Brands grid biggest for more than a decade

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
15
Cheshire
www.seatcupra.net
Press Release from BTCC.net

Three teams, fielding four cars, will enter the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on 24 September, boosting the entry list to 26 – the BTCC’s biggest for more than a decade.

BTC Racing will enter a pair of Lexus IS200s for Chris Stockton and Darren Dowling, Team Forward Racing another Lexus IS200 for Mark Jones and NJL Racing with Daniels Motorsport a Vauxhall Astra Coupe for Nick Leason. All three teams are new to the BTCC as are their drivers.

Their arrival means a staggering nine new independent teams have now entered the BTCC in 2006.

In addition, returning to action after missing Knockhill’s recent rounds will be Quest Racing’s Eoin Murray and InFront Motorsport’s Mark Smith, both in Alfa Romeo 156s, plus Turkish touring car champion Erkut Kizilirmak in Vauxhall’s VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch.

The Fast-Tec and Thurlby Motors with Tech-Speed teams’ entries remain open with on-going discussions with drivers to fill their vacant Honda Civic Type R and bio-ethanol-powered Vauxhall Astra Coupe.

This means that potentially 26 cars could be lining up on the grid to race around Brands Hatch’s short and notoriously tight Indy circuit. The last time the BTCC’s grid reached such high numbers was at Silverstone in 1994.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow comments: “The BTCC welcomes those new teams and drivers and wishes them well as they begin their BTCC adventure. As has been proven by five independent teams this year, well-organised privateer entrants are able to realistically target race wins and podium finishes in the BTCC. Independents joining the grid of course also put themselves in a position to benefit from the unequalled huge levels of exposure enjoyed by the BTCC.

“Their arrival is also testament to our regulations that are enabling increasing numbers of new independent teams to enter the BTCC, not only Britain’s biggest motor racing championship but also one of the most popular in the world.

“Furthermore, for the BTCC to be moving into the final stages of the season with the entry list growing in numbers – and there is the potential for at least one more new entry at our Finals Day at Silverstone in October – is a great sign for the future. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing the BTCC’s biggest grid to date this season racing around the Brands Indy circuit – it is sure to be a very exciting spectacle.”
 

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
27,787
33
Clanfield, UK
I see a repeat of Knockhill

caranage followed by lots of safety car, followed by a bollocking by the clerk of the course

race 2, a bit better behaived, then some carnage as the 3 wise monkies bulldoze the rest, then leave cars out in dangerous spots so not to finish under a red.

More bollocking, but clearly not in the 3 wise monkies direction - followed by a procession for race 3
 
I see a repeat of Knockhill

caranage followed by lots of safety car, followed by a bollocking by the clerk of the course

race 2, a bit better behaived, then some carnage as the 3 wise monkies bulldoze the rest, then leave cars out in dangerous spots so not to finish under a red.

More bollocking, but clearly not in the 3 wise monkies direction - followed by a procession for race 3

Don't spose your 3 wise monkies drive orange japanese cars do they?? :think:
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
369
0


The Fast-Tec and Thurlby Motors with Tech-Speed teams’ entries remain open with on-going discussions with drivers to fill their vacant Honda Civic Type R and bio-ethanol-powered Vauxhall Astra Coupe.

So is it deffinitely confirmed for Fast-Tec. Mark Proctor is out? Shame if it is. He did well over the last few races I thought. Especailly at Snetterton and Knockhill.

Any idea who it is who looks like replacing him?
 

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
15
Cheshire
www.seatcupra.net
Yer James did very well, considering he's not competed since Brands last year, his last race with SEAT, which he nearly won. :p

Should of stayed on wets though for race 2, slicks were always going to be a gamble, i think he'd of finished as high in race 2 if he'd gone for wets.

But still did well to finish where he did, and not throw it off the track in tricky conditions. Deserves a good season in the BTCC, as he didn't really get a fair crack at the whip in 2005.
 

JasonP06

Full Member
Sep 11, 2006
369
0
Yer James did very well, considering he's not competed since Brands last year, his last race with SEAT, which he nearly won. :p

Should of stayed on wets though for race 2, slicks were always going to be a gamble, i think he'd of finished as high in race 2 if he'd gone for wets.

But still did well to finish where he did, and not throw it off the track in tricky conditions. Deserves a good season in the BTCC, as he didn't really get a fair crack at the whip in 2005.

It is purely my belief that with time he would have developed. It is my opinion that his three seconds in the 2005 season doesn't really reflect how good he really is as a driver.

I just hope, although it ain't the team I would wanted him to go to, he can perform well for Fast-Tec.
 
Jul 17, 2004
1,829
0
West Lothian
The car wasn't very good? :shrug:

The car's supposed to be pretty good. One of the final Astra Coupes built. Just the driver that let it down. You could see the way she braked way earlier than the other drivers and how she almost coasted into corners sometimes that she just wasn't driving it properly.

If only the other 5 factory SEAT drivers from the WTCC could come in and form a roadblock in front of the '3 wise monkeys'. ;)
 
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