Qualifying: Dave Newsham takes pole for the opening race of 2012.

Team ES Racing’s Dave Newsham has taken his first ever pole position in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. Newsham’s ex-Triple 8 Racing Vauxhall Vectra, previously owned in 2011 by Triple 8 Racing, topped the time sheets with an astonishing time of 48.4 seconds.
     Early on in the session, it was eBay Motors’ Nick Foster leading the field, ahead of team mate Tom Onslow-Cole and Rob Austin’s NGTC Audi A4. Whilst AmD Miltek driver Ollie Jackson had an off at Paddock Hill Bend, Redstone Racing’s Mat Jackson, set the second quickest time of the session.
     eBay Motors had been looking strong since the beginning of the day, with Rob Collard finishing in first position after this morning’s first practice session. Tom Onslow-Cole led the qualifying session briefly, before being piped to the post by Dave Newsham in the Vectra. ES Racing team boss Chris James was lying in 7^th position behind the BINZ Racing Vectra of Lea Wood.
     Matt Neal put in a quick time to go fourth ahead of Rob Austin in the line-up, while another off for Ollie Jackson’s Golf at Graham Hill Bend put him on the back foot.
     With just under twenty minutes of the session remaining, Jason Plato took his distinctly coloured MG on to the track, whilst free practice two leader Andrew Jordan drove a fantastic 48.7 second lap, which put the Pirtek Racing driver in second place.
     The first fastest times to be removed during the session, due to running all four wheels off the kerbs of the track, belonged to Dave Newsham and Team HARD driver Tony Gilham, who’d had two disappointing practice sessions earlier on in the day.
     While the spectators were left wandering when Honda Racing’s Gordon Shedden was going to make an appearance on track, after issues left the Scot trailing this  morning, Andrew Jordan livened things up a bit with a spin, after taking too much kerb going into Clearways.
     Dynojet racer Frank Wrathall was lying in 7^th place in his Toyota half way through the session, while the two other Toyota Avensis’ of Speedworks Motorsport drivers Adam Morgan and Tony Hughes were running 11^th and 19^th.
     There’d been some extremely hard work by the Triple 8 Racing team to get both MG’s out on to the track for the first qualifying session of the year – with Andy Neate’s car only being ready in the waking hours of this morning. With just over 12 minutes of the session remaining, Jason Plato had yet to set a lap time, whilst Neate lay near the bottom of the field in 18^th.
     All three eBay BMW’s were in the top ten with just over ten minutes left to run, with Onslow-Cole in 4^th, Collard in 6^th and Nick Foster in 8^th. Meanwhile, Jason Plato had set a lap time, but it was removed by officials due to running four wheels off the track. ES Racing’s Dave Newsham was still leading the pack, with Collard now in second having put in a quick lap and Pirtek’s Andrew Jordan in third. Jason Plato was now in fifth position behind Matt Neal’s NGTC Honda Civic.
     Meanwhile, Redstone Racing were having a somewhat quiet qualifying session, with Mat Jackson rounding out the top ten, new recruit Aron Smith in eleventh and Liam Griffin sixteenth.
     With only five minutes of the session remaining, Gordon Shedden was still only in 21^st position, just ahead of Dan Welch’s Proton, while the latest driver to be stripped of a qualifying time was Tony Hughes.
     Having led the majority of the session, Dave Newsham was in the pits and out of the car with only a few minutes remaining in the session. The Honda Civic’s were leapfrogging each other in the time sheets, with Gordon Shedden – whose previous quick lap had just been removed - putting in a great lap to go into fourth, before having to settle for fifth behind team mate Neal. However, stewards disallowed his quickest time for the second time in concession, dropping him back down to eleventh. Matt Neal flies up the pecking order into second place with just enough time to spare.
    Andrew Jordan, who was running in fourth, crossed the line in just enough time before the chequered flag fell, so was going for a last minute flying lap to try and gain another spot on tomorrow’s grid. However, Chris James seemed unaware of the Civic’s presence on the track, and ended Jordan’s charge to the flag.
     Dave Newsham will be joined on the first row of the gird by Honda Racing’s Matt Neal, whilst Rob Collard and Andrew Jordan would share the second row. eBay Motors’ Tom Onslow-Cole finished the day in fifth while Jason Plato came across the line in a strong sixth position, with team mate Neate down in 19^th. Rob Austin, driving the Audi A4 this weekend as opposed to Mark Hazell, finished in seventh place ahead of Frank Wrathall in eighth. Gordon Shedden finally put in a quicker time, putting him in ninth, with the final eBay motors BMW rounding out the top ten.
     A disappointing day for John Thorne, saw him crash heavily in his Vauxhall Insignia during the first free practice session of the day, leaving him unable to run for the remainder of the day. The team are working flat out to get car out for the first race of the year. Problems also for Dan Welch saw him at the bottom of the time sheets after the half an hour qualifying session. He’ll be looking to make up places through the field during the three races tomorrow.

Final Results:
1) Dave Newsham – 48.483
2) Matt Neal
3) Rob Collard
4) Andrew Jordan
5) Tom Onslow-Cole
6) Jason Plato
7) Rob Austin
8) Frank Wrathall
9) Gordon Shedden
10) Nick Foster
11) Mat Jackson
12) Jeff Smith
13) Adam Morgan
14) Aron Smith
15) Lea Wood
16) Ollie Jackson
17) Liam Griffin
18) Chris James
19) Andy Neate
20) Tony Gilham
21) Tony Hughes
22) Dan Welch

Interview: Oliver Collins

With a brand new name for 2012, Redstone Racing are looking forward to the year ahead. Returning to the championship with drivers Mat Jackson and Liam Griffin, not forgetting Redstone's newest recruit, Aron Smith - the team should be in a good position to fight for the championship. Team manager Oliver Collins has been talking about what's to come this year...

With less than two weeks until the 2012 BTCC season roars into action at Brands Hatch, are you feeling positive about the year ahead?

Quietly optimistic I think is the answer to that question. We had a good year last year but with a nightmare few races, we lost the chance of really fighting for the Championship come the final round. Bearing in mind this was our first season with the cars ourselves it wasn't too bad. We've learnt a lot since this time last year, both throughout the 2011 season and pre-season this year. Having said that, none of the other teams have been sat around doing nothing! Team Dynamics and Eurotech have made an early jump to the NGTC regs and have been testing for over a month now, so have ironed out a lot of new car issues. WSR have turbo charged their BMW so that will be quick now as well as looking after it's tyres. Triple 8 with get up and running in no time at all I'm sure and the other NGTC cars like Wrathall and Austin have had a year now to understand their cars so will have moved on too. I think it will be a great season for the spectator!

What will you and the team be aiming for over the duration of the season?

Simple, we aim to win the outright Championship. But, like I said there will be tough competition for everyone. Our best chance will be to get a good start in the first few rounds and hope that teams with new cars will still be getting to grips with them, but the way the parity system should work it should be close all year and balance itself out. As usual you would expect some weekends to favour one type of car and others, to favours others.

Did you always want to be involved in Motorsport - in particular the BTCC?

I always wanted to be in Motorsport, but if I'm honest I was never really into the BTCC (don't tell Alan Gow!). My Dad used to take me racing as a kid and was involved with it himself with Historics and helped my Uncle who actually drove and won in the BTCC (Phil Dowsett, who is my Mum's twin brother!). So I always wanted to be part of it. I did a school work experience at the Works FORD rally team when they were based in Essex and caught the bug. I then went to DPR for a college work placement in 1996 and got a full time job with the team for the next two seasons. We ran the McLaren F1's in the then BPR GT Championship, we had fantastic cars, got to travel to some great places like Japan, America and Le Mans, so as a young lad that was just brilliant. Then I was offered a job as WSR at the right time in 1998 so gave it ago. I was pleasantly surprised and have stayed in the Championship ever since! Though it's nice to travel, when you have a family it's really nice to be able to go home on a Sunday night!

Where do you see yourself and the team, motorsport wise in the next five years?

Still at Motorbase and doing what ever the team is doing then, hopefully. Hopefully still in the BTCC, hopefully with a manufacturer and hopefully with a few titles under our belts too! We've just embarked on a GT program which looks interesting so we'll see where that takes us. I would love to do LeMans again.

What is your favourite part of a race weekend?

I know it sounds negative but it's not, probably the end. Regardless of the result, you get a result. There's usually something positive and negative to take away from every race weekend. Going away with a positive has some pay back for the hard work that everyone has put in, as well as a negative which you can have some input in improving is what I enjoy. Monday's reflections are always interesting, that's probably the best time to be in the workshop!

And finally, could you describe a day in the life of a BTCC team manager?

A day in the life, interesting! Part of the job which is enjoyable, is that no two days are ever the same. During the winter it's a variety of sponsorship work, proposals and working out budgets to see what you can afford to do the following year and balancing all the options. Then testing and development prior to the season, and then the easiest bit is once the season gets under way. The race weekend for me is just making sure everyone is in the right place at the right time and that they are as informed as they can be about what's happening. This ranges from having a briefing with the drivers and engineers about what the cars are doing, and how we're going to improve them, followed by that being translated to and from the right areas with the data guys, mechanics and tyre technicians. Then working with everyone to make sure the work can be done in the time frame and everyone has what they need to achieve it. I'm kind of the go between for everyone. Whether it's a driver with a car problem, a mechanic who's forgotten their pass, down to what time breakfast is in the morning! It's 8am every race day morning, by the way! We always start the day with an 8am breakfast and briefing which is always light hearted as it's always hosted by the rather flamboyant David Bartrum!

You can follow the progress of Redstone Racing throughout the year on their Redstone Racing Twitter page. 

Interview: Alastair Rushforth

Alastair Rushforth will this year be competing in the MGCC MG Trophy for the up and coming 2012 season. Despite not managing to raise the budget required to race in the Renault Clio Cup or BTCC, Alastair is feeling positive about the year ahead...

Your 2012 racing season starts in a few weeks - are you looking forward to the year ahead?Very much so. I was disappointed that we couldn't raise the budget for either the BTCC or Clio Cup, I'm still working on that for a round or two this year whilst planning for 2013 already. But like I've said before, "I'd rather race something than not race at all". So I'll get the MG out and go and enjoy myself.

What are you aiming to achieve come the end of the season?Due to waiting on some parts, I may have to sit out round one. That said, the championship allows dropped score so I don't see why we won't be up there fighting for the overall championship. More than anything I want to score strong results and repay the faith shown in me by family, friends and my twitter followers with a view to building on our success for next season.

You've been in motor racing for many years now, what would you say had been your biggest achievement during your career?
I was series winning in CSCC twice. Runner up in Class C of the MG Trophy (despite missing four races) and was close to the overall championship until the engine blew up. I still hold lap records from my time racing Minis which is nice too.

Who would you say has been the most influential figure throughout your career in the sport?
My dad. Far too often you hear stories about pushy parents in motor racing but he has never been anything but supportive. My dad gave up his own rallying career to help me in karts and into cars. I really can't thank him enough. 

One of your biggest goals is to race in the British Touring Car Championship. What is is about this series that makes you want to be involved in it?
It's the pinnacle of UK saloon car racing and possibly the best touring car championship in the world. No other series gives value for money and access for spectators like the BTCC. More than just a racing driver with ambitions of racing there, I'm a fan of the BTCC and have been since the days of Andy Rouse and the RS500 Sierra's.


It just leaves me to say good luck to Alastair for the year ahead.

You can follow Alastair on Twitter here to keep up to date with all the latest on his development during the season.

If you want to donate any amount to help Alastair be on the grid in the Clip Cup or BTCC series, you can do so here.

To find out more about Alastair and his motor sport career visit www.alastairrushforth.co.uk or www.alastairrushforthmotorsport.co.uk.

Alastair Rushforth at Brands Hatch in 2010.

The Boys Are Back...

The start of the 2012 British Touring Car season roared into action yesterday (19th March) at the annual Media Day event held at Silverstone Circuit.
     With less than two weeks to go until the racing begins at Brands Hatch, drivers and teams took their first official steps into the limelight - starting with an official press conference before testing began at 13:00 around Silverstone's National Circuit.
     The public flocked in at 12:30, all eager to see their favourite teams and drivers on track after a very long winter break.
     One of the changes that was announced was from Motorbase, who are re-branding from Airwaves to Redstone Racing ahead of the season. Fans shouldn't be worried however - the "red devils" still have their distinctive red livery! The team had a good testing session, with drivers Aron Smith and Liam Griffin finishing the day 8th and 10th respectively on the time sheets. Griffin did cause a short red flag delay, after a spin at Copse Corner left him in the gravel trap. Mat Jackson suffered from steering issues in his Ford Focus, forcing him to only complete a handful of laps throughout the day.

Liam Griffin testing yesterday at Silverstone.

   

Mark Hazell, known from the Porsche Carrera Cup and Renault Clios, was also announced as a driver for Rob Austin Racing. The second driver is yet to be confirmed  by the team. The team's Audi A4 was out on track yesterday, with driving responsibilities shared between team boss Austin and 2011 driver Chris Swanick.

     The big talking point of the day came from Triple 8 Racing, who unveiled their 2012 challenger. The team worked tremendously hard to get the car ready for Media Day, however it did not compete in the afternoon test session. Two time BTCC champion Jason Plato said during the press conference, "We're going to be close and up there come the first round of the season."
     After crashing the Vectra at Brands Hatch last Thursday, Team ES Racing also worked hard to get team owner Chris James' car out for the testing session. Their hard work surely paid off, as Dave Newsham - James' team mate for the season - came out on top of the timing sheets at the end of the day, with an astonishing 58.965 second lap time. Chris James said of the team, "We've got to be aiming for podiums and a top six in the championship."

The yellow ES Racing Vectra of Dave Newsham overtaking Lea Woods'
BINZ Racing Vectra at Copse Corner.

The 2011 champions Honda Racing have pulled out all the stops over the winter to produce and build a brand spanking new Honda Civic, built to the new NGTC regulations. Dressed in it's trademark colours of red and white, Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden completed a total of 86 laps between them - putting them in second and third on the time sheets come the end of the day. Neal said about the year ahead, "Reliability will be key to the championship this year." Having come so close to winning the overall championship last year, the Scot said, "I hope that 2012 is the year for me." Shedden was another driver to cause a brief red flag during the session, as a sensor issue forced him to stop the car on the Wellington Straight.

The 2011 Champion Matt Neal putting the NGTC Civic
through it's paces.

Pirtek Racing are looking strong ahead of the start of the season at Brands Hatch. With a Team Dynamics built Honda Civic built to NGTC regulations, Andrew Jordan is in a good position to fight for the overall championship. During the morning press conference, Jordan said "My eyes are on the championship and I want to be the youngest ever champion." Jeff Smith will also remain at Pirtek Racing for another year, also running in a NGTC Civic, with a slightly different livery to his team mate.

Andrew Jordan at Silverstone yesterday

eBay Motors are back on the grid for another consecutive year, with three BMWs. Although the livery remains similar to that of last years, the major changes have been under the hood. Now running with turbo engines, the drivers of Rob Collard, Nick Foster and Tom Onslow-Cole feel that the team will be able to positively progress through the season. Collard said, "It's nice to be able to compete competitively with the other cars and drivers." Tom Onslow-Cole, who was sharing the car yesterday with team mate Nick Foster, said "It's great to be back. We've got a lot of speed in the team." 

The eBay Motors BMW driven by Rob Collard on a lap of
Silverstone's National Circuit.

Tony Gilham will start his second year in the championship racing within his own team - branded RCIB Insurance and HARD. Gilham, who will again sport the trademark pink and green colours on his Honda Civic - previously raced by Honda's Gordon Shedden - will be hoping to make an impression on the track. The Media Day test session at Silverstone would be the Civic's first full test. Gilham found himself 15th on the time sheets having only completing 12 laps due to cooling problems.
     AmD Tuning were also out on track yesterday, with Ollie Jackson at the wheel of the VW Golf for the first official test session of the year. Finishing the day 12th on the time sheets with a 59.949 lap time during his 55 laps of the day, puts the team in a good position for the year ahead.
     John Thorne also took the track in his Vauxhall Insignia, although no times were set as the car did not have a transponder on the car. This was also the case for the Speedworks Motorsport team. Ginetta G55 champion Adam Morgan did make it out on track, but no times were recorded.
     One of the teams and drivers who didn't take part in the session was Frank Wrathall and Dynojet. They unveiled what the car would look like for 2012, but not testing was done in the Toyota Avensis. In the press conference, Wrathall said, "It's always been a long term project and we've got a package that is more than capable of getting results.
    Dan Welch in the Proton attended the Media Day, announcing a new sponser in Sopp&Sopp. No testing was done by the car, however the car and livery was revealed to the waiting photographers.

The testing session drew to a close at 17:00. The fastest times of the day by drivers are shown below:

1. Dave Newsham (ES Racing)  - 58.965
2. Gordon Shedden (Honda Yuasa) - 59.359
3. Matt Neal (Honda Yuasa) - 59.373
4. Rob Collard (eBay Motors) - 59.438
5. Andrew Jordan (Pirtek Racing) - 59.438
6. Rob Austin (Rob Austin Racing) - 59.495
7. Tom Onslow-Cole (eBay Motors) - 59.569
8. Aron Smith (Redstone Racing) - 59.646
9. Chris James (ES Racing) - 59.693
10. Liam Griffin (Redstone Racing) - 59.857
11. Jeff Smith (Pirtek Racing) - 59.874
12. Ollie Jackson (AmD Tuning) - 59.949
13. Lea Wood (BINZ Racing) - 1.00.318
14. Tony Gilham (RCIB Insurance & HARD) - 1.03.573
15. Mat Jackson (Redstone Racing) - 1.08.697

So with the sun setting on Silverstone Circuit, Media Day was complete.

The sun setting over Luffield and the
2012 BTCC Media Day.

The first round of the season starts on the 1st April at Brands Hatch. An exciting year's racing is ahead of us. But who will you be watching when the lights go out?

James Nash: Interview

James Nash, the 2011 BTCC Independents Championship and one of the four Brits entering this year's World Touring Car Championship, took some time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions...

First things first, congratulations on your graduation to the World Touring Car Championship with Team Aon! Has it always been an ambition of your to race in this series?
Always wanted to get into WTCC since I was on the support package in the Seat EuroCup. I still have many more championships I want to compete in...


You started your Tin Top career back in 2009, what has been your biggest highlight over these past three years?
Being part of Chevrolet's first 1,2,3 in the BTCC and winning the Independent Championship last year.


Having worked alongside some of the most successful touring car drivers, most notably two time champions Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi, what would you say you have learnt to help develop your own race craft over the past few years?
Like most drivers, they are only helpful to a level. You have to carve your own way in this sport.


Are you looking forward to working with Tom Chilton during the up-coming season?
Looking forward to working with Arena Motorsport, they know how to win races and championships and don't hold back on anything. My crew are excellent and looking forward to spending the year with them. I'm not underestimating how hard it will be!


With just over a week left before the start of the WTCC season, which kicks off in Monza on the 10/11th March, what are you hoping to achieve in your debut year?
Would love to make it into the top ten and pick up my first World Championship points.


And finally; where do you see yourself motorsport wise in five years time?Next goal after WTCC is Le Mans and GT/Prototypes (awesome cars). 


Which leaves me to say a big good look to both James and Tom, and the whole of Team Aon for the 2012 season and the future!

A big thank you to James for answering these questions!