Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher is looking to double up in the two-day BTCC tyre test at Snetterton as Ollie Jackson hit top spot earlier this morning.

Team-mate Tom Chilton led the opening day, but this time it was Jackson grabbing the headlines ahead of the final afternoon of running.

"It has been a really productive test so far," said Jackson. "We've learnt a lot and written some things off too, but we seem to be in good shape for the rest of the season.

"My year so far hasn't really included the results we've felt we've deserved. We've 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."

Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish was second yesterday and he's repeated the trick on day two around the Snetterton 300 circuit, with the Honda Civic Type R Fk8 looking particularly racy.

Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport's Adam Morgan made it into the top ten yesterday and they've improved again to take third this morning, as the Mercedes A Class looks to recapture its form in the second half of the season.

Sam Tordoff has been on the pace throughout both days in the AmD-run Honda and the Yorkshireman was fourth this morning. Tordoff has ended his test run this lunchtime as he now prepares for his wedding tomorrow afternoon!

Jake Hill (Audi), Rob Austin (Alfa Romeo) and Matt Simpson (Honda) were next on the timesheets before a trio of BTCC big hitters completed the top ten positions.

Team Toyota GB with Ginsters' Tom Ingram was eighth ahead of multiple BTCC champions in the shape of Team BMW's Colin Turkington and Honda manufacturer-backed Matt Neal.

The BTCC cars are back on track at 1330 and will run through to conclude the test at 1700.

Click here for the final classification from the morning session of Day 2 at Snetterton. 

Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance's Sam Tordoff set the pace in Tuesday's afternoon test session at Snetterton, but it was Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher's Tom Chilton that claimed the overall bragging rights on day one at the Norfolk circuit.

Chilton completed a super quick qualifying simulation mid-morning, setting a 1:56.144s benchmark in his Ford Focus. Halford Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish came within 0.118s of Chilton's effort but the Honda man had to settle for second.

Those two lap times would not be challenged for the remainder of the day but it was Tordoff claiming the afternoon headlines in his AmD-run Honda Civic Type R. The Yorkshireman admitted that his fastest lap came on the Dunlop Sport Maxx soft tyre as a packed quota of 30 drivers ran through their respective programmes.

All three Dunlop compounds were utilised during the day with a total of 1510 laps being completed during the seven hours of running. Chilton was not only the quickest man on track but also the busiest, as the Surrey man clocked an impressive 83 tours of the Snetterton 300 layout during the day.

Reigning champion Colin Turkington was third fastest for Team BMW ahead of Team Toyota GB with Ginsters' Tom Ingram.

AmD's Rory Butcher was only able to complete six laps during the afternoon session following myriad of minor glitches for his Honda, but the Scotsman's early morning lap time was still good enough for sixth overall. The frustration for the BTCC race winner was slightly compounded by the fact that he will not be running during tomorrow's action.

Simpson Racing's Matt Simpson was seventh ahead of Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing's Jason Plato. Five-time 2019 race winner Andrew Jordan was ninth in the BMW 3 Series, whilst Adam Morgan made a welcome return to the top ten for Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport.

Other notable runners included Dan Kirby's BTCC debut in the Trade Price Cars Audi S3 and Rob Austin's return behind the wheel of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta - the latter eventually ending up a credible 15th on his first day of action this season.

Arguably the most highly anticipated moment belonged to Aiden Moffat and Laser Tools Racing as the Scottish squad's newly built Infiniti Q50 hit the track for the first time. The team continued to work on preparing the car during the morning, before completing some shakedown work during the afternoon session.

The BTCC cars will be back on track tomorrow with the action taking place between 0900-1230 and 1330-1700. Follow the BTCC's social media channels and official website for updates throughout the day.

Click here for the final classification from Day 1 of the BTCC tyre test at Snetterton.

Motorbase man Tom Chilton has set the pace on the opening morning of the two day tyre test at Snetterton.

The Surrey driver ran a qualifying simulation mid-morning, which was enough to vault him to the top of the times.

“To be honest we really gave it some there,” he said. “We’re obviously testing different compounds and set-ups, but this is a real chance for us to push forwards with the car.

“We has 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.”

Not only did Chilton top the times, but the Shredded Wheat-backed racer also led the lap counter, clocking an impressive 44 tours of the Snetterton 300 layout.

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish was just 0.118s off the ultimate pace, whilst reigning champion Colin Turkington was settled in third.

Tom Ingram, Rory Butcher and Jason Plato made it six different car models in the top six as the Corolla, Civic and Astra all showed good speed in the early running.

A BMW trio of Andrew Jordan, Tom Oliphant and Stephen Jelley followed in the order, whilst Yorkshireman Sam Tordoff rounded out the top ten in the AmD-run Honda Civic Type R.

Rob Austin returned to BTCC action this morning, completing 12 laps in the Alfa Romeo, whilst Dan Kirby made his series debut in the Audi S3.

Fans will have to wait until this afternoon for the first on-track glimpse of the Laser Tools Racing Infiniti Q50 as the squad continued preparing the car this morning.

Click here for the final classification from the morning session at Snetterton. 

All you need to know about this week’s Dunlop tyre test at Snetterton

The BTCC will be back on track this week as the traditional summer break is punctuated by a two-day Dunlop tyre test at Snetterton on 16/17 July.

A packed entry of teams and drivers will take part at the Norfolk circuit, with Laser Tools Racing’s switch to the Infiniti and Rob Austin’s return to BTCC machinery providing the main talking points.

Multiple race-winner Austin is taking a sabbatical from the BTCC this season, but the Evesham driver is now preparing for a full-time return in 2020. Austin will be back out in the HMS Racing Alfa Romeo on both Tuesday and Wednesday, a car which he piloted to podiums last year.

“It’s great to get back behind the wheel and dust off the cobwebs,” said Austin. “I am actually really enjoying this season as I’m still involved from both a media and commercial point of view. Taking some time out helps give you a different perspective on things and I have learnt a lot simply by standing on the other side of the fence.

“There is nothing quite like being out there, however, and that’s what we’re working hard on for 2020. The test will be a great opportunity to run against the regulars from this season and see where we stand. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“We are fully committed to returning and the work that we have already put into the car is evidence of that," said team boss Simon Belcher.

"We are keeping a very close eye on the championship and we want to show that we warrant our place there. Hopefully, the Snetterton test will show that."

Every BTCC team – with the exception of BTC Racing – will be represented around the Snetterton 300 layout with the vast majority of this year’s driver line-up competing.

The Team HARD stable has confirmed that both Max Coates and Ethan Hammerton will get some running alongside its regular racers, although Bobby Thompson is set to sit this one out. Trade Price Cars boss, Dan Kirby, makes his BTCC debut in the team’s Audi S3, but both Jake Hill and Mark Blundell will also take part.

Arguably the biggest news in the build-up to the test was last week’s announcement that Aiden Moffat will be switching to the Infiniti Q50 for the remainder of the season, with the Scotsman getting a maiden run in the car during the test.

“Our 2020-spec Infiniti is a far cry from the 2015 version, incorporating all the latest NGTC specifications,” said Moffat. “The car has been completely re-engineered. And, of course, the benefits of a fantastically aerodynamic design, plus rear-wheel-drive!”

The test will run from 0900-1230 and 1330-1700 on both days, providing a total of 14 hours of on-track action. Public can gain access to the circuit from 8am whilst Tyrrells Restaurant will be open throughout.

The BTCC website and official social media channels will bring you updates during the test, whilst TSL will provide LIVE timing here.

Trade Price Cars Racing has confirmed that Dan Kirby will form part of its driver line-up for the upcoming BTCC test at Snetterton.
 
The two-day Dunlop tyre test at the Norfolk circuit, which takes place on 16/17 July, forms a vital part of the team’s preparations for the second half of the BTCC season - which will get underway at the same circuit next month.
 
Kirby - the managing director of Trade Price Cars and owner of the Trade Price Cars Racing team – made his return to competition this season in the BTCC-supporting Ginetta GT4 Supercup and secured his maiden victory in the Am Class at Donington Park back in April.
 
The 33-year-old previously secured multiple Am Class podiums in the same series back in 2017 and has also competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and BMW Compact Cup.
 
Kirby will share driving duties with Jake Hill at the wheel of the #6 Audi S3 during the test, with both drivers spending a full day on track.
 
Former F1 racer and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Mark Blundell will be in action across both days at the wheel of the sister car.
 
“Having watched Jake and Mark in action during the first five rounds of the year, it will be interesting to see things from their perspective and to experience the Audi for myself,” Kirby said. “It’s an exciting opportunity.
 
“Of course, I’m looking forward to seeing how I measure up against the BTCC field in terms of my lap-times, although I’m realistic about where I expect to be given my level of experience compared to the rest of the grid.
 
“As a team, we are working hard to make improvements to the car so we can build on the results that we have enjoyed so far this season. We want to make sure that when we go to Snetterton next month, we can hit the ground running.”

Laser Tools Racing will switch from its Mercedes-Benz A-Class to a newly developed Infiniti Q50 for the remainder of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Moffat has taken three BTCC wins in the popular Mercedes hatchback, but the Scottish-based squad believes the swap could provide immediate advantages.

The team purchased the Infinitis, which originally ran during the 2015 BTCC season, and initially intended on readying them for the 2020 campaign.

A tireless effort from Laser Tools Racing, however, has ensured the car is prepared in time next week’s two-day tyre test at Snetterton, and the decision has been made for 22-year-old Moffat to race the car immediately thereafter.

“When we first purchased the two Infiniti cars we called in our race engineers,” said Aiden. “In particular, my race engineer Federico Turrata, measured, weighed, checked, photographed and took all this data back to Italy to run simulations on how viable an improved chassis would be. The result was incredibly positive, and Federico was convinced that this was the way forward.

“Our 2020-spec Infiniti is a far cry from the 2015 version, incorporating all the latest NGTC specifications. The car has been completely re-engineered. And, of course, the benefits of a fantastically aerodynamic design, plus rear-wheel-drive!”

Moffat’s first proper taste of the Infiniti will come around the Snetterton 300 circuit at the BTCC’s annual Dunlop tyre test, which takes place on 16/17 July.

“In the BTCC 2019, things have changed; newly developed cars are clearly demonstrating their superiority, and we really feel that the Mercedes has reached the pinnacle of its development. It’s been a great car, indeed a multi-race winner for Aiden, but to go forward we need change,” confirmed Team Principal Bob Moffat.

“Therefore at Oulton Park we made the decision to accelerate our Infiniti programme and debut the car at Snetterton. It is a big ask I admit, but the experienced Laser Tools Racing team have pulled out all the stops and Aiden’s new car is ready to race.

“Make no mistake, there’s still some way to go, but I’m so proud of what we have achieved so far. We will be on a steep learning curve for the remaining races on the 2019 BTCC calendar, but we genuinely feel that we are onto a winner with this new car, and it will only improve with further development over the remaining 2019 season.”

Aiden Moffat is currently in 18th place in the 2019 BTCC standings and has a best finish of fourth place in the opening race of the year at Brands Hatch in August.

The introduction of the Infiniti will take the BTCC entry list up to 11 different marques on the grid and a total 13 different cars across the capacity 30-car field.

Team HARD’s Michael Crees brought the curtain down on the first half of his maiden Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season at Oulton Park by producing a trio of battling performances.

Following Saturday’s two free practice sessions, qualifying around the 2.23 mile circuit proved to be as ultra-competitive as ever in the glorious Cheshire sunshine; with Crees ending up P27 on the grid for race one.

Lining up on the penultimate row of the grid, the Kent racer found himself in the thick of the action as he went wheel-to-wheel for a majority of the opening encounter.

Trading places as the race progressed, Crees ultimately took the chequered flag in 27th.

Making some minor changes to the car between races, Crees enjoyed a stronger showing in Round 14 as he once again duked it out with a host of rivals just outside of the top 20, taking the chequered flag in 24th.

The reigning Ginetta GT4 SuperCup AM champion capped off his weekend in the third and final race with another gritty performance to take a best finish of the Oulton Park spectacular of 22nd.

“It has been a tough weekend and I’m glad to get it done,” said Crees. “I expected to perform a little better than I did but we are still really learning what it takes to get the best out of myself and the car.

“Little changes make a big difference to the car and that is something that we need to get on top of. The more seat time I get the more progress we are going to make. I’m loving everything about the BTCC though; meeting the fans, speaking to the media - it’s all part of the experience.

“Looking back on the first half of the season it has been a bit of a rollercoaster in terms of results but I’m loving every second. To score points on my debut was a dream come true and the aim is to add to that tally throughout the rest of year; it’s something that I’m confident we can achieve.”

Autocar has been getting to grips with the all-new BTCC Technical Centre and here’s an excerpt from their recent article...

The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s tightly controlled technical regulations are a key reason it regularly produces such exciting racing – and ensuring its ultra-competitive teams play by those rules is a tough job. 

The BTCC has a small group of technical experts at each race to make sure that happens. This year, they’ve got a new home: the TOCA Technical Centre, a newly finished truck unit that travels to every race with all the equipment needed to run a BTCC race weekend. That includes all of the technical kit, the BTCC’s bespoke signage, event branding and even photographer Jakob Ebrey’s stepladder. 

Once the equipment is set up, the truck effectively becomes the technical team’s mobile command unit, where they can analyse data and samples in order to police the rules. 

The mammoth truck replaces two smaller vehicles and has, technical director Peter Riches says, taken the championship “to the next level”...

Click here to read the full feature. 

Tom Ingram was challenging for a podium finish in the final race of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship’s visit to Oulton Park, only for misfortune to strike at the end of arguably the most competitive outing to-date for the new Team Toyota GB with Ginsters Corolla.
 
Oulton Park is home soil for Northwich, Cheshire-based Speedworks Motorsport, and Ingram headed into qualifying in optimistic mood following two busy and productive free practice sessions. A couple of grassy excursions restricted him to ninth on the grid amongst the 30 high-calibre contenders, but he did not let that hold him back.
 
Under a sweltering summer sun and in front of both a capacity crowd and the live ITV4 television cameras, the 25-year-old Bucks-born ace went immediately on the attack on race day, pinching a position from double title-holder Jason Plato on the opening lap of the curtain-raiser before gaining another spot when Matt Neal went off. He subsequently had to get his elbows out to fend off Plato and 2017 champion Ash Sutton on his way to a strong seventh at the chequered flag.
 
In race two, Ingram again focussed on moving forward, snatching sixth from Rory Butcher before – headlights ablaze – zeroing in on Sam Tordoff in fifth. Relentlessly stalking his prey, he had closed right onto the Yorkshireman’s tail when the safety car was summoned with less than a handful of laps left to run.
 
At the re-start, a big ‘moment’ at Knickerbrook cost him some ground – sliding spectacularly sideways after pushing a touch too hard and dropping a wheel over the kerb – but eighth position nonetheless secured the reigning two-time BTCC Independents’ champion fourth on the partially reversed grid for the day’s finale.
 
When the lights went out, the leading quintet broke swiftly away from the chasing pack, but then going onto lap three, disaster struck as contact between the top two spat Neal broadside across the track heading down The Avenue towards Cascades. In the ensuing cloud of tyre smoke, Ingram – like several others – had to jink dramatically left onto the grass in avoidance.
 
Rejoining in 22nd place and carrying damage, he later locked up on a pool of fluid at the hairpin and skidded straight on, ultimately spelling retirement. Frustratingly, the second-fastest lap of the race – quicker than the eventual winner and set just before the incident – went to show what might have been.
 
Ingram and Team Toyota GB with Ginsters now go into the BTCC’s mid-season break sitting ninth in the Drivers’ and Teams’ standings respectively in the UK’s premier motor racing series, with the action set to resume at Snetterton in Norfolk on 3/4 August.
 
Christian Dick, Team Principal, Team Toyota GB with Ginsters, said:
 
“As our home event, we always get a lot of guests, family, friends and supporters coming along to Oulton and as ever, they all had a great time. On the track, we went into the weekend knowing we had a long job list we wanted to try out on the Corolla, which resulted in a lot of learning again and some significant progress.
 
“Whilst we could probably have been a little further up the grid in qualifying, it didn’t stop Tom from fighting his way through the field at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult. We took a big stride forward following race one, and after looking so strong in race two, we were pretty bullish about our prospects from the second row of the grid in race three.
 
“It was a huge shame that we were robbed of a fair crack at it through no fault of our own, because we clearly had the pace to be on the podium – perhaps even more – but now, it’s time to go back to base and digest all the work we’ve done over the past few months. The plan for the next five weeks is to keep our heads down and keep pushing, and once we completely nail the sweet spot with the new Corolla, I genuinely think we will be competitive everywhere.”
 
Tom Ingram, Driver, Team Toyota GB with Ginsters, said:
 
“Oulton Park and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship. I love the place, but it really doesn’t seem to like me very much as something has always stopped me from coming away with results there. We weren’t quite ‘in the window’ in qualifying, and I probably forced it a bit too much and ended up overdriving – with a new car, you occasionally have to overstretch the boundaries to find the limit.
 
“In terms of race pace, though, the Corolla was the strongest it has been yet this season – I felt I could really push and attack. That marked the biggest step forward of the year so far, and the car got better and better as the weekend went on.
 
“We gained ground in race one, before making a big set-up change for race two that really brought the Corolla to life. I was very much looking forward to race three after that, and – considering the pace we had in just the opening two laps – I’m convinced we would have been on the podium. When it all kicked off, Matt crossed the track right in front of me and my only option was to veer left onto the grass, but the wheels dug in and that ripped a load of front downforce off the car.
 
“We eventually got going again but later hit oil and flat-spotted a tyre, which meant we had to pit and with the damage we were carrying, we reluctantly had to call it a day. That was obviously a disappointing way to finish the weekend, but overall, there was plenty of cause for encouragement and we will use that to continue to fuel development of the Corolla to make sure we come back fighting fit at Snetterton after the break.”

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher produced a strong performance during the fifth Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship meeting of the season, taking five points finishes from a challenging weekend at Oulton Park.

Saturday’s qualifying session delivered mixed results for the Kent-based squad. Ollie Jackson secured the team’s highest-placed grid spot in P12. Unfortunately, Tom Chilton struggled to hook up the perfect lap and was left frustrated in P14.

With a big task ahead of the Motorbase duo in the opening race, both Chilton and Jackson jumped up the order on the opening lap. Regrettably, Chilton’s charge was cut short as an incident caused suspension damage to the Ford, hampering his pace for the remaining laps until he eventually crossed the line in 12^th.

A solid drive for Jackson on the Cheshire circuit saw the 35-year-old work his way up to 12^th by the fifth lap, before making the most of a safety car appearance to push his way further up the order, achieving a top ten finish – the highest-placed finish of the season so far.

Contact ended Chilton’s seemingly strong start in race two, as he was forced to retire after just six laps.

After running as high as eighth for much of the race, Jackson struggled to hold his position in the closing laps and dropped back the order to place 13th at the flag.

Starting from the back of the grid, Chilton made a storming charge off the line in the final contest of the day. Climbing five places on the opening lap, the Reigate-racer strategically played the long-game before launching his assault. Making up an incredible 15 places on track, Chilton weaved his way up through the order to secure P13 as the flag dropped.

Jackson’s steadiness continued to pay-off, taking his third haul of championship points from the weekend. Coming under unswerving pressure for the entire 15-lap challenge, the Motorbase-man battled hard to remain in the mix, with the #48 Focus RS eventually securing 14^th.

A post-race penalty and subsequent result amendment saw both positions promoted to 12th and 13th respectively.

The weekend’s results left Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher and Tom Chilton sitting third in the Independents' standings, and eighth overall as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship enters its mid-season break. The team is next on-track for the official Dunlop tyre test in just over two weeks’ time, before returning to Snetterton circuit for rounds 16, 17 and 18 on August 3/4.

"Ultimately a really frustrating weekend,” said Team Manager Oly Collins. “Both drivers had the pace for better results, but it wasn’t to be. One very minor mistake in qualifying proved costly for Ollie and Tom and we ended up just on the wrong side of everything on Sunday it seemed. Tom had minor but costly contact in both race 1 and 2 and Ollie was running really well in race 2 but got caught out late in the race. Could have been a very different Sunday! All very small margins but we’ll come back at Snetterton stronger."

“It was nice to be able to race in race 3 and go forward and not pick up any contact that was going to hurt me,” said Chilton. “I got a good start and then I settled in and waited for my tyres to come to me. My plan was to do my overtaking in the second half of the race. But then I gave it full beans at the end.

“I’m gutted that we didn’t manage a double podium like we did last year. I don’t like to go into rounds and drop down in the championship standings but the contact in the first two races ruined our weekend. I’m happy we turned it around, and we learned a lot with the car. We’ve got some good ideas for our two-day test at Snetterton.  We still need to figure out a little bit more on the car, but we’ve made a big jump forward.

“We’re leaving Oulton Park with a much stronger package than we arrived with.”
“It’s been a funny day, to be honest,” said Jackson. “We’ve shown the potential, but unfortunately, I made a few choice decisions that were not conducive to success. I took a few risks in race 3 and none of them paid off. It was a shame as the car was really strong. I think we could have had three top ten’s today. Three points-finishes are great, but it should have been a lot better and I’m disappointed.

“I’m gradually pulling things together and it bodes well for the second half of the season. We’re developing the car and I’m gradually eliminating some of my mistakes. Hopefully it will all materialise into something excellent very soon.

“We know where we need to fill in the gaps to the competition, and that’s what we’ll focus on during the Snetterton test and summer break.”