Tom Onslow-Cole sure of BTCC potential of new NGTC VW Passat
British Touring Car race winner Tom Onslow-Cole believes the new NGTC Volkswagen Passat CC has good potential after his first drive in the car at Brands Hatch
The Team Hard-built NGTC machine was completed just in time for the meeting and was 24th and 25th fastest in the two free practice sessions.
"It was touch-and-go getting here," said Onslow-Cole. "Some of the team haven't slept for quite a while.
"There have been a few little niggles, like the gear-cut playing up in first practice, but the chassis feels good.
"We've got to run through the list - this is a shakedown. As we go faster, we'll see where it's at."
Team boss Tony Gilham confirmed that the two Vauxhall Insignias the squad also runs are similar enough to the Passat to speed up the learning process.
"The wheelbase is the same, they're very much the same car underneath," said Gilham, who hopes to add another VW for Howard Fuller later in the season.
"This weekend is to get the car reliable; it's the launchpad for what we're doing," he added.
"We want to be competitive and winning races, but we don't want to run before we can walk.
"We need to refine these cars first, but I want to get the other car out in the first half of the season."
Brands Hatch BTCC: Andrew Jordan fastest in practice
Brands Hatch BTCC: Andrew Jordan claims first pole of 2013
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