The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship makes its return at Snetterton next weekend (3/4 August) after its traditional summer break, with Team BMW's reigning champion Colin Turkington holding the initiative.

Last time out, just over a month ago at Oulton Park, the Northern Irishman secured a pair of lights-to-flag victories as he further tightened his grip at the top of the Drivers' standings.

His BMW stablemate, Andrew Jordan, notched a pair of podiums to move into second in the running, ahead of BTC Racing's Josh Cook. Stephen Jelley rounded out a thrilling weekend at the picturesque Cheshire circuit with a popular victory in the finale - his first in the BTCC since 2009.

Snetterton always throws up a treat for the tens of thousands of fans that make their way to the Norfolk circuit, with the very best BTCC action delivered over a sun-soaked mid-summer's race weekend.

As always, for those that can't make it to East Anglia, qualifying and race-day is broadcast live and exclusively via the championship's long-term broadcast partners, ITV Sport, with some eight hours of the best of British motorsport come race-day screened live on ITV4.

The BTCC enjoys exclusive television bragging rights in 2019, as the only major motorsport series to be broadcast on a leading UK free-to-air television network. All ten race weekends are screened live on ITV4, the ITV Hub and streamed via itv.com/BTCC with six hours of programming at every race-day this season.

Snetterton: 3/4 August

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 3 August
ITV.com/BTCC from 1500

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 4 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1045-1815
ITV4+1 1145-1915
ITV Hub 1045–1815
ITV.com/BTCC 1145-1915

Highlights: Saturday 10 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 1030-1200
ITV4 +1 1130-1300
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sunday 11 August
ITV4 & ITV4 HD 0650-0805
ITV4 +1 0750-0905

Highlights: Wednesday 14 August
ITV & ITV HD 2345-0115

Tom Ingram is fired-up to fight for podium finishes and race wins over the second half of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign, and the Team Toyota GB with Ginsters star is quietly confident about his chances ahead of the resumption of battle at Snetterton this weekend (3/4 August).
 
Ingram concluded the opening half of the season sitting ninth in the Drivers’ standings amongst the 30 high-calibre contenders in the UK’s premier motor racing series, with Team Toyota GB with Ginsters occupying the same spot in the Teams’ table.
 
That means the 25-year-old Bucks-born ace will travel to Snetterton carrying just 6kg of ballast, and buoyed by a productive two-day test at the Norfolk circuit earlier this month. Logging more than 100 laps of the track’s ‘300’ layout behind the wheel of the #80 Corolla, Ingram placed inside the top five in three of the four sessions.
 
What’s more, the series’ reigning two-time Independents’ Champion achieved a brace of rostrum finishes at Snetterton last year – the first of them, astonishingly, from virtually the back of the grid. Twelve months on, he has his sights firmly fixed on more champagne celebrations.
 
To add a curve ball and extra tactical gamesmanship into the mix, for the first time in BTCC history, drivers will have to use each of the three Dunlop tyre compounds – soft, medium and hard – over the course of race day, which will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 10:45am on Sunday (4 August).
 
“I think we can go into the second half of the season with a justifiable sense of optimism,” said Team Principal Christian Dick. “Given that we entered 2019 with a completely new car, to come away from the first half of the year with 13 points finishes out of a possible 15 – including a hugely popular victory in front of 4,500 members and families from Toyota Manufacturing UK at Donington Park – was a very positive achievement, and puts us in a position to really step things up a gear from Snetterton onwards.
 
“The five-week gap since Oulton Park might officially be termed the BTCC’s summer ‘break’, but I can assure you there has been very little rest back at our Northwich base as we continue to work tirelessly to extract every last thousandth-of-a-second out of the Corolla and narrow the margin to our competitors.
 
“The Snetterton test was very useful, allowing us to put lots of miles on the car around what is one of the BTCC’s trickier circuits to master. We kept our heads down and followed our own programme, and hopefully that will pay dividends when we hit the track in anger.
 
“The tyre situation will certainly inject an element of the unknown and should lead to some exciting racing – not to mention unusual results. Getting that right or wrong could ultimately prove to be the difference between a winning and losing weekend.”
 
“We’ve definitely taken a big step forward with the Corolla,” said Ingram, “and found some more speed over the summer break – both at the factory and on the track – and I would be confident to say we came away from the test with top six pace.
 
“As ever in these scenarios, you don’t really know what everybody else is doing with regards to tyres and ballast, and the quickest lap times were almost certainly set on soft tyres and with no weight. The true order won’t become apparent until we’re in the heat of battle at the race weekend, but we didn’t go chasing any headlines and were happy with where we were. We managed to work through most of our planned programme and overall, it was the best and most competitive the Corolla has felt yet.
 
“We’ve seen in previous years that short-wheelbase cars tend to go well at Snetterton, and I’m excited to go back knowing we have a real fighting chance. I’m optimistic that we’ll be much stronger over the second half of the season than we have been so far, which is what we always said was the goal.
 
“The first half was very much a learning curve, and while we still clearly have more learning to do – there’s plenty more experimenting, understanding and refining yet to come – we’re increasingly getting the Corolla into the right kind of window. I think we’re in a really positive place and am looking forward to genuinely going on the attack over the second half of the season, which will set us up nicely for a proper title tilt next year.”

Honda drivers Dan Cammish and Matt Neal will be hoping for some luck to go with the pace they have shown in their 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign, as the series returns from its summer break at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk on 3/4th August.

The Halfords Yuasa Racing team is keen to get back to the action, a month on from a mixed weekend at the most recent rounds at Oulton Park, with Cammish scoring two more podium finishes and Neal spinning out of the lead in the final race.

Snetterton circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Honda's BTCC team in the past, yielding six race wins in the last nine seasons. And the track will hold sweet recent memories for Neal, as at the Snetterton meeting in 2018 he took victory in the extended-length 'Diamond Double' race celebrating the BTCC's 60th anniversary.

Cammish, meanwhile, will head for Norfolk with the confidence of a strong performance in a two-day tyre test held at the circuit in July. His Honda Civic Type R was consistently among the quickest cars over both days and he ended the test with second-fastest time.

“A double podium at Oulton has put me back into the Championship hunt and I’ll be looking to keep that form for the second half of the season,” said Cammish. “I ran well in testing at Snetterton recently, being near the top of the time sheets all day, so I go there with my tail held high and looking to keep adding to my points tally and build on my current position.”

“Oulton Park was another weekend where the luck just wasn’t on our side,” said Neal. “The car felt great from the get-go but the day didn’t quite go to plan. But on to Snetterton, I have had some great battles there over the years and obviously want to replicate my 'Diamond Double' win there last year.

“During the recent test we ran through a number of changes on the car and feel confident that we should have good race pace come the weekend.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) races back into action at Snetterton this weekend (3/4 August) from its annual summer break, with BMW and its star drivers firmly intent on preserving their positions at the head of the pack.
 
Following a successful outing at Oulton Park, yielding a brace of victories for Colin Turkington – including his milestone 50^th BTCC triumph – two podium finishes for Andrew Jordan and a career-best points haul for Tom Oliphant, BMW sits atop the Manufacturers’ classification, with Team BMW setting the pace in the Teams’ table.

Turkington similarly headed into the five-week hiatus leading the way in the chase for the Drivers’ crown, 33 points ahead of team-mate Jordan in second. The Northern Irishman has a record-equalling fourth championship title in his sights in the UK’s premier motorsport series this year – and four previous victories at Snetterton to his name.
 
Team BMW stablemate Oliphant has also shone there in support series in seasons past – in addition to tallying a double top ten finish in his BTCC rookie campaign last year – while BMW Pirtek Racing’s Jordan has two race wins in Norfolk on his CV.
 
Between them, the trio covered almost 300 laps of Snetterton’s ‘300’ layout – the longest circuit on the calendar at 2.97 miles – during a two-day pre-event test earlier this month, with Turkington placing inside the top six in three of the four sessions.
 
This weekend, an extra challenge will be thrown into the mix as – for the first time ever – all drivers must use each of the three Dunlop tyre compounds over the course of the three races. All of the race day action will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4 on Sunday, 4 August, beginning at 10:45am.
 
“I feel like we’re going into Snetterton well-prepared,” said Team BMW's Turkington. “The test was great seat time and our first opportunity to really try out some big changes on the new BMW 3 Series, which is something we never have time for at race weekends. It was nice to tick a few boxes, and the chassis handled really well.
 
“I enjoy Snetterton as a circuit – it’s quite technical with some great corners where the driver can really make a difference, and it isn’t easy to put three good sectors together. I will also start the weekend with quite a heavy car due to success ballast for leading the championship; that’s another factor to consider, but we have a plan... The competition always steps up a level over the second half of the year, and I have no doubt that it will be a very hard-fought battle but I’m fully focussed on getting the maximum out of myself and delivering the best performance I can. We’re not setting any outlandish targets, but what we do need to do is keep scoring consistently well across all three races each weekend. That’s the key in the BTCC.”
 
“As with every track this year, Snetterton will be a step into the unknown for us with the BMW 3 Series, but the first five circuits have all suited the car pretty well and I’ve always liked competing there,” said Oliphant. “The test was very positive. You can never trust the lap times because people are playing around with success ballast and different tyres, but from our side, it was a very productive couple of days.
 
“We tried out a variety of concepts across the three cars and learnt a lot, and we’ve discovered a direction we are eager to pursue over the second half of the season. Tyres are definitely going to be the talking point this weekend. Having to run all three compounds will really throw a curve ball into the mix and will make for some interesting results – scoring well across all three races will be a huge challenge – but I’m feeling very comfortable and settled in both the team and the car and I’m ready to properly take the fight to my two team-mates. We went into the summer break in a good place, and we are returning in a good place. The goal now is to keep that momentum going while learning as much as possible to set ourselves up for a concerted assault in 2020. I’m really looking forward to it.”
 
“Snetterton generates good racing; it’s tricky to get the most out of the lap due to its mixture of low, medium and high-speed corners, but the BMW 3 Series seems to be in the ‘sweet spot’ everywhere we go at the moment so I’m feeling confident,” said BMW Pirtek Racing's Jordan. “We spent the second day of the test fine-tuning for the race weekend, and the car felt good. The emphasis is very much on consistency, which will be a challenge at Snetterton due to the tyre situation and it will be interesting to see what people do strategy-wise.
 
“Ballast will be more of a handicap than at most tracks due to Snetterton’s stop-start nature and heavy braking areas; I think Colin and I will certainly feel that in qualifying and race one, but we just have to make the best of the situation. I really need to start eating into Colin’s points advantage now. This is the best chance I’ve had to take the title since my championship-winning year in 2013, so it’s time to get stuck in!”

EXCELR8 Motorsport showed plenty of positives during two days of intensive running at its home circuit of Snetterton recently, fielding both of its MG6 GTs in the official Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Dunlop tyre test.

Across the two full days, EXCELR8 managed to garner a substantial amount of data to help continue what has already been an impressive learning curve with the twin MGs.

Both drivers, Rob Smith and Sam Osborne, took part in the test and were joined by seasoned touring car racer Daniel Lloyd, who undertook some comparison and setup work for the team.

The first milestone was completed even before the test got underway, with EXCELR8 having to make major repairs to Smith’s chassis following his heavy crash during race two at Oulton Park, which damaged all four corners of his car. The team managed to repair the damage in just five days, reinforcing the squad’s technical ability.

Across the two days, each driver racked up substantial mileage around the three-mile Snetterton 300 Circuit, which represents the longest lap of the entire BTCC calendar. Combined, the two MGs completed 267 laps – equating to 801 miles of running – with Smith completing 134 tours in total, and Osborne 133.

The net result was a gain of around half-a-second on Wednesday afternoon, meaning EXCELR8’s fastest time was just two seconds away from the outright quickest of the test.

The team’s data suggests the changes amount to a 0.6 second deficit per mile to the fastest cars when on the same tyres. This highlights the team’s strong rate of improvement from the first round at Brands Hatch, where the margin was just over one second per mile around the 1.2-mile Indy Circuit.

EXCELR8 Team Manager Oliver Shepherd said he was happy with the results of the test, and the progress of the team and drivers at the mid-way point in the season.

“The two-day test was really, really good for us. The biggest key thing was the consistency lap-to-lap, on the same track and the same conditions so the drivers could get their seat time in and boost their confidence. The biggest hurdle both Sam and Rob have had so far is that they get 80 minutes of practice each weekend, and within that they have to fit in tyre scrubbing runs and brake setup work, and then they’re straight in to qualifying. That leaves very little time for them to just go out and drive and learn.

“Having Daniel Lloyd with us was also very useful. He used to race these cars and he represents a very good historical reference against where we have the MGs now. His feedback has been incredibly useful and we’ve found some good directions with the car. Plus Rob’s car ran faultlessly across the two days after the rebuild work, which says a lot about the technical team we have in place now.

“Being able to play with a few different setup ideas was so valuable, and having the time to quantify the results of each change so we truly know what’s good and what’s bad. So far the lap time deficit between us and the fastest cars has halved since the start of the season, and we have to be happy with that progress. The aim is to now continue that rate of improvement and we’re confident we can be pushing into the midfield before the end of the season.”

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship resumes this weekend (3/4 August) at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk.

Britain's premier motorsport series resumes following mid-season break

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship makes its return at Snetterton next weekend (3/4 August) after its traditional summer break, with Team BMW's reigning champion Colin Turkington holding the initiative.

Last time out, just over a month ago at Oulton Park, the Northern Irishman secured a pair of lights-to-flag victories as he further tightened his grip at the top of the Drivers' standings.

His BMW stablemate, Andrew Jordan, notched a pair of podiums to move into second in the running, ahead of BTC Racing's Josh Cook. Stephen Jelley rounded out a thrilling weekend at the picturesque Cheshire circuit with a popular victory in the finale - his first in the BTCC since 2009.

Snetterton always throws up a treat for the tens of thousands of fans that make their way to the Norfolk circuit, with the very best BTCC action delivered over a sun-soaked mid-summer's race weekend.

As always, for those that can't make it to East Anglia, qualifying and race-day is broadcast live and exclusively via the championship's long-term broadcast partners, ITV Sport, with some eight hours of the best of British motorsport come race-day screened live on ITV4.

Half-way house
With five events down and five to go, Britain's premier motorsport series has seen seven different drivers, representing six different marques take top honours so far this season, with a further 19 drivers making the podium.

Unpredictability has long been a staple of the BTCC, as is borne out by those numbers. That said, at the very sharp end where margins are finest, the new BMW 3 Series has proven to be a potent force throughout the first half of the campaign, taking nine of the 15 available winners' trophies up to this point.

The championship is notoriously tight, competitive and fiercely-fought and this is evidenced over the course of any given round. When it comes to the quest for the coveted Drivers' Championship crown, the cream always rises to the top.

It may be of little surprise, then, that three-time and incumbent champion Colin Turkington is currently setting the pace, having already won four times as many races as he did in his title-winning 2018 campaign.

Everything can, and often does, change over any given race weekend with 67 points on offer in the BTCC. BMW Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan sits second, with a 33-point deficit, while the independently-run Hondas of Josh Cook and Rory Butcher and 2017 champion, Subaru's Ash Sutton, sit fewer than 15 points further back.

As far as a form guide goes, last year at Snetterton, it was a win apiece for Sutton, Jack Goff and Matt Neal – the latter in the 60th anniversary Diamond Double finale, celebrating 60 years of the BTCC. It was a best result of sixth for Turkington, albeit wielding the BMW 1 Series rather than the current 330i M Sport.

Mid-season test
A complement of 32 drivers completed more than 3100 laps over the annual mid-season two-day test at Snetterton at the end of July, and it was Motorbase man Tom Chilton who set the pace in his Ford Focus RS.

Chilton’s 1:56.144s benchmark lap was recorded early on the opening day of running and ended up just 0.118s faster than Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish overall.

“To be honest we really gave it some out there,” said Chilton. “We’re obviously testing different compounds and set-ups, but this is a real chance for us to push forwards with the car. We had a pre-season test in Spain but the conditions weren’t great there, so this is a vital few days in preparation for the rest of the season.”

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher made it an impressive double when Ollie Jackson set the pace on the final day, albeit just shy of Chilton and Cammish’s respective efforts from Tuesday.

“It has been a really productive test,” said Jackson. “We’ve learnt a lot and written some things off too, but we seem to be in good shape for the remainder of the year.

“We haven’t really been rewarded with the results we’ve deserved so far this season. We have had some bad luck and made a few minor errors that have been unduly punished, so overall we just haven’t had the rub of the green.

“Of course, topping the times in testing doesn’t win you any points, but it’s a good feeling and a great boost ahead of the event here in a few weeks’ time.”

Honda man Cammish enjoyed a strong showing on both days, claiming second spot on each occasion.

Reigning champion and last year’s runner-up were next in the order as Team BMW’s Colin Turkington and Team Toyota GB with Ginsters’ Tom Ingram clocked up the mileage around the Snetterton 300 layout.

As ever with a tyre test, however, overall lap times are not a clear benchmark in relation to competitiveness as each and every team and driver worked through their respective programmes.

Timetable and tickets
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 4 August alongside the rest of the day’s action will be broadcast live, free-to-air and in high-definition by the series’ longstanding partner ITV, on ITV4, via the ITV Hub and streamed live online at itv.com/btcc. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live and via the Official BTCC App throughout the weekend.

The support series on the TOCA package are also guaranteed to thrill, from the tin-top stars of the future in the Renault UK Clio Cup, budding Formula 1 aces in the F4 British Championship, the ever-entertaining Porsche Carrera Cup GB, precociously talented 14-to-17-year-olds in the Ginetta Junior Championship and the spectacular Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup. A total of 13 support series races will complement the three high-octane BTCC encounters, making for an action-packed weekend.

Adult tickets are priced at £28 for Sunday 4 August, or £38 for the full weekend, with accompanied 13-to-15-year-olds getting in for £17 and £23 respectively. There is no charge for accompanied children under the age of 13. Pre-orders can be made online at www.snetterton.co.uk or over the phone (0843 453 9000) up to 12:00 on Thursday, 1 August. After this date, tickets can still be purchased on the gate.

More information on all of Snetterton’s driving experiences and racing events can be found at www.snetterton.co.uk.

Reigning champion Colin Turkington is amongst a number of BTCC drivers that will be competing at the Silverstone Classic this coming weekend, with the BMW driver strapping himself into a piece of BMW history, driving the car that accumulated the most wins in the 1991 BTCC when driven by Steve Soper.

"The Silverstone Classic is one of my favourite events in the calendar outside of the BTCC," said Turkington. "It's such a super festival to enjoy as a spectator and as a driver it delivers on all fronts with the massive crowds.

"Getting the opportunity to drive a piece of BMW history and compete in the Touring Car event is amazing!

"I've had a few sessions in this car before so it should be reasonably familiar, and I can't wait to get it out on the Grand Prix circuit at Silverstone. The team that look after this car is one of the best in the business, and I can look forward to this event knowing the preparation will be second to none.

"I'm so fortunate to be given this BMW to push to the limits around Silverstone, and it will be a fantastic exercise ahead of the second half of the BTCC season.

"The entry list for this class looks amazing and I reckon we should see some proper tin top racing!"

Other familiar faces from BTCC include TradePriceCars.com's Jake Hill, Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan and Team Toyota GB with Ginsters' Tom Ingram, with both Hill and Ingram taking part in the Pre 66 GT race and Pre 66 Touring Car Event.

"We have had class wins and overall podiums in the Lotus 26R at both events so far this year, and a pole and an overall win in the 65 Mustang," said Hill. "I love Silverstone so hopefully we can continue our success!"

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will resume at Snetterton on 3/4 August.

BTCC organiser TOCA has awarded a vital contract to Cosworth Electronics for the design, supply and servicing of the BTCC Hybrid System, which will be introduced for the 2022 British Touring Car Championship.
 
The BTCC was the first major touring car championship in the world to announce the move to hybrid (in August 2018) - and now the first to specify the exact timing, pathway and technical details of their hybrid power. Although it could have been introduced from 2021, it was decided to stay with the original 2022 introduction date in order to allow ample preparation.
 
The contract was awarded to Cosworth Electronics after a successful round of tenders that met with the very challenging specifications - particularly those regarding packaging, performance and low-cost - that TOCA had outlined. All major TOCA technical partners worked very closely together in order to define the specification, technical integration and performance parameters of the hybrid system. 
 
The additional hybrid power will be used by each driver for either passing or defending and will introduce new competitive strategies and opportunities during each BTCC race.
 
Performance simulations undertaken by Cosworth show that the most significant gains will be achieved at the low engine RPM ranges; the hybrid power burst will bring the engine up into the turbo ‘window’ more quickly. This will provide drivers deploying the system the chance to pull alongside or gain ground on the opposition.

In a simulation using Silverstone Circuit, with two cars accelerating out of Copse Corner, the car with the hybrid power deployed should gain around 8m before the next braking zone. 
 
After lap one, drivers will have control over the amount of their hybrid energy they use or regenerate – and when - during the course of each race. The driver will have a steering wheel mounted button to engage the hybrid once full traction has been achieved. The hybrid deactivates ona second button press, the use of brakes, on reaching the time or energy limit, a reduced throttle pressure or sudden acceleration/deceleration.

Prior to introduction, rigorous testing and simulations will refine the more exact nature of the driver-selectable hybrid power delivery (i.e. how many seconds per lap, when/how it can be used etc.) as well as configuring the varying amounts of regeneration and hybrid power that will be used to replace the current success ballast system.
 
The total weight of the hybrid system is well within the current operating window of all NGTC cars and their components; the total system weight will be some 10kg less than the maximum success ballast weight (75 kg) previously used. 
 
A technical and performance overview of the system follows….
 
2022 BTCC - Cosworth Hybrid system
 
- Technical Overview - 
 
‘P2 off-axis’ hybrid system;

• 60v high power - low volt system
• Electric motor integrates within modified current BTCC Xtrac gearbox
• Separate custom hybrid motor cooling unit
• Utilising the best power-to-weight hybrid motor currently available
• Compact size and weight: 7.5 kg 
• Little disruption to current NGTC specification
• Calibrated and driver-adjustable regeneration

 
Bespoke Delta Motorsport 60v battery pack;

• Battery weight: 20 kg - housed within IP67 rated isolated composite safety cell 
• Incorporated battery coolant system
• Quick release connectors
• Easy removal and replacement - less than 10 minutes 
• Charging via 240v wall socket - one hour full charge time
• Replaces current ballast box 

 
Modifications required to current car;

• Updated gearbox case (not all internals) to incorporate electric motor
• Additional electronic connections
• Changes to some intercooler locations and pipes.
• Upgraded Cosworth ‘Antares’ electronics suite 
• Total fully installed system weight approx. 64 kg - including electric motor, battery, controllers, looms, pumps, pipes, cables, fluids etc.

 
Hybrid Performance;

• Push to pass or defend – power gain of approx. 40+ bhp
• Maximum of 15 seconds per lap - available after first lap
• No limit on number of uses per lap – can only be used when full traction
• Alternative calibrations for wet track conditions
• Cars will drive the length of the pit lane on full electric power
• Configurable percentages of hybrid output/regeneration rate – this will replace the use of success ballast weights 
• On-car LED light system to display hybrid deployment
• Hybrid power is additional to the current BTCC 2 litre turbo engine power – there is no reduction to either its power output…. or exhaust note

 
Comprehensive annual lease scheme;
 
The BTCC - Cosworth Hybrid System annual lease fee of £20,500 (i.e. £2,050 per event) includes:
 

• Complete electric hybrid motor
• Complete bespoke battery pack
• Hybrid cooling hardware
• Hybrid power and control looms
• Car installation sign-off and systems check
• At-event Cosworth hybrid engineer support
• Full annual service/maintenance/refurbishment 
• Systems and safety training
• Warranty

 
________________________________________________________________________________
 
 
BTCC Technical Stability and Asset Protection;
 
Now in place is a 5-year extension of the current NGTC regulations - through to the end of 2026.  
 
This provides our teams with both technical stability and crucial long-term asset protection of their investment. 
 
By the end of 2026 the hugely successful BTCC-NGTC regulations will then have been in place for 15 years, with just two updates in that time; i.e. the upgraded RML components and Hybrid. 

 

As the second half of the BTCC season approaches we take a look back the most successful weekend so far for Tom Oliphant.

The Team BMW man delivered on home turf at Oulton Park last time out, scoring a career-best finish of second place in the reverse grid encounter, as well as a further two top six finishes.

The final race meeting before the BTCC annual summer break proved to be a triumph for West Surrey Racing as a whole, with Oliphant also claiming outright honours in the Jack Sears Trophy for the first time in his career to add another piece of silverware to his 2019 tally.

The team had high hopes for the fifth event of the season, with the annual visit to Oulton Park having added significance for Oliphant, having been born and raised only five minutes down the road in Tarporley.

At the wheel of his BMW 330i M Sport, the British Racing Drivers’ Club Member secured seventh on the grid in qualifying, making it three WSR BMW’s inside the top seven.

Bogging down as the lights went out for race one, Oliphant held position as the field streamed through Cascades and settled into a good rhythm. Remaining on the back of the top six, he soon gained a spot as Matt Neal retired on lap five - bringing out the safety car.

A resolute defence from Sam Tordoff’s Honda left the Cheshire racer to settle for sixth place, kicking his race day off on the right note.

The 28-year-old made a blistering start in race two, rocketing into fourth as the 30-car grid streamed through the opening sequence of corners.

Beginning to apply pressure to third-placed Dan Cammish, a second safety car in the latter stages of the 18-lap encounter hampered Oliphant’s momentum. Holding station in the remaining laps, the 2015 Ginetta GT4 SuperCup champion brought the car home to finish fourth, narrowly missing out on the rostrum.

Virtue of the reverse grid draw, Oliphant lined up in ninth for the final race of the day. It proved to be a frenetic affair from start-to-finish, with Oliphant picking his way through the early drama to rise to fifth place.

Latching himself onto the back of Tordoff for the second time in the day, Oliphant kept the pressure on as the action unfolded before scything his way past the Honda driver in the closing stages. The Cheshire racer then capitalised on a mistake from a driver ahead to grab another spot.

Crossing the line in third place, Oliphant was later promoted to second position following a post-race time penalty to on-the-road winner Jake Hill. In addition, the BMW man's best weekend in the series was topped off with the Jack Sears Trophy success.

Oliphant has been back in action since, at the recent Dunlop tyre test at Snetterton, where he ended up 17th overall.  

As we approach the end of the annual summer break, resuming at Snetterton on 3/4th August, Oliphant is 11th in the Drivers’ Championship, whilst Team BMW sit first in both the Manufacturer/Constructor and Teams’ Championships respectively. Oliphant has also closed the gap in the Jack Sears Trophy.

“To have my best ever weekend in the BTCC at my home circuit is just amazing, and to top it off with a second place finish is phenomenal,” said Oliphant.

“Qualifying didn’t go our way but we played it smart throughout race day and knew we had the pace to run at the front. Making progress in every race set us up for that race three result; we had a bit of luck with incidents that happened elsewhere but we were in the mix throughout.

“To win the Jack Sears Trophy [at Oulton park] is just the cherry on top too. Overall it was a fantastic weekend for the team.”

HMS Racing made a particularly impressive return to BTCC action last week, during the annual two-day Dunlop tyre test at Snetterton in Norfolk.

Although embarking on a sabbatical from the BTCC this year, Swindon’s HMS has been working tirelessly on the development of its 2018 podium-finishing Alfa Romeo Giulietta and fan-favourite racer Rob Austin underlined the car’s potential across the two days of running.

Bringing day one to a close, Austin completed the two sessions with a quickest lap which put him in the middle of the pack.

On Wednesday, HMS ran new Dunlop tyres for the first time and after producing a significantly improved lap during the morning to go sixth quickest, Evesham’s Austin shot to the top of the times in the afternoon.

Fourth fastest overall for the second day, Austin concluded the entire test sixth and within just 0.4 seconds of the outright pace to confirm the squad’s potential in the BTCC which is, by any measure, majorly unfinished business for both driver and team!

“I was a bit rusty getting going in the first session [on Wednesday] on our first run with new tyres, and I left a couple of tenths on the table there," reflected Austin. “All in all, though, we were back into the groove reasonably quickly and the car improved dramatically on day one before we made more progress on the second day.

“It’s nice to have come out of the test topping the times in the final session, fourth for the day and sixth overall across the two days, and it shows the strong development work the guys have been doing on the car during our sabbatical year. We’re continuing to work hard on being back in the BTCC for 2020, this performance shows prospective partners what a formidable package we have.”

Team principal Simon Belcher added: “We spent all day on Tuesday running old tyres, working through a lot of stuff with the car, and then put new rubber on for day two. It’s fantastic to have topped the final session, and to be sixth overall for the test, and we’ve shown good consistency in hot temperatures over the last couple of days which was one of our weaker points last season.

“This championship never stands still, we haven’t come back to where things were during our last BTCC race. Everyone has improved, upped their game, so I think we can be very satisfied. It’s been important to have shown our competitiveness, now the hard work continues on development of the car and attracting the right commercial partners to enable us to be back on the grid in 2020.”