Vauxhall against losing BTCC pit stops
Plans to do away with pit stops and revise the current race format of the British Touring Car Championship are being opposed by the Vauxhall team, the only manufacturer to have committed to the series for 2001
As well as losing the pit stops, new series organiser British Motorsport Promoters plans to introduce two half hour races in place of the current sprint and feature race format. These revisions comprise a small part of the package for next year, which is due to be finalised this month.
The works Vauxhall Triple Eight squad is against losing changes introduced to spice up the racing by former BTCC boss Alan Gow in 1998. The one-shot qualifying showdown will also go, making way for one hour of free practice on qualifying morning followed by a 30 minute session to set the grid for race one. The grid for the second race will then be determined by the finishing order of the first.
"We want pit stops," said Triple Eight chief Roland Dane. "We're happy to see the back of the one-shot showdown, but we don't see anything wrong with the race format we've got, and I understand the TV people feel the same. Pit stops don't cost money when you haven't got tyre warmers and they can make a race more interesting."
Costs will be reduced by further measures which include the introduction of a 12-tyre limit for each car per race meeting, testing restricted to three days between March and the beginning of the season and engines having to last for three races.
With possible returns to the series next year by Renault and Rover, sources suggest the BMP package needs to be finalised sooner rather than later if manufacturers are to commit for 2001.
Tin-top experts to return with Renault?
Peugeot wins nail biting Spa 24 Hours
BTCC Snetterton: Sutton in control to take finale win ahead of Plato
Ash Sutton kept himself in the British Touring Car Championship title fight with victory in the final race of the day at Snetterton.
BTCC Snetterton: Turkington doubles up ahead of Hill again
Colin Turkington took another step towards a record-breaking fifth British Touring Car Championship title by making it two wins out of two at Snetterton.
BTCC Snetterton: Turkington dominates opener from Hill
Four-time British Touring Car champion Colin Turkington claimed victory in the first race of the day at Snetterton to extend his lead in the 2022 series.
Cook bemoans “heartbreaking” failures in BTCC Snetterton qualifying
British Touring Car Championship title contender Josh Cook has described failures on his BTC Racing Honda in Snetterton qualifying as “heartbreaking” after the team appeared to have unlocked pace from its Honda cars.
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