calendar for 2021, with Thruxton most notably set to stage two events in the same season for the second time in three years.

Firmly established as the UK’s flagship motor sport category, series organisers TOCA are already in a position to confirm it’s schedule for next year’s campaign – despite the fact that the 2020 season is yet to start.

Reprising a 30- round schedule over the course of ten events, Brands Hatch will host the opening event of the championship on April 3/4 before the series then moves to Donington Park.

Back-to-back weekend’s will then take place as Thruxton hosts the first of its two events on May 8/9, with Oulton Park following a week later on May 15/16. The annual trip to North Yorkshire and Croft will then round out the first half of the season in June. 

Following the annual summer break, Snetterton will kickstart the second half of the 2021 campaign before trips to Knockhill and Thruxton follow.

Silverstone will stage the penultimate event of the season whilst the iconic Grand Prix layout of Brands Hatch will bring the curtain down on the series, with champions set to be crowned.

BTCC Chief Executive, Alan Gow, said: “Well, this is certainly a new first for the BTCC – issuing the following year’s calendar before the current season has even begun… but I’m sure everyone will agree that it’s nice to see some ‘normality’ returning to the schedule.

“Having said that, with our first 2020 event now less than two weeks away at Donington Park, there is phenomenal enthusiasm for getting this season underway amongst our teams, supporters and partners.”

2021 British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Rounds 1/2/3 – Brands Hatch (Indy) – April 3/4

Rounds 4/5/6 – Donington Park – April 17/18

Rounds 7/8/9 – Thruxton – May 8/9

Rounds 10/11/12 – Oulton Park (Island) – May 15/16

Rounds 13/14/15 – Croft – June 12/13

Rounds 16/17/18 – Snetterton (300) – July 31/August 1

Rounds 19/20/21 – Knockhill – August 14/15

Rounds 22/23/24 – Thruxton – August 28/29

Rounds 25/26/27 – Silverstone (National) – September 25/26

Rounds 28/29/30 – Brands Hatch (Grand Prix) – October 9/10

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship offered a glimpse into the future this past week at Snetterton as the Cosworth-developed Toyota Corolla TOCA Hybrid car broke cover and hit the track for the first time.

Built and run by front-running team Speedworks Motorsport, the front-wheel-drive machine kicked off an extensive testing and development programme before the full introduction of hybrid technology comes in 2022.

Joining the 26-car grid that will battle for the UK’s premier motorsport crown on-track at the Norfolk venue, former BTCC race winner Darren Turner clocked valuable mileage across both days in mixed weather conditions.

The BTCC’s Hybrid System will be used by each driver for either passing or defending and will introduce new competitive strategies and opportunities during each race.

Performance simulations carried out by Cosworth Electronics show that the most significant gains will be achieved at the low engine RPM ranges; the hybrid power burst bringing the engine up into the turbo ‘window’ more quickly.

Drivers will have a steering wheel mounted button to engage the hybrid once full traction has been achieved whilst the system will deactivates on a second button press, the use of brakes, on reaching the time or energy limit, a reduced throttle pressure or sudden acceleration/deceleration.

Following the first foray for the TOCA Hybrid car, Turner said: “It is a great initiative and I am delighted to be a part of it. I fully aware it’s an historic moment for the series and we are all delighted to have completed an extremely successful test.

“The BTCC is the biggest and best championship in the UK and it’s right that it should be leading the way in this technology. The BTCC is leading from the front yet again, and this will be a great addition to the racing. We have regularly deployed the system on-track and it works really well – it will undoubtedly add an extra and exciting dimension to both the defensive and attacking aspects of the racing.

“We will of course be developing the system and integration further and further – this is just the beginning of the car’s track life – and we’ll be getting more and more miles in the car over the coming months.

“The project is going extremely well, it is on schedule and there is no need to rush things – every bit of information is vital at this point to ensure we have a robust system that enhances what the BTCC is all about, and I’m absolutely convinced we will achieve that.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, added: “It’s an extremely proud moment for everyone involved in the BTCC and the TOCA Hybrid project itself. The BTCC was the first major touring car series to confirm its intentions and pathway for introducing hybrid technology and this is clearly another hugely significant milestone as part of that.

“This is obviously just the start of the extensive programme ahead, prior to the full introduction of hybrid technology into the BTCC in 2022, but Cosworth, Speedworks and all of the technical partners involved should be congratulated for the professionalism, expertise and efficiency shown.

“Despite these challenging times the BTCC and its partners have worked extremely hard to ensure that the TOCA Hybrid car made its track debut as originally planned and it has been an extremely positive and successful test.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has ramped up its preparations for the start of the revised 2020 campaign this week by conducting a two-day test at Snetterton, with all teams and drivers present to clock valuable mileage ahead of next month’s season-opener.

With it being 112 days since the series’ Season Launch at Silverstone, the annual Goodyear tyre test served as a much-needed second pre-season group test following the delays caused to the schedule by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the news that Andrew Jordan, Jason Plato and Mat Jackson won’t race as originally planned, 26 cars took to the challenging Norfolk venue.

Mixed weather conditions greeted teams on the opening day of track action as Rory Butcher recorded the fastest time in his Motorbase Performance Ford Focus.

Despite a small electrical issue hampering his running early on, the Scotsman made the most of the dry conditions to set a 1:56.504 benchmark – narrowly pipping BTC Racing’s Tom Chilton and Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram.

Times wouldn’t improve in the afternoon as a heavy rain shower during the lunch break and continuing drizzle put pay to a majority of the running.

Of those that did battle the challenging conditions, Team HARD’s Jack Goff got the best out of Goodyear’s wet compound to top the times ahead of Chilton and Carl Boardley.

Wet weather continued to batter the circuit on the second and final day of running, where 2017 champion Ashley Sutton topped the times across both sessions.

Making the jump to Laser Tools Racing to pilot the rear-wheel-drive Infiniti Q50 this year, Sutton showcased his wet weather prowess to master the greasy conditions and underline his credentials as one to watch once racing begins.

Alongside the protagonists competing for the biggest prize in UK motorsport, the two-day test also provided an opportunity to see the TOCA Hybrid Toyota Corolla hit the track for the first time.

Piloted by former BTCC race winner Darren Turner, the car began an extensive test and development programme before the competitive introduction of hybrid technology in 2022.

To view the full classification from both test days, click here.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is set to kick off a condensed 27-race season at Donington Park on August 1/2.

Fans of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be primed for the start of the post-lockdown 2020 season, whether watching at home on the sofa or trackside, courtesy of the ‘Raceday Programme with a Difference’ which is on sale now.

Put together by ITV4’s lead commentator David Addison, Motorsport News’ Matt James and more, the programmes serves as the perfect season guide ahead of the curtain-raiser at Donington Park on August 1/2.

The programme is packed with the latest news, features, the revised calendar, an extensive entry list and team guide, social media directory and much more.

The 2020 BTCC Raceday Programme with a Difference can be purchased from https://www.btcc-programme.co.uk/ and costs £6.00, including postage.

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has confirmed that it has awarded a five-year contract for the supply of a new ‘TOCA BTCC engine’ to global motorsport industry leader M-Sport.

Following its successful tender submission and subsequent voting by all teams, M-Sport will now develop, build and supply the TOCA engine to the UK’s premier motorsport series from 2022 to 2026.

Since the introduction of the NGTC regulations in 2011, one key aspect of the regulations has been to make available the competitive TOCA engine with proven durability and strict cost-controls, should any team choose not to run their own engines.

M-Sport will work through a development programme of the new TOCA engine, including rigorous testing and manufacture during 2021, before then introducing it into the series the following year.

In addition to the production of the new-specification engine in the next year, M-Sport will also work closely with Cosworth – who have been awarded the contract to design, supply and service the new BTCC Hybrid System, which will also be introduced in 2022.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to welcome M-Sport into the BTCC family and congratulate them on their successful tender.

“The opportunity to supply the TOCA engine from 2022 understandably attracted great interest from an extremely high calibre of bidders, so it is testament to M-Sport’s professionalism and expertise that they were able to come out on top of such a competitive and comprehensive process.

“I would also like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to Swindon Powertrain, who have been such an integral part of the success of the BTCC engine regulations, and we look forward to working closely with them for the remaining two seasons of their contract.”

Malcolm Wilson OBE, M-Sport Managing Director, added: “We’re delighted to have been selected to supply the new TOCA BTCC engine in 2022. The BTCC has long been a popular and prestigious part of the British motorsport scene, and we’re all looking forward to working with TOCA and the relevant teams on this new and exciting project.

“I firmly believe that M-Sport has some of the best engineering expertise in the country, and with the development of our on-site Evaluation Centre this capability is only going to increase.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has unveiled a revised calendar for the 2020 season, comprising of nine events instead of the scheduled ten and set to run from August through to mid-November.

Series organisers TOCA have taken the decision to provisionally plan events from August onwards, however, the calendar will of course remain conditional upon receiving appropriate government directives and approvals regarding the resumption of sporting activities. Should the BTCC be unable to resume at that time, the calendar will be amended accordingly.

In the new provisional schedule, Donington Park will play host to the 2020 season-opener as originally planned, albeit on August 1/2. The first of two visits to Brands Hatch will swiftly follow the next weekend before trips to Oulton Park and Knockhill round out what is set to be a busy month of four events in five weekends for the series.

Thruxton will then stage the fifth event of the season on September 19/20 before Silverstone follows a week later for three high-octane races around the National layout of the Northamptonshire venue. Silverstone’s second meeting around the International layout has been cancelled.

The BTCC’s annual pilgrimage to North Yorkshire and Croft has been moved to October 10/11 whilst Snetterton will provide the backdrop for the penultimate event of the season.

As has been the case in years gone by, the Grand Prix layout of Brands Hatch will stage the final round of the season, but at the later date of November 14/15.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “These are incredibly challenging times for the whole nation. Through it all, we have seen the importance of being both adaptable and pragmatic… and the BTCC is no different. So it’s entirely logical to draft plans and lock-in our provisional dates, with the ability to amend those if circumstances dictate.

“Obviously this calendar presents a hectic four months, with three separate back-to-back events and four events in the first five weeks alone. But our teams and drivers are fully up for the challenge – there’s such enormous energy, enthusiasm and passion for the BTCC that everyone will want to just roll up their sleeves and get the action underway when the time comes to go racing.

“However, the over-arching element will always be to ensure we have the correct procedures and protocols in place, in order to provide a safe environment. But before that time comes the most important thing we can all do is to please stay safe and also protect the health of others.”

Provisional 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Calendar

Donington Park – Rounds 1, 2 & 3 – August 1/2

Brands Hatch Indy – Rounds 4, 5 & 6 – August 8/9

Oulton Park – Rounds 7, 8 & 9 – August 22/23

Knockhill – Rounds 10, 11 & 12 – August 29/30

Thruxton – Rounds 13, 14 & 15 – September 19/20

Silverstone National – Rounds 16, 17 & 18 – September 26/27

Croft – Rounds 19, 20 & 21 – October 10/11

Snetterton – Rounds 22, 23 & 24 – October 24/25

Brands Hatch GP – Rounds 25, 26 & 27 – November 14/15

Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship organisers TOCA have confirmed that its hybrid power introduction project is running ahead of schedule and is set to hit the track for the first time later this year.

Announcing back in August 2018 that the BTCC will boast hybrid power in all cars from the start of the 2022 campaign, impressive progress has been made to establish the roadmap for the introduction of hybrid energy in the BTCC.

Awarding the contract to Cosworth Electronics for the design, supply and servicing of the BTCC Hybrid System, both TOCA and Cosworth will select an existing BTCC race car for the initial hybrid integration and comprehensive testing programme.

With all technical and practical targets being met during the design and build stage, the hybrid equipped car is set to hit the track in June ahead of the annual two-day tyre test at Snetterton in July – marking its first public appearance.

Following the test at Snetterton, rigorous testing and simulations will commence in order to refine the exact nature of the driver-selectable hybrid power delivery as well as configuring the varying amounts of regeneration and hybrid power that will be used to replace the current success ballast system.

The additional hybrid power will be used by each driver using a steering wheel mounted button – after lap one – for either passing or defending. This will provide new competitive strategies and opportunities during each BTCC race.

“I’m incredibly pleased with the fantastic progress we are making on this project,” said BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow.

“One always assumes there will be some hiccups along the way, but so far…nothing. And that’s great testament to the high quality of the technical partners involved – not just Cosworth of course but also Xtrac, PWR, Delta Motorsport, AP Racing and Goodyear.”

Further updates will continue to be provided by TOCA over the coming weeks.