BTCC prize drives on offer for Renault Clio UK Cup and Mini Challenge UK 

Dunlop prepares to enter its third decade as official tyre supplier and title sponsor of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after signing an agreement with TOCA until at least the end of 2021. One of the most enduring partnerships in motorsport, Dunlop’s link with the BTCC allows it to continue its support of grass roots racing.

Returning as sole tyre supplier to the Mini Challenge UK this year after signing a multi-year agreement for the one make series, Dunlop has offered a BTCC prize drive to the winner. With an already established partnership with the Renault Clio UK Cup, which sees the champion also receiving a BTCC test drive, Dunlop continues to reward young and talented drivers.

Looking at the current crop of BTCC drivers, and the drivers who have come up through the ranks, it’s plain to see that Dunlop’s proven progression through motorsport works. Drivers all around the world have grown up on Dunlop. Former double champion Colin Turkington and 2013 champion Andrew Jordan both benefitted from Dunlop tyres during their early careers. Colin raced Fiestas and Ginettas on Dunlop rubber, while Andrew competed in Ginetta and Clio Cup.

Across the motorsport spectrum, drivers have experienced the performance of Dunlop tyres, where the undeniable grip and excellent braking and acceleration have been developed from decades of experience on the road and race track.

James Bailey, Director, Motorsport Communications and Public Relations stated: “Dunlop’s incredibly successful relationship with the BTCC allows us to continue to support grassroots racing, and I’m delighted that 2016 marks the return of our support of the Mini Challenge UK and the Renault Clio Cup. Numerous drivers began their career on Dunlop tyres, and have progressed through the ranks into BTCC and beyond. Part of our focus for 2016 is to continue to provide opportunities for drivers to progress through motorsport, supporting drivers and championships on the first rung of the motorsport ladder.”

Extended trade area activation, social media interaction and marketing incentives #BringItOn

Fan interaction is key in Dunlop’s support of the MSA British Touring Car Championship and Dunlop is delighted to confirm an extended on-event package that will excite the fans.

With the opening round at Brands Hatch less than two weeks away, what can the fans expect to see in Kent? The driver tyre choice will again be first made available across Dunlop’s social media feeds (/Dunlop.UK and @DunlopLive), offering a useful insight to the thousands of fans, ahead of any other outlet. Whether at the track, or watching at home, this offers spectators the opportunity to discuss strategy, analyse results, and predict the outcome.

Staying with social media, behind-the-scene videos will feature strongly this year, giving more insight than ever before and include content such as driver meets, tyre talks, and team-mate discussions. Ticket competitions on Facebook will also return to the BTCC this year, plus of the course the return of Dunlop’s overtaking award #ForeverForward, which will feature heavily on the official website www.btcc.net

This year sees extended and improved trade area activation at all events. Here the area will benefit from increased branding and interaction from the Dunlop team, where visitors can pop along and chat to key personnel, and get the chance to grab a cap and lanyard while they’re at it. Dunlop will also be offering exclusive BTCC deals on Dunlop tyres at some rounds of the championship.

New advertising boards in the paddock and around the tracks of the UK’s most popular and competitive race series brings the distinctive Dunlop yellow to the fore, increasing visibility of a brand that will stay as BTCC title sponsor and official tyre supplier into a third decade.

New idents for the popular ITV4 television coverage, will be introduced this year. The short, sharp promo videos at the ad breaks will feature two options this year, one focusing on the wet weather performance of the brand’s new ultra-high performance tyre, the Dunlop Sport Maxx RT2, and one highlighting the dry weather performance of the same tyre. The idents will run depending on the weather conditions of the weekend.

Tony Ward, Dunlop Marketing Manager said: “We at Dunlop appreciate that the BTCC has a tremendous following, attracting thousands of spectators to the events themselves, and thousands more who watch from the comfort of their own home. Our strategy this year, across both on-event and ITV4, plus the increased social media campaign, means we can continue to build on previous years and offer fans the insights and behind-the-scene action that they’ve come to expect.”

Keep up-to-date with all of the Dunlop BTCC news and views at /Dunlop.UK and @DunlopLive

Dunlop’s BTCC tyres need to cope with the heat and the cold and still produce edge-of-the-seat racing action

Dunlop’s 2016 MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) tyre range is developed from decades of experience on the road and race track. The BTCC brings two distinct requirements – the first producing two specifications of dry tyre, both soft and medium compounds, suitable for nine very different tracks, plus a hard compound for Thruxton’s abrasive surface.

The second, and the biggest extreme that Dunlop’s tyre designers need to contend with, is the varying temperature across the ten rounds. 2015 saw a low of just four degrees centigrade on track at Brands Hatch in early April, with the same tyres coping with 30 degree heat in testing at Snetterton. Dunlop’s three slick BTCC tyres must be capable of working at the extremes – working hard at both four degrees and 30 degrees.

Dealing with touring cars at different temperatures

Managing with those performance barriers, Dunlop engineers work closely with the team engineers to ensure optimum set-up for each weekend. Whether that’s adjusting tyre pressures to cope with the different track demands and temperatures, or changing the camber and caster set-up to increase or decrease the contact patch. The hotter the track, the higher the grip so it’s a fine balancing act between reducing the traction without compromising tyre wear.

Development – where Dunlop learns its trade

Dunlop learns its trade across a number of different motorsport championships and Le Mans 24 hour brings a similar challenge to BTCC. Ten years ago, tyres were just beginning to be used for more than one ‘stint’, the time between fuel stops, usually about 45 minutes – extreme changes in conditions were rare. However in 2015, all three slick compounds on Dunlop’s LMP2 range quadruple stinted – that’s a massive three hours for each tyre, during which temperatures can drop or rise significantly as the driver’s time in the car encompasses the day into night period or the rise in temperatures from dawn.

2016 sees new relationships for Dunlop in the Le Mans LMP1 and LM GTPro classes where bespoke tyres can be developed for partners. Dunlop will be working closely with Rebellion, CLM and Aston Martin to make advances in technology that improve performance. Dunlop will also continue with development on the ranges that must suit a cross-section of manufacturers, such as LMP2 and LM GTE in the European Le Mans Series where Ligiers battle with rivals such as Orecas and Gibsons, and Aston Martins compete against the likes of Ferrari and Porsche.

From race to road and visa versa

Technology is not only taken from experience in racing, it’s also taken from Dunlop’s extensive development of road tyres. These tyres have similar requirements with regard to performance across a wide range of temperatures. The latest road going Sport Maxx RT2 includes a motorsport derived evolutive tread compound designed to cope with differing temperatures. The tyre compound is mixed using the same resins and polymers that are used in the production of BTCC tyres with one of the main components being a new adhesive traction resin which is derived from pine trees. This new component assists the tyre to deliver high levels of grip, excellent braking and acceleration performance.

Michael Butler, Dunlop UK Motorsport Manager: “We learn every season and continue developing tyres to make racing more exciting by giving teams tyres that can perform well and push boundaries. The technologies that we have evolved mean that we have created tyres that will provide drivers with the grip and cornering that they need whether it’s really cold or topping the thermometer. It’s great to know our work doesn’t just help drivers on the track - that the same technology is benefitting road users too.”

Overtaking league table to highlight most positions gained

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will once again reward the driver with the highest number of overtakes across the season in the #ForeverForward league table.

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is arguably the most popular, successful and entertaining championship in the UK, featuring some of the best-loved racing drivers from around the world. Round after round, thousands of spectators flock to the tracks to watch their heroes battling wheel-to-wheel with their rivals, while millions more watch the action from the comfort of their living room.

It’s the close racing that attracts the fans, and the amount of door handle to door handle overtaking that entertains them, so to reward drivers for their determination this season, the driver with the highest number of overtaking passes at the end of the season will be awarded the Dunlop Forever Forward Award.

The overtaking league table will focus on the battles throughout the field, the fightbacks from adversity across all three races at each of the ten events, and the determination of the best touring car drivers in the world. A point will be awarded for every place gain across the races, and at the end of the year the driver with the highest number of points will be presented with the Dunlop Award.

The #ForeverForward league table will be published after each race on the series’ official website www.btcc.net, and will show which of the drivers has made the biggest improvement from their start position to finish position. Using the hashtag #ForeverForward, visitors across Dunlop’s social media platforms will also be able to keep up to speed with progress across the events, something which proved incredibly successful across Moto2™ and Moto3™ last season.

Tony Ward, Dunlop Marketing Manager said: “The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is without doubt one of the most exciting, entertaining and intense championships in the country and among the most enduring competitive championships. Every race, at every event sees incredible battles throughout the field, so it’s only natural that as sponsor and official tyre supplier, we highlight the achievement of these drivers. Across the ever-growing world of social media, this provides yet another method of attracting new audiences and gaining new fans as we approach our third decade with the series.”

The following release has been issued by Eurotech Racing. The full 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship line-up will be confirmed at tomorrow's (22 March) Season Launch event at Donington Park:

The whole team at Eurotech Racing have been working tirelessly through the winter preparing the three new Honda Civic Type R’s, putting into place a new team infra-structure and preparing the new larger premises for the pending move. Alongside this we have undertaken an extensive testing program putting the new cars and the latest RML chassis updates through their paces.

We have been in lengthy negotiations with several very capable young drivers since purchasing our third licence at the end of last year and despite coming close to securing a deal (one that even last week looked like it could still go ahead) the driver was not able to finalise sponsor funding within the timeframe required to complete our TOCA entry, as a result Eurotech have been forced to make the decision not to run a third car. This is naturally a huge disappointment to us as we have put so much time, effort and money into it. The driver we were close to doing a deal with was a very exciting prospect for BTCC and would no doubt have been at the sharp end of the grid.

We have come to an agreement on our third licence with another team enabling them to run an additional car and driver for this year and keeping our options open to run three cars in 2017.

Taking the positive’s from the situation it allows us to focus purely on the two new Honda Civic Type R’s of Jeff Smith and Martin Depper – both cars showing great pace in pre-season testing, we are looking forward to the start of the new season with confidence in ourselves and our new cars.

Team Principal Jeff Smith comments: "We haven't made any public comments regarding the third driver speculation as we have been keeping our heads down and working hard, confident that it would all come together. I would like to say a heartfelt personal thank you to the team for their hard work, late nights and diligence with all the Type R and RML updates. The result of this focus is that we are in a very good place for the start of the season, albeit with two cars rather than the planned three. It's extremely disappointing having put everything in place including buying a licence, building a third car, restructuring the team and additional premises for it then not go ahead so close to the start of the season."

Success in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is never won by the driver alone. With 30 gruelling contests over the course of the season, a strong team that can keep pace with the fierce development race is essential to be in with a shot at the title come the Brands Hatch finale in October.

One of the BTCC’s top engineering talents, Carl Faux, has been hard at work preparing the all-new Subaru Levorg machines that Team BMR is bringing to the series for 2016, and we spoke to him ahead of the Season Launch next week at Donington Park, 22 March.

Is it exciting to be working with Subaru as a new manufacturer coming into the BTCC?

“Subaru have a long established motorsport heritage and to continue the brands’ participation at the top level by introducing them to the BTCC is a very exciting project. For them to have the confidence in BMR to do this is not to be underestimated, and to be honest from my point of view it's an honour to be leading not only Team BMR’s first car build but to be able to do this with Subaru's new Levorg model.”

Are you looking forward to defending the current Teams’ Championship title?

“We are very much looking forward to defending this title with an all new challenger, even though we are realistic about the challenges of delivering success in arguably the most competitive championship in the world. It is with immense determination to return not only the Teams’ battle but also the only championship BMR has not been eligible for previously, the Manufacturers’.”

What will be the most distinctive feature of the car?

“The sound!  With the boxer engine, something that has never before been used in the BTCC, we have some major obstacles to overcome. Yes the layout has been used successfully in the past, however that was in a different generation and the 2.0l FA20 is very new and completely different architecture to what has gone before.”

What is going to be the biggest challenge with the Subaru project?

“Engineering challenges is what the project presents. A new engine, car and all the new generation of TOCA components requires a methodical approach, but we are making good progress despite getting the green light very late. Establishing a three-year programme means we can focus on getting the basics right early before developing the package further over the following years. Trust me when I say the whole team at Subaru, BMR and Mountune are burning the midnight oil at the moment to ensure we achieve our objectives.”

What are you looking forward to the most in 2016?

“The BTCC is in good shape at the moment, the grid is looking very likely to be full and manufacturers are excited to be involved. The viewing figures speak for themselves and that is down to the competitive, technically challenging, entertaining production that the whole championship delivers.  We are really looking forward to Brands Hatch for the season opener and of course the final round because that's where the trophies are handed out. Until then…”

The 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is almost here, as teams and drivers are gearing up for the Season Launch at Donington Park next Tuesday, 22 March.

Following a busy winter of testing for many, the event is the first time the entire grid comes together, with the morning devoted to all the media duties required to bring the UK’s biggest racing championship bursting into life, the afternoon is the first opportunity for fans to see the entire grid assembled in one place before battle commences in two weeks’ time at Brands Hatch for round one.

Gates open to the public from 12:30 on Tuesday, with free admission and free parking for everyone. Fans are kindly requested not to queue up before 12:00 to avoid congestion during the media activities.

Access to the paddock area will be open, just as it is at every single BTCC race weekend, offering a great chance to meet familiar faces and new challengers. From 13:00 the track will be open for a full afternoon of testing concluding at 17:00, with all of the outfield and the infield grandstand area open to spectators.

Click here to find out more.

Halfords returns with Team Halfords Yuasa Racing for the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season, with the team ready to defend its driver and manufacturer titles with Gordon Shedden, Matt Neal and new signing Andy Neate.

Halfords will be back on the BTCC grid after a seven-year absence, as co-title sponsor of last year’s championship winning team, which now competes as Team Halfords Yuasa Racing. Scotsman Gordon Shedden will return to defend his drivers’ championship title after an exhilarating 2015 season, with team-mate and three-time champion Matt Neal entering his 26th year in the UK’s premier motorsport category.

The team also expands to three cars for the first time since 2006, with the experienced Andy Neate joining the squad.

Halfords sponsored Team Dynamics’ motorsport programme for five years from 2004 to 2008, with Matt Neal winning the first two championships of his BTCC career behind the wheel of the famous Honda Integra Type R, also becoming the first independent driver to win the overall drivers’ championship in the British Touring Car Championship’s history.

Gordon Shedden joined the Halfords and Team Dynamics family in 2006, taking four wins and helping Team Halfords to its second consecutive teams’ championship title in his debut season.

Paul Tomlinson, Motoring Expert at Halfords: “It’s fantastic to bring the Halfords and Halfords Autocentre brands back into the country’s biggest motorsport championship. We’re looking forward to laying down the gauntlet this season and bringing orange and black back to the grid with Team Dynamics, as well as our partner Yuasa Batteries, to defend the driver and manufacturer titles.”

Andrew Taylor, Managing Director of Yuasa Battery Sales (UK): “We’ve had an amazing journey so far in the British Touring Car Championship with Matt, Gordon and the Honda Yuasa Racing Team, and now we look forward to working with Halfords to defend our championship with the team in 2016. Our sponsorship of the team now enters a new era, and one that we’re very excited about.”

Richard Tait-Harris, Commercial Director, Team Dynamics: “Having worked with Halfords for five years in the past and winning two championships with Matt, we look forward to a long and successful future together. We’re also excited to be continuing our fantastic relationship with Yuasa Batteries and to the challenge of retaining our title as champions of the BTCC this year.”

The full livery of the team’s Honda Civic Type R’s will be unveiled at the BTCC 2016 Season Launch event at Donington Park, Leicestershire, on March 22nd.

Team HARD has confirmed that Michael Epps will complete RCIB Insurance Racing’s driver line-up for the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign.

Epps will join Chris Smiley and Jake Hill following a 2015 season spent competing in the VW Racing Cup, where he picked up multiple wins and podiums. The step up to Team HARD and the BTCC is one Epps is relishing.

“It’s probably the most exciting time in my career so far. I could only dream of a BTCC seat at one stage and now it’s really happening – I’m struggling to take it in,” the 24-year-old said.

“There was a prospect of driving in the BTCC from the very beginning of my relationship with Team HARD and RCIB, but over thewinter we have come closer and closer to actually being able to make a dealwork.

“The opportunity presented itself and we had to grab it and work it into this. Now here we are and I can’t wait to go blasting up to Paddock Hill on that first weekend at Brands!

“The aim is obviously to get as high up as possible and with the current situation of cars changing packages and lots of money being spent, you just never know. I’m optimistic and hoping to bring home points.”

With Epps alongside Smiley and Hill, the outfit has a driver line-up with an average age of just 23. Promoting young talent has been a conscious effort on the part of Team Principal Tony Gilham.

“We have chosen to support young up-and-coming drivers once again,” he acknowledged. “We’re rewriting the rulebook and focusing on skill rather than just looking for drivers with big budgets.

“Mike is another very exciting prospect and I can’t wait to see what he can do in the Avensis. Having witnessed his pace last year, we are confident he will enjoy a very promising debut season. This isjust the start of a long-term plan for the team as we now look to establish a solid platform on which to build moving forwards.”

Kent-based Team HARD will expand to a three-car operation in the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after securing a third TOCA BTCC Licence (TBL) in recent days.

The news follows last week’s announcement that Jake Hill will contest a full campaign with the squad, alongside the previously signed rookie Chris Smiley, but now the ambitious outfit is committed to building a third Toyota Avensis ahead of the new BTCC season.

It has been an extremely busy winter for Team HARD and this latest development is another signal of intent in its bid to move further up the grid in the UK’s premier motor sport series.

Team Principal Tony Gilham and his loyal staff have worked tirelessly over the last 12 months to reinvent the team and piece together what they believe to be a ‘dream team’, with the third driver being confirmed later this week.

“With Jake Hill joining Chris Smiley, we already have one of the most exciting pairings of young talent in the series,” said Gilham. “As soon as it became apparent that we were in a position to run a third car, we decided to again look to young talent to fill the seat. I really couldn’t have asked for a better line-up and to be in a position to be able to support these young drivers in the BTCC thanks to our amazing sponsors is unbelievable.”

The team faces a huge task ahead as it continues building its second and third cars, with the intention of running all three at the BTCC Season Launch at Donington Park on 22 March. The trio of Toyotas, which will all run the TOCA engine, will then test further before the season opener at Brands Hatch.

The latest driver to join the RCIB Insurance Racing squad will be announced this Wednesday at 8am. This signing will join Hill in a pair of RCIB-backed cars, whilst Chris Smiley will move across to race under a new team name that will be announced in due course.