DUNLOP MSA BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIPThe media and public will get their first view of the 2007 MSA British Touring Car Championship when the 2007 entries assemble for the annual pre-season Media Day at Rockingham next Tuesday 13 March. Morning media activities will be followed by official testing in the afternoon. Public admission will be free from lunch time.
Reigning champion Matt Neal has revealed his Team Dynamics’ squad’s new Honda Civic might run for the first time only two weeks before the start of his title defence. Speaking to BTCC media partner Auto Express magazine (right), Neal said his crew had been flat out building up the car that meets the new FIA Super 2000 regulations. “The guys have only had Christmas Day off since we pushed the button, but it’s still going to be tight,” he said. “The first bodyshell has now been to the paintshop and the second isn’t far behind. If all goes to plan we’re hoping to start testing in the middle of March. Even so, we’re going to need some luck.”
Reigning SEAT Cupra champion Mat Jackson (left) will enter the BTCC in 2007 with the very same BMW 320si E90 that Andy Priaulx drove to last year’s World touring car crown. The 25-year-old’s car will be run by his family’s Jacksons Motorsport team. Meanwhile, the Motorbase Performance team has revealed a youthful driver line-up for 2007, with 23-year-old British GTC class champion Matt Allison confirmed to partner Gareth Howell, 27, in its pair of SEAT Toledos.
Front-running club racers Jim Pocklington and Simon Blanckley have confirmed their progression to the BTCC. Pocklington, who runs a body repair centre in Essex that houses the UK’s biggest fleet of Rolls Royces, will race a Super 2000-spec BMW. Blanckley, nephew of 1970s sports car ace John Blanckley, will enter in the ex-Gareth Howell/Team Halfords Honda Integra that won twice on Finals Day last year.
Fabrizio Giovanardi believes Vauxhall can return to challenging for the BTCC crown in 2007 after giving the manufacturer’s new Vectra racer its first test. Vauxhall won five consecutive manufacturers titles from 2001-05, but had a difficult time last season, relinquishing the trophy to SEAT and winning only twice. But Italian superstar Giovanardi said: “Of course I believe we can win; it’s why we spend money! Everybody thinks they are going to win! But, realistically, I definitely think we have the potential to fight for the championship.”
LLOYDS TSB BRITISH F3 INTERNATIONAL SERIES / AVON TYRES MSA BRITISH GT CHAMPIONSHIPThis year’s MSA British F3 International Series and MSA British GT Championship will be launched at Silverstone on Thursday 15 March. The afternoon is reserved for GT testing.
AVON TYRES MSA BRITISH GT CHAMPIONSHIPReigning FIA GT3 and three times MSA British GT Championship winning team Tech 9 will return to challenge in 2007, running a Porsche 997 GT3 for BRDC Rising Star Oliver Bryant and 2006 race winner Matt Harris. Double British GT class winner Bryant steps up from the GTC Class Team Aero Morgan Aero 8 in which he and Keith Ahlers impressed in 2006, finishing fourth overall in the 2006 British GTC Class. Harris, partnered by Piers Masarati, won the GT3 class at the final British GT race of 2006 at Silverstone last September, finishing third overall in the two-hour race.
Snetterton and Silverstone have each been selected to host a two-hour feature race in the 2007 Avon Tyres British GT Championship instead of the usual two 60-minute events. Following the success of the end of season finale last September, Silverstone will once again stage one of the longer races on 12 August, with Snetterton becoming the host circuit for the other feature race on 3 June 3.
NICHOLSON MCLAREN MSA BRITISH HILL CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIPFormer MSA British Hillclimb champ and twice World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx appeared on the BBC’s popular Question of Sport programme on Friday 2 March. As a member of Ally McCoist’s team, Priaulx again proved to be a winner. This time he enjoyed a 27-26 victory over Matt Dawson’s team. Andy, whose Bouley Bay hill record stood for 11 years until July 2006, proved winners don’t spend much time looking in their mirrors by having difficulty in answering questions on the WTCC but eventually came good by identifying Jordi Gené as the only Spanish winner of a race in 2006.
DUNLOP/GAMBIA MSA BRITISH HISTORIC RALLY CHAMPIONSHIPCalendar (update from last month newsletter):1. 10/11 March: Robin Hood Historic Rally (Sherwood Forest)2. 7 April: ‘Astra’ Historic Forest Stages (North Wales)3. 20/21 April: Pirelli Historic Rally (Cumbria)4. 2 June: ‘Severn Valley’ Historic Rally (Mid Wales)5. 23/24 June: ‘Rally Marketing’ Mid Wales Stages (Wales)6. 19/21 July: ‘Conister Trust’ Isle of Man Historic Rally (Isle of Man)7. 5 August: SGC Printing Harry Flatters Stages (Powys)8. 7/9 September: Tour of Flandres (Belgium)9. 6 October: ‘Trackrod Historic Cup’ Forest Stages (Yorkshire)
The opening round of the Dunlop/Gambia MSA British Historic Rally has broken all records for the championship with 103 entries having been received by the organisers of the Robin Hood Historic Forest Stages (10/11 March). The previous record for the BHRC was 91 entries for the 2006 Robin Hood, but the continued strong growth in support for the championship has already smashed that record. "We're thrilled with the support for the opening round of the 2007 BHRC," said Simon Marks of the Historic Rally Car Register, co-ordinators of the championship. "It looks like we're in for a fantastic season!"
Brothers Phil and Mick Squires are switching to the MSA Dunlop/Gambia British Historic Rally Championship in their familiar Ford Escort Mk2 and will open their campaign on the Robin Hood Stages next month. Meanwhile, rallying veteran Dick Mauger and Richard Tuthill have confirmed their plans to contest a full BHRC season. Competing in a Porsche 911, they are certain to among the title favourites.
MSA BRITISH DRAG RACING CHAMPIONSHIPUK drag racing enters a new era in 2007 with the news that spectacular Pro Modifieds will now contest the MSA National Drag Racing Championship. These ferociously fast doorslammers are already firm crowd favourites and their emergence into the championship spotlight is predicted to attract more entries into a class already well supported by teams and drivers.
In 2007, the MSA Championship will expand from three to five rounds, including the two FIA European Championship events at Santa Pod Raceway. The series' burgeoning profile will encourage greater media coverage, including specialist TV programming of the full season.
