Prospective independent teams and drivers looking to enter the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship are being invited to a dedicated BTCC Forum at the Honda Racing F1 Team's headquarters in Brackley, Northamptonshire on Wednesday 2 August.
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow will host the event, starting at 19.00, with guests able to put their own questions to him in an open discussion. Drivers such as Mike Jordan and Dave Pinkney will also provide insights into the considerable success they have enjoyed in the nation's most-watched motor racing championship since joining the BTCC as independents at the start of this season. They will be joined by several leading independent team principals, plus fellow drivers.
The Forum follows a similar and hugely popular event in 2005 that proved a resounding success and was highly influential in a number of contestants' plans for 2006. In addition to Jordan's Team Eurotech Racing with John Guest and Pinkney's Motorbase Performance squads, the BTCC this year has welcomed In-Front Motorsport, Geoff Steel Racing and Xero Competition.
Alan Gow comments: "Without question, last year's forum helped do away with some ill-informed perceptions about the BTCC and led directly to those five teams entering this year's championship. From their own individual comments I know all have been made to feel very much a welcome and major part of the paddock.
"As we stated last year, entering the BTCC and also achieving success at the highest level of motor sport in this country is possible for a well-prepared and enthusiastic privateer entry.
"The reigning BTCC champion, Team Halfords, is an independent outfit; four different independent teams have won eight of the 12 rounds to date this season - including Eurotech in only its second ever BTCC meeting; the top two drivers in the BTCC's outright points standings compete for independent teams; drivers in five independent teams' cars have set either fastest race laps or finished in the top three outright so far this season.
"This is to take nothing away from the official manufacturer teams of SEAT and Vauxhall - we can never over-estimate their worth and, after all, they set the standards to which all independents aspire. But the BTCC's very stable and unique set of technical and sporting regulations have enabled independents to compete on an equal footing. It is not a lock-out for the manufacturer teams' cars.
"We have bigger and better news to tell people this time around and, bearing in mind the considerable lines of enquiries we've already received about next season, I'd strongly recommend to anyone wishing to be on the BTCC grid in 2007 to attend our forum on 2 August. It promises to be a very interesting and informative evening for all present. I also wish to thank the Honda Racing F1 Team for allowing the BTCC to stage this event at its excellent Brackley premises."
Those wishing to attend the BTCC's 2 August forum for Independent entries should inform BTCC Co-ordinator Dan Mayo prior to Wednesday 26 July by emailing dan@motorsportpr.net.
