BTCC news round-up
Jason Plato appealed successfully against a larger than average £1000 fine and a four-point licence endorsement handed down after the run-in with Tom Kristensen that put the Dane's Honda off the track and into retirement in the feature race at Donington. Kristensen still has the right to take things further, but it's not yet clear if he will.
Mark Lemmer is flirting with a licence suspension after adding further points to his licence thanks to an incident with Alan Morrison at Donington. Lemmer, who already had six points before this weekend, and received another two points and an official reprimand after the Donnington rounds. If he reaches 12 points his licence will be in jeopardy.
Gabriele Tarquini has his eye on a European Super Touring Cup programme in 2001. The 1994 BTCC winner has an ongoing Honda contract for 2001 and will race wherever his employer's programme is, but the Euro STC has its attractions. "It's good from a driver's point of view," said Tarquini. "It runs on the best tracks in Europe and in lots of different countries. I would be exciting." The Italian also pointed out that his current team JAS Motorsport has experience in the series, thanks to its 2000 campaign with Dutchman Peter Kox.
Class B driver Nick James was fined £250 after he collected Alain Menu's Ford Mondeo while it was lapping him in the sprint race. Menu was forced to pit to have his bonnet taped down, but still finished eighth.
Draft sporting regulations circulated to BTCC teams could signal the end for pit stops in the category. The proposal is that the current sprint and feature races would make way for two 30-minute races. The One-Shot Showdown could also be on its way out as qualifying would be over one half-hour session with the grid for the second race formed according to the results of the first. Potential entrant Peugeot's motorsport manager Mick Linford is positive about the new ideas. "They'll be fine, provided the grids are good. With big grids you don't need that sort of thing."
BTCC Knockhill: Gamble claims maiden BTCC win in finale
British Touring Car Championship rookie George Gamble took his maiden series victory in the reversed-grid finale to the Knockhill round.
BTCC Knockhill: Sutton takes first Ford win after close Hill fight
Reigning British Touring Car champion Ash Sutton finally claimed his first victory of the 2022 season at Knockhill after another thrilling battle with Jake Hill.
BTCC Knockhill: Hill wins Race 1 after thrilling Sutton fight
Jake Hill took victory in the first race of the Knockhill round of the British Touring Car Championship after a scintillating battle with Ash Sutton.
BTCC Knockhill: Hill on pole as BMWs dominate qualifying
Jake Hill took a dominant British Touring Car Championship pole position at Knockhill as a sea of five BMWs flooded the top six.
How the BTCC's new hybrid era aced its first test
Expectations were high for the start of the British Touring Car Championship’s hybrid power era, and despite nerves and problems to solve prior to its debut the new rules gained widespread approval. Here’s how the first test at Donington Park was passed and the thorough examinations that are to follow
The Ford BTCC superteam combining two reigning TOCA champions
Reigning BTCC champion Ash Sutton and Porsche Carrera Cup GB victor Dan Cammish form a potent line-up at the Motorbase-run NAPA Racing team as the series adopts hybrid power. With Sutton bringing the key components of his title-winning Laser Tools Racing set-up, and Cammish eager to prove a point on his return, their dynamic is set to be one of the season's major talking points
The stalwart tin-top boss still shaping careers more than 40 years on
Veteran team manager Marvin Humphries and former Tech-Speed team boss has worked not only with stars of the British Touring Car Championship, but legends including Gil de Ferran, Hans Stuck and Tom Sneva in a long and varied career that has spanned five decades across tin-tops, single-seaters and sportscars
The grassroots rise that shaped an understated BTCC star
Having started out in club-level competitions alongside his own university engineering studies, Josh Cook's journey to becoming an established frontrunner in the British Touring Car Championship is atypical. But it's these experiences that have moulded the 30-year-old into a humble star, respected throughout the paddock
Ranking the top 10 BTCC drivers of 2021
A refresh in equipment and some returning faces helped contribute to a supremely competitive 2021 British Touring Car Championship campaign. Ash Sutton was crowned a three-time champion, successfully defending his 2020 title, but faced stiff competition in the final year before the switch to hybrid. Autosport picks out the best performers
Why the BTCC's ballast increase couldn't stop champion Sutton
Ballast will be gone from the BTCC next year as hybrid power enters the scene, but for its final season the maximum was increased from 60kg to 75kg. Despite having to carry that nearly all season, Ash Sutton was always the favourite to pocket a third title - the 27-year-old getting his reward for a season of speed tempered by savvy to nail his opportunities
The much-loved tin-top superstar bowing out at 59
OPINION: It's not often that a driver achieves widespread affection for their personality, as well as their on-track performances. One such individual is Gabriele Tarquini, who will soon bring the curtain down on a remarkable career that has yielded touring car titles on the European and global stage - and, famously, in Britain too
The making of the BTCC's newest superstar
Ash Sutton is on the verge of being crowned a three-time British Touring Car Champion; he seems to have it all. But life hasn't always been straightforward for this superstar of touring cars, as Marcus Simmons has been finding out