Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Series Organiser, TOCA, has unveiled its all-new state-of-the-art ‘TOCA Safety Team’ truck ahead of the 2018 season.

The brand new Ford F250, specially imported from the USA for sole use at TOCA events, is equipped with the very latest and best in rescue and cutting equipment.

The truck will be deployed to any incident where needed, across all BTCC sessions and those of its supporting series’, and is the only one of its type in Europe.

Following similar concepts to those used in IndyCar and NASCAR in the United States, the truck will be manned with a dedicated and fully trained TOCA safety crew and paramedic.

Martin Hunt is the permanent Safety Team Crew Chief of the vehicle, whilst TOCA Medical Director, Dr Paul Trafford, will oversee all operations.

In a ground-breaking deal with TOCA, Holmatro is supplying their latest state-of-the-art rescue set, including the Inclined Cutter, which is a unique design to Holmatro. The set will be continually updated as further new tool innovations and technologies are developed.

Holmatro is the world leader in producing advanced rescue equipment, including the hydraulic Cutters and other tools in widespread use across top-level motorsport including the INDYCAR Series in the United States.

Older cutting equipment fails to produce enough force to cut through modern cars, with race cars presenting yet further challenges. Carbon fibre shells, coupled with roll cages and other safety features, make cutting race cars more complex, which is why Holmatro’s all-new equipment set the standards across the industry.

MacTools and its sister company DeWalt, global leaders in their own fields, are also providing a full range of battery-powered equipment and other essential tools.

The vehicle has been specially wrapped in a striking red and black livery by BossDog of Redhill, Surrey.

The new ‘TOCA Safety Team’ truck has already undergone a number of tests and will make its operational debut during the BTCC’s official Season Launch event at Donington Park on 27 March. It will then become a permanent fixture in TOCA’s fleet from the opening round of the season at Brands Hatch on 7/8 April and at all official events thereafter.

TOCA would like to pass on its thanks to Holmatro (www.holmatro.com), Mac Tools (www.mactools.co.uk), RDT (www.rdtltd.com) and BossDog (www.bossdog.co.uk) for their support.

BTCC Series Director, Alan Gow, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the new ‘TOCA Safety Team’ truck. It represents an investment of nearly £200,000 by TOCA and its partners, underlining our real and ongoing commitment to the very highest level of safety, rescue and recovery in UK motorsport.

“This state-of-the-art rescue vehicle carries the very latest in cutting and rescue equipment and, most importantly, will be manned by the same dedicated crew at all events. Our team have worked with the BTCC for many years and I consider them to be the ‘best of the best’.

“This introduction provides the BTCC and its supporting series’ with the very latest equipment and expertise available anywhere in the world for when dealing with serious incidents.”

TOCA Medical Director, Dr Paul Trafford, said: “TOCA has always supported the safety initiatives we have made over the years and the ‘TOCA Safety Team’ rescue truck is going to make a huge difference to our ability to respond to any serious incidents in the British Touring Car Championship and its support series’.

“It really is state-of-the-art equipment from Holmatro, MacTools and DeWalt. This will be complimented by the latest medical monitoring equipment supplied by Remote Diagnostic Technologies (RDT), operated by a dedicated crew, making the vehicle very special indeed.”

 

Power Maxed Racing has announced an increased partnership in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with sales and customer analysis software providers sales-i.

The British-based company, headed up by successful entrepreneur and life-long BTCC fan Paul Black, has increased its presence on both the Warwickshire based team’s Vauxhall Astras, and now takes pride of place as a prominent team sponsor.
 
sales-i, formed in 2008, is one of the world’s best-known cloud-based sales analytics software solutions, and over recent years has played a key role within some of the biggest companies in the USA, UK and worldwide. The first UK based company to pass Microsoft’s now industry standard SaaS Incubation Centre Programme, sales-i quickly earned itself a reputation as a simple and versatile sales support programme within countless industries.
 
With sales-iI Having played a significant role in the expansion of parent company Automotive Brands, manufacturers of Steel Seal head gasket fix and the Power Maxed range of automotive care & maintenance products, PMR’s Team Principal Adam Weaver is quick to point out the benefits he’s experienced first-hand in utilising sales-i to its full potential.
 
“sales-i has definitely been one of the major forces behind our exponential expansion of Automotive Brands," said Weaver. "It has been instrumental in the implementation of several highly successful sales campaigns. It allows us to make sure all our staff are delivering the same message to all customers, and quickly identifies how we can improve areas of the business, all at our fingertips. We now couldn’t be without it. I would recommend it to anyone – apart from our competitors!”
 
CEO of sales-i, Paul Black, is excited for his second year with the Vauxhall supported team: “Our first year with PMR was fantastic, and the marketing awareness we were able to utilise gain from our branding on the car meant increasing our support this year was a no brainer. We’-re looking forward to a hugely exciting season, and with the changes Martin Broadhurst and the team have made to the already successful cars over winter, we’re confident of seeing the sales-i logo right at the front of the grid.”

BMR Racing has announced the re-signing of Josh Price for the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, piloting the all-new Autoglym Academy Racing Subaru Levorg GT.

Autoglym has been involved as a sponsor and technical partner with BMR Racing in the BTCC for a number of years. Having witnessed Ash Sutton win the title last year, Autoglym were keen to be a part of Price’s story as he embarks on a similar journey to that of Sutton.

Price first joined the BMR Academy in 2016 and enjoyed a strong season in the Renault UK Clio Cup before taking the leap to the BTCC where he finished his maiden campaign third in the Jack Sears Trophy standings.

“We're over the moon to be able to further our commitment to the BTCC and our relationship with Subaru and Team BMR in particular,” explains Autoglym CEO Paul Caller. “We have been watching Josh’s journey and we are proud to be playing such a key role in his and the team's campaign and we can't wait for the championship to get underway.”

Price added: “It’s great to be back in the BTCC with Team BMR and Autoglym. After a test at Snetterton a couple of weeks back we came away with a clear vision that this was the right path to go down for 2018.  There is definitely unfinished business for me in the championship, so we’ve got a lot to prove this season.”

Paul Tunnicliffe, Automotive Development Director, Subaru UK said: “Josh started to come into his own late in the 2017 season, and I sense he will be a real force alongside Ash and Jason this year.  With such a formidable line-up, we predict great things for the team in 2018”.

BMR Racing owner Warren Scott commented: “We are thrilled to have Josh in the team for another season in the Subaru Levorg.  2017 was a big learning curve for him with it being his maiden season in which he made impressive progress. We are really looking forward to watching him battle for the Jack Sears Trophy title once again this year and can’t wait to get started. Josh and his family are great to be around and it’s a pleasure to have them on-board”.

Power Maxed Racing has announced its newest partnership agreement with internationally renowned oil manufacturer, Motul.

The world-class French company specialise in the formulation, production and distribution of the highest-tech engine lubricants for cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles, as well as lubricants for industry via its MotulTech activity.

For more than 160 years, Motul have been renowned worldwide for the quality of its products, capacity for innovation and involvement at the forefront of motorsport competition, alongside being recognised as the specialist in synthetic lubricants. As early as 1971, Motul was the first lubricant manufacturer to pioneer the formulation of a 100% synthetic lubricant for automotive engines, the 300V lubricant, utilising technology drawn from the aeronautical industry.

Throughout the years, Motul has gained invaluable experience as partner to leading racing teams and manufacturers, and for 2018 will be working closely with PMR in their British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) campaign.

Whilst the instantly recognisable Motul logo has long been synonymous with high-level motorsport and will be displayed prominently by PMR throughout the entirety of the 2018 season, the sponsorship is also reflective of Motul’s ambition to penetrate the automotive aftermarket in the UK. Accordingly, the BTCC programme will act as a marketing platform upon which PMR’s sister company, Automotive Brands, will distribute Motul’s range of high quality products into its extensive network of automotive factors and the automotive aftermarket sector.

Team Principal Adam Weaver said: “We have worked hard throughout the off-season to develop the right deal with Motul and are immensely proud to be wearing their red and white logos on the cars. Motul has long been seen as the ultimate oil brand within motorsport and knowing the powerplants of our Vauxhall Astras will be running on the best performing fluids on the market is a great feeling. With Automotive Brands now distributing Motul, we are also proud to showcase another great example of how to use the high profile and prestige of BTCC sponsorship for tangible business benefit.”

Gunter Steven, Head of BU Sales Export, Motul said: “Motul is a recognised leader in high performance lubricants and has a passion for racing across the globe in many different forms, with the British Touring Car Championship being the UK's leading motorsport series.

"For us to extend our sponsorship within the BTCC was a natural step in growing our brand awareness in the UK, and Power Maxed Racing is a team that shares our desire for technical excellence in everything that they do. To create a partnership between us was a great fit!

"The opportunity to work with Automotive Brands to expand our presence in the UK aftermarket sector was an equally exciting opportunity for us both. We are delighted to work together for the coming season and look forward to some excitement along the way!”

Weaver added: “We are so excited about the opportunities that come with being associated with the Motul brand, now both on and off the track. The brand sits so well with us, and our stockists won’t hesitate to be part of the programme; it’s one of heritage and great integrity, that inspires trust from the end user, and that’s something that sits perfectly with our idealogies.”

Back to our look through the exploits of 2017’s record 13 different Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race winners, and next on the list is incumbent champ Ash Sutton.

As in 2016, Subaru's Levorg sprang into life in Cheshire at Oulton Park. Andrew Jordan in the Pirtek-backed BMW 125i M Sport had taken the initiative with victory in the opener, and as a result he carried the full complement of success ballast into the second bout of the day. 

Typically, the BMW fired away from the line strongly, with Jordan maintaining that initial advantage but it wasn't long before Sutton's Subaru loomed large in his mirrors. On lap two, the Levorg drew alongside the 1 Series into the Island Hairpin and Sutton managed to get the move done at Hislops. It was cork out of the bottle stuff from there as he scampered away from the chasing pack, leaving Jordan to fend off the rest with maximum weight on-board.

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing's maiden win in 2017 was made to look serene, despite it being at the time only Sutton's second BTCC victory.

“That couldn’t have gone any better!” he said post-race. “After seeing the performance of the soft tyres in race one, I didn’t feel too confident, especially with an extra 57kg having been thrown at me but I got a great start and then the pace was just in the car. I had to get away as quickly as I could because we all know Rob Collard’s a charger and he was going to be coming after me, but I made the break by Andrew [Jordan] just in time.

“It was then a question of managing the race, and it’s phenomenal to score the first win of the year for Adrian Flux Subaru Racing. We had a bit of a difficult start to the season, so this one is for all the boys – they’ve done a mega job to get the car to where it is now.”

After Oulton came Croft, the scene of Sutton's maiden victory in the championship in 2016. He goes well in North Yorkshire, that much is now known. He notched pole position by some half-a-second, following a curtailed qualifying session, and converted to score victory in race one.

It was Sutton's exemplary defensive drive that caught the eye as he and experienced campaigner, and indeed double champion, Colin Turkington duelled for top honours for much of the contest. The duo were rarely separated by more than a couple of tenths of a second and despite the Team BMW racer's best efforts, with several attempts on Sutton's lead, the Subaru man prevailed. Roles were reversed in the final round from Croft, however, providing in two rounds a tantalising little precursor to what we'd see unfold in the battle for the title.

A stunning pair of victories at Snetterton was next on the hit list for Sutton in 2017, bringing his overall tally for the season to four. The two drives were truly imperious, including a fight from third on the grid to top step in the opener and a comprehensive lights-to-flag performance in the second race of the day, despite the 75kgs of ballast bolted to the Subaru.

“We’re in a real rhythm at the minute and I’m really enjoying it," he said at the end of the weekend. "The car is phenomenal. We made some changes between races one and two and if anything, we made the car even better! Considering where we were at the end of the opening race weekend back in April I’ll take where we are at this stage! It’s just about being consistent now as it’ll only get harder from here on in.”

Truer words would not be spoken – consistency is key in the BTCC and Sutton knew that at just beyond the half way stage of the campaign things would only get more difficult from there on in if he was to go on and secure the biggest prize in British motorsport.

A strong weekend followed that win-double, at Knockhill in Scotland with yet another victory, plus one more to add to the tally at Rockingham shortly thereafter.

Controversy and a bump in the road looked to have thrown a spanner in the works for his title tilt at Silverstone, however. The race for the crown took several twists and turns after a sensational penultimate race weekend of the season, leaving a head-to-head between Sutton and Turkington heading into the finale at Brands Hatch.

The drama ensued when, battling for the final podium position, Sutton nosed down the inside of Turkington's BMW at Luffield with just a lap to go. The latter couldn't hang on and the standings leader looked to have sealed the move that would push himself further beyond the grasp of the Ulsterman in the Drivers' running. 

However, after the chequered flag fell, it emerged that the TOCA stewards were analysing the incident for any potential wrongdoing. Subsequently, Sutton was penalised for the move, handing the podium place to Turkington and in a double-whammy, as it was the young star's third penalty strike of the campaign, he was forced into starting the final round in Northamptonshire from the very back of the grid.

Trouble for Turkington in that final round, though, proved something of a reprieve for Sutton – who battled back to 11th with the bit between his teeth. This meant that despite the controversy, Sutton was able to extend his lead in the standings to ten points with 67 still to play for at Brands Hatch, and we all know what happened there by now.

Sutton's six wins and nine further podium finishes saw him over the line in fine style to seal a first Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship crown in just his second campaign – the youngest man to become champion since way back in 1966.

Colin Turkington has today announced a new partnership with SAP®: a world leader in business technology.  Embarking on a new partnership, Turkington and SAP will be joining forces to showcase the SAP Business One® software in the 2018 British Touring Car Championship. This will mark a fantastic occasion for the double champion as he welcomes a prestigious global company into the BTCC.

“I’m delighted to welcome SAP into the Team BMW family and am incredibly proud to introduce them to the British Touring Car paddock,” commented Colin Turkington.  “It’s a great honour to represent such a well-known software company and a great privilege to display a brand of such status on my race gear.  It goes without saying that this new partnership has injected a huge boost of motivation for 2018, but also a great reward for my 2017 campaign. 

"On the track I must act and react in real time, adapting to the environment as it unfolds.  This is also true within the team as we strive to find a margin on our rivals.  SAP lead the way in providing a real time infrastructure for their customers in business and we share a deep understanding of what it takes to be successful.

"I take great pride in ensuring I deliver both on and off the track and work hard at establishing long and successful relationships with my partners.  We have plenty of exciting plans in the pipeline with SAP Business One and I look forward to showcasing these throughout the season.”

As a market leader in enterprise application software, SAP applications and services are used by more than 378,000 business and public sector customers.  Enabling businesses to keep pace with their competitors and challenging them to push boundaries, SAP is at the centre of today’s business and technology revolution.  In selecting Team BMW driver Colin Turkington, Matt Sinclair, UKI Head of SAP Business One, believes they have chosen the perfect sporting ambassador and is excited to share the SAP Business One opportunities to the UK and Ireland BTCC audience. 

“The BTCC is truly a fantastic racing series, and really showcases British Motorsport around some of the most exciting tracks in the world. The BTCC attracts a huge variety of people and substantial audiences to every single race, with even larger audiences tuning in around the world. This gives us a huge reach for the SAP brand, into some locations and audiences we otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach.

"We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Colin Turkington. He is a fantastic talent in the sporting world, with a huge following across the UKI, but also across other countries in the region. Colin is a down to earth, pleasant individual, and really represents what we are all about in the SME space – working with integrity and passion to help SMEs run simpler and run better.”

Plans to celebrate 60 years of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at this summer’s Silverstone Classic (20-22 July) have moved up a gear with confirmation of a special track parade on Tin Top Sunday.
 
Marking the series’ Diamond Jubilee, Sunday’s packed race programme already includes no fewer than four epic retro showdowns featuring more than 150 cars that have competed in Britain’s most popular national championship over the past six decades. The remarkable racing legacy still competing today ranges from the giant-killing Minis, legendary Lotus Cortinas and mighty US muscle cars of the sixties right up to the high-tech Super Tourers of the nineties and beyond.    
 
Adding to the celebrations, the most iconic cars from these spectacular encounters will be selected to join an exclusive BTCC Diamond Jubilee showcase which will take to the famous Silverstone Grand Prix circuit at lunchtime on Tin Top Sunday.
 
Fittingly, the anniversary parade will feature 60 iconic BTCC cars and be fronted by an Austin Westminster and the Adrian Flux sponsored Subaru Levorg as raced respectively by the late Jack Sears (photo above) and Ash Sutton (photos below top and bottom) to win the very first BTCC crown in 1958 and the latest in 2017.
 
The historic collection will also include a number of significant BTCC cars not racing at the Classic – such as Frank Gardner’s title winning Alan Mann-prepared Ford Escort from 1968 (photo below centre) – as well as a large number of past and present drivers including double champions John Cleland (photo below middle right) and Jason Plato (photo below middle left), the latter the most victorious BTCC driver of all times with an unrivalled 97 race wins.  
 
“Saloon car racing has always been massively popular here in the UK and this incredible parade will not only stir up lots of great memories but mark the timeless BTCC’s 60^th birthday in terrific style,” said Nick Wigley, CEO of Goose Live Events, organiser of the Silverstone Classic. “We have already invited a number of noteworthy stars and cars to join us for these very special celebrations and would love to include all those who’ve played a role in creating what to this day is one of the best-loved and widely-watched championships in the world.”
 
Marking the occasion, a special one-off photo call is also being organised for all the many past and present BTCC drivers attending the Classic. This will take place in the International Paddock immediately before the dazzling Diamond Anniversary Parade takes to the hallowed circuit.  
 
“We are delighted that the Silverstone Classic is saluting the BTCC’s diamond anniversary with what’s clearly going to be a magnificent gathering of stars and cars from the past 60 years,” said Alan Gow, Series Director of the BTCC. “The BTCC has a remarkable history and this great parade will not only put the spotlight on much of that wonderful heritage but also act as the perfect curtain-raiser to our own one-off Diamond Double 60-mile race taking place the following weekend at Snetterton.”
 
Other highlights at this year’s Silverstone Classic include standout celebrations to mark 60 years of Formula Junior, a dramatic Saturday evening ‘Daytona at Dusk’ sportscar showpiece plus live music performances by Soul II Soul and UB40 featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey included in general admission.
 
Full details of all 2018 ticket prices are detailed on the silverstoneclassic.com website.

Team BMW has presented the colours in which Colin Turkington and Rob Collard will contest the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The pair of BMW 125i M Sports, with which the WSR-run team won both the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles in 2017, will appear on-track for the first time today at Brands Hatch as pre-season testing continues.

The revised livery pays tribute to the traditional BMW Motorsport colours that have been carried by countless numbers of championship-winning touring cars since the 1970s.

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “We’re very pleased to once again carry the BMW Motorsport colours into the new BTCC season on the cars of Colin and Rob and hope they’ll prove as successful as they were in our double title-winning season last year. We have had a productive few tests in 2018 so far and want to continue this as we conclude our preparations for the start of the new campaign at Brands Hatch in April.”

AmDtuning.com with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing has confirmed the signing of Scottish driver Rory Butcher for the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
 
Rory will embark on his first full season in the series with the West Thurrock-based outfit and will partner series returnee Tom Boardman in the team’s second MG6 GT.
 
The 31-year-old joins AmDtuning.com having made his debut in the series last season, when he was called up by the Motorbase team for the final four rounds of the year in place of Luke Davenport after his injury in qualifying at Croft.
 
On his first time in the car, Butcher snared a pair of top ten finishes at Knockhill and showed impressive speed through the remaining rounds, pushing regularly for more points finishes.
 
Having sampled the MG for the first time during a test at Snetterton, Butcher is set for further pre-season running in the coming weeks ahead of the opening rounds of the season at Brands Hatch on the weekend of 7-8 April.
 
Rory will be eligible to compete for the Jack Sears Trophy this season, which is now open to those drivers without a podium finish in the series.
 
“My move into the BTCC last season was all a bit last minute and I was thrown in at the deep end for my debut on home soil at Knockhill," Butcher said. "So I was determined to try and get a place on the grid this year to build on what I learned from the final four rounds of 2017 and to start building a long-term BTCC career.
 
“In January, it looked like it wasn’t going to be possible but then I spoke to Shaun (Hollamby) about the MG and with a lot of effort from the team and from my sponsors – who were eager to join me in the BTCC - we’ve been able to pull together a deal - which I’m absolutely delighted about.
 
“It's is such a strong series, particularly this season, that it hard to make too many predictions about what we can expect to achieve, but the team has shown what it can do in recent seasons and my goal is to regularly fight inside the points and push for some strong results as the season goes on.
 
“Twelve months ago, I didn’t imagine I would be racing in the BTCC but there is no better place for me to be in terms of profile. The series is the very pinnacle of British motorsport and I’m really excited about the prospect of a full season on track with AmD in 2018.”
 
Shaun Hollamby, AmDtuning.com team boss, added: “Rory is a driver who we have been talking to for some time, and we are delighted to have concluded a deal for 2018. His career record speaks for itself, and the way he performed last year when he joined the grid in difficult circumstances was hugely impressive.
 
“Since announcing the MG programme, a huge amount of work has gone into preparing and updating the cars and bringing in the drivers is the final piece of the jigsaw.
 
“We have to give thanks to both RCIB Insurance and AutoAid for their support in putting such a strong driver line-up together and I’m confident that in Rory and Tom, we have a pairing is capable of picking up some really strong results on track. We want to challenge towards the front, and I fully expect Rory to be in the mix towards the top of the Jack Sears Trophy standings.”

We're looking back at 2017’s record 13 different Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race winners, and next up it's Team BMW's Rob Collard.

Hampshireman Collard produced a typically swashbuckling start, ensuring he would be in the top six by the time the race was red flagged early-on. The BMW racer had fired his 125i M Sport beyond four rivals before the impact of Lloyd's MG meant Armco repairs were required and a delay ensued.

No matter though, as Collard produced a similarly spritely getaway at the restart – another quick launch, hoisting his 1 Series into third spot and right onto the back of the factory Hondas ahead. Jack Goff was up there too, in Eurotech Racing's Civic Type R. 

A real set-to into the final chicane after the high-speed blast around the back of Thruxton Circuit saw Collard draw three wide with Goff and Shedden alongside. Notoriously racy come Sunday, Collard came out on top of that particular battle with Neal now in his sights out front.

The drama wasn't done there, however, as Neal's Honda appeared to be in trouble – coasting down the pit-lane and handing the race lead to Collard. Shedden in the sister Halfords Yuasa Racing machine dispatched Goff for second spot,  and looked to be hot on the heels of the leader. 

With the race building to a climax, things were unfortunately cut short after Martin Depper's Motorbase Ford ran out of road at Goodwood and scattered debris over the track. Another red flag, and this time that would be that – leaving Collard to notch a first-ever victory on home turf. Shedden came home second with Tom Ingram rounding out the podium.

“That was an explosive few laps!” beamed Collard post-race. “The BMW felt absolutely stunning and I’m so pleased for the team. We did a lot at the first start, and then the re-start was similarly textbook. I had a really good opening lap and then I’m not sure what happened to Matt – I could see sparks coming off – so it was obviously a shame for him but I will take this one and with pride."

Rob scored an additional six podiums and would go onto finish fifth in the overall standings, despite sitting out the whole finale weekend and two of the three rounds at Silverstone following the after-effects of an accident in Round 25.