Rob Austin is in reflective mood this festive season but the BTCC race winner also has his eyes firmly set on a renewed challenge in 2017.

Austin has huge support among the BTCC fanbase and there was some surprise when he switched squads ahead of the 2016 season, moving from his own family-run team to Simon Belcher’s Handy Motorsport.

It wasn’t just a move of teams but it would also see Rob line-up on the grid in front-wheel machinery for the first time, as he swapped his Audi A4 for a Toyota Avensis.

“It was definitely a learning curve and it maybe took a little longer than we’d hoped,” he said. “We were following solid set-up advice initially but it became clear that we may be needed to go down a different route.”

After a series of troubled qualifying sessions at the start of the year, plus a number of occasions where Austin narrowly missed the chance of a reverse grid pole position, the team used the mid-season Dunlop tyre test to experiment with a new direction on set-up.

“Mid-summer testing at Snetterton was key,” he continued. “The first couple of changes didn’t do much, but just as we were about to start tearing our hair out we tried one last thing and it transformed the car – we found half a second instantly. From that change we haven’t looked back and have found more and more pace every time out during the second half of the season. The Toyota was a completely different car in the second half of the season.”

A podium at Snetterton followed, but it wasn’t until the final two events where Austin and Handy really showed their potential. Sixth in qualifying at Silverstone resulted in a podium in the opening contest, but it was his near pole position at Brands Hatch that really turned heads.

“It’s actually a little frustrating," claimed Austin. "If we had gone on new tyres a couple of laps later I’m sure we could have had pole. In truth though it was a great result and we finally knew we had a front-running car underneath us.

“We took second in the first race at Brands and overall it was a positive end to the season. We really didn’t want 2016 to finish – knowing what I know now, how we developed the car and how I improved in a front-wheel drive car throughout the season – I was ready to go again the day after Brands.”

That has remained Austin’s stance ever since and he can’t wait to get back down to business in the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

“We haven’t finalised everything but we’re working hard and we're very positive," he concluded. "Hopefully we’ll be in a position to announce our plans early in the New Year. The team are already fully prepared for the new season and maximising the pre-season testing opportunities will be key. I felt like I had been racing with a hand tied behind my back with the Audi and the pressure that goes with running the whole team. This year was a transitional/learning year, but if I can put the deal together and get back on the grid, in that car with Handy Motorsport, then I feel I’ll finally have a fair shot at this.”

Following the announcement last week that Motorbase Performance has re-signed star driver Mat Jackson, as well as attracting a new title sponsor in Shredded Wheat, we caught up with Team Boss David Bartrum and Jackson himself...

Race-winner Dave Newsham will return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship next season at the wheel of a BTC Norlin Racing Chevrolet Cruze.

The Inverness-based ace will line up alongside Chris Smiley in the team’s two cars, and both will begin a 2017 test programme shortly after Christmas.

Newsham raced the same Chevrolet when it was run by the Power Maxed Racing outfit at two meetings last season, scoring points in five out of the six races he contested.

The 49-year-old, who has featured in the BTCC since 2011, said he was thrilled to have been given the chance to compete with the Bert Taylor-run BTC Norlin Racing squad.

“To have been selected for this drive is unreal for me,” reflected two-time race-winner Newsham. “The team has some very solid foundations and there is a real desire to win from all parties. This will be the first time I will go into a season with a car that I know, so I am full of optimism.

“There are some great people assembled at the team, including my engineer Steve Brady. The elements are there for us to take some real steps forward in terms of performance.

“We will get some pre-season testing done too, and there are areas of the car that we can develop from my time driving it in 2016. I know I have got to go out there and perform – the pressure is on, but I am ready for the challenge.

“I am very grateful to Bert Taylor and the guys at Norlin for the chance to get back on the grid. I am going to do my very best to justify their faith in me.”

Taylor said he was thrilled that Newsham had agreed to drive for the team, and that his input into the initiative could help to push the entire programme towards the front of the field.

“It was important for us to get a driver with race-winning experience, and Dave was at the very top of the list of drivers we wanted,” he revealed. “When we started putting this deal together, we knew he would be the perfect fit.

“Dave showed how good he is when he stepped into the car for a couple of rounds last season and was challenging for the top six straightaway. That is the class that he has. We have a testing programme mapped out and we can’t wait to get to work.”

Stephen Symington, co-owner of Norlin added: “We are delighted with this announcement, and Dave is a perfect ambassador for BTC Norlin Racing and co-sponsor Propiteer.

“We have great experience in the technical team and now we have added a second driver who is world-class. Everyone in the sport thinks very highly of Dave, including the fans, and he was therefore our top target once we had bought the team.”

Power Maxed Racing has signed Tom Chilton as its second Vauxhall driver for the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. 

Chilton, 31, brings vast experience and success to the debutant manufacturer team, with his background including success behind the wheel of the Vauxhall Astra during its last manufacturer outing with VX Racing. Scoring 12 BTCC wins, 45 podiums and 10 poles, Tom is an experienced front runner and will join the Power Maced Racing Vauxhall team-mate, BTCC rookie Senna Proctor. 

It has been a busy off-season for Power Maxed Racing who will return to the grid as a manufacturer after signing a partnership deal with Vauxhall followed by the first driver signing, young talent Senna Proctor. 

The team line-up is now complete with tireless work already ongoing to complete the Astra build in time for a testing programme in the new year.

Tom Chilton commented: "I am delighted to be back in the BTCC, I have continued to watch as a fan while racing in World Touring Cars and the itch to get back behind the wheel on British soil has never gone away. So you can imagine how excited I was when Adam got in touch, plus to get to return in a Vauxhall Astra, a car that I know and love is a dream. I am confident that Power Maxed Racing will be front runners and scoring podiums, the team are fantastic, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel."

Adam Weaver, Power Maxed Racing Team Principal, commented: “I have known Tom for a while now and followed his career with interest, which has now paid off. His experience and work ethic is second to none, he knows what’s coming and will be a great role model for Senna as well as a proven race winner. We knew last year that we had the ingredients for success but like a cake you can’t rush it, but maybe, just maybe this year we can have our cake and eat it!"

Alan Gow, BTCC Series Director, said: "It's really great to see Tom back in the BTCC - and securing a driver of his undoubted speed and experience shows just how serious Power Maxed are about their Vauxhall programme."

Power Maxed Racing is well down the road with the build of the pair of Vauxhall Astras and has a packed build and test schedule between now and the first round of the BTCC in April. The reveal of the Vauxhall Astras in their full livery will be at the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Season Launch on 16 March 2017.

Ashley Sutton's maiden season in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship would prove to be one to remember for the Essex-born racer, as he rounded off a strong campaign in fine style by winning the Jack Sears Trophy.

The MG RCIB Insurance man didn't take long to assert himself as a someone capable of challenging at the sharp end, despite his rookie status. After going well there in pre-season testing at Season Launch, Sutton scored pole at Donington Park – the season's second race weekend. A host of high points-scoring finishes showed it wasn't just over a lap where Sutton's capabilities shone. 

Come mid-season, at the end of the Croft weekend, he'd garnered a debut appearance on the steps of the rostrum and a thrilling race three from the North Yorkshire circuit, in changeable conditions,   yielded a popular first win for the MG driver – much to the delight of the both the Triple Eight squad and MG's contingent. 

As far as the 2015 Renault UK Clio Cup champion is concerned, 2016 will go down as a job well done in the BTCC.

“Things couldn’t have gone better for me this season,” said Sutton. “Some bad luck struck us mid-season and knocked us down the standings for the overall Drivers’ title but I have achieved everything I came here to do.

“People kept asking me at the start, ‘are all these big names intimidating?’ and my honest answer was always no, they are just stickers on windows. I was not going to treat the BTCC any differently to any other championship I had been in.

“I set myself some goals just before Season Launch – those being to secure my first pole positon, get my first podium, followed by my first outright win and then the last and final one, the Jack Sears Trophy.

“Those goals at the time may have been a little strong but I am pleased that we have achieved every single one of them.”

At the TOCA Night of Champions at the end of November, Sutton collected the Jack Sears Trophy, bearing the legendary name of inaugrual BTCC champion Jack Sears, in the year of the inaugural BTCC champion’s passing gave an extra gravitas to the achievement.

“Collecting silverware does show what you have achieved, but winning the Jack Sears Trophy on the year that ‘Gentleman Jack’ passed, with his son David presenting it to me made it an emotional experience as well as an unforgettable one.”

BROWN BROTHERS® Distribution has been selected, for a third year running, as an Official Partner to the Laser Tools Racing Team for the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championships.

The Laser Tools Racing team was new to the BTCC in 2014, set up to support young driver Aiden Moffat. Aiden made BTCC history in 2013 as the youngest driver to ever start on the grid in a BTCC race. Following a successful season in 2016 and now aged 20 there are very high hopes for Aiden in 2017.  

Back in the Mercedes A-Class, Moffat is set to grow on last season’s results with the first race taking place on the 1^st April at Brands Hatch. “Touring cars is where we’re going to stay,” said Moffat. “It’s a fantastic championship and as a team we’re constantly improving.”

Brown Brothers are to continue their sponsorship with Aiden Moffat Racing and will see the Brown Brothers Distribution logo proudly displayed on the car bonnet and tailgate as well as the Laser Tools Racing team kit. Brown Brothers customers will also have the chance to join the team at the races during the 2017 season in first class hospitality.

Speaking to Aiden, he added; “I’ve really enjoyed my time in the BTCC so far and the podium at the end of the year was a reward for everyone involved. It’s great to be working with Brown Brothers again, they are both very professional and very supportive of us at Laser Tools Racing. To have a partner like them is a great thing going into the 2017 season.

“We’ve also improved our Mercedes a lot over the 2016 season and we’ve got a lot of development planned before the 2017 season starts”

Moffat, who enjoyed his best season yet in 2016, including a podium in the season finale at Brands Hatch, will compete with the new Swindon Engines TOCA engine in 2017.

Danielle Aiken PPG UK Marketing Manager said “Following a brilliant season last year, we are really pleased to be associated with such an ambitious and exciting team for a third year running. We are looking forward to seeing the Brown Brothers Distribution brand showcased in the British Touring Car Championship.  We wish both Aiden and the Laser Tools Racing team all the best for the 2017 season.”

The BTCC season commences on the 1^st April at Brand Hatch. Follow Brown Brothers on Twitter for updates @bbduk

Motorbase Performance today (Wednesday) confirmed it will compete under a new banner in the forthcoming Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season after securing a multi-year title sponsorship deal with leading breakfast cereal brand Nestlé Shredded Wheat.

“Motorbase Performance is extremely proud to be bringing such a well-known brand as Shredded Wheat to the British Touring Car Championship;” commented Team Principal David Bartrum. “Shredded Wheat is a household name and a healthy breakfast cereal that we’ve all grown up with and the BTCC package offers them a fantastic platform to reach their target audience.”

“Their faith in us and also the BTCC shows where the championship is in terms of stature and exposure and also how far we’ve come as a team;” continued Bartrum. “I’m very much looking forward to building a strong relationship with the Shredded Wheat brand. The standout on the car looks fantastic and it certainly won’t be missed on track.”

Toby Baker, Marketing Director UK & Australia added; “Nestlé Breakfast Cereals are delighted that Shredded Wheat will be sponsoring the Motorbase British Touring Car team for the 2017 Season. The Shredded Wheat brand is a catalyst for living life to the full and so it is fantastic that we are able to partner with a high adrenaline sport like the BTCC and with a proven winning team like Motorbase.”

“We look forward to seeing the distinctive yellow and red livery of Shredded Wheat - one of the UK’s most famous brands, comes to life on the UK’s favourite race tracks in 2017.”

The announcement comes off the back of the Kent-based squad’s most successful BTCC season to date in 2016 – securing both the Independent Teams’ and Drivers’ Titles with Mat Jackson taking third in the drivers’ standings – just 16 points off the overall title. Fans’ favourite Jackson is also retained as the lead protagonist for the team’s assault on the 2017 title in the newly numbered #3 Ford Focus ST – marking the 35-year-old’s 8^th consecutive season in the Motorbase line-up.

“As reigning Independent Champions we’re looking forward to the challenge of defending our crown. We’re also very happy to announce that Mat will continue to spearhead our 2017 campaign;” added the Team Boss. “After having come so close to the overall drivers’ title last season, we also have our eyes on the overall prize. Mat’s pace is unquestionable and he has shown great consistency in recent years. He is a real asset to the team and the perfect brand ambassador for Shredded Wheat.”

In addition to its new title sponsorship, the reigning Independent Teams’ Championship squad has also retained a number of major partners for the 2017 season and beyond with the return of the IKO enertherm brand - part of global waterproofing and roofing manufacturer the IKO Group - and the UK’s leading online parts retailer, espares.

“It’s great to have IKO and espares back on-board for the seasons ahead and we hope to welcome further partners to the team in the coming weeks;” concluded Bartrum. “Today’s news coupled with the announcement that we will be expanding to a three-car team in 2017 means there are some very exciting times ahead.”

Motorbase Performance and its associate sponsors are set to roll-out a number of exciting initiatives during the 2017 season to enable fans to get even closer to what is already one of the most popular teams on the grid. The eye-catching Shredded Wheat livery and new-look driver line-up are set to be revealed to both trade and public at the Autosport Show on January 12-15 2017.

 

//ends//

The 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship was one to remember for Motorbase Performance as it celebrated Independent Teams' as well as Independent Drivers' honours.

The Kent-based outfit sealed the deal on home soil at the Brands Hatch finale weekend – though the race was all but settled for both championships after Silverstone a fortnight prior.

Andrew Jordan edged Mat Jackson for the Independent Drivers' title, despite the latter claiming the team’s seventh win of the season, his 30th in the series, in the nail-biting season climax. This left Jackson just 16 points shy of champion Gordon Shedden in the overall standings.

It was undoubtedly Motorbase's most successful BTCC campaign to date, with an impressive tally of seven outright race wins, seven outright podiums, 15 Independent race wins and 21 Independent podiums between Jordan and Jackson in the Mountune-powered Ford Focus STs. Jackson also jointly-topped the table of most race wins this season with five to his name, having also led the most laps during 2016.

On the squad's maiden pair of trophies, Team Manager Oly Collins said: “It was such a great year for the whole team at Motorbase and we're proud to say we brought home two BTCC Championships.

“I’m incredibly proud of how well we did and it was all thanks to the guys and girls behind the team!”

Mat Jackson said: “When you come as close as we did to clinching the overall title you always look at the ones that got away and the missed opportunities but we can’t look back – it’s all about learning and moving forward.

"The car was on the money all year and the boys gave me one of the most reliable machines on the grid so we just need to build a little bit on our consistency and come back stronger for the fight next year.”

As confirmed in last week’s list of TBL holders for 2017, BTC Norlin Racing will join the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship grid next year with a brace of Chevrolet Cruze cars.

The Northern Ireland-based team has a multi-year deal with a leading hotel development company, Norlin, and has recruited Chris Smiley as its first driver. A second driver is due to be announced shortly.

BTC Racing entered the British Touring Car Championship in 2006 after a race-winning pedigree in some of Britain’s leading national racing series. It took a sabbatical in 2015, but has now purchased cars and two TOCA BTCC Licences from Power Maxed Racing to return to the top flight.

BTC Norlin Racing boss Bert Taylor said: “We are delighted to announce this partnership with Norlin and to get Chris on board is a real coup.

“I worked with Chris at Team HARD this season and saw first-hand what a talent he is. He is utterly focused on his career and is dedicated to winning, which is the same passion that we have as a team.

“We have expanded the backroom staff at BTC Norlin Racing and have brought in expertise. We have taken on staff that have worked with the likes of RML and Triple Eight, so we feel confident we can move forward.

“We have chosen to run with the Chevrolet initially because it is a car we know well, and we have run them before. In the longer term, our plan is to become a constructor in our own right, and that is the aim for 2018.”

The cars are currently being prepared at BTC Norlin Racing’s Bicester base. Smiley has already tested the first car at Donington Park.

The 24-year-old Carrickfergus racer will be returning to the championship in 2017, after a part-season this term at the wheel of a Toyota Avensis. He stopped the programme halfway through the year after a troubled start to the season.

The former Mini Challenge champion said: “For me, this is the start of my BTCC career. I didn’t really get enough running this year to learn anything, so I am beginning afresh. I will be able to properly attack the championship in 2017.

“I am grateful for the people who have stood by me – and the guys at Norlin have been so enthusiastic. They are family friends and we have been able to put together a team of highly talented people. I really can’t wait to get started.

“We want to be solidly in the top ten to start with and build from there. There is no reason why we shouldn’t be expecting podiums and strong results from reversed-grid races over the latter part of the year.”

Richard Irwin, the Chief Executive of Norlin, explained: “Our aim over the next two seasons will be to challenge for the Independents’ Trophy and we look forward to a very competitive 2017 season.

“We believe we have a strong team led by Bert Taylor, with an experienced technical team and an excellent first signing in Chris Smiley.

“It is difficult to describe the BTCC to anyone who has never been to a race. The races are high-speed, high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled and action-packed. The trackside crowds have been growing year-on-year at each circuit and there is a very loyal online following, coupled with strong ITV viewing figures.

“The BTCC is therefore an appropriate showcase for our Norlin brand along with a great day out for our corporate partners and fellow sponsors Propiteer.

“For years, Northern Ireland sportspeople and teams have been challenging the leaderboards at global level. Motor sport is no different and this is an exciting time for a new team from Northern Ireland to be entering the BTCC. We want to build a brand that our sponsors, team, country and sport are proud to be associated with.”