Jack Mitchell will join Team HARD. Racing for the remainder of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship driving the CUPRA Leon alongside Jack Goff under the Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct banner.

The 23-year-old, whilst new to touring car racing, brings a wealth of experience with multiple race wins and championships under his belt, in a career that also includes a very encouraging BTCC test with Motorbase back in 2014.

Mitchell is no stranger to the TOCA paddock having competed in the latest round of the Quaife Mini Challenge series at Brands Hatch, claiming second on his return to the series after a four-year hiatus. Mitchell’s greatest achievement on the TOCA paddock was arguably winning the 2014 Ginetta Junior Championship, beating current Formula 1 star Lando Norris and BTCC entrant Senna Proctor to the title.

Away from the TOCA paddock, Mitchell has become a staple in the British GT series and took the GT3 Silver Cup crown in 2017 and the overall GT4 championship the following season by a single point. Two further years in the British GT series yielded four GT3 podiums, which included Mitchell’s first overall GT3 win.

As with all BTCC debutants, entry is subject to each driver completing the mandatory minimum of 300km of full testing in the car at a race circuit prior to any competitive outing.

"I’m really looking forward to joining Team HARD. Racing in the BTCC," said Mitchell. "It’s a series I have grown up watching and racing on the same weekend in some of the support packages, so to call myself a British Touring Car Championship driver from next weekend is something I am very proud of.

“I’ve been following the team for the last couple of seasons, and they have been making great progress, especially with the new car this year which makes me very excited. I’m really keen and looking forward to getting into the car to drive it at Oulton Park.

“The goal is to help the team get some really strong points finishes and just learn as much as I can. I’m ready, hungry and ready for the fight!”

“I’m glad to finally get this situation sorted and I couldn’t think of anyone more suitable than Jack. He has been a consistent performer for his entire career to date and the stats don’t lie, he is a winner," confirmed Team HARD. Racing’s Managing Director Tony Gilham.

INGRAM IGNITES TITLE CHALLENGE WITH VICTORY

Tom Ingram produced a last lap lunge to take victory in Round 8 of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch, as long-time leader Tom Oliphant eventually lost out during a pulsating contest.

Team BMW’s Oliphant led for more than 26 of the 27 laps as the race one winner desperately tried to hang on with maximum ballast onboard his 330i M Sport.

A slight gap was left going into Paddock Hill Bend for the final time, and the Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com Hyundai of Ingram immediately filled it. Inevitable contact followed with Ingram completing the pass going into Druids. Reigning champion Ash Sutton also spied his opportunity as the Laser Tools Racing car ran side-by-side with Oliphant’s BMW across the start/finish line, with the former snatching second by just 0.038s.

Drama unfolded almost immediately during the second bout of the day when Gordon Shedden’s Team Dynamics-run Honda was tipped into a half spin on the opening tour, before even heavier contact followed with Team BMW’s Stephen Jelley on the second lap.

The #52 Halfords Racing with Cataclean car of Shedden made it out of the gravel – albeit having fallen way down the order – but the safety car was deployed with Jelley’s Bavarian machine beached at Paddock Hill.

Daniel Rowbottom provided some joy for the Team Dynamics squad as he took fourth at the conclusion of the race, ahead of a feisty Josh Cook in the BTC Racing Honda – the latter also recording the fastest lap.

Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing enjoyed its most positive performance in a number of races as Daniel Lloyd and Jason Plato came home in sixth and eighth respectively.

Chris Smiley (Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com) and Aiden Moffat (Laser Tools Racing) continued their positive points scoring contributions with seventh and ninth, whilst Senna Proctor completed the top ten.

There was heartbreak for home hero Jake Hill when his MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square Ford suffered from a puncture whilst fighting for a podium.

Ingram picked out the #12 ball during the reverse grid draw post-race, meaning Adam Morgan (Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport) and Jack Goff (Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct) would occupy the front row for the finale, which you can relive back here tomorrow in the concluding race recap before Oulton Park.

TOM OLIPHANT TAKES IMPRESSIVE RACE ONE WIN

With just over a week left to wait until the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship heads to Oulton Park (31 July/1 August) for the first event following the five-week summer break, let's check back over what happened last time out, on Brands Hatch's Indy circuit.

Team BMW’s Tom Oliphant took a hugely impressive victory in the opening race at Brands Hatch, having made a stellar getaway from the second row of the grid before going on to fend off three-time champion Gordon Shedden.

Halfords Racing with Cataclean’s front-row lockout immediately unravelled as pole-sitter Daniel Rowbottom bogged down off the line, while Oliphant was storming through to P1.

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square’s Jake Hill was slightly held up by the sluggish starting Honda Civic Type R of Rowbottom, as was Shedden, with Laser Tools Racing’s Aiden Moffat scampering through into second.

Shedden and Moffat made slight contact on lap five with the former grabbing the position through Druids, which also allowed Hill and the recovering Rowbottom to get by the Laser Tools-backed Infiniti.

Moffat was further shuffled down the order late on as the battle for the lead built towards a tense climax.

Shedden produced the fastest lap of the race as he began reeling in Oliphant’s BMW 3-Series, but it proved too little too late as the #15 car held on, despite being bulked by a back-marker on the final lap.

It was a richly deserved victory for Oliphant, the second of his BTCC career so far.

“I’ve had terrible luck this year,” said Oliphant. “We’ve had some great pace and I’ve loved driving the car, but I didn’t expect to win this one. I just got such a good start and then the first five laps I was in quali mode. I got the gap and just managed the tyres.

“I was just trying to control the race and not make any mistakes. Gordon [Shedden] is a very experienced racing driver and as soon as he got past and into second I knew I was going to have to work for it in the end.

“The last two corners weren’t enjoyable, I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen. I couldn’t put myself at risk trying to overtake [Rick Parfitt] on the outside so I think as soon as he noticed I was right with him, he did move out of the way and it didn’t cost me a win so that’s absolutely fine.

“But having Gordon hunting you down for 24 laps is nerve-wracking enough! I’m just over the moon. The car’s been brilliant all weekend so I’m really pleased to bring it home for my car crew and my engineers who did an amazing job.”

The Team Dynamics duo completed the rostrum with Rowbottom securing his first-ever podium in the BTCC after his battling drive back through the order.

“I’m disappointed in a way not to win,” confirmed Shedden. “We lost so much time to Tom in the first three laps, until I managed to get past Aiden [Moffat], and then I could see him in the distance but he didn’t make any mistakes.

“We all wondered about what the weather was going to do, but my car was really, really good. I’m happy with it, just couldn’t get it going early enough to make hay while the sun shined. We’ll look forward to the next one and see if we can score some more points.”

“We definitely didn’t nail [the start] did we?” said Rowbottom. “I rang Matt [Neal] for some last-minute advice and he said, ‘don’t panic, just launch it like a road car’ – turns out that’s not the right thing to do! Or maybe I took it too literally. It was a bit pants if I’m honest, but after that, I got my head down and ended P3 so, first podium, that will do!”

Home hero Hill was fourth, whilst Laser Tools Racing’s Ash Sutton completed his own eventful race to finish fifth.

The Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com pairing of Tom Ingram and Chris Smiley were sixth and seventh respectively, ahead of Moffat, whilst BTC Racing’s Josh Cook and Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct’s Jack Goff rounded out the top ten.

If you still need some more BTCC action to tide you over until Oulton Park, ITV's 60-second highlights clip below can fill you in on all the key moments from the race and head back to btcc.net tomorrow for a race two recap!

Getac is proud to announce it is an official sponsor of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) app for the 2021 race season. This new sponsorship is an expansion of Getac’s successful existing technology partnership with the BTCC, which has seen Getac rugged laptops and tablets used throughout race control, the paddock and pit lane since 2019.

Available for both Android and Apple devices, the BTCC app gives fans instant access to the most up-to-date race details, news, photos, videos and more. Key features include a customisable feed packed with real-time information, race results and video highlights, details on recent, current and upcoming races, latest championship standings, social media and much more.

“Our partnership with the BTCC has quickly gone from strength to strength, so we’re delighted to see it grow by becoming official app sponsor for the 2021 season,” said Chris Bye, President of Getac UK. “This announcement demonstrates our ongoing commitment to both the BTCC and the wider automotive industry, working closely with customers and partners to solve the wide range of unique challenges they face.”

“The harsh environment of motor racing circuits are notoriously tough on IT equipment, which is why our partnership with Getac is so valuable,” said Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive. “For the past two seasons, their rugged laptops and tablets have enabled us to run race weekends seamlessly, without fear of IT failure. Now, their sponsorship of our championship app means Getac will help us enable fans to get closer to the action than ever before.”

To download the BTCC official championship app for Android, please click here. To download it for iPhone, please click here.

To learn more about Getac’s portfolio of rugged solutions, visit www.getac.com.

During the season we will take a look at some of the intrateam battles up and down the BTCC pitlane, and our first glance after nine races is at Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing.

Tin-top legend and two-time champion Jason Plato returned to action after a one-year hiatus, and the Vauxhall Astra squad added another series returnee in the shape of Daniel Lloyd when confirming its line-up ahead of the campaign.

Plato’s pedigree and pace is undoubted of course, whilst Lloyd is also hugely respected as one of the fastest young touring car drivers around.

Plato was quick out of the traps with a trio of top six finishes at Thruxton – including a podium in the finale – whereas Lloyd struggled a little initially in Hampshire, before a fifth-place finish in race three rather rescued his weekend.

Lloyd had the upper-hand at Snetterton with a hat-trick of points paying results, whilst Plato’s weekend failed to really take off.

Both drivers were in the heat of battle at Brands Hatch, bringing home points in each contest, but it was Plato’s fourth place that proved to be PMR’s best result of the day.

So, as things stand after nine race Plato is edging things in terms of points and podiums, but Lloyd is leading in qualifying and in overall race results. 

With Oulton Park now less than two weeks away it will be interesting to see how this PMR battle develops over the course of the season…

Motorsport Vision – circuit owners for our next scheduled event at Oulton Park on 31 July/1 August – has released the following information regarding the easing of restrictions…

Following the Prime Minister's announcement that Step 4 on the roadmap will proceed as planned, and that all legal restrictions on social distancing will be lifted later this month, we are very pleased to provide the following update.

The below will apply from Monday 19 July onwards. All existing restrictions and measures will remain in place until that point:

All limits on spectator numbers will be removed with immediate effect, and tickets for race meetings will be available to purchase on the gate as well as in advance. Restrictions will also be removed in our hospitality suites and restaurants, whilst grandstands will be sold to full capacity.

Overnight stays will be allowed, as well as in organised paid campsites. 

The paddock will be open and free of charge to spectators throughout the BTCC weekend at Oulton Park.

Any restaurants that are located within paddock areas will be open to the public once again (subject to the above).

Please note there will be no pit walkabouts at any BTCC meeting in 2021.

We recognise that some of our visitors may feel a little nervous about returning to large events. We would like to reassure you that we will continue to have a range of measures in place, including enhanced cleaning and wide availability of hand sanitisers. Whilst it is no longer mandatory to wear a face covering indoors, we would encourage their use, particularly in busy enclosed areas.

Please be patient and understanding of those that are not used to being around large groups of people - it will take a little time to adjust to a more normal way of life.

If you opted to roll tickets over from an event previously postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19, your originals will be valid for admission. If you selected print-at-home/e-tickets, you can download fresh copies by logging into your MSV account. 

Click here to book tickets for the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship event at Oulton Park on 31 July/1 August.

Kwik Fit flies the flag at Goodwood FoS BTCC Title Sponsor - Kwik Fit - flew the flag for the UK’s premier motorsport series at Goodwood Festival of Speed this past weekend (8-11 July).

Kwik Fit’s activation stand displayed reigning champion Ash Sutton’s #1 Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50, as well as Nic Hamilton’s 2020 Team HARD VW.

It wasn’t just static displays on show, however, as Kwik Fit also ensured the BTCC Hybrid Toyota Corolla was powered up the famous hill across the four days.

Former race winner James Cole had the privilege of driving the Hybrid machine in its first ever public appearance as tens of thousands of fans looked on.

The activity was also thanks to Cosworth, M-Sport and Speedworks of course, with the latter also representing Toyota Gazoo Racing UK during the event.

The Northwich based squad ran its manufacturer-backed 2021 Toyota Corolla up the hill with regulars Rory Butcher and Sam Smelt sharing driving duties.

Day 1 at @fosgoodwood ✅#FOS #kwikfitbtcc pic.twitter.com/AkxkqOzBHs

— Kwik-Fit (@Kwik_Fit) July 9, 2021

BMW UK is another regular exhibitor at Goodwood FoS with its renowned ‘M Town’ wowing the crowds in recent years.

Colin Turkington’s 2021 BMW 330i M Sport charger was proudly on display with all three #BTCC drivers making regular stage, photography and signing appearances - hosted by ITV Sport’s Paul O’Neil.

There were a whole host of other BTCC stars and cars on show at Goodwood too, as the TOCA paddock enjoy the mid-summer break before returning to action at Oulton Park on 31 July/1 August.

The recent Goodyear tyre test at Oulton Park saw Team HARD. Racing complete nearly 250 laps of the Cheshire circuit over two days, as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship squad notched up over 500 miles on track.

Check out what Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith and James Gornall, who joined the team for the test, had to say about it below...

Jack Goff said: “The two days were frustrating really because of the weather. I could never get into a rhythm to really dig deep in the car and every time we changed it and went to go on a new tyre run, it would start to rain. The weather was obviously the same for everybody, but it was frustrating.

“However, to be sat here saying we’re frustrated at ending the day in fourth on day one and sixth on day two shows how far we’ve come already with the CUPRA. It’s only testing and we can make sure we go away now, crunch some numbers and come up with a good setup before we head to Oulton Park.

“Overall, it was good and we should be happy with how well we performed. The car felt pretty good, but it was just a shame that we couldn’t do a proper new tyre run on day two. The rain just halted our development, but it is what it is.”

Aron Taylor-Smith said: “It was a very successful two days. The weather prevented the timing sheets from showing the CUPRA’s true potential, but we’ve found a new area to explore on the car that we didn’t necessarily get to have a go at on race weekends due to time capacity in free practices.

“All in all, I’ve left with a lot more direction. We know we have a very fast race car beneath us, as proved at Brands Hatch, and I think now we’ve stumbled onto something that will hopefully unlock our qualifying potential.”

James Gornall said: “I was very pleased with the two days. To jump in after quite a period out of the car and perform well – and against tough competition – was great. I was very impressed with the CUPRA. It was great straight out of the box and responded well to the changes we were making. It really was a pleasure to drive in all conditions and has huge potential.”

With just three weeks remaining until the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship returns to Oulton Park, the team will be aiming to turn the data gathered at the test into more podiums, as the second half of the 2021 campaign kicks off on 31 July/1 August.

Integration with new-for-2022 TOCA engine continues

The BTCC Hybrid test car joined the two-day Goodyear tyre test at Oulton Park this week (6/7 July) with former champion Andrew Jordan clocking up significant mileage in the Cosworth-TOCA Hybrid Toyota Corolla.

The car ran with the new-for-2022 TOCA engine produced by M-Sport on the Cheshire circuit – as it has done throughout its 2021 test and development programme.

M-Sport won the contract to develop, build and supply the TOCA engine from 2022-2026 and has been working closely with Cosworth Electronics over recent months in preparation for the implementation of Hybrid power next year.

Jordan completed 118 laps and over 263 miles around the picturesque Cheshire circuit. Whilst the TOCA Hybrid car was included alongside 27 of the regular BTCC runners in the live timing, no emphasis was placed on overall lap times or set up changes.

Significantly, all major hybrid components in the test car (such as the hybrid motor, battery and electronics) are exactly the same as those in the car when it first ran in July 2020, with no component failures or maintenance needed. All units have now done well in excess of the normal annual mileage that a BTCC car would do.

Testing will continue throughout the remainder of the year before the full introduction of hybrid power in 2022.

Andrew Jordan, Hybrid Development Driver: “We’ve already done a number of other days in the car at Anglesey, but it’s important to come here so we can see performance-wise, the level that it’s at, and also to get miles on it. It needs to be reliable for when the championship goes to Hybrid power next year, so we’ve done a lot more laps than anyone else purely with that reliability in mind. Minor things come up, mainly software-tweaking, as they always will during the development process, and we’re working through them as we’re going.

“I’m really happy to be involved with it all. Yesterday I felt a bit behind the car, I haven’t driven it around here before, but today I feel much more on it. I’m trying to give feedback where I can, but I’m enjoying it.”

Liam Little, M-Sport Engine Engineer: “From our side, using the engine with the TOCA Hybrid car at this test is a case of keeping it running in order to let the tyre guys do their work. We’re happy with where we are in terms of performance and durability.

“We’ve already undertaken five or six tests with the engine and Hybrid system so far and previously used the engine on the dyno doing a full season of running, with stopping and heat to replicate a full season. That came into the car earlier in the year and from what we’ve seen the engine’s been really good and with no issues of any consequence.”

Neal Bateman, Cosworth Electrics Head of Support: “These two days have been part of the final stages of our validation process and it’s also the first time we’ve properly run in the public eye. We’ve been able to complete a great number of laps, weather permitting – which has presented its own challenges!

“Both yesterday and today, we’ve completed lots of deployment of the hybrid electronics utilising different strategies - including the pit lane strategy of running electric to the end and then the engine starting and driving out, which has been excellent. So we’re very happy with the miles we’ve got from the test. It’s all building towards the excitement of running it next year.”

BTC Racing man goes fastest amidst mixed conditions at Oulton Park

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship travelled north this week (6/7 July) as the annual Goodyear tyre test roared into action at Oulton Park.

With a total of 27 cars heading out during the two-day event, the fluctuating weather put the field through its paces as frequent downpours plagued the running.

It was the Tuesday afternoon effort of Senna Proctor (BTC Racing) that topped the times overall – with his 1:25.656s benchmark lap remaining unbeaten during the second day.

“To have the fastest time over the whole test is great,” said Proctor. “Throughout the two days we were very productive. We managed to achieve the things that we wanted to get done and we got enough driving in to really validate what we thought we could do and what we thought could make a difference. It’s great to get a handle on that.

“We didn’t do much wet running but from the laps that I did in the wet, the car felt strong then, too. It was good to get that lap in and we did a couple which were a similar time, so we’re happy with the pace of the car. Overall it’s been very confidence-inspiring for heading into the race weekend in a few weeks’ time.”

Gordon Shedden took the day two honours in his Halfords Racing with Cataclean Honda, but it was his lap time from the opening day that rewarded him with second-fastest overall, while team-mate Dan Rowbottom took third on the timesheets.

Fresh off the back of his race three podium at Brands Hatch less than a fortnight ago, Jack Goff (Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct) would occupy fourth, ahead of Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing’s Jason Plato, who markedly was the only driver in the top ten to set his best lap on the second day of testing.

Jake Hill showed his strength in the wet as the MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square man topped today’s morning session, settling for sixth in the combined result.

Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com’s Chris Smiley lapped seventh-fastest, whilst team-mate Tom Ingram took 15th overall after a mechanical issue, despite having topped the first session.

Standings leader Ash Sutton (Laser Tools Racing) drove his Infiniti to eighth on the combined times, while series returnees Dan Lloyd (Adrian Flux with Power Maxed Racing) and Sam Smelt (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK) occupied ninth and tenth.

Alongside Ingram, notable absentees from the top ten included Josh Cook (BTC Racing), Team BMW’s Colin Turkington and Rory Butcher (Toyota Gazoo Racing UK), although as each team and driver works through their own respective programmes, invariably the tyre test doesn’t provide clear benchmarks in relation to the competitiveness of an outfit.

Joining the fray for the two-day event was James Gornall, who made his series debut just last year. Gornall rocketed his Team HARD. Racing CUPRA Leon into the top ten during the final session of the test and took an overall top 15 finish in his first time out in the new-for-2021 machine.

The TOCA Hybrid Toyota Corolla, piloted by 2013 BTCC Champion Andrew Jordan also participated, as the 32-year-old continues his BTCC Hybrid Development Driver duties in the Cosworth-run machine.

With the 28 runners completing more than 2,300 laps, and a total of over 5,000 miles of data to utilise, teams and drivers will now have just over three weeks before Britain’s premier motorsport series returns to Cheshire, as Rounds 10, 11 and 12 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship are set to take place at Oulton Park on 31 July/1 August.

A full breakdown of lap-times and more can be found here.