General News
19/Feb/2010
Teams in test action at Thruxton
Reigning British Touring Car Champion team WSR, rivals Team Dynamics and Motorbase plus newcomers Special Tuning and Forster Motorsport all tested at Thruxton today as series title sponsor and tyre supplier Dunlop gathered vital data ahead of the 2010 season.
The test marked the first appearance of 2010 by Colin Turkington – back in the WSR BMW with which he so dramatically won his first Drivers’ title in last October’s 2009 season finale at Brands Hatch.
Turkington shared a white BMW with 2009 Renault Clio Cup runner-up Alex MacDowall while in an unmarked orange car (pictured above) was Andy Neate – now recovered from serious injuries he suffered in a sportscar race 18 months ago and who, like MacDowall, has ambitions of joining the BTCC grid in 2010.
WSR team principal Dick Bennetts told btcc.net: “Alex was pretty impressive and we’re in good dialogue with him. Andy’s obviously itching to race again and has been associated with the team for some time now. Both coped very well considering there was a huge mixture of weather and track conditions. For Colin it was a chance to shake off some of the rust. Clearly he’s not lost any of his touch and was stunning.”
Meanwhile, just as at Rockingham last week, Dynamics ran a lone Honda Civic for its 2005 and 2006 champion Matt Neal. Local favourite Robert Collard, in the Motorbase team’s BMW in which he finished sixth overall in 2009’s standings with two race wins, was on track as well.
So too was Tom Boardman in his Special Tuning (UK) team’s SEAT Leon – the Lancastrian has just announced plans to return to the BTCC in 2010 – and newcomer Forster Motorsport with one of its two ex-Mat Jackson BMWs. Martin Depper and Arthur Forster both completed laps in the car.
During the test Dunlop gathered valuable information about the behaviour of its tyres around Thruxton’s high-speed curves.
Thruxton, near Andover in hampshire, will host the first round of this year’s Dunlop MSA BTCC on Easter Sunday 4 April. Headlining the bill will be the opening three races of the 2010 BTCC season plus plenty more action from five supporting series (Porsche Carrera Cup, Ginetta G50, Ginetta Junior, Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK).
Tickets are priced £23.00 per adult if booked in advance via the www.barc.net website or the hotline 01264 882200. Admission for children aged 15 and under is free.
Images from today's testing can be viewed in the Fans section of btcc.net.
