Sam Tordoff kicked off his 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season in style with a top four performance in the Team GardX Racing with Motorbase Focus RS during the first official test session of the year at Donington Park.

The Leeds-based driver made his return to the BTCC grid at the Leicestershire circuit, with the unveiling of his new Motorbase-run Ford Focus RS charge for the 2018 campaign to the media during the morning’s proceedings before the afternoon test session was opened up to the public.

In spite of the wet and damp weather conditions, Tordoff set a promising early pace in the GardX-backed Focus RS and quickly got back up to speed in the front-wheel drive machine, setting the fourth fastest time of the day.

“I’m really pleased with how the day went,” said Tordoff. “We didn’t expect to do anything special during the test, we just worked through our plan and went through the programme we had in mind and ended up in P4, which is a solid start and gives us plenty to build on.

“At this time of the season, we just need to try stuff and see what it does so that when we get into a race situation and we need to throw something at the car, we know what effect that has. It’s just about building up as much data as possible.

“It’s exciting to be back in the BTCC. I got a great reception and a lot of people made a point of welcoming me back, so it was great to jump straight back into it and be competitive. I’ve got a great core of people around me in the team with a lot of experience, and it feels like home already which can only be a good thing.

“I’m feeling confident heading into the first round at Brands next week. We’ve got another test on Thursday at Brands ahead of the first round so I think were going to be ready. The car is in a sweet-spot at the moment. We're  going into the weekend with high hopes and just looking to score some strong points. I think if we can come out of the weekend with three top six performances then that would be a great way to start the season.”

Next up on our run-through of 2017’s record 13 different Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race winners is Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Jason Plato – the most successful driver in the series' history in terms of races won.

Plato's 96th victory came at Knockhill, in the opening round from the Fife circuit. It was a truly flawless lights-to-flag performance – vintage JP. 

From pole Plato tore clear, though every one of the front four got away strongly, putting their rear-wheel drive bite to good use. Plato led team-mate Ashley Sutton and the two Team BMWs of Colin Turkington and Rob Collard respectively. 

The battle was a tense one throughout the 24-lap contest with the quartet rarely separated by any more than a second. The lead pair attempted a clever switch to gift Sutton a point for leading a lap but couldn't quite pull it off. No matter – when the chequered flag fell it was BMR Racing one and two, and the extra point wouldn't matter to Sutton come the finale in any case.

“We found something in qualifying yesterday which we thought about after scratching our heads and it looked like we had a bit of a differential issue," said Plato post-race on the problems he'd had up to the Knockhill race weekend.

"We had a complete change of that unit last night and the car’s a different machine now. We think we’ve found the gremlin. I should have the advantage in the second race as the soft tyre is better in a few key areas. It’s just a shame we couldn’t get that point for switching spots for Ash (Sutton), we tried!”

Next on our list of 2017’s record 13 different Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race winners is Mat Jackson.

Jackson joined the list with a strong drive in the final round from Croft Circuit, fending off an early effort from pole-sitter Ollie Jackson in the AmD Audi S3 Saloon as well as a late push from Ash Sutton.

The AmD man had started well from pole and defended valiantly out front, fending off Jackson's Focus in the opening throes. After a brief safety car period, however, the front-runners were closer than ever, opening up the opportunity for Jackson to pounce inside of the Audi at Sunny. The move was contentious, with contact sending Jackson onto the grass, but the move was deemed fair.

From there Jackson took command to seal the victory, fighting tooth-and-nail to keep Sutton's Subaru at bay with some feisty defensive driving. It the first and only win of the season for Motorbase.

Matt Neal and Dan Cammish have seemingly unleashed the ‘Beast from the East’ at Brands Hatch today (29 March) as the all-new Honda Civic Type R claimed the top two positions of a 30-car BTCC pre-season test.

There was further joy for the Japanese marque with the independently run Eurotech Honda of Jack Goff completing the top three order.

A brief rain shower shortly after the 9am start gave teams the opportunity to run the Dunlop BluResponse wet tyre, but times soon took the expected tumble as the 1.2-mile of Tarmac began to dry.

Tom Chilton was first to show his hand in the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher Ford as he moved into P1 ahead of Tom Ingram’s Speedworks Toyota and Andrew Jordan’s BMW Pirtek Racing car.

Series Organiser, TOCA, then made the decision to extend the morning session by an hour with further rain expected in the afternoon, and it was Halfords Yuasa Racing that reaped the rewards.

Neal’s 48.408s benchmark was less than a tenth shy of last year's pole position lap around the Indy circuit, and team-mate Cammish was impressively only 0.051s further back.

WIX Racing with Eurotech's Goff then pipped the BMW of Colin Turkington into third, whilst James Cole enjoyed an eye-catching run to take fifth in the Motorbase-run Ford Focus RS.

Jordan had to settle for sixth as the action finished for lunch, with Mike Bushell (VW) and Rory Butcher (MG) impressively in seventh and eighth. Butcher responded particularly well having caused the only red flag of the morning, after spinning his AmD MG6 into the gravel at Paddock Hill Bend.

Ciceley’s Adam Morgan and Ingram completed the top ten classification, having also run in similar positons during the Season Launch event at Donington Park earlier this week.

The afternoon session was interrupted by several rain showers with Josh Cook's Vauxhall proving the best performer in the difficult conditions.

PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Sayle Photography

Bobby Thompson’s 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign moved up a gear at an overcast Donington Park on Tuesday as the UK’s premier motor racing series burst into action at the annual Season Launch.

Thompson, the 2017 VW Cup Series Champion, joined a 32 strong capacity grid including no less than 17 former BTCC race winners at the Leicestershire venue. The championship that ranks third in the world behind only Formula One and NASCAR in terms of continuous participation unveiled a history-making and potentially record breaking 60th anniversary season and it’s clear that Thompson is revelling in being a part of it.

While the skies overhead remained grey, the 21-year-old’s striking number 19 Trade Price Cars Racing with Team HARD VW Passat provided a colourful addition to the spectacular array of machinery that obliterated the wintery calm of the off-season and eschewed away the rain that threatened to disrupt proceedings.

“Today has been a very special day,” said Jack Sears Trophy contender Thompson, who completed nearly 50 trouble-free laps of Donington’s undulating 1.979-mile National Circuit under the watchful eye of his vastly experienced car chief Phil Overall.

“When I first sat down for the driver unveilings, I looked around and saw many of my racing heroes but I had to quickly remember that they aren’t my idols this year, they are my rivals,” added Thompson who, in 2018 has been nominated as one of the ‘Rising Stars’ of the British Racing Drivers Club. “That really helped me to focus on my job today and now we have all been out on track together for testing I just feel like part of the BTCC family like everyone else.”

“Bobby has been impressive for us since day one,” added Team HARD Principal Tony Gilham, who first signed the driver as part of its VW Cup Junior Driver programme. “We knew at the end of last season that he was ready for the BTCC and he has proved us right every step of the way today.

“We knew where we were at the start of the day and we knew where we wanted to be at the end of the day and we achieved that without any mistakes or putting any unnecessary stress on the equipment. We know where we believe Bobby can be this year and today he did exactly what we wanted. There is no use putting added pressure on him with an artificially fast lap in testing as it is a long season ahead.”

Power Maxed TAG Racing enjoyed a positive afternoon's testing yesterday at the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Season Launch at Donington Park with new signing Josh Cook notching sixth spot and Jack Sears Trophy champ Senna Proctor 12th, complementing the announcement of a new title partnership with TAG Industries earlier in the day very nicely indeed.

TAG Industries, specialists within the industrial waste industry, are renowned throughout the UK as being at the forefront of their field. CEO Sam Cowan, a lifelong motorsport fan, is excited about the year ahead.

“The BTCC is known as being one of the most competitive, not to mention engaging forms of motorsport on the planet," said Cowan. "We were approached by several teams, but were incredibly impressed by what the PMR team have achieved in just three seasons of racing. The professionalism and forward thinking outlook the team carries shone through from our very first meeting, and we can’t wait to see the Power Maxed TAG Racing cars out there in the series’ 60th anniversary year.”

Power Maxed TAG Racing’s Team Principal, Adam Weaver, was equally as positive about the forthcoming season, stating: “I’m very proud to announce TAG Industries as our title partner for the season, and hopefully it will be for many seasons to come. Both the team and myself are looking forward to this year more than ever, and have been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to put the deal with TAG Industries together.

"The ideologies shared by both TAG and Automotive Brands, and on a business level by myself and Sam Cowan are absolutely in sync, and we’re genuinely looking forward to having them as a partner and integral part of the family that is PMR for 2018.”

Rob Austin got 2018 off to a dream start in his new Alfa Romeo at the official Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Season Launch test at Donington Park yesterday and feels Duo Motorsport with HMS Racing are in the best possible position heading to Brands Hatch, 7/8 April.

The Evesham racer was able to deliver two laps which would have been good enough to end the day fastest of all, with the best 0.164s clear of his nearest challenger – 1m10.074s the day's benchmark time.

“It was a very good, very positive day and we were quick, but we’ve got to be realistic as none of us know exactly where we are – we’ll only find that out after qualifying at the first round”, said Austin, “We know other teams haven’t shown their true hand yet, but neither have we and there’s still much more to do. Our Alfa is only three running days old, so there’s a lot of development to come. 

“Although there are a lot of common components shared by the Alfa and the Toyota we ran last year, the cars are very different and it has taken a bit more work than I anticipated initially. With all that said, though, it’s always positive to top the times in the pre-season test so we’re delighted.”

This was the first wet-weather running for the Alfa Romeo and so the laps completed early on provided essential data for the team ahead of the opening event of the 2018 season.

As the track dried during the afternoon, lap times duly improved and Austin comfortably ran in the top four. Into the final hour, he moved the number 11 car to the top of the timesheets and while very pleased with the outcome, Austin and the team are remaining steadfastly level-headed.

“Everybody wants to win, it’s no different for us and hasn’t been any different for me in 27 years of racing – we’ll be going to Brands looking to do the absolute best we can”, Austin added, “Realistically we don’t know what everyone else is doing, but we’re just going to concentrate on our job, focus on what we need to do and then see where we are at the first round.

“As I’ve said, we know others have more in the bag but so do we, so we’re in a good place as things stand. What I will say, this Duo Motorsport with HMS Alfa Romeo is the best package I’ve ever started a season with, so we’re definitely feeling confident for the new season.”

Tom Ingram heads into the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with what he feels is a fine-tuned Toyota Avensis, following a positive winter testing programme as Speedworks Motorsport aim big.

Following four days on-track at Portimão in Portugal’s Algarve region, Speedworks returned to the UK for the BTCC’s traditional Season Launch at Donington Park in Leicestershire – the first opportunity for media and fans to grab a glimpse of the striking new livery adorning the number 80 car.

Once the covers had been removed, 24-year-old Ingram took to the circuit alongside his 31 high-calibre rivals in the first and only group test before the serious business gets underway in the opening round of the campaign at Brands Hatch on 7/8 April.

With early rain soon making way for sunnier skies, testing produced enough for ninth in the overall pecking order, but he's quite content to keep his powder dry until the talking stops just over a week from now.

“You can never read too much into the lap times at Season Launch, because different people are running different programmes and varying levels of ballast, so we simply focussed on ourselves and in that respect, it was a very successful and satisfying day,” Ingram said.

“Everything went according to plan, and we put a decent number of laps on the board. Right from the outset, the Avensis felt really strong – and that gives us a lot of confidence heading to Brands Hatch, where the aim will be to come away with a very solid clutch of points. Consistency is what the BTCC is all about, and last year, we proved that is something we have added to our armoury.

“Donington was also the first time we got to take a closer look at the opposition, and there’s no question that the BTCC is going to be as tough as ever this year – if not even tougher. The top guys will remain formidable competitors, and when you throw into the mix a number of new drivers and new cars, it really becomes extremely difficult to call. Ultimately, all we can do is perform to the best of our ability every time we take to the track, with our sights solidly set on lifting the biggest prize of all.”

Indeed, after clinching both Drivers’ and Teams’ honours in the BTCC’s Independents’ Trophy in 2017, Ingram and Speedworks’ goalposts have shifted as the forthcoming campaign races into view, with the most coveted crown in British motorsport the undisputed target for 2018. Team Principal Christian Dick reveals that pre-season preparations have laid the foundations for plenty of quiet optimism.

“The mood inside the camp is very positive,” he said. “We knew we had a very good base from what we were able to achieve last year, so we didn’t make any major changes to the Avensis over the winter – what is it they say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. It was far more about fine-tuning what is already quite evidently a very competitive package – evolution rather than revolution.

“The attention to detail that has gone into the build and presentation by the whole Speedworks crew is phenomenal, and we’re really pleased with the final look of the car. It was fantastic to be able to show it off at last to the watching world at Donington, especially in front of so many of our loyal partners and supporters.

“Just like in Portugal, the pace was very encouraging, and just like in Portugal, we encountered mixed weather. Ideally, you always want to run in the dry during testing, but it did give us the opportunity to work on our wet set-up and it’s fair to say we feel confident in all conditions.

“Considering the programme we were following at Donington and the weight we were carrying inside the Avensis, we were very happy with our performance again. We spent most of the time working on race scenarios, although we were building up towards one final push right at the end when the red flags flew and the session didn’t restart. That robbed us of the opportunity to move up the order, but I have no doubt many other drivers and teams have a similar story to tell.

“Going to Brands Hatch, our focus is firmly on the bigger picture. We are aiming for the outright championship this year, and we are clearly in the best position we have ever been to challenge for that title. We have a quick car in all situations, pedalled by a quick driver behind the wheel. We need to make sure we score strong points throughout and grab podiums and wins when they are there for the taking – that’s the battle plan.”

Aiden Moffat and Guy Johnston of Johnston Rigging in Fife have teamed up in a move which showcases two incredible Scottish family success stories on a first-rate platform – the UK's premier motor racing series, the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Johnston Rigging is a well-respected family run business based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. It operates a fleet of state-of-the-art mobile cranes, ranging from 35 ton to 70 ton load capacity, to suit most lifting and steel erection requirements. Moffat, from Dalkeith, is now a race winner in the BTCC, and his rise-and-rise was enough to convince the Johnstones that a deal could be struck that would suit both parties.

“It is always good to work with people who are successful in any walk of life as you can always learn things from them," said Johnstone. "Johnston Rigging proves that professionalism, customer care and hard work are the basis for any type of success and that's also true for Aiden and the first-class operation at Laser Tools Racing."

“Aiden and his team reflect so many of our core values. We recognise the success that he has had and to be able to support him and be part of that is the dream ticket for us. We look forward to seeing at first hand what he will achieve this season and wish him all the best."

Rob Austin topped the times in today’s (27 March) official Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship pre-season test session at Donington Park, as the all-new Alfa Romeo Giulietta made its competitive debut.
 
WIX Racing with Eurotech's Jack Goff led for much of the running, before Austin hit the front during the final hour in his striking DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing car.
 
A later flurry saw the Motorbase Fords occupy second and fourth as Tom Chilton and series returnee Sam Tordoff both showed good pace, whilst BMW machinery claimed third and fifth with Colin Turkington heading stablemate Andrew Jordan.
 
Power Maxed TAG Racing’s Josh Cook was sixth fastest as he made his bow in the Vauxhall Astra, whilst Goff had to settle for seventh at the finish. Goff also brought about a premature end to the session when he spun into the gravel at Redgate in the final ten minutes.
 
Goff wasn’t the only one to suffer, however, as a number of drivers endured wild moments during the four hours of running. Eurotech team-mate Brett Smith had the most notable incident, with his crash at the bottom of the Craner Curves leading to significant damage to his Honda Civic Type R.
 
The Ciceley-run Mercedes of Adam Morgan was eighth, ahead of Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram, whilst BTC Norlin Racing’s Chris Smiley performed well to claim a 10th spot.
 
Notable absentees from the top ten included the manufacturer-backed Honda squad as Matt Neal and Dan Cammish ran the brand new Halfords Yuasa Racing Honda Civic Type Rs in public for the first time.

Reigning champion Ash Sutton had his maiden run of the year in the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing Levorg and could only manage 20th in the final classification.
 
The competitiveness and calibre of the field was already on show with the top 16 cars separated by less than a second and a huge number laps completed during the day by the full 32-car line-up.

The opening rounds of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at Brands Hatch on 7/8 April.

Rob Austin said: "There are a lot of common components in a touring car but I underestimated how different driving the Alfa Romeo would be. It's a lot of work to try and figure out a new car. Trying to get the balance to match up that of the Toyota because we really had that car really nailed down. We are certainly getting there though and we seem to be getting good lap times. I think we are in the ballpark, but we won’t know exactly where we stand until we get to Brands Hatch qualifying – at the moment it's positive and our tails are in the air! I feel like a broken record as I have been a massive fan of the Alfa Romeo since I was a kid and to finally be getting the opportunity to be representing the brand in the BTCC is a dream."

Tom Chilton said: "We did a lot of qualifying runs today to really test what the car is like, as that's what it's all about on days like this. It is fantastic news right now, but I won’t get too excited until I have got to Brands Hatch. The RS is mega! The chassis is a lot better and the aerodynamics are a lot better, which is obviously one of the main difference between the ST and the RS. Last year was a bit of a tester for me having had a five-year break from the championship so this year I would love to be champion! There are 31 other guys that want to be champion though, and everyone knows this is toughest champion in the world."

Colin Turkington said: "I felt it went very well today. We've definitely improved the car from the start of the session to the end. Donington Park for the BMW has never been our strongest circuit. We bring the car here and you always have to work a little bit harder to get it in the sweet spot. This is our only chance to explore some other avenues and maybe take some risks in terms of setup. Once the racing starts, you don't have time to push the car too far away from a good base setting. Where we are pace wise, I'm confident, though you can't read anything into today. Everybody else is in the same position, though."

2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Season Launch – Donington Park

1 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing 1m10.074s
2 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +0.164s
3 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.280s
4 Sam TORDOFF (GBR) Team GardX Racing with Motorbase +0.341s
5 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.384s
6 Josh COOK (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.397s
7 Jack GOFF (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +0.450s
8 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport +0.461s
9 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.494s
10 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.568s
11 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.712s
12 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed TAG Racing +0.741s
13 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.892s
14 Dan CAMMISH (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.907s
15 Bobby THOMPSON (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +0.917s
16 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.933s
17 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +1.028s
18 Jake HILL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +1.063s
19 James COLE (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher +1.137s
20 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.150s
21 Mike BUSHELL (GBR) Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing +1.191s
22 Brett SMITH (GBR) WIX Racing with Eurotech +1.239s
23 Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +1.247s
24 Tom BOARDMAN (GBR) AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.469s
25 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.495s
26 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker Racing +1.555s
27 Michael CAINE (GBR) Team HARD with Trade Price Cars +1.671s
28 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.691s
29 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.725s
30 Josh PRICE (GBR) Autoglym Academy Racing +1.971s
31 Sam SMELT (GBR) AmD with Cobra Exhausts +2.047s
32 James NASH (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +11.053s

Please click here for the full 2018 entry list.