Following on from its 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee shoot-out at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed over the summer break, the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will see several of its stars past and present return to the Goodwood Estate, as its Motor Circuit plays host to the Goodwood Revival (7-9 September).

More than 500 competitive race wins are shared amongst the touring car drivers in attendance, from championships across the globe, including the World and European Touring Car Championships, the DTM, the Japanese Touring Car Championship and, of course, the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The biggest contingent does come from the BTCC, with some six champions set to take part in the action at Revival counting 11 titles between them.

Incumbent champ, Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's Ash Sutton, heads the way as he makes his Revival debut in a Ford-Lotus Cortina. He'll go head-to-head with 2013 champion, Goodwood's very own Andrew Jordan. He's no stranger to the circuit, as is well known, and he makes his return to action in September at the wheel of a Jordan Racing Team-prepared Cortina, owned by singer Howard Donald.

BTCC legend and three time champion Matt Neal's fresh off a landmark 'Diamond Double' victory and he'll be in action alongside stager-past Nick Whale in the latter's Studebaker Lark Daytona. Motorbase man Sam Tordoff will be there too, all set for another outing in his number 600 Porsche 356 after taking the car to the Silverstone Classic earlier in the summer.

Another triple champ will be making his return to action on British soil since departing Britain's top-tier championship last year, in Neal's former Team Dynamics team-mate Gordon Shedden – making for quite the reunion at the Goodwood Estate.

If you didn't see it at the time, this battle between Flash and AJ sets the tone!

https://www.facebook.com/Goodwood.Revival/videos/2103465862997069/

DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing's Rob Austin is hungry to realise the true potential of his Alfa Romeo Giulietta when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship heads to Knockhill this weekend.

The maiden season for the squad’s Alfa has been tempered by a run of misfortune, limiting the team to one podium finish thus far. The team continues to work night and day to unlock the results it feels its efforts have deserved. 

“I love Knockhill, it’s one of my favourite tracks to drive, there’s always a great atmosphere and the guys at the circuit always do a great job of running the event,” said Austin. “I’ve been on the podium there quite a few times and I’ve never seen a crowd like it – it's unique. 

“The potential is unquestionably there to visit the podium again, as it has been for some time now, but events outside our control have stopped us from demonstrating it.

"I would love to just have a clean, fair run at the weekend – if we do I’m sure we can be right up there.”

He added: “I’m starting to feel like a broken record saying our luck will change, so I think for this weekend we’ve got to manage our expectations, carry on giving it maximum effort and wait and see what fate delivers.”

While Knockhill is one of the shortest tracks on the calendar, just 1.27-miles, it is also one of the most spectacular with incredible corners such as Duffus Dip, the crested chicane, and Clark’s always posing a test to both man and machine.  

Austin's something of a Knockhill specialist. He first raced there back in 1998 in the single-seater Formula Renault UK Championship and there are realistic hopes for one of the better weekends of the year for the team.

Famous for providing the most stunning vista on the entire BTCC calendar, with a view overlooking the Firth of Forth and the famous Forth Bridges, Knockhill is also renowned for the huge crowds and the incredible support they give to the touring car competitors.

Looking forward to the weekend, Team Principal Simon Belcher said: “As a driver I always loved Knockhill and I know Rob does too, the racing is great and so is the crowd. We’re just hoping the long trip north brings us the good fortune we have been missing recently.”

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship makes its annual trip north of the border to Fife's rollercoaster ride of a circuit, Knockhill, next weekend (25/26 August), for Rounds 22, 23 and 24 of a 2018 campaign that is rapidly heading towards an enthralling climax.

With more than 200 points still left to play for across the BTCC's three remaining race weekends, the purported direction of the most coveted title in British motorsport is liable to change this way and that over the course of any one of those events. That said, the trip to Scotland is bound to prove key as drivers seek to press home their title credentials with rounds rapidly running out.

Typically, Knockhill throws up vintage touring car action. Its undulating surface and short track layout, combining chicanes, high-speed jinks and, of course, Taylor's Hairpin, lends itself perfectly to first-rate racing – perhaps explaining its status as a longstanding favourite of drivers and fans alike. 

A strong, passionate support always descends on the circuit, which Rob Austin this week credited as the reason for Knockhill's unique atmosphere, and this year will be no different. It's always a spectacle and a treat for those in attendance as well as those soaking in all the action at home via ITV4's live free-to-air coverage, comprising eight hours on race-day and with qualifying streamed live, nobody will miss a beat. 

To and fro
It's been a real back-and-forth between the current standings top two, Team BMW's Colin Turkington and incumbent Independents' champion Tom Ingram, over the last three race weekends.

Leaving Croft, it was Turkington from Ingram before the latter notched a 46-point haul at Snetterton to head the way into Rockingham. The Speedworks man overcame race one drama in Norfolk with a stunning fightback from 27th to third spot in race two, placing him perfectly to score strongly in the all-important 'Diamond Double' double points encounter with another podium finish.

It was the same story at Rockingham for Ingram's Toyota Avensis, with electronics trouble causing another opening race DNF and enforcing yet another fightback. Ingram, remarkably, managed to pull off the exact same feat as he had at Snetterton by making up an astounding 24 places in the second race of the day – enough to temporarily see him top of the standings once more after his Round 19 drama.

This time, however, his heroics weren't enough to hold back Turkington over the weekend in its entirety. The double champion is a double champ for good reason – and he knows when to hold and when to fold. At Rockingham, a solid 12th spot in qualifying, ahead of Ingram, would have left the BMW man quietly confident.

He climbed the points tally throughout race-day in Northamptonshire with a series of ever-improving results – culminating in a second place to round off a successful weekend in which he turned a six-point Drivers' standings deficit to Ingram prior to Rockingham into a slender four-point lead leaving it.

"I haven’t been stealing the headlines but what we have been doing behind the scenes is beginning to pay off," said Turkington. "The final race from Rockingham was for everyone in the team. Collectively we have had a very difficult few meetings.

"Even after 129 other BTCC podiums, the 130th was sweeter than ever! It’s becoming so hard just to get a top 10 finish these days, never mind a podium. 

"We’ve been slogging away, keeping our head down and working hard without much reward. This was the tonic we all needed.

"I’m pleased with the development we’ve made with the car in the slippery, intermediate conditions and Team BMW will continue to hunt for performance between now and the next event.

"It’s a close battle in the standings at the moment, but we’re primed and ready!”

Turkington notched a trio of third place finishes in Scotland last year but Ingram proved no slouch with one of his most impressive drives to date to seal race three victory at Knockhill in 2017.
 
"For the second weekend running, we’ve had to do the same thing and all credit to the Speedworks boys – we were up against it and we pulled it right back. There’s definitely a lesson there – don’t let yourself get beaten up, don’t let your head go down and look at the positives in any situation.
 
"Knockhill next will be an interesting one. Historically, it’s a track that tends to favour rear wheel-drive cars, but we didn’t fare too badly at Croft a couple of months ago – and ultimately, we do like a challenge..."

Bravehearts
AmD counts a pair of Scotsmen in its ranks in Rory Butcher (Kircaldy) and recently-signed BTCC returnee Glynn Geddie (Aberdeen). The former works at Knockhill as an instructor and is fresh off the back of his best weekend of the season to-date with a trio of top ten finishes secured at Rockingham.

"Rockingham was the first circuit where I could actually draw on previous experience having raced there back in 2017," said Butcher.

"That experience gives you an idea of how the tyres will fair across the races and what things we need to work on to get the most from the car over the entire event. I felt we did that this weekend, and it was great to grab a few more top tens and get more points on the board for the team.

“Wins and podiums are obviously the name of the game, and I feel that now we are performing consistently well it’s time to take the next step.

"There’s no better place to do that than at Knockhill with home support. I know it will be a tough weekend, but there’s certainly no reason why we can’t push for more top six finishes and perhaps a cheeky podium.

"Glynn (Geddie) did a good job for his opening weekend at Rockingham. He’s someone I’ve known for years and raced against on a few occasions over the years, and I’m sure he’ll be a great addition to the team."

“In hindsight, Rockingham was a great test for us, and the aim was to improve in each session and try to get to grips with the car," added Butcher's team-mate Geddie. "It was good to get two race finishes under our belts, although the DNF in the final race wasn’t the best way to end the weekend.

"That said though, we now head into a very important home leg at Knockhill – that will obviously take on extra significance with me and Rory being local lads. I’m sure the team will get some great support up in Scotland and I can’t wait to get back out in the car."

Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat (Dalkeith) will be looking for home comforts and a return to his early season form, and to add to the pair of podiums he's secured so far in 2018.

Timetable and Tickets
All three BTCC races on Sunday, 26 August – and the rest of the day’s action – will be broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live throughout the weekend.

The support series on the TOCA package are also guaranteed to thrill, with a double-digit total of races set to entertain the crowds. Porsche Carrera Cup GB, F4 British Championship and the Ginettas will all be appearing, making for a jam-packed weekend of truly unmissable racing.
 
Tickets are still available at Scotland’s Knockhill circuit (25/26 August), the BTCC’s only venture north of the border. Prices start at just £39 for adult weekend tickets, with discounts available for family bookings and children under 12 able to enter free of charge. For more information and to order tickets, head to www.knockhill.co.uk or call 01383 723337.

AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing team secured a hat-trick of top ten finishes from a strong weekend on track at Rockingham for the seventh meeting of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
 
The West Thurrock-based team was keen to bounce back from a tough weekend at Snetterton where a single top ten finish didn’t reflect the pace in the team’s MG6 GT, with all-Scottish driver pairing of Rory Butcher and Glynn Geddie keen to impress.
 
Fife racer Butcher led the MG challenge in qualifying with the 20^th best time, with the close nature of the grid being reflected by the fact that his time was just six-tenths of a second off pole position.
 
Come Sunday however, Butcher was able to show the race pace in the car with a starring drive in the opening 18 lap encounter that saw him work his way through the field to take ninth spot on the very last lap.
 
Although he briefly dropped outside the top ten in the early stages of race two, he was soon fighting his way forwards once again and crossed the line in eighth spot which secured a second row start for the final race thanks to the reverse grid draw.
 
Running a strong second early on, Butcher diced with championship leader Colin Turkington over third place before a small error at Deene saw him run wide and slip down to sixth spot, which is where he would ultimately finish for a third top ten result of the weekend.
 
Team-mate Geddie went into the weekend carrying an additional 45kg of ballast as a new entry and without any prior running in the car, which played a part in him qualifying in 30^th place.
 
The Aberdeen racer ran well with the extra ballast in race one to finish 22^nd and then repeated the result in race two after finding himself dicing on track with the Honda of Dan Cammish late on.
 
The former British GT champion briefly got himself up into the points in the early stages of race three but having been demoted back to 21^st place, he brought the car in to retire as a precaution when a warning light appeared on the dashboard.
 
“I’m really pleased with how the weekend went and it was a good way for us to bounce back from the disappointment of not scoring at Snetterton," said Butcher. "After such a tight qualifying session, I felt confident that we could race forwards as we have had a strong race car throughout the season – and that proved to be correct.
 
“It was all about making sure that we stayed out of trouble at the start of the races, particularly in the mixed conditions, but I think I drove well and felt in a good place going into race three. I was determined to try and get to the front early on but perhaps took a bit too much out of the tyres and was struggling for grip.
 
“It was a shame that we had the little trip off but if I’m being honest, I’m not sure if I would have been able to keep the three guys behind at bay because of the way our tyres dropped off. I’m not going to beat myself up about it because three top ten finishes is a great weekend for us and a nice boost going into my home round at Knockhill.”
 
“I think it’s been a good weekend for me on my return to the series," added Geddie. "Carrying ballast as a new entry was always going to make it tough, but I think we made good progress across the weekend.
 
“Race two in particular was good once we had the weight taken out, and the car was transformed from where we were in race one. I was able to push a lot more and made good progress in terms of my pace, which is something I can take a lot of confidence from considering how long it is since I last raced a front-wheel drive car.
 
“It’s unfortunate that the issue in race three cost me some track time but I’ve shown I can be competitive despite my lack of time in the car and I’m confident of pushing further forwards at Knockhill.”

Over in the Audi side of the garage, AmD with Cobra Exhausts secured a brace of points scoring finishes.
 
A solid performance in qualifying saw Ollie Jackson put his Audi S3 19^th on the grid for the opening race of the weekend, with a best lap just six-tenths of a second away from pole position.
 
Just missing out on the points scoring positions in race one, he showed the race pace of the Audi S3 Saloon in race two with a fine drive in drying conditions after an earlier shower to cross the line in eleventh spot, just missing out on pole position through the reverse grid draw.
 
Jackson then fought his way as high as sixth despite running on the less favourable Option-Hard Dunlop tyre and battled hard to keep the works Honda of Dan Cammish at bay before taking the flag in ninth spot for a second points finish of the weekend.
 
Team-mate Sam Smelt showed strong pace throughout practice and qualifying to end up with a personal best of 16^th on the grid but his hopes of opening his points scoring account were ended on lap one of the opening race when he was hit going through the Deene Hairpin and forced to retire.
 
At the back of the grid for race two as a result, Smelt fought his way forwards to 23^rd place but there would be further disappointment in race three when he was involved in contact that forced him into the pits to retire.
 
“We could have enjoyed a better Saturday but I think the race pace was strong this weekend and it’s good to come away from Rockingham with two points finishes and a top ten," said Jackson. "If anything, it’s a little disappointing that we didn’t manage to score in all three races.
 
“In the final race on the hard tyre we were particularly strong but I didn’t quite have the legs to get ahead of Adam Morgan and then had to make sure I kept Dan’s Honda behind. It shows the progress we have made however to be battling for position with cars that have won races, and that are run by the works teams.
 
“If this is the final time we come to Rockingham with the BTCC, I’m glad we’ve closed this chapter with a strong performance on track.”
 
“I finally managed to sort Saturday our this weekend with strong pace in practice and qualifying, which is the big positive for me to take away from Rockingham," added Smelt. "I was quick throughout the day and even though I picked up my best result in qualifying, I felt there was more to come and was still a little bit disappointed not to be higher up the grid.
 
“Unfortunately Sunday turned out to be a day to forget and the contact on the opening lap of race one really put me on the back foot. I did what I could to try and make up places in race two but then more contact in the final race forced me to retire again which was a sad way to end race day.
 
“I’m going to put race day behind me and take the positives forwards to Knockhill where hopefully we can fight for some points.”

Adam Morgan converted what was his very first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship pole position with a lights-to-flag victory in Round 19 – the highlight of a strong showing at Rockingham this past weekend.

The Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport A-Class showed itself to be the car to beat on Saturday as the Lancashireman steered to P1 on the grid. This proved to be the perfect tonic for a frustrating couple of race weekends which had culminated in a double-DNF at Snetterton.

“It’s been six years but we got there,” said Morgan. “This pole position feels like a win and bearing in mind that we normally race better than we qualify, we knew it'd put us in a great position going into race one.”

Morgan fired off the line well in the opening 16-lap encounter and led the pack through Deene Hairpin for the first time. Scuffling in behind the Mac Tools-backed racer meant Morgan had an opportunity to break away and that he did – building a lead and controlling the pace from the front on the way to victory.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/2127222313985874/

 

“It’s always a good feeling to get a lights-to-flag victory, and to do it in the BTCC, even more so,” said Morgan. “I made a great start and I knew if I led out of the Deene Hairpin I would be okay.

"I led in, and when I came out I looked in the mirror and saw there had been drama, so I just got my head down and pushed on. After about five laps it became a bit slippery and then it dried up so I just concentrated on maintaining the gap.”

Maximum success ballast was on-board his Mercedes for race two but Morgan coped admirably. Ash Sutton's fast-starting, lighter, Subaru Levorg blasted clear at the off but Morgan slotted in behind and stayed there until the chequered flag fell. That meant he notched the Independent win in Round 20 and another big haul of points.

“I knew Ash would be strong off the line so I just had to do my best with the weight," Morgan continued. "There were battles behind me, so I could build a gap over the pack and thankfully the flag dropped before Tom Ingram could catch me. With 75 kilograms in the car, second place was a great result.”

From row five in the Rockingham finale, Morgan charged through the drama at Deene to gain ground and emerge in third place. As Morgan chased the leaders, on a greasy track, he made a small mistake at Yentwood and slithered wide a few laps later.

That left Adam in a race-long duel with Ollie Jackson’s Audi S3. The two cars scrapped for the bulk of the race, chased by Dan Cammish’s Honda but the slippery Volkswagen CC was able to jump ahead, relegating Morgan to eighth place.

“A win and a second was a great effort for the weekend,” said Adam. “For the last race we ran the championship regulation hard tyre and our pace was steady but not great.

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/2127383027303136/

 

"We probably need to be more aggressive on the set-up, but the pole, win and second were fantastic.

"We have had two frustrating weekends, so to come here and rack up the successes is a real boost to us all. We came here ninth in the championship and are now up to sixth and I have had more wins than all bar one driver, so there is a lot to be pleased about.”

Morgan's efforts over the weekend netted Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport the Teams’ Trophy for the weekend with the most consistent trio of results, the first time the team has scooped the award.

Ciceley Motorsport's Tom Oliphant qualified his Next Level Motorsport backed A-Class on the 11th row of the grid after a tricky session hampered by a technical issue in free practice. Although diagnosed and resolved by his Ciceley Motorsport engineers and the engine builder as quickly as possible, Oliphant was left fighting an uphill struggle.

He made good progress through the pack until unnecessary and unfortunate contact again, this time with James Cole caused Oliphant to call into the pits. He recovered to a creditable 25th place, making further gains in the second race up to the cusp of the points-paying positions and 17th.

For race three, Oliphant, like Morgan, had chosen to run the Option-Hard compound Dunlop tyre and he made great progress in the early stages, bringing his car home in 13th place and in the points.

“I’ll take a points finish after what was a very difficult weekend," said Oliphant.

"The time we lost in free practice really hampered us, and then to be taken out in the first race robbed us of any chance to come away with some serious results on race day.

“I knew this would be a tricky meeting as it was my first-time racing at the circuit since 2015 and my first time there in front-wheel drive machinery, and that was intensified by the time we unfortunately lost due to some technical issues.

“It meant I headed into qualifying a bit blind as I didn’t know exactly where the grip levels were, where to push in the braking zones etc, so it was no surprise to come away with a lower result than we wanted, which made our comeback on race day even more pleasing.

“Our pace in the first race was fantastic and I loved being in the thick of the action throughout, attacking and overtaking every lap. The car was an absolute dream to drive, so to have our charge ended in such abrupt fashion was infuriating.

“That left us towards the back of the grid for race two and that was our toughest race, with a drying circuit slightly catching us out with car set-up. We still had some strong pace though and I was able to make some progress up the field.

“We started in contention for the points in the final race and I had some great speed in the early stages, so I could make loads of overtakes and get up to ninth. Unfortunately, we struggled on the Option-Hard tyre from there and it was frustrating to slip back to 13th.

“We have loads of positives to take away from the weekend though and I’m excited to see what we can do at Knockhill. Everyone says the car is a strong package there and I’ve had some great pace in Scotland in the past, so I’m really looking forward to it!”

Ciceley Motorsport’s Commercial Director Norman Burgess added: “What a weekend! Adam excelled himself, starting with that first-ever pole position.

"That was a great start to the weekend, and a race win, a second, two Independent wins and then the Teams’ Trophy success has been outstanding. Now we go to Knockhill and look for more success.

“Tom has been unbelievably unlucky so far in his first year of the BTCC, every time he gets into a good position during a race he just seems to get collected in somebody else’s incident.

"He has everything required to be at the front in the championship, he is a fast, determined and measured racing driver. It’s not even a case of keeping out of trouble, because he does that perfectly but, at the moment, no matter what he does, it seems to find him!"

Morgan is now up to sixth in the Drivers' standings and fourth in the Independents' Trophy, with Mac Tools with Ciceley Motorsport eighth in the Teams’ running and fifth in the Independents'. 

Oliphant is 13th in the Independents' order and sixth in the Jack Sears Trophy.

Chris Smiley notched an emotional maiden Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship victory at Rockingham last weekend, and a second for BTC Norlin Racing after Dan Lloyd's Croft triumph.

The outfit has enjoyed a strong second season in Britain's top tier motorsport championship and Saturday's performance at Rockingham hammered its prospective pace home – Lloyd and Smiley lining up fifth and sixth for Round 19 respectively.

Lloyd followed up with a good start in the opener but, challenging for third spot, he was tagged into a spin and shuffled down the order after repairs at a pit-stop. He recovered to a respectable 21st come the chequered flag. Smiley, was also unable to escape the turn two melee, and wrestled damage to take a stellar fourth – out-dragging Halfords Yuasa Racing's Dan Cammish over the line.

Norlin set to work on the cars pre-race two and duly delivered a pair of fresh Honda Civic Type Rs for Round 20.

In the damp conditions, and running the Dunlop Option-Hard Sport Maxx tyre, Smiley held a podium position early on before succumbing to rivals on the softer compound rubber on the way to a sixth place finish.

Lloyd's recovery continued with a battle to 16th and the ideal platform to chase for points from in the finale after his opening round misfortune. It wasn't to be in race three, though, as further contact put a premature end to proceedings for the Yorkshireman.

Smiley produced another demon launch, firing himself away from fifth on the grid and right into the lead pack. With a couple of drivers misjudging the conditions up-front, the Northern Irishman kept his cool to pick his way through the quartet out front and into the lead by the exit of Deene. He managed the gap and stormed to a first-ever top step in the BTCC – with the last five laps, he said, feeling more like five years!

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/2127945333913572/

 

“What an amazing day!” said Smiley. “The weekend started well, qualifying nicely in the top six but the real magic happened on race day!

"In race one I thought it was all over going into Deene Hairpin which resulted in my car getting damaged extensively but I battled hard all race long and passed Dan Cammish on the line to take fourth position.

“In race two I had the Option-Hard tyre fitted to my Honda Civic Type R and battled hard to finish inside the top six in difficult conditions and with 48 kilograms of ballast on-board.

"The reverse grid left me fifth for race three. I managed a good start off the line and in turn two a few cars ran wide, enabling me to take the lead and control the race from there.

"It was far from plain sailing as I had a safety car restart and some rain to handle but I managed to keep my concentration. The last five laps felt like five years, but the emotion crossing the finish line is something I will never forget.

“I can’t thank Bert Taylor, Richard Irwin and Stephen Symington enough for everything they have done for me. This win is for them! I am bursting with excitement to get to Knockhill in two weeks' time!”

Dan also showed pace but his Sunday was fraught with challenges, most of which he had little influence over the outcome.

“There are positives to take from the weekend.” said Dan. “It was my best qualifying yet and I placed myself in the top five for the first race.

"We are still finding ways to improve the car and I had the pace on Sunday. I am disappointed with the results I achieved, obviously getting turned around on the second corner in the first race made the rest of the day tough and I didn’t find much luck through the rest of the day either.

"I am over the moon for Chris and the team, achieving two race wins from three race weekends is a really awesome job.”

Team Boss Bert Taylor was not only delighted that the driver he has worked so closely with but doubly so, given his son Ben also engineered his first race-winning BTCC car.

“That moment will live with me forever! It has been a long and tough journey to this point but I couldn’t be happier for Chris and we are all so proud,” said Taylor.

“The team has only been in the Championship for 18 months and this is Chris’ second full year. His pace and determination today has been nothing short of impressive.

"I am also overjoyed for my son Ben who has been engineering Chris’ car this year, the win means so much to him as well.

“Dan had a lot of bad luck but he brings so much to the team and has been fast all weekend. It is a shame that we couldn’t see what he had to offer this weekend after the first lap incident in race one but I know he will bounce back at Knockhill.

"It has been a busy day for the team with lots of work to carry out between races. They continue to impress me with their professionalism and determination – I am very proud of them all.”

Leading motorsport publications Autosport and Motorsport News have paid tribute to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this week with special editions celebrating 60 years of the UK’s premier motor racing championship.

The publications have special bumper issues detailing the history and the rise of the series to become the leading category in the UK.

Its journalists have polled a number of tin-top experts to create a list of the 25 greatest BTCC drivers of all time, and they have also pulled together some of the BTCC’s most iconic cars for a group track test. 

There is a reflection on how the championship rose from its roots in 1958 to become essential viewing for armchair fans and the biggest race-day draw in modern motor racing.

BTCC series director Alan Gow gets behind the wheel of a modern-day racer, and there is an exclusive interview with the series’ most successful driver, Jason Plato. Motorsport News also includes a special pull-out poster of all the series’ championship-winning machines.

Both publications detail Jim Clark’s reign in the championship on his way to the 1964 title and there is also a look back at some of the BTCC’s greatest moments.

Motorsport Network’s editor in chief Andrew van de Burgt said: “For 60 years the British Touring Car Championship has been covered in depth across the pages of Autosport and Motorsport News, so it was only natural that we would want to celebrate its landmark anniversary with two bumper special issues.

“There have been so many fantastic races, charismatic drivers and memorable cars that it was impossible to do justice to them all, but we have tried to reflect the passion, excitement and unpredictability that has captivated fans over the decades.

“We owe a huge thank you to all the people who helped us to create these amazing pieces of work and here’s to the next 60 years!” 

Motorsport News is published today (Wednesday) and Autosport is published tomorrow.

Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship rookie Bobby Thompson produced one of the best performances of his career to shatter his previous BTCC high with a pulsating drive from 28^th to seventh in the third and final race of the day at Rockingham.

Just two weeks on from his first career point scoring drive and a head-turning maiden top ten finish in Britain’s highest profile domestic race series at Snetterton, 22 year-old Thompson gained not only the best finish of his rookie season so far but also the respect of the BTCC paddock.

Under laden and occasionally damp skies at the concrete lined 1.94-mile Corby circuit, Thompson and Team HARD with Trade Price Cars ensured that they left their mark on the most unique racing facility in the UK on possibly the BTCC’s final visit to Britain’s only true ‘Roval.'

The current BRDC Rising Star and reigning VW Cup Series Champion could potentially have left with a clean sweep of top ten finishes in Rounds 19, 20 and 21, such was the pace of the number 19 GKR Ltd VW CC, had it not been for a gear linkage issue in qualifying, a turbo wastegate issue in race one and contact from a rival in race two.

“The car was just mega all weekend,” said Thompson. “From the moment we hit the track it just felt on rails and my engineer just kept tweaking it all weekend and each time we changed something it just kept on feeling quicker and quicker.”

Comfortably inside the top ten after the first raft of timed qualifying runs, Thompson says that although he was disappointed not to qualify where he felt he could, the fact that the car was so strong, plus an unsettled forecast for race day, meant he knew he would be able to move forward in the races.

“Obviously with my team-mate Mike Bushell qualifying fourth I felt that that was where the car was capable of qualifying so to be on row nine isn’t great,” added Thompson, whose best lap was still just six tenths off pole position despite him completing fewer laps than anyone else on the 31-car grid. “When you know that you have the right package underneath you it just gives you the confidence to go into a race with the right mindset and that is what I did.”

With spots of rain making the track slightly greasy and on the less favoured option tyre for the opener, Thompson made a good getaway and gained four places over an incident strewn opening lap before the safety car intervened. Already in a points-paying position, Thompson felt confident of further progress, especially in the kind of conditions he revels in until disaster struck just as the field took the restart.

“Suddenly the car had a problem with the turbo wastegate and so I had to pit as the field restarted,” continued Bobby. “The guys got me back out but I just lost the lead lap and had to basically let everyone go so I didn’t interfere in their race which was doubly frustrating as the car was just so quick.”

With a fastest lap just two tenths shy of race winner Adam Morgan despite being on the option tyre Thompson took the chequered flag a lap down, which meant a twelfth row start for the second race, which played out in similarly uncertain weather conditions.

“We have had so many races this year where we have started out of position because of a minor issue in the previous race but now I have the confidence in the car to just come through the pack whatever gets thrown my way.”

With the infamous Dean Hairpin claiming its fair share of victims on the opening lap Thompson emerged unscathed in 14^th place under safety car conditions at the end of the opening lap and when the green flag waved again on lap four.

“There were spots of rain everywhere but nothing too major and I love those conditions so I just went for it and as other people seemed to be a bit cautious I was just able to pass people and pull away.”

On lap ten, he passed Rory Butcher for ninth and closed in on Matt Simpson for eighth. The Honda was quickly dispatched with an outside move at Tarzan only for Thompson to be forced wide on the exit of the corner, which allowed Ollie Jackson’s Audi to close in. 

While Jackson had his licence endorsed for the incident it came as cold comfort to Thompson, who was forced to return with damage to the rear of his VW and was faced with starting 28^th on the grid for the final race of the day. 

“I was thinking ‘not again',” continued Thompson. “To not score any points with a car as fast as ours would have been cruel to everyone on the team so I just had to take every opportunity and make sure I wasn’t taken out by anyone else’s mistake.”

A sprinkle of rain just before the start helped Bobby’s cause as several drivers ran wide at Dean, elevating him into 17^th place at the end of the first lap.

Thompson got into the groove, passing an average of one car per lap, sometimes two – breaking into the top ten with a pass on the works Honda of Dan Cammish on lap ten and then dispatching Tom Oliphant, Jackson and race one winner Adam Morgan on successive laps to take seventh place by the 13-lap mark. That's where he stayed, representing a career high so far!

“I can’t thank my team enough for giving me the best car I’ve ever driven,” said Thompson, who moved into eighth place in the Jack Sears Trophy standings thanks to his race three result. “Most of all I have to thank my parents who work non-stop to help raise the sponsorship to keep me racing. They live every lap with me and so this result is a great way to repay them and we will be celebrating this as a family tonight.”