Honda has announced it is to race the new Civic Type R in the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.  Scheduled to be officially unveiled at the BTCC media day at Donington on Tuesday 24 March, the new car has been designed and built from the ground up in the Team Dynamics workshops in Pershore, Worcestershire.

Working in close conjunction with Honda UK manufacturing in Swindon, Honda Yuasa Racing started designing the car last September with the build starting in November.

Based on the production version of the new Civic Type R which is due to hit showrooms in July, the race version will develop 350bhp with 400Nm of torque.  By building on the existing road car, which was sourced direct from the Honda UK factory in Swindon, the team has produced a car which has increased down force compared to last year’s Tourer, less drag and a more effective air flow management.

The team has high hopes for 2015 as Barry Plowman, Technical Director at Honda Yuasa Racing, explains: “We cannot wait for the new season to start.  Our car for 2015 is going to win races.  The shape of the new road going Civic Type R has allowed the team to build on the design and take it forward to be a championship winning car.

“2015 is widely being billed as the year Honda is back and we are continuing that in to BTCC. We’ve worked hard over the winter to ensure we have a winning car for 2015.”

The announcement comes as the team recently confirmed an unchanged driver line-up of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal for the sixth consecutive season.

“This is a car that not just us, but the entire automotive industry has been waiting for,” added Matt Neal. “We are as excited as anybody to start running the Civic Type R, which is a massive step forward from last year’s Tourer – from the engine to the handling and aerodynamics.”

“The Civic Type R is an iconic car,” commented 2012 BTCC Champion Shedden.  “We are champing at the bit to get this distinctive, aggressive looking car out on the track. It’s going to stand out and cause a real stir on the track. Especially when we clean up in the championship!”

Kent-based squad Motorbase Performance will miss the first half of the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season, with Team Principal David Bartrum confirming his squad’s withdrawal from the grid in the best interest of his team and its partners.

“It is with regret that I have to announce that Motorbase will not be competing in the BTCC for the first half of this season;” said team boss Bartrum. “I and the rest of the team are obviously very disappointed.”

During the closed season, the team has worked alongside technical partners mountune™, Pro Alloy, Samcosport, Milltek and Specialty Fasteners in developing the new EcoBoost engine in preparation for its 2015 title assault.

“The EcoBoost engine has shown great promise during testing and we have a great driver line up in place with Mat Jackson back for his sixth season with us joined by James Cole, who is a really good addition to the team. We genuinely believe that we have a strong package that could challenge for the title this season; but this is not a championship that can be committed to half-hearted and unfortunately our hand has been forced. We have been in lengthy talks with two potential title sponsors since November and all seemed like it was going to plan, however things have conspired against us in recent weeks and due to a change in circumstance with those parties we find ourselves in the position we’re in.

“This does not mean the end for Motorbase in the BTCC;” continued Bartrum. “Both Mat and James are still on board and we remain committed to the BTCC. We will continue our search for new partners and our aim is to be back on the grid at Snetterton. We will of course work with Alan Gow and TOCA to find the best way forward to be back competing for the second half of the season with a two car team. Obviously that will include finding a way to address the TBL (BTCC licensing) issues that our short-term withdrawal raises. But hopefully we can find a way through this, with Alan.

“I’m pleased to announce that Team Parker racing will take over the operation of Alex Martin in the Dextra Racing effort, which will be supported by Motorbase Performance. Our decision to withdraw from the start of this season has had no bearing on this situation. Stuart [Parker] has been involved with the Alex Martin entry since Alex joined us last year. Team Parker Racing has had strong links with us for many years and we’re delighted to be working with Stuart and his team whilst continuing to support AMD in their efforts in the BTCC this year.

“At the end of the day we’re a business as well as a racing team and this is a purely commercial decision. In the meantime, we’ll press on and strive to be back on the grid for the second half of the season. I would like to thank all of those involved in our BTCC program over the last nine years, especially Dunlop and TOCA and those who are standing by us to help us come back stronger later in the year.”

If the last few weeks have proved anything, it is that most drivers in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship believe that they will be champion.

You hear the same message from most of them: yes, we will be competitive; yes, we believe we have a great package; yes, we think we will be able to win at Brands; yes, I am confident for the season ahead.

But with the entry as it stands – and a few announcements still to be made as I type this – there will surely be a lot of disappointed people. Yet again, you see, we are in for a super-competitive season. And with a record-breaking 11 different winners last season, that is saying something. So... who is going to be champion?

Well, that is a very tough question to answer. Not only do we have the shuffling of drivers to different teams, plus the return of Andy Priaulx, but you also have to factor in the difference that the new ballast rules will have and the race two grid format as well.

Let’s start with the ballast: there is more of it in two senses: first, it covers the top 10 and second it is in greater supply: 75-66-57-48-39-33-27-21-15-9 now and there will be some venues where lugging around all that lead is going to be a major handicap. Then, the race two grid. It is now to be decided upon a driver’s fastest lap in the opening race, but you HAVE to finish. If you haven’t done 90% of the distance and you don’t take the chequered flag on the track, then you are at the back of the grid irrespective of how good your lap time is. Here are two areas straight away that will have an impact and it could be that the really shrewd drivers will play a points game on occasions: take the points and the extra weight or fewer points and less weight for the next race. It will be interesting to see how the brains’ trust on the pit wall applies itself to this.

So, with the weight and full grids to bear in mind as drivers hunt for clear track space, there are some fascinating driver/team combinations as well to address.

Andrew Jordan and Jack Goff at Triple Eight. Jordan is a championship contender no question, and Goff has his best chance yet of a win but in a sense there is more pressure now. He HAS to win this year. There can be no excuses as he has the tools for the job.

Andy Priaulx, Rob Collard and Sam Tordoff at WSR. Now, Collard has proved he can win but has been overshadowed by Colin Turkington over the last couple of seasons and needs to assert himself again. Tordoff has proved he can win races but is new to the BMW despite the team saying that he has impressed in testing to date. It will be interesting to see how he fares, free of Jason Plato’s shadow at Triple Eight as was the case last year but he won’t find it easy and nor will Priaulx despite his impressive CV as he has to adapt to the quirks of NGTC-spec cars and to the rough and tumble of BTCC. To be a major threat for the title, AP has to be on it at Brands without any hesitation.

Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden at Honda Yuasa Racing. The quietest team in the off-season, with its only news being that there was no news: the drivers would carry on for another season. The Tourer is expected to be gone and a hatchback Civic to return, albeit we know not what badge it will carry, but this could be the strongest combination on the grid. Continuity will be important and the team has that and in Shedden it has one of the gutsiest drivers on the grid. Neal struggled at times last year and if he can’t run at the very front in every race, expect Matt to be a championship factor by dint of scoring points but not larding himself up with too much weight all the time. The new ballast rules could be good for him.

Colin Turkington, Jason Plato, Aron Smith and Warren Scott at Team BMR. For many, this team’s announcement of Turks and Plato was the 'OMG' moment of the off-season. On one level, it should be the BTCC super-team: quick car, proven drivers, decent budget. On another it could be a real hornet’s nest: Turkington and Plato want to prove who is best; Plato wants to show that the BMW last year had an advantage; Turkington hasn’t raced a front-wheel drive car since his WTCC one-off in an RML Chevrolet in 2012; Turkington and Plato are new to the team (although ex-Triple Eight personnel helps Plato a little); Smith and Plato have history from Knockhill 2012; there is a Northern and Southern Irishman in the same team… on it goes!

And that is just the leading teams. Yes, I know I have ignored many but remember that in a championship this competitive you have to be scoring well in every race – the track-dependent heroics aren’t enough any more: you have to have a car that works well everywhere.

I know that we all talk up a season ahead, but this is a superb one with so much unpredictability to spice it up. Last year we had seven former champions to get excited about, two of whom never really threatened for honours, and in truth were never likely to. This year, we have the best of the BTCC’s recent history and a season to savour. A champion? Ask me in October…

Aiden Moffat is already famous for being the youngest driver in the history of the British Touring Car Championship, but in 2015 the Scottish teenager is hoping his results will make the headlines.

His Laser Tools Racing squad formed a partnership with Ciceley Motorsport midway through his full debut campaign in 2014, which saw the latter outfit preparing his car. Moffat was also able to share data with the WIX-backed Mercedes of Adam Morgan, but the teenager believes the benefits in that arrangement will only begin to take shape this season.

“The problem really is that sharing data between Adam’s Mercedes and our Chevrolet wasn’t always relevant,” said Moffat. “We had some engine problems and our set-up within the team needed improving too so the first half of the year was almost a write-off. Towards the end of the year we started to haul ourselves towards the midfield battle so all-in-all it was a successful first campaign.”

The team made no hesitation in changing machinery at the end of the season and the speediness of that decision helped ensure that Moffat’s brand new Mercedes A Class was ready to hit the track for its pre-season testing programme.

“We’ve already had two days at Snetterton, which were wet unfortunately, but we really got a feel for the car at Donington last week,” he continues. “The car feels amazing. It’s little differences in every aspect, which equates to a huge improvement overall compared to the Chevrolet. We found instant improvements and I’ve been able to push on straight away.

“I’ll be aiming for the top ten sooner rather than later. The BTCC is really tough though – there will be more great cars on the grid this season and some great drivers of course. You’ve got to have the right tools and we believe that we do. The regulations should split things up a bit and it’d be great to get at least one top five this season. You have to be realistic but if you don’t push yourself then you’ll never achieve anything.”

Not only does Moffat believe his added experience is helping him prepare for the season ahead, but critically says it’s the readiness of both the team and car that’s the biggest gain.

“Last year the Season Launch was basically our shakedown of the car, but this year we’ve already hit the ground running,” he concluded. “We have further test dates planned at Brands Hatch before the official test at Donington.

“People say they’re not interested in the opposition but I’ve always been a fan of the BTCC so I’ll always take an interest in what everyone else is doing. We’ll be focusing on our own job at Donington of course but you always like to know where you are in the pecking order.

“I just can’t wait to get the season started. I had only ever seen the BTCC on TV before making my debut in 2013. The whole thing completely blew me away to be honest – the crowds are just breathtaking. I kept looking behind me when people were asking for an autograph, as I just couldn’t believe people actually wanted my signature!

“Even when some days don’t go how you’d like them to you have to remain positive and remember how lucky you are to be involved – it’s just an unbelievable championship and it should be another great season ahead.”

Watch Aiden make his first save behind the wheel of his new Mercedes: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1076201139063830&pnref=story

Houseman Racing has signed ex-Motocross ace Stewart Lines to pilot its Toyota Avensis in the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Lines also has an impressive race pedigree on four wheels having competed since 2007 in The Mini Challenge, Clio Cup and more recently in the Volkswagen Cup and VAG Trophy.

Earlier years were spent on two and three wheels with regular success in the UK and across Europe in Motocross and Sidecar Championships.

The team also welcomes a new sponsor in Maximum Group.NET, who the team say have been pivotal in helping to secure Stewart’s drive for this forthcoming season.

Stewart says: "I’m thrilled to sign for Houseman Racing and to be part of the BTCC. I know I’ve got a steep learning curve to get used to the unfamiliar NGTC machinery, but I’m confident that with some good solid track time, I will soon adapt to the new car and prepare to race in this illustrious championship."

Lea wood (2013 BTCC Jack Sears Champion), will work closely with Stewart to get him up to speed as quickly as possible and mentor him in the new territory that is the BTCC.

Wood says: "Stewart is a very competent racing driver and is experienced in one make saloon car championships. This will help tremendously in his adaptation to the Avensis. We are very excited to be working together in 2015."

Rob Houseman, Houseman Racing’s Team Principal adds, "We are thrilled to sign Stewart for our 2015 BTCC campaign. Stewart has a great history in competitive motorsport and is focussed on working hard with the team to get up to speed and be competitive quickly. We’ll aid his development as a driver and aim to get him working in a structured, methodical way that is important in delivering a consistent result within the BTCC.

"We are also excited to welcome on board  Maximum Group.NET as a commercial partner for this year. The communications company based in the Midlands supply voice and data solutions for businesses of all sizes and will carry their branding on our race car this season."

The team will launch its new livery at the BTCC Season Launch, which is being held at Donington Park on the 24^th of this month.

Stewart will contest the 2015 BTCC 

Honda Racing will enter the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) with consistency firmly on its side, after confirming an unchanged driver line-up of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal.

Renowned for its innovative and creative approach, Honda boasts an impressive track record in the BTCC – the UK’s premier motor sport series – with no fewer than 22 titles to its credit.  Over the 20 years that Honda has been involved in the fiercely competitive series, the constructor has claimed four outright drivers’ crowns and six overall team championships.

With the forthcoming season speeding rapidly into sight, both drivers are champing at the bit to take to the track and show the opposition just what they are capable of – and are confident of celebrating the manufacturer’s 20th birthday in the championship in fine style.

“We’ve shown over the past few seasons that we’re never afraid to push back the boundaries and come up with something different and new that really engages the fans,” underlined 2012 BTCC Champion Shedden, who finished third in the drivers’ standings last year with three victories to his name. “The Civic Tourer was fantastic for us and created history in many ways, and I’m sure what we have planned for this year will generate a bigger buzz still!

“We approach every new season with optimism, and the goal remains the same – to try to win the championship. The priority as ever will be the manufacturers’ championship for Honda, followed by the teams’ title for Team Dynamics – and of course, both Matt and I are keen to get to the last round and still be in with a shout of lifting the drivers’ crown.”

Neal endured a more challenging 2014 campaign, finding himself plagued by ill-fortune and all too often on the receiving end of rivals’ mistakes, but as a three-time title-winner, he knows exactly what it takes to win in the cut-and-thrust of the world’s toughest touring car championship.

“The anticipation surrounding Honda’s new car for 2015 is immense and we can’t wait to show it off,” he enthused. “I’m confident it will be a step forward in every area and a very potent weapon.

“We had a difficult season at times in 2014, but that only gives us renewed motivation to climb back to the top. We still have massive self-belief in our ability to build and run a front-running touring car, and we are ready to put up one hell of a fight!”

“We are delighted to re-confirm ‘Flash’ and Matt for a sixth season at Honda Racing,” added Honda UK Managing Director Philip Crossman. “They have demonstrated time and again that not only are they ultra-committed racers and proven winners – champions, indeed – but also that they are consummate team players.

“Their strong working relationship will be pivotal over the coming months as we seek to reclaim the manufacturers’, teams’ and drivers’ crowns for Honda – and we can’t wait to show off the new car in which they will take to the track in 2015.”

Honda’s 2015 BTCC challenger will be officially unveiled at the championship’s Season Launch at Donington Park on 24 March. The opening three rounds of the season will take place at Brands Hatch in Kent over Easter Weekend (4/5 April).

Despite a number of changes at the championship winning Eurotech squad over the winter, those within the outfit believe it is more than ready to hit the ground running when the series gets underway at Brands Hatch next month.

Jeff Smith was a regular top ten points scorer in his previous three seasons with Eurotech and took two podiums during that spell. Initially planning to return just as a driver for 2014, his ongoing discussions with team boss Mike Jordan quickly turned to negotiations over team ownership.

With Jordan Snr deciding to cut back his overall responsibilities within the team – although he’ll still be involved in the operation – it will now be Smith who’ll oversee the day-to-day running of the team.

“I’m really delighted to be honest,” said Smith. “It has been a bit of a whirlwind few months but we believe we now have everything in place to be competitive.”

Smith has moved quickly to employ former WSR Team Manager, Marvin Humphries, and has solid continuity in the ranks having also signed driver Martin Depper to stay with the squad for a second successive season.

“It’s great to have Martin back on board and we’ll look to work together in improving the car,” continued Smith. “I’ve had a run at Thruxton and now a couple of days at Donington ­– we still need to find a second or so but I think that’s more about me rather than the car!

“We’re setting the car up differently to how it was back in 2014 but I need to get my backside in gear – I’m sure it’ll come. I’d like to be top six but looking at where the grid has closed up then maybe the top ten is more realistic.

“We saw when Menu and Giovanardi came back last year that they struggled a bit – you’d hardly say they were regularly at the sharp end – and that just shows how competitive it is.”

Depper, who scored a best result of 12th in 2014, is also upbeat ahead of his second campaign with the team.

“There has been a lot of changes in the team but we’re all delighted to see Andrew [Jordan] get a works’ deal with MG,” he said. “Jeff’s a great bloke – it’s fantastic that he’s come in and we’ve been able to hit the ground running.

“I’m very grateful that he wanted to keep me on board and I’m relishing the opportunity of my second season. The BTCC is really tough but I’m looking to build on my own development and I’m hoping to score a top ten. I didn’t quite get there last year, although we came close, but with the experience we have now I think it’s possible.

“I asked Mike Jordan on the Sunday evening of Thruxton last year if we could do the weekend all over again because I was finally taking Church flat in race three, which I hadn’t been doing during qualifying. That’s what it’s like in your first season sometimes so it’ll be great to approach each weekend with my eyes wide open.”

The two Eurotech cars were running in plain livery during testing at Donington Park last week (4 March) with Depper's Honda Civic currently boasting the team’s original blue, whilst Smith’s machine is now red. The final livery, along with many others up and down the BTCC grid, will beunveiled at the Season Launch on 24^th March.

Dunlop is highlighting a range of the latest specification tyres designed for the MSA British Touring Car Championship – one of the world’s leading championships for production based racing cars — at the Geneva International Motor show. The latest tyres provide drivers with a choice of compounds, bringing a new element of strategy to the closely fought sprint racing of the BTCC.

A tyre supplier to the BTCC since 2003, Dunlop was asked to introduce an ‘option’ tyre in 2013 to bring more strategic variables to the event, as the introduction of a softer compound tyre would add another dimension to the race.

Today, the BTCC tyre range includes three dry weather tires: the Dunlop Sport Maxx Soft, Dunlop Sport Maxx Medium, and the Dunlop Sport Maxx Hard – the latter specially designed for the ultra-high speed Thruxton circuit. The collection also includes the Dunlop Sport BluResponse racing wet tyre for rainy track conditions. All tyres are designed to perform over a race distance, but they are each designed to achieve excellent performance under specific track temperature and conditions.

“We are proud of the BTCC tyre line and pleased to showcase them at Geneva. The BTCC construction is based on key learnings that we took from Dunlop’s successful GT range. The three dry weather tyres use compounds and technology successfully used in other forms of racing – such as our European Le Mans Series Championship winning LMP2 program,” said James Bailey, Public Relations and Communications Director, Goodyear Dunlop Motorsport EMEA.

The tyres shown at Geneva feature a 2014 upgrade including a more pliable construction which maintains the durability Dunlop is known for while also giving better feedback to the driver, particularly under heavy braking and in corner sequences that call for rapid directional changes. It offers drivers an accurate feel, particularly during turn-in to fast corners.

The MSA British Touring Car Championship attracts teams representing Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as BMW, Honda, Mercedes-AMG, Ford, VW, Audi, MG and Toyota. In 2015, the BTCC ranks will be boosted by the arrival of Infiniti, who have chosen the championship to support the growth of their premium brand in Europe.

“One of the challenges in BTCC is to design and develop a tyre that suits a wide variety of different cars. With the top four drivers in the 2014 championship driving four different models of car it shows our commitment to parity, consistency and equality in this hard-fought series,” added Bailey.

The tyre choice is the latest of many innovations that Dunlop has launched through BTCC. In 2009, Dunlop introduced Radio Frequency Identification tags (RFID) into the race tires to help the officials police the number of tyres used by competitors in the series. This technology is also used in fleet applications by the Goodyear Dunlop group – particularly in truck tyre management.

For more information on Goodyear Dunlop at Geneva International Motor Show, please visit www.goodyear-press.com for press materials or follow us on Twitter @goodyearpress.

Power Maxed Racing has confirmed the signing of Renault Clio Cup UK Vice Champion Josh Cook. Josh will pilot the team’s second Chevrolet Cruze for the 2015 season under the new #RacingforHeroes banner, the dedicated motorsport fundraising partner of the Help for Heroes charity.

The 23-year-old from Bath has had a strong racing career to date with multiple Championships to his name. In 2014 Josh competed in the UK Clio Cup Championship, narrowly missing out on the Championship in the final stages despite an impressive six race wins. Cook took the record for the most podium finishes and most laps led.

Josh Cook stated, “The realisation that I will be lining up on the BTCC grid has not yet sunk in.  I cannot wait to get behind the wheel of the Chevrolet Cruze and battle it out, although I am under no illusions of the challenge that lies ahead.  The recent team changes at Power Maxed Racing, including the appointment of Martin Broadhurst as Team Manager fill me with confidence that this will be a long and successful partnership.”

Adam Weaver, Power Maxed Racing Team Principal, commented, “I’m excited to have Josh on board, he’s excelled throughout his career and it’s great to be helping him realise his dream and his potential of racing in the BTCC.”

Weaver continued, “Josh will add a good dose of youth and enthusiasm to the team and I’m sure both he and Dave will keep each other on their toes and spur each other on.”

Josh has been heavily involved in the launch of the #RacingforHeroes fundraising partnership with Help for Heroes which will be raising money for wounded, injured and sick Servicemen, women and Veterans through Motorsport. Peter Thorpe, #RacingforHeroes Founder adds, “I am delighted that we have been able to bring #RacingforHeroes into the Power Maxed Racing Team. PMR is hugely supportive of our commitment to assisting Help for Heroes in their work to support our wounded heroes, not just today and tomorrow – but for years to come.”

The team has a test schedule planned between now and the first round and will unveil the much-anticipated livery at the BTCC Season Launch on the 24th March.

See Power Maxed Racing's video announcement below: