Round 3 & 4 Trofeo Abarth 500 GB – Silverstone

The Trofeo Abarth 500 GB rolled into Northamptonshire at the weekend, hoping to build on a successful opening round at Oulton Park at Easter. The series had managed to expand its numbers to 15 entries for this round with the addition of British GT driver John Gaw and Roger Green in guest cars and ex-BTCC driver Stefan Hodgetts entering the series in a Mardi Gras prepared machine.
It was Hodgetts who looked to have secured pole position in Saturday’s qualifying session, before Ben Winrow trumped him late on in the session, with championship leader and double winner from Oulton Park, Gareth Howell in third, albeit a second adrift.
The only change between the top three in race one was Hodgetts getting the jump on Winrow to claim his maiden Trofeo victory with Charlie Butler-Henderson following the trio home in fourth place ahead of Josh Wakefield and Benny Simonsen. Hodgetts also managed to post the fastest lap of the race to ensure he would start from pole for race two.
Winrow, starting from second in race two powered past Hodgetts at the start and the two pulled clear of Howell until Hodgetts retired with an engine problem, promoting Howell to second and Butler-Henderson to third, with Wakefield and Paul Smith rounding out the top five. It was a deserved first win of the season for former Clio Cup champ Winrow, who had been luckless in the opener in Cheshire, after falling off on lap one of the first race had left him with an uphill struggle for the rest of the weekend. “Stef’s a great driver, so once I got him, I just had to concentrate and put my head down and try to build a lead,” said Winrow after race two, “then it was a case of protecting the tyres and hanging on for the win.”
Howell leads the championship after four rounds, with a sixteen point lead over Advent team mate Butler-Henderson, Winrow is in third a further four back. Howell knows, however, that he needs to be closer to the pace of Hodgetts and Winrow, “I’m in front now, but I can’t keep following the boot-lids of these guys for much longer or they will creep ahead.” He will get the chance to put things straight when the series resumes at Cadwell Park in support of the British Superbike Championship on May 23rd & 24th.

2010 British Touring Car Championship Preview: Crisis averted, now for the drama!

When Vauxhall announced that they would be ending their involvement in the BTCC at the end of 2009, signalling the prospect of a series with no manufacturer backed teams for the first time in twenty years, the doubters were calling the end of the BTCC as we knew it. Through the long British winter, it became apparent that two of the remaining top teams were to lose their title sponsors, Airwaves and RAC, the latter’s withdrawal leading to champion Colin Turkington being unable to find the budget to defend his title. As the weeks and months passed it became clear that Fabrizio Giovanardi and James Thompson, with four titles between them, would be competing on distant shores in 2010, and Jason Plato was making some pretty discouraging noises about finding the necessary budget to compete this term. With Matt Neal, the only other former champion in last year’s field, in limbo after the exit of VX Racing, it was clear that we may also be without a whole crop of the top drivers in the series. Would this be the end? How much longer could ITV4 justify coverage of this length, without the star attractions and with depleted grids to boot, when they had so many episodes of Minder, The Saint and Ultimate Force that had not been on in the previous 72 hours? What a mess!
As the snow fell and Britain fell into its usual chaotic state, the tide slowly began to turn. Some new teams, albeit without the might of the departed Vauxhall squad, signed up for the championship, in the form of former Mini Challenge squad Forster Motorsport, who would run a pair of BMW 320’s, along with AmD Milltek Racing, championship winners in club motorsport, who would run a VW Golf at the start of the championship, with their sights set on expanding as the season progressed. Dunlop announced a new four year deal as title sponsor of the series, taking over the role from sister company HiQ, who would now put its name to the teams’ championship, also until 2013. Series regulars Dave Pinkney and Andrew Jordan announced that they had bought a Vauxhall Vectra each, which they would run with their own teams, Pinkney Motorsport and Pirtek Racing. We knew that the Focus, which had shown such improvement at the tail end of 2009 would return in the hands of the super competitive Tom Chilton plus one, and that Tech-Speed, with the unflinching support of backer sunshine.co.uk would run its Honda Integra’s for the rapid (and very popular) Paul O’Neill and veteran John George. But, with the season nearing there were many unanswered questions, even for a category which usually keeps us guessing until the last minute, meaning we would seemingly have to wait until the official championship launch to learn the fate of the UK’s premier racing category.
Then, in March, the columns began buzzing with BTCC news, Rob Collard had signed for WSR, to partner miracle man Andy Neate, who had sustained terrible injuries in a Britcar race at Silverstone in 08, when it was unclear whether he would walk again, let alone race. Jason Plato tested a Chevrolet Cruze at Oulton. Team Dynamics had agreed deals for Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden to drive their Civic’s. Race-winner Tom Onslow-Cole was in at Arena Motorsport as a partner for Chilton. Another top line up at Motorbase, having clung on to title sponsor Airwaves and added Leyland Paints to their livery, Mat Jackson and Steven Kane were unveiled. Triple 8, who ran the factory Vauxhall programme, bought two of the Vectras they had worked on, and signed 2009 Clio Cup champion Phil Glew to pilot one. However at the launch on March 23rd came the best news on the health of the series, 23 cars were on the entry list, more than at the same period in 2009, and two teams, Team Dynamics and RML, would be running two car works teams for Honda UK and Silverline Chevrolet respectively, Plato joined at Chevy by another Clio star, Alex MacDowell.
The naysayers have been put firmly in their place, eight race winners already confirmed, two works backed outfits, new blood and the usual fix of the top UK venues, teamed with record coverage on the ITV network, still a crisis? Nope.
But who will triumph in one of the most highly anticipated seasons to date? Plato is fast becoming the early season favourite, the confidence-oozing veteran seems reinvigorated by the Chevrolet backing, and the new Cruze, and topped the timesheets in the group test at Brands on the launch day. Don’t believe that he isn’t focussing on surpassing Andy Rouse’s record haul of 60 BTCC wins, which he is now just seven wins shy of. His arch rival Matt Neal will be one of the main threats, as will fellow Honda driver Shedden, while Motorbase and WSR will expect their BMW’s to be right at the sharp end. The Team Aon Ford Focus was much improved at the end of 09, but the late switch to LPG may mean they have some catching up to do in the early season. The Vectras will be quick, especially the Triple 8 pair, their potential could depend on who completes their driver line-up. Tom Boardman returns to the championship from his WTCC adventure, with his Seat Leon, and will expect to be in the frame for regular points, as will Paul O’Neill in the Integra. There should be a great battle in a middle order that will be joined by Matt Hamilton, who will be hoping to build on his part season last term, in his Civic, Lea Wood in another Integra and Martin Johnson once again bringing his 2001 Astra to the party.
It is a huge disappointment not to have Colin Turkington beginning his title defence at Thruxton this Sunday, but don’t rule him out from returning at some stage if the necessary funding can be put in place, WSR has a 320 on hold with his name on it. Trouble is, if they don’t move quickly, the rest of the pack might be out of his sight, although don’t expect the main protagonists to have much between them, the last three championships have gone down to the final day, there is no reason to expect this year to be any different.

You can follow me on Twitter: @ifitsgot4wheels

2010 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Preview

2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Preview

Dai McCann

Having firmly established itself as the UK’s premier one make racing series, the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain roars back into action for its eighth season at Thruxton on the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of April.

At the launch event for the new season on March 17th at Silverstone, Porsche UK were delighted to be able to confirm, for the first time since the series’ inception, a capacity 28 strong entry list, and the existence of a reserve list. This should ensure that the series record grid of 27 cars, set at the 2009 season finale at Brands Hatch in October, is surpassed.

Anticipation levels this pre-season are surpassing anything seen before in the series with Bartrum saying recently that “… a year ago the Carrera Cup was buzzing and it's now off the scale, it proves that the work of Porsche Cars GB and the Carrera Cup team has really paid dividends. It's really good to see a sell-out grid in the current climate.” This sentiment is echoed by Porsche Cars GB Managing Director, Andy Goss, “This is an incredible situation, the entries for the 2010 season are impressive. The drivers and teams have worked very hard to get to this stage and we are set for the best season ever. I'm particularly pleased that the field is a great mix of established competitors and an influx of newcomers.”

The attraction of the series is there for all to see, 420bhp rear wheel drive cars, from a world leading sports car manufacturer, the opportunity for competitors of varying skill levels to compete on the TOCA bill, the country’s highest profile motorsport package, with all the exposure that comes with it. The fact that there are very few permissible modifications allowed also means that driver skill is the real limiting factor of success. The result of this is some very close racing and plenty of paint swapping in front of bumper crowds and a TV audience that runs into millions. An increased prize fund of over £160,000 spread throughout the categories, along with the use of a road going 911 for a year for the outright champion, Pro-Am 1 champion and the principal of the triumphant team, adds to the lure of the Cup.

Last year the championship came down to the final weekend, at Brands Hatch, where all three titles were still to be decided. In the main Pro category, the top three drivers were covered by just 8 points with 44 still to play for over the double header. Red Line Racing team mates Tim Harvey and James Sutton, along with Team Parker Racing’s Tim Bridgman were the main protagonists, with Motorbase Performance driver Michael Caine still in with a mathematical but unrealistic chance of taking the crown. It was Bridgman who prevailed, repeating his remarkable feat from the Brands series opener of two poles, two fastest laps and two wins.

Bridgman, who also achieved an inspired run of taking the first ten pole positions of the season, will not be defending his title this season, having secured a drive with Stuart Parker’s squad to run in the Formula 1 supporting Mobil 1 Porsche Supercup this term. Sutton will be another notable absentee this season, although series veterans 2008 champion Harvey and the popular Caine will be attempting to go the distance in 2010. Joining them in the top class will be ex-GP2 driver Stephen Jelley, who after taking wins in British F3 and more recently last season’s BTCC as team-mate to champion Colin Turkington, will provide a stern test to the established order. Last year’s Pro-Am 1 champion Glynn Geddie makes the step up to the Pro ranks, which has seen its entry swollen from last years 6 to 8 for this year, including the two Carrera Cup GB Scholarship drivers, Michael Meadows and Euan Hankey, who have each received £50,000 towards the cost of participation in this year’s championship.

Pro-Am 1 offers, less experienced, non professional drivers the opportunity to compete at the cutting edge of British motorsport, and with the champion having moved up a class for 2010, the competition for the title is likely to be just as fierce as for the senior honours. 2009 front runners, Oliver Jackson and Tony Gilham will be among the early favourites, as will Irishman Michael Leonard, who impressed in a part season last year. The category will have an international feel this year as the series welcomes Lithuanian duo Jonas Gelzinis and Tautvydas Barstys and their Juta Racing outfit, while Red Line will run ex-British Formula Renault driver Ahmad Al Harthy of Oman, in one of its six entries. The other six car squad is Dave Bartrum’s Motorbase Performance, who will run, along with Jackson, last seasons VW Cup front-runner Liam Griffin in this group.

The Pro-Am 2 category offers non-professional drivers the chance to sample the championship on a restricted budget by allowing the use of 2006 and 2007 specification cars. Champion Glenn McMenamin will be defending his title in against a ten car entry in the class, comprising both series veterans and exciting newcomers.

By the time the series reaches its finale this time round at Brands Hatch, the drivers will have taken in races at the country’s most iconic race venues, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Rockingham and, hopefully, Donington Park. Old rivalries will have re-emerged, new ones will have invariably begun, at this stage it would be a fool who attempted to predict race winners, let alone champions, the only predictable thing is that it will go down to the wire once again. Stephen Jelley commented after testing the Carrera GT3 Cup that “the cars are amazing, they make British touring cars feel like hair dryers.” Bearing that in mind, if the Cup has a year as memorable as 2009, we may need to reassess who tops the bill on the TOCA weekends.

Everyone remembers their first time

Blogging that is. I have decided to create a blog dedicated to all forms of motorsport, the serious part will have some news and feature articles about all aspects of British motorsport, alongside F1, WRC, NASCAR, Indy, DTM, GT, BTCC, WTCC, GP2, F3, V8 Supercars and anything else that is considered appropriate. The other, arguably more exciting, although almost certainly less enlightening, part will be about my own personal take and experience on motorsport and life generally, seen through the eyes of someone desperate to break into motorsports writing, although not quite daft enough to believe it could happen. I will offer my slant on the big motorsport stories, introduce you to my F1 mad son, update you regularly on my almost certainly fruitless attempts to fulfil a childhood (or maybe just plain child-ish) dream of being involved in the sport by probably the only door left slightly ajar.
You will soon realise that my passion for the sport is probably only matched by my grumpiness and cynicism. I will attempt to illustrate my rants with, where possible some very unprofessional photography. Do try to encourage people to keep an eye on my blog if you think they will enjoy it, as I do tend to lose interest in things if they are not going my way.
Let's hope this is the start of an incredible journey, although it probably isn't!
By the way, I also have a twitter account:@daimccann.