released ahead of golden anniversary season
The HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship has released an official list of 27 entries for its golden anniversary season in 2008, which will begin at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on Sunday 30 March.
The grid is headlined by three drivers to have previously won the BTCC – reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, Matt Neal (2005 &2006) and Jason Plato (2001). Giovanardi is joined by Neal in Vauxhall’s VX Racing line-up. SEAT, represented by 2007 runner-up Plato and Darren Turner, will make BTCC history by becoming the first manufacturer to race with diesel-powered engines, which it will use in its Leons.
In addition, four more drivers to taste victory in 2007 will be on the grid: Team Halfords’ Gordon Shedden, who took four wins en route to third overall; Team RAC’s Colin Turkington, a three-time winner last year and, like Shedden, some people’s title favourite in 2008; Mat Jackson, who stunned with two wins in his debut BTCC season and Tom Onslow-Cole, who has now also joined the VXR fold.
In all, there are 15 teams – two of them new – fielding ten different models of cars from seven different manufacturers (Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet, Honda, Lexus, SEAT and Vauxhall). There is also the BTCC’s first-ever father and son team – 50-year-old Mike Jordan and 18-year-old Andrew Jordan (last year’s British Rallycross Championship runner-up) in their John Guest Racing Honda Integras. Jordan Jnr is one of seven new drivers on the grid.
In 2008, all ten of the BTCC’s race events – each comprising three full points-scoring rounds for the fans to savour – will receive comprehensive live Sunday afternoon television coverage across the UK on the ITV4 free-to-view channel. Eight of those events will be on air for five hours (12.30pm-5.30pm) as part of a new three-year agreement between the BTCC and ITV. The ITV network’s commitment to the BTCC extends further with hour-long highlights the following evening on ITV1, plus further highlights programmes televised on Men & Motors and ITV4 – giving the BTCC some 76 hours of major TV broadcasting in the UK across both digital and terrestrial platforms. As well, all race events will be live-streamed on the ITV.com website.
Another notable feather in the BTCC’s cap in 2008 is new title sponsor HiQ, which is revolutionising the UK’s fast-fit motoring service at its 150 stores across the country. The championship’s public appeal will enable HiQ to significantly enhance its brand and the company has also planned a busy UK-wide marketing campaign based around its BTCC activity.
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow: “What a simply fantastic line-up of cars, teams, drivers, sponsors and television coverage we have for this, the 50th year of the BTCC. There is a great buzz about the season ahead, which I predict will be even closer than 2007. I believe there will be more winners, more surprises and an even more wide-open title race. And, as we know of more entries that will be joining the championship as the season progresses, our fans are in for a real treat with such a great amount and variety of cars, teams and drivers.
“I would like to thank all the BTCC’s partners – in particular our television broadcaster ITV and title sponsor HiQ. Both are superb to work with and have demonstrated the kind of support that most championships can only dream of. Their enthusiasm and commitment is of direct benefit to everyone connected with the BTCC and, of course, our huge fanbase. Above all, I’m tremendously proud of the very strong shape the championship now finds itself in… so 2008 is going to be an extremely fitting way in which to celebrate our golden anniversary.”
Official entry list: 2008 HiQ MSA BTCC
No. Driver/ (NAT), Team, Car, Spec
1. Fabrizio Giovanardi (ITA), VX Racing, Vauxhall Vectra, S2000 (M)4. Matt Neal (GBR), VX Racing, Vauxhall Vectra, S2000 (M)5. Colin Turkington (GBR), Team RAC, BMW 320si, S2000 (I)7. Mat Jackson (GBR), BMW Dealer Team UK, BMW 320si, S2000 (I)9. Tom Chilton (GBR), Team Halfords, Honda Civic, S200010. Tom Onslow-Cole (GBR), VX Racing, Vauxhall Vectra, S2000 (M)11. Jason Plato (GBR), SEAT Sport UK, SEAT Leon TDi, S2000 (M)12. Darren Turner (GBR), SEAT Sport UK, SEAT Leon TDi, S2000 (M)15. Martyn Bell (GBR), Arkas Racing with Sunshine.co.uk, Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, BTC (I)16. Harry Vaulkhard (GBR), Robertshaw Racing, Chevrolet Lacetti, S2000 (I)19. Darelle Wilson (GBR), Team 48 Motorsport, Alfa Romeo 156, S2000 (I)21. Adam Jones (GBR), Team Air Cool, SEAT Leon, S2000 (I)24. Steven Kane (GBR), Motorbase, BMW 320si, S2000 (I)25. Robert Collard (GBR), Motorbase, BMW 320si, S2000 (I)26. Matt Allison (GBR), Robertshaw Racing, Chevrolet Lacetti, S2000 (I)28. Jason Hughes (GBR), Team KWR, Honda Integra, BTC (I)32. Alan Taylor (GBR), Robertshaw Racing, Honda Integra, BTC (I)33. Michael Doyle (GBR), In-Tune Racing, Honda Civic Type R, BTC (I)42. Stuart Oliver (GBR), BTC Racing, Lexus IS200, S2000 (I)43. Chris Stockton (GBR), BTC Racing, Lexus IS200, S2000 (I)48. Matthew Gore (JAM), Team 48 Motorsport, Alfa Romeo 156, S2000 (I)50. Stephen Jelley (GBR), Team RAC, BMW 320si, S2000 (I)52. Gordon Shedden (GBR), Team Halfords, Honda Civic, S200055. John George (GBR), TH Motorsport Racing with JAG, Honda Integra, BTC (I)77. Mike Jordan (GBR), John Guest Racing, Honda Integra, BTC (I)78. Andrew Jordan (GBR), John Guest Racing, Honda Integra, BTC (I)90. Erkut Kizilirmak (TKY), Arkas Racing with Sunshine.co.uk, Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch, BTC (I)
