BTCC MG6 unveiled at launch day

The Dunlop British Touring Car Championship burst into life for the first time in 2016 at the Media Launch and Test Day on March 22^nd. All the teams lined up to display their new cars, drivers and liveries and the organising team announced some changes to the regulations. For the first time ever, thirty-two cars will start the season with some potential drivers having to be turned away.

Alan Gow, the Series Director, welcomed Dunlop as title sponsor and ITV4 as live broadcaster with both having signed up until 2022. This enables the teams to plan for the future. Hot news on qualifying was that the second race at each meeting would have a grid based on the finishing positions of race one. This marked the end of the controversial experiment in 2015 of fastest times in race one setting the grid for race two.

Also confirmed was the introduction of a new range of standard parts for all the cars. RML, probably the most experienced touring car manufacturer in the world, now has the contract to supply the subframes and suspension components which every car must use. The general feeling seemed to be that these gave very different handling characteristics and that every car would, in effect, be new.

The good news had already emerged that 888 and MG Motor were staying together for another 3 years. The two drivers for the team are Ashley Sutton who was the Renault Clio Champion in 2015 and Josh Cook who won the best rookie award and took his first podium finish in the 2015 BTCC. The MG6s were rolled out in a superb new white, red and green colour scheme. The inside of the garage is now all red. Both drivers covered more than fifty laps during the afternoon and achieved good competitive times.

Lots more changes were unveiled during the morning. The teams with most stability were seen to be the Yousa Hondas, now with Halfords backing, but the ever present drivers Matt Neal and Gordon Sheddon. Their team has expanded to three cars with former MG driver Andy Neate being signed up. More Hondas were revealed to be driven by Jeff Smith, Martin Depper and Matt Simpson.

Stability also at the BMW Team with the cars to be driven by Sam Tordoff and Rob Collard as in 2015. The big close season surprise here was Andy Priaulx being signed by Ford for the World Sports Car Championship. His seat is filled by Jack Goff last year’s MG driver.

The most awaited reveal was probably the Subaru Levorg. Team BMR will run four of these brand new cars pushed along by the flat four engine driving through the rear wheels. The drivers are Jason Plato, Colin Turkington, James Cole and Warren Scott.

In 2015, the Ford Focus team was restricted to the second half of the season, but new sponsor deals mean that they are now able to run a full season. Matt Jackson stays at the team and is joined by the second of the 2015 MG drivers Andrew Jordan whose Pirtek livery now adorns the Ford. Two more Fords line up driven by Alex Martin and Stewart Lines.

Three more drivers are in the same cars and teams. The two Mercedes cars are driven again by Adam Morgan and young Scot Aiden Moffat. Tom Ingram is also back in the Speedworks Toyota Avensis. Driving a similar car after retiring “Sherman”, the Audi A4, is Rob Austin. His former team mate Hunter Abbot will race a Chevrolet Cruze with Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher as his team mate.

Team Hard have expanded and are running three Toyota cars in 2016 driven by Michael Epps, Chris Smiley and Jake Hill.

Another new team is BKR, an offshoot of BMR running two of the impressive Volkswagen CCs for Aaron Smith and newcomer Mark Howard.

Last, but my no means least, Audi will still be represented in the BTCC with Ollie Jackson taking on the driver duties in the S3 and Dan Welch brings the Proton back for another year.

The Championship will again be fought out over three races at each meeting with points from all the rounds counting towards the championship. The venues and circuits are the same as in 2015 ranging from the tight confines of Knockhill and the Brands Hatch Club Circuit to the wide open spaces of Silverstone and the Brands Hatch GP Circuit. Also on the schedule are Oulton Park, Rockingham, Croft, Donington Park, Thruxton and Snetterton.

The support race package once again is made up of the Ginetta Juniors, Ginetta GT 4 Supercup, MSA Formula Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup GB, and the Renault UK Clio Cup. This will again ensure an action packed day of racing at all the circuits.