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By EwanM
#67110
If rumours of a BMW works team transpire i'd love to see him up there fighting for the title.

Does that include a return for Joachim "Smokin' Jo" Winkelhock? :D


Yes, but only if we get the other greats back... Menu, Tarquini, Cleland, Soper... Derek Warrick :P
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By 7UpJordan
#67132
If rumours of a BMW works team transpire i'd love to see him up there fighting for the title.

Does that include a return for Joachim "Smokin' Jo" Winkelhock? :D


Yes, but only if we get the other greats back... Menu, Tarquini, Cleland, Soper... Derek Warrick :P

Don't forget Tim Harvey. :D
User avatar
By EwanM
#67161
If rumours of a BMW works team transpire i'd love to see him up there fighting for the title.

Does that include a return for Joachim "Smokin' Jo" Winkelhock? :D


Yes, but only if we get the other greats back... Menu, Tarquini, Cleland, Soper... Derek Warrick :P

Don't forget Tim Harvey. :D


And Rydell :D
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By 7UpJordan
#67357
And maybe "our Nige" too? Remember Donington 1998 when it threw it down? :)
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By EwanM
#67364
And maybe "our Nige" too? Remember Donington 1998 when it threw it down? :)


Yep in that poor mondeo.
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By 7UpJordan
#67392
I heard a rumour a while ago that the Birmingham Superprix street circuit might be returning, I'd love to see the BTCC head back there. :)
User avatar
By EwanM
#67436
Bets on who Plato & Turner will drive for next season, if anyone? Plato -> Honda maybe?!


It all depends if Honda increases their input into Team Dynamics or goes it alone.
I doubt Plato would drive for Matt Neal's dad team, but he could end up in a works Honda.
Hopefully he ends up in Ford or BMW if they enter, maybe a return to Vauxhall.

Turner has stated he'll probably go into Sportcars. His run at LeMans and the chance of a paying drive will lead him away from the BTCC.

I heard a rumour a while ago that the Birmingham Superprix street circuit might be returning, I'd love to see the BTCC head back there. :)


I have video highlights of the last event, what a hell of a circuit.
I'd love the Monaco of the North to return it would be amazing!

Image
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By texasmr2
#67442
I'd love the Monaco of the North to return it would be amazing!

Say what, tell me more about this????
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By EwanM
#67447
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_Superprix

The Birmingham SuperPrix was a motor racing meeting held on a street circuit at the heart of Birmingham, England, from 1986 to 1990. Until 1990 the principal event was a round of the European Formula 3000 Championship, but support races included BTCC and Formula Ford 1600 rounds, as well as sports car racing.

History

Early days
The idea of a motor race in the centre of England's second city was mooted in local council meetings as far back as 1966. A councillor from the Birmingham City Council asked Martin Hone to create a White Paper of proposing a street race to be presented to the City Council. Stirling Moss obtained permission from Birmingham City Council to hold a race in 1972, but the event never materialised. Although there was a demo run by Patrick Neve in his Brabham BT45 around the Bullring in 1976.

It was not until the 6th November in 1984 that the council forwarded the Birmingham Road Race Bill to Parliament on the 29th November in 1984, the members of the Parliament approved the Birmingham Road Race Bill in April 1985 and where it was passed and received Royal Assent in October 1985. This allowed preparations for the Birmingham SuperPrix to begin. The event was to be centred around a race for Formula 3000 cars, at that time the last step up the career ladder before Formula One. The circuit was laid out on closed streets near the city centre, and the meeting was scheduled for two days during the August Bank Holiday.


1986
In 1986, the first SuperPrix was held. The circuit was drenched by torrential downpours from the tail end of Hurricane Charley. Being laid out on public roads the circuit was bumpy, and the cars were thrown around badly. The front row was Pierluigi Martini and Luis-Perez Sala, followed by Andrew Gilbert Scott. The championship leader Ivan Capelli span early on, in his March 86B Cosworth powered car. Because of long delays, the first race was run at a shorter distance. At every corner there seemed to be someone crashing. The race was red flagged when Andrew Gilbert Scott was experiencing handling problems after an earlier spin. When he exited the Bristol Street Motors Bend on the 21st lap, he lost it and crashed into Alain Ferté's stationary car, blocking part of the track, with Sala still fighting for the win from a fast catching up Martini. Luis Perez-Sala was given the win, and Pierluigi Martini given second, with Michel Ferté taking third. The top six drivers was awarded half points as the race was red-flagged on the 24th lap, just before the halfway point of the 51 lap race.


1987
The 1987 race was a complete contrast to the 1986 race. Instead of the track being rain-drenched, it was sun-drenched. Mauricio Gugelmin was on pole, alongside Stefano Modena. Later on, Pierluigi Martini was forced to pit with electrical problems, while Roberto Moreno had a tremendous race, having started from the pits after stalling before the warm-up lap. Modena made it his second win of the season, while Moreno took second after his pressure had caused Wallace to make a driving error at the Ferodo Corner. After his pole, Guglemin took third place.

1988
The 1988 race was also sunny, but had two restarts. The first one was because of a huge accident involving David Hunt (brother of former F1 champion, James Hunt) was involved in a massive shunt, clipping Claudio Langes' car as the cars front of them slowed down due to the Bertrand Gachot/Andy Wallace accident at the Zenith Turn (Hunt's car managed to punch a massive hole into a wholesalers' shop wall at the fast Loctite Corner). The second stoppage was due to an incident involving Russell Spence. After his car spun, blocking the road, a crane came to move his car. Spence was still in the car, and frantically waving at the crane driver to put his car down facing the right way. The car was lowered, but not in the right place and Spence got out of his car, and then the leaders got caught up in the incident. Roberto Moreno took the chequered flag after the 2nd restart, with Martin Donnelly and Martini in second and third respectively.

As a result of the delayed F3000 race, the BTCC race (British Touring Car Championship) and other support races was cancelled due to the time limit imposed by the Road Race Bill.


1989
The F3000 race at the Birmingham Superprix was just as sunny as the two previous ones, there was a carnival atmosphere. But not certainly for Martin Donnelly as he got a lot of attention for wrong reasons. It is because during the qualifying session after a spin at the Holts Corner, he abandoned his car, and watched with horror as Erico Cheli t-boned his car. His Eddie Jordan Racing team worked very hard to get the Reynard car repaired, and thankfully he started the race with an incomplete livery. His team mate Jean Alesi fought throughout the race with Marco Apicella. It stayed that way at the end, with Alesi beating Apicella by a slender margin. Donnelly came back to finish third.


Circuit
The Birmingham SuperPrix circuit was laid down on public roads, just to the south-east of Birmingham City Centre. Slightly unusually the circuit ran anticlockwise.



Here's some videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtTv9cNU ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zHO6iqf ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKTuMiOk ... re=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4NSDQYurEc on board touring car
User avatar
By EwanM
#87141
Jordan joins works Vauxhall squad

By Steven English Thursday, January 8th 2009, 11:13 GMT


Andrew Jordan has joined Vauxhall's factory VX Racing team for this year's British Touring Car Championship.

The 19-year-old was the highest-placed driver of a BTC-spec car in a Honda last season, and had been set to switch to a Super 2000-spec Vauxhall Vectra for 2009.

It was to be run by his father Mike's Eurotech team with support from the works Triple 8 outfit, but the team announced at Autosport International this morning that Jordan will fill one of their three works seats, alongside Fabrizio Giovanardi and Matt Neal.

"It's really exciting for me to be with the best team in touring cars," Jordan said on the Autosport central stage. "I had podiums last year and I do want to get some race wins now, and I'm a a top-spec car so there are no excuses.

"It's a very technical car and that's where I need to raise my game a bit. The MSA Race Elite scheme has helped to show me the technical knowledge I need to have to compete with the top guys and I did improve on that last year. Hopefully I can improve it further this year and it will bring me on as a driver."

VX Racing's Mike Nicholson added: "We like to run three cars if we can and we're delighted that he's joining us because he's a real talent. He was right on it in testing and he should be really quick. All three of our drivers begin the championship with an equal chance to win it."


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/72656
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By EwanM
#89535
Volvo planning return to BTCC

By Jamie O'Leary Thursday, January 29th 2009, 11:13 GMT


Volvo is planning to re-enter the British Touring Car Championship this year as a full manufacturer team with a pair of bioethanol-fuelled C30s, revealed this week's Autosport magazine.

The Swedish manufacturer, which last competed in the BTCC 10 years ago, was a race-winner in its domestic series last year in the maiden season of competition for the C30.

A British series attack, according to Volvo's director of motorsport Derek Crabb, is next on the agenda.

Crabb said: "After the success we've had in Sweden with the C30 with five poles and two wins for Robert Dahlgren, a couple of series' became interested in us. Britain is a market I'd really like to get into. It's a good chance to re-establish Volvo as a sporty brand, like it was before when we last a big presence in touring cars.

"It has to be a sponsor-led project and those sponsors need to fit in with our green image. Getting those in line is very important. I don't just want deals that will get us through a year. I want a three-year deal from sponsors and we're nearly there."

Crabb admitted that Volvo is running out of time to be on the grid in time for the Brands Hatch season-opener on April 5, but did not rule out the possibility of joining the series late, or even postponing the entry until 2010.

"There are a number of options available to us," he added. "But what I'm not prepared to do though is to go to the first round and do badly because we're not ready. It would only give Volvo a bad name."

No drivers have yet been confirmed for the project, although 2001 BTCC Champion Jason Plato has been linked to one of the seats.

Crabb would not confirm this, but did say: "We want to do this the right way and so we're looking at the very best drivers that are available to us. They must be able to represent Volvo in an appropriate way and develop the car further."

He also said that that four teams submitted bids to run the Volvo programme and that two, both with BTCC experience, remain in contention for the role.

Volvo first entered a works team in the BTCC in 1994 and the TWR-run squad achieved 21 wins in five years, guiding Rickard Rydell to the 1998 title along the way.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73045

I'm surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet. Looks like we'll have quite a strong grid with the Vauxhalls, the private Hondas and Fords and now Volvo in the fight.
Hopefully Plato gets a drive in the Volvo. John Clelland will be blowing it now.
User avatar
By EwanM
#90449
Thompson tests for Motorbase

By Jamie O'Leary Thursday, February 12th 2009, 17:35 GMT


British Touring Car Championship squad Motorbase Performance have become the latest team to give the currently drive-less James Thompson a test during the closed season.

The two-time BTCC champion completed over 80 laps of the Indy circuit in one of the team's BMWs and assisted them with general set-up work, to the delight of Motorbase team boss David Bartrum.

Bartrum told autosport.com: "James is an absolute first class driver and it was great to get him out in the car. An opportunity came up to give him a run, and you're not going to turn down the chance to get someone like him in the car, are you?

"Obviously we're looking to move up the grid this year after what was our best season in the BTCC in 2008, and having somebody with his experience have a look at the car can only be a help to us."

Thompson, who has four World Touring Car wins to his name, was left without a drive for this season when his former team N.Technology closed their Honda tin-top squad in January.

He has tested a Team Dynamics Honda and a Chevrolet for Tempus Sport since the end of last season, but has yet to sign a race deal.

Also in action at Brands Hatch was BTCC newcomer Liam McMillan, having his third test in the SEAT Toledo that his family-run Maxtreme squad will campaign this year.



http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73254

Good old Thommo
User avatar
By EwanM
#96652
Giovanardi flies in Brands Hatch test

By Jamie O'Leary Tuesday, March 24th 2009, 17:36 GMT


Fabrizio Giovanardi blitzed the Brands Hatch lap record in the final British Touring Car Championship pre-season test.

The Italian, who is attempting to win a third straight BTCC title this year, took his works Vauxhall Vectra around the Indy circuit in 48.835 seconds.

Not only was his time three quarters of a second under Tom Chilton's official lap record, but it was also a tenth up on Yvan Muller's pole position record from 2001 - the previous fastest time set at the circuit since the end of the Super Touring era.

Giovanardi's closest challenger during the morning session was Motorbase Performance rookie Jonathan Adam, who excelled in his BMW 320si to end up second fastest overall.

Rob Collard completed an excellent day for the Kent-based team. He topped the timesheets during the afternoon, but his best time – which was also under Muller's old record - was still three thousandths of a second slower than Adam's.

Fourth quickest was Vauxhall's former champion Matt Neal, while Gordon Shedden was a consistent fifth in his Team Dynamics Honda.

Stephen Jelley set the sixth best time as he and WSR BMW teammate Colin Turkington – who set the pace at Rockingham last week – sandwiched Andrew Jordan's Vauxhall.

Harry Vaulkhard gave the Tempus Sport mechanics work to do during the lunchtime halt by sliding off into the gravel at Druids and bringing out the red flags. He had a much more productive afternoon, finding 1.2 seconds and improving from 14th to ninth.

Dave Pinkney in the second Dynamics Honda completed the top ten in a time under three quarters of a second slower than Giovanardi's.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73880

That pace is absurb. GIO could make this a hatrick this season.
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