Honda Announce NGTC Civic for 2012 BTCC Campaign.

The Honda Racing team have announced that the Civic used this year will be replaced for 2012.

Honda have today confirmed that they are to race the brand new Honda Civic in the 2012 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, built to the series NGTC regulations. The two drivers who will pilot the new cars as well as the official sponsors will be announced in due course.

The long term partner of the team, Team Dynamics, are building the two race cars ready for their debut next year, as full works backed cars. Honda Racing Team will hope to emulate the success of 2010, where they picked up both the Manufacturers’/Constructors’ Title as well as the HiQ Teams’ Trophy. Drivers Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden finished second and third last season.

“We are delighted to enter the new Civic in next year’s BTCC, and hope to build on the success we’ve already had with the current model,” said Dave Hodgetts, Managing Director of Honda (UK).

“We’ve made significant improvements to the new road car, and we’re confident those changes will make for a competitive race car too.

“The Civic is the perfect model to compete in British Touring Cars, as it has been born and bred in the UK. The new car has been tested on more UK roads than any other Honda, and it will continue to be built exclusively in Swindon.”

Matt Neal, one of the Honda Racing Team drivers for 2011 and who is gunning for glory in his current Civic said about the announcement: “”We are all looking forward to 2012, and from my point of view it is very exciting to have the prospect of driving the new Honda Civic.

“The team’s development of the car is already well underway, and the new Civic will fit the BTCC’s ‘Next Generation Touring Car’ regulations. I’m sure it will keep Honda at the front, and in the winner’s circle, both off and on track!”

Neal and team-mate Shedden are back on track this weekend, up at Shedden’s home track of Knockhill.

Picture Credit: Matt Auger/Back Of The Grid.co.uk

Total Control Racing Confirm Franchitti for Knockhill.

Marino Franchitti makes his Ginetta GT Supercup Debut at Knockhill.

Ginetta GT Supercup Championship Contenders Total Control Racing have confirmed that Scottish Sportscar ace Marino Franchitti will race one of their Ginetta G55’s as a guest entry during this weekend’s three races at Knockhill, Fife.

Franchitti, who is based in Edinburgh, is the latest high profile driver to race in the Ginetta GT Supercup with TCR and the brother of multiple Indycar Series Champion Dario and cousin of Force India’s F1 star Paul Di Resta will prove to be a massively popular addition to the grid.

Although it has been over a decade since Franchitti last competed at Knockhill, the American Le Mans Series driver aims to get to grips with the 370BHP Ginetta G55 and the circuit quickly and is expecting plenty of home support over the weekend.

“Its 10 years since I’ve raced at Knockhill, the track has been widened since then and they’ve had some profile changes on the corners so it will be like learning a new track”, said the American Le Mans Series ace, “Plus, I’ve never driven a Ginetta before so it’ll be a completely new challenge. I’m really looking forward to it all, it’s going to be a lot of fun and a great opportunity to race at home.

“When I knew I’d be with TCR it filled me with a lot of confidence, my friend Nic Hamilton races with the team in Renault Clios so I know a lot about them. Whatever championship TCR is in, they’re up at the front. I just need to learn as quickly as possible – to get on the podium would be nice but we’ll only know where we stack-up after testing on Friday.”

Ginetta Cars Chairman Lawrence Tomlinson invited Franchitti to enjoy a run-out at home in the Ginetta GT Supercup this weekend, 3^rd/4^th September and his first experience of the car which former BTCC Champion and double Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion Tim Harvey piloted to victory at Croft will come during pre event testing on Friday, 2 September.

Understandably, TCR Team Principal Lee Brookes is delighted to have Franchitti in his car alongside Championship leader Carl Breeze. For Breeze, the Knockhill weekend is vital for his ambitions – he arrives with a thirty one point advantage and is hoping to, at the very least, maintain his advantage as the Championship heads to its conclusion.

“Obviously we’re delighted to be running Marino this weekend at Knockhill, he’s going to have plenty of home support and with the fantastic pedigree he has in sportscars we’re certain he’ll get adjusted to the Ginetta in no time at all and be very competitive”, said Brookes.

“It’s going to be an important weekend for Carl, we’ve got a good lead in the points but it can all change very quickly so it’ll be essential for him to have three strong results this weekend. As always, we’ll go out there with the best car we can and fight as hard as possible for wins and podiums.”

Following the pre event testing tomorrow, 2 September, qualifying ahead of round eighteen takes place on Saturday at 11.35, with the first race of the weekend due to get underway at 16.25. Rounds nineteen and twenty will take place on Sunday, 4 September at 09.35 and 15.30 – round twenty being televised live on ITV4, ITV4 HD and online at itv.com/touringcars.

Picture Credit: Jakob Ebrey Photography

AmD Milltek Racing.com Aim for Scottish Points.

Martin Byford during his BTCC debut with AmD Milltek Racing.com

The AmD Milltek Racing.com make the long trek to Fife, and the Knockhill circuit targeting a return to the points in the seventh round of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, which takes place this weekend, 3^rd/4^th September.

The team, based in West Thrurrock will make the trip up to the 1.3 Mile Picturesque Knockhill circuit, looking to build on a solid BTCC debut for Martin Byford, who joined the team during the summer.

Before the trip to Norfolk, Byford had only had one day in the teams’ Volkswagen Golf MK5, but the former Clio Cup Champion was quickly up to speed with the rough and tumble of the BTCC and he secured a best race result of fourteenth over the weekend.

Heading to Knockhill, Byford will look to build on the promise shown at Snetterton as he seeks to score his maiden BTCC points finish at a circuit where he had tasted success in various other categories.

“Looking back at Snetterton now I’ve had time to really reflect on it, I think it went well as a whole,” he said. “I know I pushed a bit too hard in qualifying and its shame we were forced to retire in race two with a gear linkage issue, but we made good progress throughout the weekend and I couldn’t have asked for much more – apart from a point!

“I’ve now had a weekend to get used to the car and to get to know the team a bit more and I’m going to Knockhill trying to unlock more of the potential that I know is in the Golf. I’ve raced there quite a lot in the past and it’s a circuit I enjoy, and it’s also one where I think the Golf will be strong. The car carries speed through the corners well, which is something you need at Knockhill, but you can’t afford a mistake as the lap is so short that the smallest of mistakes is going to cost you positions.

“I’m looking forward to my second weekend in the BTCC and hopefully I can continue the progress we made at Snetterton and push towards the top ten.”

AmD Milltek Racing.com Team Principal, Shaun Hollamby is hoping that the trek north will be a fruitful one for the team as they missed out on a top ten result in Norfolk.

“We had a few small problems at Snetterton that meant we didn’t score points when we probably should have done, but at the same time, there were some things that we discovered that we will now benefit from,” he said. “I was pleased with how Martin performed in his first weekend and how well he fitted in with the team, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he does at Knockhill, It’s a real drivers circuit and he is a good driver.

“The gearbox issue in the second race at Snetterton probably cost us points but hopefully we’ll put that right next weekend. The Golf is now performing well on all kinds of circuits and we went well at Knockhill last year, so we’re aiming to break back into the top ten again.”

AmD Milltek Racing.com are supported by AmD Essex, Milltek Sport, Tesco Momentum 99, YourRacingCar.com, Mintex, Super Pro, Pipercross, Corbeau, KW, ABS, Cornering Force, Airtec, SFS Hoses, Eurocell and AlignMyCar.

Picture Credit: Matt Auger/Back Of The Grid.co.uk

Knockhill Victory the aim for MacDowall.

Alex MacDowall at Snetterton, his strongest weekend of the 2011 BTCC.

Alex MacDowall heads into what is considered one of the most important events of the season for the twenty year old as the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads into Scotland and the Knockhill circuit in Fife.

For BRDC (British Racing Drivers’ Club) Superstar MacDowall, the trip to Knockhill is very much a home event for him as the MacDowall family originally hail from Ayrshire. He feels that the short, technical Scottish track offers him one of his best chances to break his duck and secure a maiden victory in the BTCC.

During his debut season at the pinnacle of British saloon car racing, MacDowall starred at Knockhill by securing his second Pole Position and setting the qualifying lap record for the 1.3 mile circuit.

During the opening race of the weekend, he secured himself a second place finish and the fastest lap of the race. Had it not been for the fast starting Gordon Shedden – who has unrivalled Knockhill knowledge and who is also the business manager for the circuit – MacDowall could have been celebrating a maiden victory as he had the pace to win.

MacDowall heads to Knockhill lying seventh in the Championship with two podium finishes to his name, despite some serious misfortune to date. Snetterton marked his best race weekend in 2011, as he left Norfolk with twenty six Championship points in the bag. He holds ambitions of finishing inside the Championship top five come Silverstone.

With the Fife circuit expecting to favour his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze, another set of consistently strong results will be key to MacDowalls ambition of a top five Championship position. MacDowall’s quest should also be helped out now that the advantage held by the turbocharged cars within the series has been largely levelled out.

“Last year was great so we know the car will be good around Knockhill”, he said, “We had a test at Donington last Thursday which went really well – me and Jason (Plato) were both there so we got through a lot of set-up changes. Qualifying will be more crucial than ever next weekend with so few places to overtake at Knockhill.

“I know I can go a step further than last year and achieve my first win, the track suits my driving style and the Chevrolet Cruze is the best handling chassis in the field so it’s pole or bust! I’m seventh in the championship but it’s still quite tight behind so I need another good points scoring weekend to give me a safe gap.”

MacDowall will take to the track at Knockhill for two free practice sessions, before qualifying at 15.05 – which will be shown live on itv.com/touringcars.

Sunday will see rounds nineteen, twenty and twenty one of the season, with the first race due to get underway at 11.40, race two at 14.15 and race three at 17.00. Coverage will be on ITV4, ITV4 HD and itv.com/touringcars.

Picture Credit: Matt Auger/Back Of The Grid.co.uk

Tech-Speed Head to Knockhill Looking to Emulate Snetterton Success.

Paul O'Neill Celebrates his Second Place Finish at Snetterton.

GoMobileUK.com with Tech-Speed Motorsport will hope for a rapid return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship podium as the series gets back in action across the border in Scotland, up at the 1.3 mile Knockhill circuit in Fife, this weekend (3^rd/4^th September).

The Leamington-Spa based squad head north, buoyed by the team’s second podium of the season last time out at Snetterton, as Paul O’Neill finished the third race as the best of the Chevrolet drivers in second, behind the turbocharged Ford Focus of Mat Jackson.

O’Neill heads to Scotland sitting tenth in the overall Championship and sixth amongst the Independents’ and he has aspirations of repeating his Snetterton podium at a track which should suit the normally aspirated Chevrolet Cruze.

“Whereas in the past I’ve said the aim is to be inside the top ten, I’m going to Knockhill aiming to be in the top six all weekend and I hope to come away from race day with at least a podium finish to my name,” he said. “It’ll be a big ask, but we showed as a team at Snetterton that we are more than capable of fighting at the front.

“Before the season started, we didn’t do much testing which meant we were on the back foot a bit through the first half of the year, but we have worked hard on the set-up of the Chevrolet to get it better suited to my driving style. That played a part in our results at Snetterton and on paper; Knockhill is a circuit that should suit the Cruze. The first goal is to qualify well and that will hopefully set us up for three strong races.”

Guernsey-based team-mate John George heads back to the circuit where he had one of his strongest weekends in 2010, when he was at the wheel of the BTC-spec Honda Integra.

Having shown encouraging pace last time out at Snetterton, George heads to Scotland hoping to break into the top ten for the first time this season – his chances have been helped by the full recovery of his hand injury which he suffered at Croft, back in June.

“I had a really good weekend at Knockhill in the Honda last year,” he said. “Battling with Gordon Shedden was a real highlight and showed it’s a circuit that suits me. We went well on the Indy layout at Brands Hatch earlier in the season, which is another short and twisty circuit, and I’m confident of a good weekend in Scotland.

“Even though I didn’t get the results at Snetterton last time out, I was a lot happier in terms of the pace we showed, as I was able to compete against the turbo cars. Heading to Knockhill, I really feel this is the weekend where I can break my duck for the season and get into the points.

“If I was a betting man, I’d say Knockhill is my best chance yet of a top ten finish and I hope I’m proved right at the end of it.”

Picture Credit: Matt Auger/Back Of The Grid.co.uk

Campos Jnr Prepared for Valencia.

Adrian Campos Jnr in his Auto GP car.

With two weekends left in the 2011 Auto GP season, some drivers are viewing this weekend’s races at Valencia as a critical weekend in their pursuit of the Championship. For Adrian Campos Jnr, the Valencia race weekend is a special one for him for another reason.

Campos Jnr was born in the City of Valencia and lives just a few miles from the Ricardo Tormo circuit. This means that the penultimate round of the Auto GP season is a definite home event for the Spanish driver.

Heading into his home event, he has high expectations: “Well, it really wasn’t a lucky year for me, mainly because of the back injury I suffered in Monza, but if there is a track where I know things can come together in the right way, well it’s Valencia. You know, it’s a track that means a lot to me as I’ve seen its birth from its very first days. I was a child at that time, but I remember how it was looking when they started building it and I’ve seen it become a track appreciated by the highest levels of motorsport. So I have a special feeling with it, that’s sure.”

Earlier in the season, Campos Jnr picked up an injury which was meant to rule him out of contention until the Spanish race weekend. He returned to the fold at Donington Park, but was he in prime shape?

Campos Jnr said: “Well I really wanted to recover as soon as possible so surely I pushed the envelope a bit, but I wouldn’t say it was a bad idea. I already had a lack of mileage compared to my rivals, so I didn’t want it to become worse, which was the main reason behind that choice. At the start I wasn’t in my best shape so things where a bit difficult, but there’s no better training than real racing: now my back feels ok and in the last two meetings I had the time to get acquainted with the car again, so I’m in the ideal conditions to tackle this event. Obviously I must remember that my opponents have completed two race weekends more than me in the car, but I feel confident anyway.”

Valencia was the venue for Campos Jnr’s only test prior to the opening round of the season. Does he feel that having tested at the circuit will help him this weekend? He commented: “Yes, it was my only test with the Auto GP car before the start of the season. It was January, so track temperatures were very different from what we’ll find this weekend, but the data we gathered will be useful anyway and at least I already know what to expect from the car. I remember it was really fun to drive around Valencia with the Auto GP car, especially in the last corner it was fun to manage the exit with a bit of oversteer.”

As the Ricardo Tormo circuit is the home circuit for Campos Jnr, has he actually raced there in his career before?

He explains: “Well I did in F.Bmw and in F3, and I got podium finishes and wins, so that’s also why I’m eager to be racing here. I know that if the weekend runs smoothly, with no problems, I can really be good and fight at least for a podium finish, maybe more. Apart from that, when I race in Valencia I always have the support of my family and friends. I love racing but doing it in front of the people that are important for you makes it even better. That’s why Valencia is so special for me, and that’s why I will really do my best to clinch some great results.”

Picture Credit: Auto GP

Two Times Winner Afanasiev Predicts Auto GP Title to be decided at Mugello.

Sergei Afanasiev at Oschersleben.

Sergei Afanasiev predicts that the 2011 Auto GP title won’t be decided until the season finale at Mugello, Italy. The Russian scored the record amount of points for one driver in an Auto GP race weekend last time out, as he recorded a total of thirty nine points to close to within seventeen points of the Championship leader, Kevin Ceccon. With ninety two points still to play for, the destination of the title is far from decided.

He openly admits that he knows the title is still a distinct possibility, sitting just seventeen points off the Championship lead with ninety two points left to collect – but he won’t change his driving style to suit.

Afanasiev explains: “I know that, and obviously the title is in my thoughts, but this won’t change the way I race. Being behind there’s no strategy to use apart from making the most of every single chance, and to do that there’s no need to think about the title. The only thing to do is to work harder, taking as many points as possible in each race. That will make a difference when we’ll be doing the maths at the end of the Championship. Furthermore, with so many points up for grabs even the drivers behind me will have their shot at the title. From my side I see a very open situation, and I’m sure that nothing will be decided in Valencia. Only after Race 2 in Mugello we will know who the 2011 Champion will be.”

Last time out in Germany, at Oschersleben, the Russian driver secured a first and second during the two races so heads to Spain and the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia with the momentum. Does he feel, with two race weekends left, that the car is perfect?

“I must admit that the whole season until now has been a progression towards an ideal shape. At the start of the year I was a bit ‘rusty’ because I had no testing at all in the winter. That meant that it took me some time to get the right pace back, and even from a physical point of view I wasn’t really ok and making the most of the car wasn’t easy. Race after race, anyway, things got better and better and I have to say that now I feel really at ease with the car,” said Afanasiev.

He explains that there hasn’t been a single area of improvement but more a way in how he feels the car instead – this, in turn, has made him feel more relaxed about his driving.

“I couldn’t say that, there isn’t a specifical area of improvement. It’s more a feeling thing, what has improved is the way I feel the car, how I can believe in what it’s doing extracting all the grip from it, even the last bit, the most difficult to feel. As a consequence I am pretty relaxed and confident when I drive it, the performance comes easy and I also have a lot of fun. I love the car, really, so much that I’d like to have one at home, to go around Moscow,” joked Afanasiev.

Earlier in the season, he picked up a double no score after failing to secure the required visa for the trip to Donington Park.  How different does he feel the Championship would look if he had made it to Donington Park?

He said: “Obviously I do, and it’s one of the reasons why I can’t be content with this 3rd place in the standings. With those two more races I could be closer to Ceccon or even leading, so that has to be my aim. I could have done it; I know I have the potential to do it in these last two events, so I can’t give up just because bureaucracy is making things complicated. Sometimes I just have some envy for my rivals who don’t have to go through such big issues to travel to the races.”

For Afanasiev, the summer break arrived at the wrong time as he was starting to build up the momentum. He is glad to have had the break though and he explains what he got up to during the break: “Obviously when a driver gets to such a good feeling with the car and such a momentum, he would never stop racing. Anyway, I don’t think that the break could take anything away from me in that perspective and I’m sure that in Valencia I will have the same great feeling I had in Oschersleben. Furthermore, I also needed a break to recharge my batteries, and I used August to get some holidays. First of all, after returning from Oschersleben I had a big party with my friends, such results deserved to be honoured in the right way. Then I went to Dubai, where I had some commitments but I also managed to relax. Obviously I never stopped my gym training, so in Valencia I will be in top shape and ready to fight.”

Picture Credit: Auto GP