Matt Cup
ClioSport Club Member
Leon Cupra
Looks like a good year for the touring cars, I'm actually really looking forward to this season especially now the grid is full of different makes. :approve:
pinched off another forum said:With F1 safely under way it's time to look to next weekend and the first round of the 2011 British Touring Car Championship. I'm sure that I'm not the only forum member who watches the BTCC so for anybody interested here's a round up of the entrants for 2011. There are 27 entrants registered with 10 different makes of car represented.
There'll be four different specifications of car on the grid this year.
Super 2000 specification - Cars like what they done been racing previous with 2.0 normally-aspirated engines.The teams still running S2000 cars are:
Silverline Chevrolet.
Much the same as last year with Chevrolet Cruzes driven by Jason Plato and Alex MacDowall. (Although for some reason the cars have been replaced with ones from last years WTCC).
Tech-Speed with GoMobileUK.com (Known last year as Sunshine.co.uk).
Tech-speed have disposed of their ageing Integras and obtained the ex-Silverline Chevrolet Cruzes that won last years championship. Drivers John George and Paul O'Neill remain.
Team ES Racing.
A new team to the BTCC with a second-hand Chevrolet Lacetti. Driver Chris James has previously been racing in a Bini Cooper race championship.
West Surrey Racing.
Retain their BMW 320s and driver Rob Collard. Their second car will be driven by rookie Nick Foster who steps up from the BMW CSL Cup.
Geoff Steel Racing.
Return to the BTCC after a several year absence with an ex-Airwaves BMW 320 and 2010 Clio Cup champion Dave Newsham.
Super 2000 cars with NGTC engines - Cars like what they done been racing previous but upgraded to the newer specification 2.0 turbo engines (with power equalised to the S2000 engines). The teams running these are:
Honda Racing Team.
Return with the Civic and their driver line-up of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden.
Team Aon.
Have built themselves some newer model Ford Focuseses to S2000 specs with NGTC engines.They keep Tom Chilton but Onslow-Cole has been replaced by Andy Neate. They've also registered an entry for a third car with a yet-to-be-announced driver (rumoured to be Phil Glew).
Airwaves Racing.
Have opted to replace last years BMW's with ex-Aon Ford Focuses. Mat Jackson remains and is partnered by ex-Porsche Cup racer Liam Griffin.
Triple Eight Racing.
Stick with the Vectra and James Nash and add a second car for ex-Porsche Cup racer Tony Gilham.
Pirtek Racing.
Keep their TOCA NGTC powered Vectra and Andrew Jordan and add a second Vectra for Clio Cup racer Jeff Smith.
Special Tuning Racing.
Return with their Seat Leon and driver Tom Boardman. The TOCA branded NGTC engine they used last year has been replaced with a Seat/VW unit.
AmD Milltek Racing with YourRacingCar.
Return with their Volkswagen Golf. Their NGTC engine has an extra 60bhp over their uncompetitive S2000 engine so hopefully they'll be more on the pace this year. Shaun Hollamby has stepped down from driving duties to make room for Tom Onslow-Cole.
NGTC - Next Generation Touring Cars. This is the new specification that's intended to replace the existing cars over the next few years. With the aim of bringing costs down these utilise identical TOCA-supplied suspension, brakes and gearboxes and the option of an unbranded TOCA supplied (Vauxhall) engine (Those not using the TOCA engine will still have to use an engine by the same manufacturer as their bodyshell). Engines are 2.0 litre turbocharged. The teams that have been enticed by the new regs are:
Dynojet.
The 2010 Ginetta G50 champions step up to the BTCC with an NGTC Toyota Avensis for their driver Frank Wrathall. The development of their engine has been funded by Toyota.
Speedworks Motorsport.
Another new team with an NGTC Avensis but this one uses the unbranded TOCA engine. Ex-Clio Cup racer Tony Hughes will be driving.
Rob Austin Racing.
A new team with NGTC Audi A4s. They've been given dispensation to run the A4s as RWD because the standard championship issue FWD gearbox wouldn't fit the longitudinal Audi engine. David Pinkney is driving one car and the second driver is yet to be named. They're still hopeful of having one car ready for this weekend but the second one won't be finished in time.
Welch Motorsport.
Another new team. They've only just started building their TOCA powered NGTC Proton Gen-2 and are intending for driver Daniel Welch to start racing in the second half of this season.
BTC Touring - The oldest specification cars still eligible. These were going to be outlawed from this year but TOCA had a change of heart and decided that BTC cars that raced in last years championship would still be allowed to enter this year but with a 50kg weight penalty to encourage them to bugger off. Only one BTC car is on the entry list:
Team Wood Racing.
Return with their Integra and driver Lea Wood. The cars undergoing a rebuild and isn't expected to be racing before June.
