BTCC title sponsor and official tyre supplier, Dunlop, has assessed the opening half of the 2017 campaign as it looks at the title shake up, #ForeverForward, compound stats and the recent Snetterton test...

• Defending champion Shedden leads at the mid-way point
• Nine winners from 15 races
• All specs of tyres used
• Neal underlines tenacity to lead Dunlop #ForeverForward
• Mid-season test proves tyres in extreme conditions

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is half way through it’s summer break in a season shaping up to be another thrilling encounter. Nine different drivers have climbed the top step of the podium, a further five others joining them on the rostrum across the 15 races.

Defending champion Gordon Shedden went into the mid-season break ninth last year and fought back to take the title at the very last race. This year the Honda racer holds an 11 point advantage over Rob Collard, with double champion Colin Turkington a further one point back.

The season has once again marked a number of milestones, notably Matt Neal equalling Andy Rouse’s 60 BTCC wins, 35 shy of Jason Plato’s record, when he led a Honda 1-2-3 at Thruxton. Thruxton also marked an impressive event for BMW with Collard and Turkington collecting wins 99 and 100 for the German marque, while at Croft, Turkington claimed West Surrey Racing’s 75th BTCC win, their 50th with BMW – ten years after his first win at the North Yorkshire track.

Thruxton marked the appearance of Dunlop’s Sport Maxx Hard option tyre, where the winter development, together with increased tyre size provided increased performance on the most demanding circuit on the calendar. The hard tyre was also the option for Croft, which saw Ash Sutton the only driver in the top 14 to use in race one as he recorded his second win of the year. The soft option tyres have also been used successfully, all three winners at Oulton Park selecting that as their option tyre across the three races.

 

BTCC Stats

• Aiden Moffat took his first ever BTCC win at Donington Park
• Matt Neal took his 60th win at Thruxton to equal the previous record of most BTCC driver wins ever, held by Andy Rouse
• Aiden Moffat made his 100th race start in the BTCC at Thruxton
• Colin Turkington claimed BMW’s 100th BTCC win at Thruxton
• Turkington took a record 12th win at Croft, WSR’s 75th BTCC win and his 50th with BMW – ten years after his first win at Croft
• Nine different drivers have climbed the top step of the podium
• There have been 14 different podium finishers
• Only Turkington has claimed three wins in 2017
• Every race winner across the Oulton Park weekend was running Dunlop Option-Soft tyres 

 

BTCC points after round 15

1.	GORDON SHEDDEN	188pts
2.	ROBERT COLLARD	177pts
3.	COLIN TURKINGTON	176pts
4.	ASHLEY SUTTON	168pts
5.	TOM INGRAM	140pts
6.	MATT NEAL	135pts
7.	ANDREW JORDAN	128pts
8.	ROB AUSTIN	109pts
9.	MAT JACKSON	102pts
10.	ADAM MORGAN	101pts

 

Matt Neal’s fightbacks put him atop the #ForeverForward Award

The Dunlop #ForeverForward Award rewards drivers for their determination and fightbacks from adversity, the overtaking league focusing on the battles through the field with one point awarded for every position gained. This year’s table has a distinctly unusual look about it, with triple champion Matt Neal topping the points after five rounds. The Honda Yuasa racer is without question one of the best touring car drivers on the 2017 grid, and his fightbacks at Brands Hatch, Thruxton and Croft are testament to his undoubted skill, as he also lies sixth overall in the BTCC.

 

#ForeverForward Stats

• Four drivers have taken #ForeverForward weekend honours, Matt Neal x 2, Colin Turkington, Tom Chilton, and Ashley Sutton
• The highest number of overtaking moves in one race (23) was recorded by Colin Turkington in race two at Brands Hatch
• Ash Sutton has the highest number of overtaking moves across a weekend with a staggering 31 places at Donington Park
• A total of 1328 places have been gained across the five rounds

 

Overall #ForeverForward standings after round 5

1.	MATT NEAL	74pts
2.	OLLIE JACKSON	70pts
3.	COLIN TURKINGTON	69pts
4.	DAVE NEWSHAM	69pts
5.	JAKE HILL	67pts
6.	TOM CHILTON	60pts
7.	ASHLEY SUTTON	59pts
8.	ROB COLLARD	57pts
9.	MARTIN DEPPER	57pts
10.	ROB AUSTIN	55pts

 

Dunlop tyres undergo extreme weather tests at Snetterton

The now traditional two-day tyre test at Snetterton allowed the teams and drivers the opportunity to get some valuable track time ahead of the next round of the championship in Norfolk.

The Dunlop tyre test took place on 5&6 July, with varying track conditions and temperatures greeting the 30 cars and drivers. Wednesday track temperatures exceeded 40 degrees and allowed all cars the opportunity to test the prime and option Sport Maxx tyres. Thursday concluded with a typically British shower that interrupted proceedings around lunchtime, but provided the chance for wet weather running on Dunlop’s Blu Response tyres.

“The opening day of testing at Snetterton was held in incredibly dry, hot conditions with track temperatures exceeding 40 degrees. The tyres performed well, they’re designed to operate within a large operating window so that wasn’t an issue. However, there were several variations in the track so performance was not consistent. The tests are valuable as they allow us to carry out evaluations, as well as offering additional track time for the next race.” said Mickey Butler, Dunlop Motorsport.

Adrian Flux Subaru Racing’s Ashley Sutton secured the fastest lap time during the two-day mid-summer BTCC test at Snetterton. The championship challenger set the time during a frenetic morning of running on Thursday, as he edged out Wednesday’s pace-setter Jack Goff.

"We didn’t get too much testing in during the winter so it has been really nice to have these two days," said Sutton. "We focussed on mileage and dialling the car in during Wednesday, plus of course looking at different set-ups, and that was the plan again today.

"We really found the sweet spot however, and we hooked it up to find a chunk of time. It sets things up well for the event here at Snetterton and the rest of the season."

Goff also went quicker on day two but the Eurotech Racing driver eventually fell just 0.059s shy of Sutton’s benchmark. The Honda Civic Type R of Goff was also one of the busiest cars on track as the BTCC race winner completed nearly 140 laps of the 2.97-mile circuit across the two days.

Much of the running was completed in scorching summer conditions – with Wednesday’s track temperatures reaching more than 36C – but the Dunlop BluResponse wet tyres also saw some action on Thursday afternoon.

Heavy rain – accompanied at times by thunder, lightning and hail – descended on the Norfolk venue with only a handful of drivers risking the conditions after lunch. There was a flurry of activity in the closing moments, however, when a number of cars returned to the track as the weather rapidly improved.

With little chance of improvements on the timesheets, it meant that Speedworks Motorsport’s Tom Ingram and TAG Racing's Jake Hill remained third and fourth respectively, whilst Dave Newsham's flyer in the BTC Norlin Racing Chevrolet was still good enough for fifth overall.

Hill in particular shone throughout the test as the Team HARD-run VWs made solid progress. The young racer was one of those drivers on-track until the finish as he also set the fastest time in Thursday's damp conditions.

Team BMW’s Colin Turkington was next in the order, as he shared driving duties with team-mate Rob Collard across the two days.

The next trio of times were all set on Wednesday afternoon as Ollie Jackson, Aiden Moffat and Adam Morgan produced the goods late on.

AmDTuning.com only completed the first day of running, but Jackson’s performance underlined the Kent squad’s recent upturn in pace, whilst Moffat and Morgan again proved the consistency of the Mercedes A-Class.

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo completed the top ten positions with Mat Jackson's early pace-setter on Wednesday eventually slipping down the order.

BTCC big guns such as Matt Neal, Jason Plato and Andrew Jordan failed to trouble the top ten, although overall times are of course difficult to assess with teams running their own programmes in preparation for the second half of the season.

Brett Smith, Chris Milford and Rory Butcher enjoyed maiden BTCC tests for Eurotech Racing, Team HARD and Motorbase Performance respectively, with the latter running as high as tenth on Thursday morning. Stewart Lines was back behind the wheel of the Maximum Motorsport Ford Focus, as the team continues to assess its options for the remainder of 2017.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will be back on-track for Rounds 16, 17 and 18 at Snetterton on 29/30 July.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Snetterton Test – Wednesday and Thursday COMBINED

1 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing 1m57.130s (91.24 mph)
2 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.059s
3 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.263s
4 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.290s
5 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.366s
6 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.525s
7 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +0.663s
8 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.694s
9 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.718s
10 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.894s
11 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.895s
12 Brett SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.993s
13 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.007s
14 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.050s
15 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +1.084s
16 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +1.096s
17 Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.152s
18 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.195s
19 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.314s
20 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.424s
21 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +1.432s
22 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +1.552s
23 Josh COOK (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +1.630s
24 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +1.653s
25 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.798s
26 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +1.957s
27 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +2.644s
28 Stewart LINES (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +3.268s

Scot Rory Butcher had his first run out in Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship machinery at Snetterton on Thursday when he tested the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo Ford Focus.

The former British GT and Porsche racer deputised for the team’s regular driver Martin Depper, who was forced to miss the second day of the official Snetterton tyre test as he was busy with work commitments.

Butcher, 30, who is the brother-in-law of reigning BTCC champion Gordon Shedden, has previously driven for Motorbase in the British GT Championship in an Aston Martin alongside Liam Griffin.

Motorbase Performance is looking for a driver to deputised for the injured Luke Davenport, who is still recovering in hospital after an accident during qualifying for the last rounds of the championship at Croft in mid-June.

Butcher drove Depper’s machine, while regular Mat Jackson handled the other Focus.

Motorbase Performance Team Principal David Bartrum said: “Martin was unable to be in the car today, and we are a bit short of drivers at the moment and so Rory stepped in. We have worked with him before and we know he has the ability.”

Butcher said: “It was a great experience driving BTCC car for the first time. It couldn’t be further away from a GT car which I am more used to. I have really enjoyed the challenge.”

Butcher was 10th after the morning’s running.

Having made the move back to MG Racing RCIB Insurance in the week leading up to Croft, Josh Cook is eager to chew through the miles at Snetterton this week to reacquaint himself with familiar machinery and familiar surroundings.

"Croft was actually quite a good weekend for us in terms of the way the car felt," started Cook. "It was obviously a shame about what happened in qualifying otherwise I think we could have been top three.

"Handling was really nice in the wet and in race one, the car was really stable and felt good then race two and three, we were a little bit unlucky but the pace was there."

It was a case of settling back into the hot-seat of the MG6 at short notice back at Croft, after returning to MG having spent 2016 there alongside then team-mate Ash Sutton.

Last year was an encouraging one for Cook and having led Maximum Motorsport to a string of best-ever results this season, he is now looking to recapture what made the MG6 such a potent platform. The two-day test at Snetterton offers exactly that opportunity, with team and driver running through every variable in a bid to fine-tune setup and maximise performance.

"It felt good straight out of the box but that was going into a race weekend in the unknown for me," continued Cook. "We ran through a lot of stuff we’d have liked to have done, or would have ordinarily worked through in pre-season so we’ve had to cram an awful lot in to see where we are with the car.

"We’ve made a lot of changes to figure out our range and see what each change does to the car – sort of finding what tools we’ve got in the toolbox on a race weekend.

"The car’s just where we left off really and it feels good. It’s great to be out with MG as a manufacturer but there’s a lot of hard work to be done as there is for any car on the grid – so we’re happy to be testing.

Personal progress is the focus for Cook, given the nature of testing as a difficult form-book to read. With teams and drivers trying every possible combination of tyres, setup and the rest, it's difficult to judge exactly how representative the time-sheets are. 

The Bath racer is running through his programme to ensure he and MG arrive at Snetterton in anger in three weeks' time with the best possible starting point.

"People are testing a whole host of things from tyres to their own engines so it’s a fairly open event. I don’t look at the times so we’re doing everything based on feel – that’s what’s important to me.

"You just don’t know what everyone else is doing – they’re running different tyres throughout the day and you don’t know where you are until quali comes in a couple of weeks.

"We’re going through the motions of a lot of different setup changes which can be frustrating as I just want to get out there and go as fast as I can on new tyres. It’s all part of it and it needs to be done. All the hard work now will hopefully yield the rewards on the race weekend."

Eurotech Racing's Jack Goff produced a late flying lap to top the opening BTCC mid-summer test day at Snetterton.

Goff had led for much of the afternoon running, before the TAG Racing VW of Jake Hill hit the heights in the final 15 minutes. The Honda Civic Type R of Goff responded almost immediately, however, as the talented young driver fired in a 1:57.408s lap time to return to summit of the timesheets.

"We're just focussing on our own thing but it's always nice to be in P1," said Goff. "Some of the things we tried today simply didn't work but that's all part of the process and we know we're in the ballpark. Things haven't really gone our way in the last couple of meetings but hopefully we can have another good day tomorrow and be set-up well for the rest of the season. 

"The title seems a long way away, but if you look at Gordon Shedden last year then you never say never, although the Independents' remains a real target."

Hill managed to squeeze some extra pace from the VW, and whilst it's always hard to read too much into testing he believes that permanent gains have been found both on and off track.

"This has been the most productive test I’ve ever done in the BTCC," said Hill. "We’ve got a new engineering side to our team – two new guys who are doing a great job and we’re all getting on extremely well.

"I feel like I can finally focus on driving the car and these guys can focus on what they do best. I’m over the moon as we’ve already learnt so much today. This is good news for me and for everyone in the team."

The top six times of the day were all set in the afternoon as AmD also enjoyed a great late run with Ollie Jackson claiming third. The Audi racer was in podium contention at Croft last time out, and the Kent squad backed up its potential with another good showing here. The team will not be contesting day two tomorrow as they travel to Spa for a British GT event, but this will have been yet another welcoming boost for the ever-improving outfit.

The Mercedes duo of Aiden Moffat and Adam Morgan were next up in the order, the pair becoming increasingly inseparable when it comes to pace on-track, whilst former championship leader Tom Ingram completed the top six.

Mat Jackson set the pace in the morning session as the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo driver edged out a trio of unlikely contenders. Team HARD run Will Burns, debutant Brett Smith and Norlin's Chris Smiley were all vying for position behind Jackson, and at the end of the day their times were still good enough for top ten positions overall.

Surprisingly, the manufacturer-backed Subarus, BMWs and Honda failed to trouble the leading order. 

Aside from the well known protagonists there were also run outs for Stewart Lines in the Maximum Motorsport Ford and a first ever BTCC test for Chris Milford with Team HARD.

Snetterton - Test - 5 July - Combined Classification:

Click here for the full classified results.

As is the case up and down the pit-lane with every team out testing at Snetterton this week, Team HARD are seeking to learn and collect as much data as is possible in a bid to pick up morsels of time wherever they can find them.

On Wednesday, the opening day of the yearly two-day outing at the Norfolk venue during the traditional mid-season break, both Jake Hill and Will Burns took to the track in two of the outfit's trio of Volkswagen CCs, with Mike Epps set to take the reigns in the other tomorrow. The third car was today fielded by Chris Milford – a familiar face to the squad, as part of its GT effort. 

A late lap from Hill saw him just 0.012s shy of Jack Goff at the top of the times in the second session, topping off what was by all accounts a fruitful day's work for Team HARD.

"This has been the most productive test I’ve ever done in the BTCC," said Hill. "We’ve got a new engineering side to our team – two new guys who are doing a great job and we’re all getting on extremely well.

"I feel like I can finally focus on driving the car and these guys can focus on what they do best. I’m over the moon as we’ve already learnt so much already today. This is good news for me and for everyone in the team.

"It’s always hard to make any real concrete judgements during testing when it comes to comparing times, although it is nice to be up there – obviously. Jack Goff and Tom Ingram’s sector times for example are good, but they’re easing off here and there so that they don’t show their hand.

"We’ve been running on Croft tyres so far, so they’re pretty worn, but at some point we’ll put some new boots on the car and really push.

"It hasn’t really gone our way so far this season, and we’ve been taken out far too often which I haven’t enjoyed one little bit, but now with the car improving we hope to get nearer the front and away from the problems."

Team Principal Tony Gilham added: "We had a frantic pre-season in bringing the VWs up to the latest spec and it has been a whirlwind first half of the year.

"I think this is the first time in our short three-year history that we’ve had a proper two days of testing. We’ve arrived here with a proper programme, with experienced and new engineers on board, and we’re hoping to make some serious progress here.

"Michael Epps will be back in the car tomorrow but we believe Chris Milford was very deserving of the drive today. He’s been a stalwart already – worked with the team last year, races in VWs, and engineers our cars in British GT and Britcar. It’s all quite new to him but he’ll pick it up fast.

"The bigger our team gets the easier it becomes as we’ve got some really good people around us now."

Over the course of Wednesday and Thursday this week (5-6 July), Snetterton will play host to the vast majority of teams and drivers up and down the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship pit-lane at the mid-season test – and the venue will be free to enter for spectators.

As is always the case, btcc.net will on hand to provide comprehensive coverage of all of the action, with outfits and drivers looking to gather data in Norfolk as they seek to garner an advantage heading into the second half of the campaign.

Keep across the on-track activity with post-session reports, analysis, interviews along with the best of the days' photography at the home of the BTCC online – btcc.net – and hear from a host of personalities over the two-day test.

Live timing will also be available, allowing you to keep track of every driver's progress as they rack up the testing mileage – just head here.

On social media, we'll feature text commentary over on Twitter alongside all of the latest news and views on Facebook too.

Exclusive, regular behind-the-scenes video and photo content will be the order of the day @OfficialBTCC on Instagram, as the BTCC's up to the minute Insta stories continues to grow in popularity! 

Get involved! Use #BTCC and make sure you tag us in your shots. Show us your photos and videos from the spectator banks and the paddock – we'll share the best.

The sessions will run from 9.00am to 5.00pm on each day, with an hours’ break for lunch. Tyrrell’s restaurant and bar will be open both days from 7.30am until 5.00pm, serving food and drink throughout the day.

Tickets for the BTCC at Snetterton on 29/30 July are available online from £27, with free entry for under-13s. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or click here.

Maximum Motorsport is aiming to build on a strong first half of 2017, with the year-old outfit already producing consistent top ten finishes so far this season.

The team fielded Dennis Strandberg at Croft last time out, with the 23-year-old securing three solid finishes at his maiden event. Strandberg stepped into the breech, having been known to Team Principal Stewart Lines through competition in the Maximum Motorsport-backed VAG Trophy. Going forward, other commitments – including a full campaign in the Swedish Touring Car Championship for one – mean the Swede may have to limit his involvement in the BTCC this year. 

With Josh Cook behind the wheel of the squad's Ford Focus, Maximum had previously secured a series of best-ever results, starting with a seventh-placed finish back at the opener at Brands Hatch. This was followed by yet more points-scoring pace, yielding further encouragement with another step forward – fourth at Donington Park in race two, complemented by a further seventh-placed score in Round 6. 

A minor blip at Thruxton wasn't to last, with Cook able to storm back into the top ten and tally sixth and eighth at Oulton Park before seeing a race three podium arguably taken from his grasp in contact. Having made the most of a reverse-grid pole, the outfit were on to take home its first BTCC silverware, though a coming together in the early stages put paid to those hopes. Despite this, all concerned were encouraged given the pace inherent in what had become a well-honed Ford Focus – the Focus no stranger to the top step in the championship, and Maximum Motorsport has dialled in to what has proven a successful package.

Following the departure of Cook to MG Racing RCIB Insurance, and the subsequent outing by Strandberg, the team is now searching for a driver to complete the remainder of the campaign. Lines is keen to retain his role in managing the team, a role he is is relishing, although stepping back into the hot-seat for the second half of the year remains an option.

"Our ideal scenario would be to find a young and upcoming driver," said Team Principal Lines. "I am passionate about giving young talented drivers an opportunity, and we feel Maximum Motorsport is the perfect place for a driver with real potential to flourish, but of course it has to work commercially for all parties too.

"We put the car through some significant upgrades over the winter and we've shown we can run up at the front. Now we're keen to speak with interested drivers as we look to continue the upward trend that the team has been on."

The next rounds of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship take place at Snetterton on the 29/30 July.

Snetterton will be holding a major Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship test on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 July, with much of the 2017 field expected to participate and entry to the venue is free to spectators.

The list of teams attending includes title rivals Honda and BMW, with Matt Neal taking on driving duties in the Civic Type R, plus Colin Turkington, Rob Collard and Andrew Jordan. Also attending will be the works Subaru, MG and Vauxhall squads as well as leading independents Speedworks, Ciceley Motorsport and Motorbase.

For many of the teams the test will also provide an opportunity to lap the circuit ahead of the following month's BTCC rounds at the Norfolk circuit on 29/30 July.

It's also a chance for the drivers to get some laps in during the championship's summer break, and for spectators to see the cars in action, with entry to the venue free of charge.

The sessions will run from 9.00am to 5.00pm on each day, with an hours' break for lunch. Tyrrell's restaurant and bar will be open both days from 7.30am until 5.00pm, serving food and drink throughout the day.

Tickets for the BTCC at Snetterton on 29/30 July are available online from £27, with free entry for under-13s. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or click here.

Eurotech Racing has today (29 June) confirmed that Brett Smith, son of regular driver and Team Principal Jeff, will take over driving duties in the team’s Honda Civic Type R for the remainder of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The severity of Jeff’s injuries sustained during the qualifying crash at Croft Circuit earlier this month have unfortunately ruled out the experienced racer for at least the rest of this campaign.

After careful assessment and consideration, the squad has decided to place Brett in the car, alongside team-mate Jack Goff.

Brett is currently leading the MINI Challenge Championship with Eurotech Racing in only his second season in the series, having racked up three pole positions, five wins, ten podiums and six fastest laps so far. The 25-year-old has also previously successfully competed in the Clio Cup, BARC Clios and Mazda MX5 Championship.

“I am naturally extremely disappointed for my season to be ended in this way,” said Team Principal Jeff Smith. “Having assessed a number of driver options the team are in agreement that Brett gives us the best opportunity to provide a strong second half to the season.”

Brett will get his first serious taste of BTCC machinery during next week’s (5/6 July) official group test at Snetterton. His race debut will then take place at the same venue with rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the championship scheduled over the weekend of the 29/30 July.

PHOTO CREDIT: Marc Waller