The 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch saw Team Hard Racing-backed driver Carl Boardley finish runner-up in the Jack Sears Trophy standings, while a quartet of retirements marred the Volkswagen CC’s final outing in the series.

As the squad prepares to introduce at least two brand new Cupra Leons in 2021, here’s what Managing Director Tony Gilham had to say about the latest campaign…

“We came into this season with high hopes after a very successful test with our three Volkswagen CCs out in Spain pre-lockdown. The pace in the car on a hot day was very strong, and this was highlighted at Brands Hatch GP where Jack [Goff] secured both his and the team’s best results of the season, which included a front row start for the final race of the day. However, there was a lot less overtaking this season than previously and, with the team unable to unlock any extra performance in qualifying, we were always on the back foot.

“As the cooler autumn months descended on the championship, our race pace was still strong and our tyre management was exceptionally good, maintaining a consistent level of performance all the way through while others dropped off. However, this did further hamper our qualifying efforts towards the end of the season as we took longer than others to turn the Goodyear tyres on.

“Despite a tricky and incredibly unlucky season with failures outside of our control hindering our race days – sometimes before they even got going – we have to take heart that Carl Boardley in his BMW 1 Series had a very strong campaign and should be proud of his achievements, coming second in the Jack Sears Trophy and taking it down to the final event of the season at Brands Hatch. Carl has come on in leaps and bounds in 2020, and his performance at Knockhill was a particular highlight.

“As we look to 2021 and beyond, the future is looking very bright for the team with the introduction of our new Cupra Leons. Driver one has signed on the dotted line and is due to be unveiled in the not so distant future, and I think the fans will be really happy with this one!”

In its sophomore year in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, and the Hyundai i30s maiden campaign, Excelr8 Motorsport left Brands Hatch’s highly-anticipated season finale fifth in the Independent Teams’ Standings, following a pair of exciting announcements for the upcoming campaign.

With long-term sponsors Draper Tools committing to another year with the Suffolk-based team, 2021 will see the squad join with Trade Price Cars Racing to field a four-car attack with a quartet of Hyundais.

Damp and dreary conditions welcomed drivers Senna Proctor and Chris Smiley for the season finale and, with only one free practice session to get their cars set up, both drivers settled into the top ten during the 50-minute period.

With the rain continuing into qualifying, a wheel on the grass at Druids saw Proctor skate into the barrier in the opening five minutes. Having caused the session to be red flagged, Proctor consequently lost his best time and was unable to rejoin the session, which saw him start race one from 27th on the grid.

As conditions continued to present challenges throughout the field, Smiley struggled to challenge the top ten, but sealed 15th during the truncated session.

Determined to make up for the undesirable result of Saturday, Smiley was up two places on the opening lap, continuing forward to scythe into 12th as the session entered a safety car period.

His run would be temporarily halted by Adam Morgan and Tom Chilton, as conditions became trickier. Crossing the line in 13^th, Smiley set himself up for a promising race two.

Similarly, team-mate Proctor worked through the field, gaining eight spots by the Safety Car’s appearance and maintaining his place to take 18th at the chequered flag.

After the rain of race one, the second race provided a new challenge, as the track started to dry and tactical tyre choice became a key player in the results. The Excelr8 drivers both opted for dry tyres, which proved to be a wise decision as the race played out.

Smiley made the most of a busy start, jumping four places in his #22 Hyundai to run ninth.

Proctor’s drive up the order was steadier, picking off his competitors one-by-one and by lap six, was on the tail of his teammate. By the end of the race, Proctor had gained an impressive 11 places, to finish eighth.

Smiley likewise was in a forward-thinking mood, finishing eleventh, which gave him the front row for the reverse grid.

Starting on the front row of a freshly doused grid, Smiley was determined to end the season on a high. Battling with polesitter Aiden Moffat, he found himself off wide at Graham Hill bend, dropping down the order.

The conditions were proving difficult for Proctor as well, who dropped outside the top ten, before losing his points position due to another incident.

Despite an attempt to re-enter the top ten, it was a 12th-place finish for Smiley, while Proctor took 19th.

At the conclusion of the day, it was fifth and seventh spots in the Independent and overall Teams’ Standings for Excelr8 Motorsport, a result the squad was delighted with and reflected the progress made throughout one of the most unique BTCC seasons to date.

“Thank you to everyone that has been involved with us this year, to see how the team has grown over the last 12 months is exceptional,” said Team Owner Justina Williams. “The hard work and dedication from our team has been key in developing the brand new Hyundais, and now we have had a chance to test them out at the UK’s premier motorsport venues, I’m eager for a new start as we head into 2021 with our partners.”

“We’ve been really proud of the work that our drivers have put in as well. Chris’ pace on Sunday in the last race, being the fourth quickest, proves how we could be easily battling for a win in the future, while Proctor’s overtaking was key to helping us secure fifth in the Independent Teams’ championship. I’m looking forward to the winter to get some testing under our belts and new season ahead.”

“We were really quick in that race three and could have been on the podium,” reflected Smiley. “We’ve made a lot of changes to that car and it’s really worked. My engineer has done a fantastic job having only started working with me the weekend before Brands. I cannot thank him enough.”

“We didn’t get the podium that we deserved, but I’m glad we got the points and we found a setup on the wet that works on the car, so it has certainly been a positive way to end the year. Thanks to all the sponsors that Justina has, as without them we wouldn’t be able to go racing and it’s a credit to all the team that have been working so hard this year.”

“It was fantastic to help the team achieve fifth place in the Independents’ standings as well as seventh in the overall Teams’ Championship,” concluded Proctor. “Qualifying and the rain did hamper the best running we had today, but my race one and two proved just how well this Hyundai can overtake when it matters.

"Without Draper Tools and all our sponsors investing in what we do, as well as the platform the BTCC provide for their marketing, it wouldn’t be possible to do what we do. Thank you to everyone who has been behind us this year.”

Today's Champions Audio comes from none other than the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Champion: Ash Sutton.

"It's the ups and downs that you experience through the year. We've been through so much as a team. We've had some bad races and some phenomenal comebacks and when you cross that line that's what comes through. Those memories flash up and you know that's all led to this... I just can't thank everyone involved enough."

Catch the full interview below...

Amid the Sunday evening celebrations at Brands Hatch's Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale, the Official BTCC website caught up with Team BMW Team Principal Dick Bennetts to discuss the 'great team effort from everyone' in the squad throughout the 2020 campaign, which resulted in clinching the Teams' and Manufacturers' titles.

Catch the latest Champions Audio interview below...

A collaboration between the BTCC, Cobra Seats and Schroth has resulted in the development of a seat net that provides optimum safety.

The need for seat nets in a racing car is often exhibited and was proven a number of times in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship earlier this year, most notably during Bobby Thompson’s dramatic barrel roll at Croft.

As Thompson’s Audi somersaulted several times before coming to rest, it clearly demonstrated how drivers experience a range of forces during such incidents, not just front to rear or side to side, but every angle in between.

The championship’s Technical Director, Peter Riches, was eager to introduce the use of seat nets, and this latest collaboration ‘squares the circle’ of providing optimum geometry in the car and optimum safety when needed most.

The process of finding a solution required discussion with Mark Dunsford, MD of Cobra Seats, a company which supplies over half of the seats to BTCC drivers, including eight of the last nine BTCC Drivers’ champions.

“Mark is the third generation of his family to run Cobra Seats,” explained Peter. “You could say that racing seats are part of his DNA and he has spent the last ten years developing seats for the BTCC, so he knows the drivers, knows the cars and really understood what we needed to achieve, both from a safety perspective and from the driver’s viewpoint.

“Furthermore, Cobra has a long established strategic technical partnership with Schroth who, themselves, are world leading manufacturers in motorsport and aerospace restraint systems.”

The result was a collaborative effort between the three parties, with Peter establishing the ‘wish list’ and analysing the results during development. Cobra developed and refined the solution, working with Schroth’s technical team to finalise a design which would pass the FIA’s stringent testing as well as technical appraisal to gain full approval.

The FIA Driver’s Guide advocates the use of head and shoulder nets, which offer significant advantages over window nets. While window nets are designed primarily to prevent an occupant’s limbs from being thrown out of the window in a crash, seat nets not only perform this function, but also provide further significant benefits.

The BTCC’s new seat net provides additional support to the head and shoulders in a crash, as well as guiding the occupant back into the seat. It prevents drivers arms from being thrown around inside the car and also offers greatly improved visibility compared to window nets.

Implementing the FIA recommendations in BTCC cars wasn’t straightforward, as existing seat nets didn’t provide a universal solution. Its design could only be adapted to certain cockpits and achieving the desired geometry was almost impossible in touring car cockpits where the front attachment point was effectively in the middle of the screen.

An innovative solution had to be found, which combined safety and practicality and which, vitally, would be equally effective for every car on the grid.

“Drivers nets represent a significant advance in motorsport safety,” explains Riches. “We knew that if we could develop a highly adaptable solution, which could be installed without any modification to seats and cages in competition cars, it could be a game-changer.”

After a huge technical challenge, the resulting product is a seat net that can be used inboard and outboard in any car, with almost any seat position, and allows the net to fully function to the optimum geometry, regardless of the available attachment points at the front of the car.

Engineered in accordance with the latest FIA 8863 – 2013 standard, the new seat nets have earned widespread praise for ‘squaring the circle’ of providing optimum geometry in the car and optimum safety when needed most.

Lancashire-based Ciceley Motorsport has today (25 November) announced one of the most significant developments in its history after making the decision to run a pair of BMW 3 Series’ in the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The Carlube Triple R-backed outfit has campaigned the Mercedes A-Class with considerable success since 2014, but believes it is the right time to step up to multiple title-winning machinery.

Under the guidance of the manufacturer-backed West Surrey Racing, the new BMW 3 Series was first entered into the series for the 2019 BTCC season, and has since gone on to win five of the six major titles it has contested.

The car was part of the Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ title successes in its first campaign, and then won the latter two again this season.

After considering a number of different models and configurations, the engineering team at Ciceley Motorsport chose the German machine as its best option to challenge for Drivers’ and Teams’ honours in Britain’s elite motorsport series.

Russell Morgan, Ciceley Motorsport Team Principal, said: “These are very exciting times for us all at Ciceley Motorsport, and we are delighted to be introducing the BMWs. This has been an incredibly hard decision, made even more difficult by the fantastic job our lead engineer Steve Farrell and Adam [Morgan] have done with the Mercedes this year. Our cars have been constantly improved and fastidiously maintained throughout their lifetime, and they are still eligible to run in the BTCC until 2023.”

Adam Morgan, Ciceley Motorsport Driver, said: “We have to look to the future. The hybrid era of the BTCC will be upon us before we know it and we must, as a team, be ready for the next challenge. Although our philosophy as a team is to enjoy our racing, we definitely enjoy it more when we’re winning! Next season will be yet another massive learning curve for us all, but we are still hungry for success. We now need to secure the services of a team-mate, who is able to complement the team and clinch the Drivers’ and Teams’ championships.”

The team’s title sponsors – Carlube Triple R and associate team partner Mac Tools – are also excited by this new and exciting chapter.

Peter Schofield, Tetrosyl Chairman, added: “It’s fantastic to be part of this historical moment for Ciceley Motorsport as they move to the BMW 3 Series. We have enjoyed great success with the Mercedes this season, which has been a difficult year for us all. For Tetrosyl and Carlube Triple R, this exciting change mirrors our aspirations and the level of quality we demand as a company and a brand. We wish everyone in our team the very best both on and off the track in 2021.”

The deal was concluded to purchase two new cars from multiple championship-winning squad WSR, led by the ultra-experienced and hugely successful Dick Bennetts.

Dick Bennetts, WSR Team Principal, said: “We’re very pleased that Ciceley Motorsport have become our first customer for the BMW 330i M Sport and will run two cars in 2021. They are a professional team with a strong engineering mindset, so the WSR-designed-and-built cars should give them everything they need to become title challengers.

“Since the 3 Series first turned a wheel in late March last year, we’ve won five titles out of a possible six and scored 48 podiums from 57 races, which shows the quality of the base machinery.”

Norman Burgess, Ciceley Motorsport Commercial Director, concluded: “Russell [Morgan] has made his mind up, we’re going for it! He has listened to both Steve Farrell and Adam [Morgan] and they have all decided together that the BMW is the best way forward, even though we will be sad to see the Mercs go. Carlube Triple R and Mac Tools have supported and stood by us through these unprecedented times and it’s imperative that we are in the best possible position to deliver them results, as well as repay Carlube Triple R for their unwavering belief in Ciceley Motorsport.”

Next up in the Champions Audio series comes the 2020 Independent Teams' Champions: Laser Tools Racing.

In the first full year which the pair of Infiniti Q50s have contested, the squad led a closely-fought battle with rival Motorbase Performance throughout the campaign, clinching the title with a pair of Indy wins during the Brands Hatch finale.

Listen to the full interview with Team Boss Bob Moffat below...

Photo credit: MJP Media

GKR TradePriceCars.com enjoyed a points-scoring end to the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season in tricky conditions at Brands Hatch.

The squad headed to the Kent circuit looking to build on the progress that Paul Rivett and Ethan Hammerton had made on their debuts with the team in the previous meeting at Snetterton.

With just one free practice session taking place as a result of the condensed schedule for the weekend - changed to factor in the reduction in daylight hours - both Rivett and Hammerton were keen to maximise their time on track, particularly when the session kicked off in tricky damp conditions.

The pair completed a combined total of more than 80 laps across the session, with Rivett ending up 24th and Hammerton in 27th, but with both drivers taking more confidence into the lunchtime qualifying session.

Although conditions were even more tricky come qualifying after more rain started to fall, multiple Clio Cup UK champion Rivett made the most of his extensive knowledge of the Kent circuit to secure an impressive ninth on the grid, improving his lap time by more than a second to line up just behind championship leader Colin Turkington on the grid.

Hammerton also made huge strides forward compared to practice, with his fastest lap being a second quicker than he had managed earlier on as he put the sister car 23rd on the grid for race one.

Heavy rain overnight and further showers across the morning made conditions even more difficult for the opening race, and a poor start for Rivett saw him drop down the order to end the first lap back in 15th place.

Briefly knocked out of the points-scoring positions, Rivett was embroiled in one of the battles of the race with Aiden Moffat, Stephen Jelley and Jack Goff, and overcame the challenge of the latter pair to secure 15th and the final championship point - whilst he was also the leading Jack Sears Trophy runner.

An off at Paddock Hill Bend in the early stages saw Hammerton slip to the back of the field but a safety car period then allowed him to close up to the rear of the pack ahead. After the restart, he was able to make up places to cross the line in 22nd, having shown he had the pace to run higher up the order.

Even though the circuit wasn’t fully dry, the team made the decision to go with slick tyres for the second race of the weekend but Rivett again struggled to get the car away from the line and slipped down the order to 24th on the opening lap.

Recovering up the order to get back into the top 20, Rivett then suffered a spin at Paddock Hill Bend and came to rest in the middle of the circuit; luckily without being collected by anyone in the rapidly approaching pack.

He would recover to finish in 23rd spot, just ahead of Hammerton after he came through the challenging conditions to bring his car home in 24th spot, improving his pace across the 24-lap encounter.

The final race of the season saw the rain return and meant conditions were far from easy for the pair on track in what was the final outing for the Audi in the championship.

A solid run from Rivett saw him fight his way up into the top 20 to secure 17th place, whilst Hammerton was forced to pit mid-way through the race as he struggled with visibility issues before ending up in 24th spot.

The team now turns focus to the 2021 season following the announcement of a new tie-up with the EXCELR8 Motorsport team, which will see it switch to the Hyundai i30 N Fastback for its third year in the series.

"It was a tough weekend with the weather,” said Hammerton. “Qualifying went okay and we knew where we needed to improve; we some progress to finish in 22nd in the opening race and I wanted to try and move up further in race two. It looked like it would dry on the out lap and we went with slicks at the last minute, but it was hard initially to find the grip and hard to make up ground as a result

"Race three was tough as the car was steaming up and I struggled to see, but we got the car to the finish again. The weather threw everything at us but there are positives for us to take away from it, and I've enjoyed my run with the team across the last two rounds."

"Qualifying was the real highlight for me,” added Rivett. “To put the car inside the top ten on the grid was brilliant and something I was really pleased about. Clearly however, I need to practice my starts a bit as they let me down, but it isn't easy to get the power down in these cars when the conditions are like that!

"To come back and score some points after a bad start in race one was really good and it was a shame in race two that we had the spin after some oil leaked from the diff as, without that, I think we would have won the Jack Sears Trophy at Brands Hatch. As it was, we had to come from the back in race three, so to get up to 17th was good in the conditions.

"Those two rounds have shown me that this is where I want to be in the future as I've really enjoyed it, and hopefully I can get the sponsors onboard to do a full season in 2021."

"This has been a tough year for us all with the pandemic,” concluded Team Owner Dan Kirby. “Credit to everyone in the paddock for us being able to complete the season, even though it has been a shame not to have fans watching on.

“On the whole, we've had a solid year with some good results for all of our drivers, and had things gone slightly different, we could have had a title at the end of it. Our time with the Audi is now at an end, and we're looking forward to the future and chasing success in the coming seasons with the Hyundai."

Just over a week on from the crowning of champions during the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale, the Official BTCC website is launching a special Champions Audio feature, where an interview from each victor will be posted each day. With the interviews recorded live, you can re-live all their excitement and adrenaline straight from Brands Hatch, in the comfort of your own homes.

Kicking off the first interview of the series is 2020 Jack Sears Trophy titleholder, Michael Crees.

In his sophomore season in the championship, the Clever Baggers with BTC Racing man stated his intentions on JST triumph from the get-go, leading the standings throughout the first half of the season.

An unfortunate run of retirements for the #777 Honda at Silverstone and Croft saw rival Bobby Thompson gain an advantage, before an unfortunate off for the latter in round 21 resulted in his retirement for the remaining rounds of 2020.

A clean sweep at Snetterton saw Crees head into the final race weekend of the campaign at the summit of the standings, but with his nearest challenger just 13 points in arrears it was all to play for at Brands Hatch. It was a further two JST victories for the 37-year-old, taking his tally to 12 wins, which proved enough to take the title. 

Find out what Crees had to say in his full interview below...

Team Parker Racing’s Stephen Jelley endured a frustrating weekend at Brands Hatch during the final rounds of the 2020 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, as he struggled to convert qualifying pace into race results.

Having sealed 11th during Saturday’s qualifying session, his best of the season, Jelley headed into Sunday conscious that the deteriorating weather conditions would present some challenges for his BMW 125i M Sport.

Despite running as high as ninth in the opening laps, Jelley would struggle for grip on the damp 1.2-mile Indy circuit during Sunday’s first race, eventually crossing the line just outside of the points, in 16th.

Race two began as another tricky encounter for the Team Parker Racing man, who initially dropped back to 21st. An impressive recovery drive saw the 38-year-old pick off the pack as his slick tyres came into play, taking 17th spot at the chequered flag.

Jelley’s 2020 campaign came to an unfortunate end in race three as, following a heavy downpour prior to the contest, a spin at Druids and contact would result in significant damage and subsequent retirement for the #12 machine.

The Team Parker Racing squad now turns its attention to the forthcoming campaign, with a shorter-than-usual off season, before the BTCC returns to Brands Hatch’s Indy circuit on 3/4 April.

“It was disappointing,” reflected Jelley. “It was a good effort in qualifying in the wet as this car has never been that strong in those sorts of conditions and the huge amount of standing water did not suit our car at all. Unfortunately, a rear-wheel-drive car isn’t the best in mixed conditions, and I had several taps, was pushed sideways, and had potential for really big moments and just about got away with it.
 
“In race three I was tapped into a spin for no fault of our own and collected by another car. I didn’t do anything wrong: somebody put us into that spin and someone else has rear-ended a stationary object. That’s just how the season was going to end for us, though there were some bright spots early on, with a podium at Brands Hatch on the Grand Prix circuit.”