After finishing in fourth position during round 12 on Saturday, 13th August, having challenged for the podium early on, Mitchell – who lives close to the Motorbase headquarters in Wrotham – then took fourth again in round 13.

The weekend’s third race was the undoubted highlight, with Mitchell nailing his start and leading throughout the 10 laps to claim the win by just under a second. In terms of the championship, he departed Norfolk second in the driver standings.

Team-mate and fellow Academy driver Jamie Osborne had a more frustrating weekend under the scorching skies, with a brace of retirements bookending the event. Having moved up from 25th on the grid into 19th place in race one, his involvement reached an early conclusion on the sixth tour.

Race two delivered his sole finish of the weekend, 21st position and seventh in the Rookie class the result after a fairly sedate encounter. In the final race, round 14, Osborne was on course for a much-improved 16th place until it all went awry on the last lap.

Fellow Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship support category the Ginetta Junior Championship brought two more trophies for Motorbase Driver Academy racer Harri Reynolds, who is third in the title race for Assetto Motorsport.

Qualifying sixth fastest for the round 14 grid, Reynolds was involved a fantastic battle for the podium and did actually lead into the final lap before having to settle for third position – just 0.2 seconds shy of victory on the dash to the line.

Producing a similarly impressive performance in round 15, his hopes of a podium hat-trick were dashed when he had to take to the grass to avoid a spinning car and ultimately finished eighth. In the finale, round 16, Reynolds stormed through from the fourth row of the grid to finish third again, sealing his second trophy of the weekend after another super-close sprint to the chequered flag.

In the Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship, NAPA Racing UK supported driver Hugo Ellis had to settle for a pair of sixth place finishes in Pro-Am after two frustrating races. In qualifying he had displayed his clear promise with the second fastest time in class, 10th overall.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“It was fantastic to see Jack back on the top step of the podium in the MINIs, exactly where he should be, after such a great drive from pole position. Overall it was a very strong weekend for him and keeps the championship very much alive.

“Equally, Harri did a fabulous job in the Ginettas and it so easily could have been three podiums from three. He raced incredibly well, in very challenging weather, and the strong points he’s taken away could be crucial with just a few races to go this season.

“It’s a shame Jamie and Hugo both experienced a tough weekend at Snetterton, sometimes that’s how motorsport is and you just have to hit back as strongly as you can at the next event. I know both of them will be doing their very best to do just that.”

The post THIRD WIN OF MINI SEASON FOR ACADEMY DRIVER MITCHELL AND DOUBLE GINETTA PODIUM FOR REYNOLDS appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Starting the last of the weekend’s three races from pole position, Sutton made a good start but he was somehow edged back to second out of Riches by Dan Rowbottom’s Honda Civic. It didn’t take long for the response to come, though, with the No.1 Ford Focus moving back through at Agostini.

Never headed thereafter, his lead of 0.7 seconds at the start of lap two was built-on lap by lap and his eventual winning margin was 4.5 seconds for the Motorbase Performance-run squad. Sutton also claimed the fastest lap of the race.

Beginning raceday at the scorching hot Norfolk track with ninth place in round 19, having qualified 11th quickest, Sutton went on to finish ninth again in round 20 after battling back from a lap one incident which also involved team-mate Dan Cammish.

It really was a weekend of what could have been, not for the first time this season, for Cammish after a strong qualifying – the fastest of the Motorbase drivers with the eighth best time – and a solid and competitive seventh place in race one, achieved after passing Rowbottom on lap three.

Rightly aiming to push towards the podium in race two, and with the car to do it, everything went awry at the second corner while he was running in seventh place, contact triggering an incident which involved both NAPA Racing UK Fords.

Cammish came off worst, plummeting down the order outside the top 20 and eventually working his way back through to finish in 18th. Starting so far back in race three, he did all he could to take the chequered flag just outside the points in 16th position.

The sunshine at Snetterton certainly shone on Ollie Jackson who produced a fantastic season-best ninth place in the last of Sunday’s three races, the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan driver charging through from 13th on the grid after a similarly strong performance in the preceding contest.

In race one he gained six places on a superb opening lap, moving up from 25th on the grid – brake bias troubles limiting qualifying – into 19th place. Although edged back after an early Safety Car he fought back to 18th. Serving up another terrific start in race two, storming into 10th on lap one, he finished 13th and therefore only missed the top 12 ‘reverse grid’ draw for race three by one place.

Team-mate Sam Osborne was somewhat frustrated after qualifying, feeling he didn’t get the most out of the car that was available to him, but from mid-distance in race one he started to make some steps forward. Racing strongly, a late battle with Josh Cook was the highlight and Osborne only just missed out on a top 20 finish after trading places with the Honda driver a couple of times.

From 21st on the grid in round 20, Osborne didn’t have the best of the first lap and slipped back three places. Recovering to 22nd before a mid-race Safety Car, he broke into 20th position with a few laps to go. Starting on row 10 for round 21, he raced well into 17th place by lap six but on lap nine he was put off the circuit twice in succession – ultimately recovering to finish in 20th spot.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“It was great to finish the weekend off like that, a fantastic, dominant display from Ash in race three showing what could have been this weekend. That win keeps Ash in the title fight. Unfortunately, the RWD cars were untouchable again this weekend and played with us a bit, but we did have more pace than we got to show with numerous innocent incidents over the weekend preventing us from showing the full pace, which is frustrating. We’ve got nine races left with plenty to play for.”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“If I’m honest we made the exact same settings in terms of changes for race two, but the contact and damage we had with Dan put all the alignment out and we were lucky to get back to P9. If I had that race car [from Rd21] in race two, it would’ve been a different story. It’s just mega, I can’t thank NAPA Racing UK enough. For the first couple of laps we set-up for the long term, long race, so she was a bit lively. I saw Jason [Plato] just closing the gap and I thought, I’ve got to be patient with this. Then his tyres fell away and we carried on – put the head down and set some quali laps.”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“It’s pretty tough to take what happened this weekend, we had the speed and the car to really do something. We got everything we could out of the car in qualifying, seventh in race one was good and I really felt I could compete and everything was positive. We definitely had the pace to move forward in race two but then the contact happened at Turn Two and it all unraveled from there. I really feel we’ve got the car in a better place so I’ve just got to dust myself down and try and focus on the rest of the season.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“We’ve had some better luck this weekend and I’m a lot more used to the car now and the extra weight [from the Hybrid system], I like how the car is handling. We had a bit of a problem with the brake balance in qualifying, and we then realised it had been a problem in practice as well, so it’s quite gratifying to turn up with a few tweaks and come through with three strong races. It’s great to take the first top 10 of the season, it’s where I feel I should be and hopefully we’ve turned a corner now. We’ve definitely got a much better understanding of the car.”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“I’m a bit disappointed really as we had some serious pace this weekend. The last race was looking pretty decent but then two of the rear-wheel drive cars decided to fire us off, which isn’t exactly what you need. We had some nice pace though, I was up alongside DanCam [Cammish] and [Gordon] Shedden and well up for it battling with them. We had some good pace in qualifying as well but just didn’t make the most of it. Overall, we made a step in the right direction.”

Thruxton Circuit will welcome the BTCC just a couple of weeks from now, over the weekend 27th/28th August, for the second visit of the season to the Hampshire speedbowl.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
4th Ash Sutton, 257pts; 12th Dan Cammish, 109pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 19pts; 25th Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
3rd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 480pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
3rd NAPA Racing UK, 364pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 24pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 240pts

The post SECOND VICTORY OF BTCC SEASON FOR SUTTON AT SCORCHING SNETTERTON appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Ending up with the quickest time overall for the entire test, reigning BTCC Champion Sutton set his best lap of 1m55.121 seconds (92.84mph) on the second morning using Goodyear’s soft ‘option’ tyre. Cammish, in the sister blue and yellow Ford Focus ST, was a mere 0.015 seconds shy to secure a superb top two lockout – notably running the regular Goodyear race tyre.

Cammish was also third overall on Tuesday, 12th July, and only 0.008 seconds away from the top of the day one timesheets – a real boost for Wrotham’s Motorbase and NAPA Racing UK as the team prepares to get the second half of the season underway in a couple of weeks.

In the Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan cars, Sam Osborne was 20th overall on Tuesday with Ollie Jackson 22nd fastest. On the second day at Snetterton 300, Jackson was 23rd on the combined timesheets while Osborne was 26th overall – both drivers focusing on a raft of set-up changes and their impact, rather than seeking out-and-out lap times.

Conducting a very full programme across its quartet of BTCC cars, Motorbase also fielded a third NAPA Racing UK liveried Ford on Tuesday, 12th July – the car which was piloted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed by Cammish and NAPA’s Lewis Selby.

Nick Tandy, Le Mans 24 Hours Winner and team boss of top Porsche Carrera Cup GB Championship squad JTR, shared driving duties with Motorbase Driver Academy racer Jack Mitchell. Tandy then remained with Motorbase for day two, this time switching to Osborne’s Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan car and providing vital input and coaching.

Oly Collins – Motorbase Performance Team Manager:
“This test has come at the right time for us and from what we’ve learned over the two days across the cars feels very positive. Dan’s pace, in particular, has been very impressive over the two days. Ash had a full day on Wednesday working with Goodyear on development tyres, so it was less about ultimate pace but a lot of hard work with Goodyear on tyres opposed to car set up – but the car is clearly in a good place looking at the times. Ollie and Sam worked through some different development ideas as well as being joined by Jack Mitchell on day one and Nick Tandy across the two days. It’s been great working with those two as well.

“Across the four cars we’ve been able to work in different ways and testing very different things, a test like this gives you the chance to try stuff you wouldn’t normally be able to on a race weekend. So now we have all the data, the engineers have a lot of work to do to analyse everything to confirm all of the positives and negatives. The cars have been fantastically reliable, especially in this heat, so full credit to the whole Motorbase crew behind the scenes who have worked their socks off! Hopefully we can carry the momentum into the next event at Knockhill despite the two circuits being so different!”

Ash Sutton – NAPA Racing UK, No.1:
“We worked all day with Goodyear with the soft option tyre on day two, trying things for them going forward, so I took the limelight away from Dan a bit as he achieved his best time on raw pace and that was more realistic. It’s been a good test, we’ve found some positives as a whole and I think we can all be happy with where we are. I’m not sure what to expect for Knockhill, it’s such a different track, but I’m excited and looking forward to it as it is one of my favourite tracks. It’s a real challenge and it reminds me of my karting days!”

Dan Cammish – NAPA Racing UK, No.9:
“It’s been a really constructive couple of days, lots worked through and the guys have been great – they’ve not stopped really. It’s been a great opportunity to try some car set-ups you wouldn’t usually get to try on a race weekend. It’s been warm, quite tough conditions, but a really good couple of days that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. We’ve worked through a programme, had some really good speed and set what was, ultimately, the fastest time of the entire test as I was on the normal race tyre. It’s great to get a one-two for NAPA Racing UK, all good and onward to Knockhill now.”

Ollie Jackson – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.48:
“We focused on running through suites of individual set-up changes, and it was a pretty successful couple of days from that perspective. Everyone worked hard and we found a few interesting aspects of the car, some of which were probably contradictory to some of the changes we’ve made recently. We’ve got a better understanding of the car now so I think we’re in a good position, although with Knockhill next it’s a one-off track so you can never tell where you are until you’re actually there!”

Sam Osborne – Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, No.77:
“We found out some little tricks with the car over the last couple of days, so we’re definitely moving in the right direction – fingers crossed we make some steps forward during the second half of the season. It’s been boiling with the weather, so we’ve focused on keeping plenty of fluids and staying well hydrated, but it’s been two good days. Working with Nick [Tandy] has been absolutely mega, he’s a fantastic driver and has given lots of great feedback which I can take forward.”

The second half of the BTCC season gets underway just over a fortnight from now, over the weekend 30th/31st July, at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland.

2022 BTCC Drivers Championship
4th Ash Sutton, 171pts; 11th Dan Cammish, 86pts; 22nd Ollie Jackson, 9pts; 25th Sam Osborne, 1pt

2022 BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship
3rd Motorbase Performance/Ford, 346pts

2022 BTCC Teams Championship
2nd NAPA Racing UK, 259pts; 13th Apec Racing with Beavis Morgan, 14pts

2022 Jack Sears Trophy
4th Sam Osborne, 164pts

The post VERY POSITIVE TWO-DAY TEST AT SWELTERING SNETTERTON PROVIDES MID-SUMMER BOOST FOR MOTORBASE appeared first on Alliance Racing.

A strong two days of testing saw driver Rory Butcher set the fastest time of the test (1:56.504s).

We caught up with Team Manager Oly Collins and all three drivers to review the test and to look forward to the start of the 2020 season.

Team Manager Oly Collins:

You recently topped the times at the 2 day tyre test at Snetterton. How pleased are you with how the test went? 

The test was brilliant. We’ve done a few days testing since lockdown began but we’ve been on our own, so you don’t fully know your pace. So having the last two days to go through our test program has been really good. Rory was happy with the car straight out of the box on Tuesday morning, so while it was dry we decided to see what kind of time we could put in and it was good. We don’t know what our competitors were doing with weight and boost, but we were happy with what we did across the three cars.

Was it beneficial to get some wet weather testing in as well? 

Its good to test in all conditions, don’t get me wrong we all prefer the stability of dry running but this is the BRITISH Touring Car Championship we have to be prepared for wet running. We learnt a couple of valuable things about the car in the wet conditions and all 3 drivers enjoyed the car in the wet as well as the dry.

How do you feel the new car compares to last season’s car?

It seems to be a positive in all areas. The improvements are all small ones in every area and it all adds up. From early testing it seems to have given us a car which could be good in particular conditions. The new car seems more consistent in any condition. Its still very early days with the new car and we’re still learning, which is why these test days are probably more important to us than maybe some of our competition who have a year or two under their belts with their cars.

Was that the final test before the start of the season or do you have any further plans for testing before the Donington round? 

I think so, we’ve looked at a couple of options but I think after the 4 or 5 days testing we’ve done recently plus what we already did in March, I think we will benefit a little more from a good period of time to go through what we’ve learnt from both a pace and operational perspective. We now need to turn up to round one in a good position in all areas.

Looking forward to the season ahead. There has been encouraging pace in testing.  What are your hopes for the season ahead? 

We’re a race team, we’re here to win. The BTCC offers a format where you can compete with the Manufacturer Teams so there is no reason at all why we shouldn’t be confident to win. That said its a hugely competitive series with some great teams and drivers, so its tough. We’re up against Manufacturers in Toyota, Honda and BMW all who have at least a years experience of their machinery. Motorbase as a Team has put a lot of time, money and hard work into designing, building and developing the new car. Pre season testing has gone very well and the pace looks good. We’ve got some very good people throughout our team and we’re confident that 2020 can be the year we get to prove that.

Rory Butcher

You recently topped the times at the 2 day tyre test at Snetterton. How pleased are you with how the test went? 

Snetterton went really well despite only getting a half day of dry running as we had a lot of things we wanted to try. The car has a great feeling in both conditions so I’m really pleased with its performance.

Was it beneficial to get some wet weather testing in as well? 

With the Snetterton event being moved to October the wet weather running was actually very beneficial. I was able to learn where the grip is and isn’t on the track and also learn what works with the car too.

How do you feel the new car compares to last motorbase Focus you drove?

The new car is a big step forward on the older Ford Focus RS. Mainly in terms of drive ability. Wherever we go the car seems to be in the window or very close to it and only requires little set up changes to find the sweet spot.

Looking forward to the season ahead. There has been encouraging pace in testing.  What are your hopes for the season ahead? 

Both the team’s and my own aspirations are to pose a real challenge this year and we have real intent going into round 1. We face a gruelling compact season with many challenges ahead, so we first need to keep focussed on doing our jobs the very best we can and give our pest performance.

Ollie Jackson

How pleased are you with how the Snetterton test went? 

Yeah really well, particularly the first day. We found a really good balance and it was good to mix the wet and dry. The second day wasn’t quite as useful but we still learnt a lot and have found a few more questions to answer

Was it beneficial to get some wet weather testing in as well? 

Yes it was good to get some running time in the wet, the car seems to be really strong and it’ll definitely pay off with the timing of the season this year

How do you feel the new car compares to last season’s car?

The new car is great, it seems to be a lot easier to find a setup, the changes are a lot more powerful and intuitive and the car gives great feedback behind the wheel

Looking forward to the season ahead. There has been encouraging pace in testing.  What are your hopes for the season ahead? 

I think we’ve got to be challenging for the independents this year, that would be a great achievement. Personally I’d love to bag my first win and a few more podiums this year and I think the new car will give me the best opportunity.

Andy Neate

How do you feel the test at Snetterton went?

After some teething problems with my new car we’re resolved, the test was quite productive. The track was changing every lap due to the relentless rain so this made it almost impossible to compare lap times unless you was on the track at the same time as another car. However we continued to tune a baseline setup we have been working on and then followed this up by comparing the setup with what my team mates had been working on. Collectively there has been a lot of data collected and I’m sure everything assessed will put the team in a strong starting position come Donington.

Was it beneficial to get some wet weather testing in as well?

Definitely, due to the revised BTCC calendar moving much of the racing into the late autumn, we are guaranteed to have some wet weather racing this season. Considering im very green to any type of racing for over 8 years, both wet and dry practice will certainly be beneficial for me.

What are your thoughts on the new Focus ST?

The engineers that have designed the car have really maximised on the advancements from the older Ford Focus. The baseline car in terms of both general stiffness and aero is a far stronger starting platform from what I can see.

How does it compare to last seasons car that your drove at the beginning of the year?

There is no doubt the old car could be quick on its day, but I think it was very much track and weather condition dependant. From the limited running I have had in both cars I would say new car will suit any eventuality unlike the old model. But just to drive, the new car a massive step forwards, and whilst it is true my 2020 ambitions are not for championship glory, if I were the other championship contenders I’d be very concerned about my team mate Rory Butcher as I have no doubt he’ll be in contention for the big prize come the last race at Brands in November!

What are your hopes for the season ahead?

As I said, clearly I’ve been out of the BTCC and any full-time racing for nearly a decade, so I need to be realistic with my hopes and expectations for 2020. However I do have strong targets and hopes, but I’ll let you know if I achieved them at the end of the season and not before.

The team are in action when the 2020 BTCC season gets underway at Donington Park on the weekend of the 1st August.

The post Snetterton test recap appeared first on Alliance Racing.

It was a weekend of mixed emotions for the Motorbase-run squad, with Ollie Jackson collecting his maiden Independent race win, and best-ever BTCC points haul as the second half of the season got underway. Sadly, it was a case of what might have been for his team-mate Tom Chilton, whose early potential was derailed by a puncture in race 1.

Coming off the back of a successful two-day tyre test at on the Norfolk circuit, both Chilton and Jackson put their learnings to good use on Saturday, securing P4 and P12 spots respectively in the afternoon qualifying session.

Sunday’s opening race held much promise early on. Charging off the line, Chilton pulled off an outstanding switchback move on Tordoff as the race leaders headed through the first corner, storming past the Honda to steal into third. Sitting in strong podium contention, a devastating puncture fired Chilton off track at high speed as he raced through Coram, pitching him into the barriers and ending his race after just 5 tours of the circuit.

Running on the prime-tyre for the weekend opener, Ollie Jackson was on career-best form at the Norfolk track. Scything the #48 Focus RS through the field, he made his way up through the order, holding off robust challenges from Matt Neal and a fast-charging Simpson to eventually cross the line in 8th.

A lightning start in race 2 saw Jackson take 6th by the first corner. Duelling with Tordoff as they raced down the straight, a bold lunge was rewarded with a step-up P5. A challenge for the race lead on lap 7 delivered the perfect opportunity for the Motorbase-man to strike. As Ingram, Turkington, Cammish, and Jordan all jostled for position, Jackson kept a cool head before making his move to steal into 4th. Securing his best finish of the season so far, Jackson’s superb drive also netted him the Independent race win and his first podium of the year.

Chilton’s weekend looked to be on the up, with the 34-year-old making attacking straight off the start line. Working his way up into the mid-pack in the early laps, the #3 Focus looked set for a points finish and possible reversed grid draw spot before getting caught up in an on-track incident between Jelley and Cook which regrettably dropped him down the order. A commendable fight-back saw him eventually cross the line in P17, having made up an impressive 12 places.

The final race of the weekend delivered plenty of drama with tyre strategies all coming into play for the final 12 lap challenge. With the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher duo both running the less-favourable hard-compound as track temperatures cooled, both racers faced a hard battle on track against the faster-charging machines running on softs.

Jackson led the way once more with an excellent defensive drive. Carrying 30kg of success ballast on-board the #48 Focus, his tenacity was repaid with a P7 finish, ending the day with a third top-ten finish and his best-ever BTCC weekend.

Racing in heavy traffic, Chilton did well to stay out of trouble as he raced wheel to wheel with Neal and Goff. Pushing hard in the closing laps, he showed his true class once more to break into the points-scoring zone, bringing the #3 Ford home unscathed in P12.

Although a mixed bag of results for the two drivers over the weekend, the Motorbase-run team has made huge strides forward with the Ford Focus RS machines and heads to Thruxton full of confidence ahead of the Kwik British Touring Car Championship’s return in two weeks.

Team Manager Oly Collins:

“I’m absolutely thrilled for Ollie and his side of the garage. He put in an outstanding performance all day today and got the results he has been promising all season. Unfortunately, Tom’s day was pretty much over from lap 5. He was so unlucky to get the puncture so early in the race. He was in such control and on for a guaranteed podium which would have set the tone for a great weekend and a decent haul of points. Unfortunately a result like that in race 1 spoils the whole weekend. There was absolutely nothing he could do.

“On the plus side we had pace all day today and Ollie got his first Independent win. Great teamwork from all involved and we go to Thruxton in a buoyant mood. And what an awesome race 3 it was too. A true, classic BTCC race! “

#3 Tom Chilton

“The weekend started off great by qualifying 4th and then race 1 looked set to be a great race after moving up to 3rd at turn one. I almost got Cammish for 2nd, too. I had preserving the tyres in my mind at that point, to try to potentially get a second and then we got a slow puncture. We just picked something up on track somewhere which caused the slow puncture. The tyre eventually pulled itself off the rim, and that was it. I went into the wall.

“So from looking at a nice easy podium and being one of the fastest here, to where we ended up was not what we wanted at all. A podium finish would have resulted in a totally different weekend for us. I would probably have been in the top 5 in the championship, but now we’ve dropped down to 10th and we have a big job ahead of us to close that gap now.

“Taking the positives away, our worst tyre was the hard and we were only 2 tenths off the fastest time on the hard tyre in race 3. I genuinely feel like we have one of the fastest cars on the grid, but definitely had the worst luck today. I’m gutted, but we’ve got 3 more rounds on the hard tyre, and our car is epic now so I’m excited about Thruxton.”

#48 Ollie Jackson

“Really successful weekend, the car has been fantastic, the team have done an awesome job and I’m delighted. It feels like a watershed weekend! There are still a few little bits of the puzzle that I still need to fill in, but I feel like now it’s rocking and rolling.

“I’ve finally managed to pull it all together to get us all the results that I’ve been threatening to get all year. All we need to do now is make that next step and to build from here and make that next step onto the podium. It’s definitely a huge confidence booster for me now heading to Thruxton in a couple of weeks.”

Results:

#3 Tom Chilton:

Qualifying: P4

Round 16: DNF

Round 17: P17

Round 18: P12* (amended post-race)

 # 48 Ollie Jackson:

Qualifying: P12

Round 16: P8

Round 17: P4

Round 18: P7* (amended post-race)

Championship standings:

Driver Championship

1             Colin TURKINGTON          Team BMW         236 points

2             Andrew Jordan   BMW Pirtek Racing 200 points

3             Rory BUTCHER   Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance              177 points

4             Josh COOK          BTC Racing          166 points

5             Dan CAMMISH   Halfords Yuasa Racing     166 points

6             Ashley SUTTON  Adrian Flux Subaru Racing             160 points

7             Tom INGRAM     Team Toyota GB with Ginsters     144 points

8             Matt NEAL          Halfords Yuasa Racing     130 points

9             Jason Plato         Sterling Insurance Racing              128 points

10           Tom CHILTON    Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher     123 points

18           Ollie Jackson      Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher 52 points

Team Championship

1             Team BMW         321 points

2             Halfords Yuasa Racing     292 points

3             Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance              283 points

4             BTC Racing          235 points

5             Sterling Insurance with Power Maxed Racing         201 points

6             BMW Pirtek Racing          191 points

7             Adrian Flux Subaru Racing             176 points

8             Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher     173 points

Independent Driver Standings

1           Rory Butcher – Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance – 262 points

2             Josh Cook – BTC Racing – 245 points

3             Sam Tordoff – Cobra Sport AmD Auto/Aid RCIB Insurance – 206 points

3           Tom Chilton – Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher – 196 points

9             Ollie Jackson – Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher – 139 points

Independent Team Standings

1             Cobra Sport AmD AutoAid/RCIB Insurance              292 points

2             BTC Racing          292 points

3             Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher     259 points

The post Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher takes Independent win and Trio of Top Tens at Snetterton appeared first on Alliance Racing.

The Motorbase-run outfit heads to Norfolk in confident form after topping the times during the annual Dunlop tyre test on the 300 circuit two weeks ago.

Tom Chilton took top honours from the two-day programme, clocking up the most Km’s and setting the fastest lap-time, with team-mate Ollie Jackson closely paced, posting the third-fastest time overall.

Having unlocked key potential in the Ford Focus RS during the extensive mid-season test, Chilton and Jackson are more determined than ever to close the gap to the championship leaders as the title battle picks up pace once more.

14-time BTCC race-winner Chilton is looking to add more silverware to the race win and three podiums already under his belt this season, with Jackson keen to build on his promising race pace from the first half of the campaign as he pushes for consistent top-ten finishes.

“Coming back from the break we’re keen to keep the momentum of our mid-season test going, and to show our strength for the whole of the second half of the season;” commented Team Manager Oly Collins.

“We had a great test at Snetterton recently with both Tom and Ollie setting the fastest times on each of the two days, which was great. That said we don’t know quite where our competitors were, we only know what we were doing. But we know it was a positive test for us in many ways.

“I feel sure the normal protagonists will be quick with BMW and Honda in particular but hopefully we can repeat that pace this weekend. It looks like the weather may play a part in the results as well as the mix-up of the new tyre regulations for Snetterton, with all three compounds coming into play on Sunday.”

#3 Tom Chilton:

“We managed to qualify third and finish 5th here last year in the 60th-anniversary race which was quite something. After setting the fastest time in the test a couple of weeks ago we’re arriving with very positive heads to get our 2nd half of the year underway in the right manner.

“Oulton Park did not go our way at all, but it did mean that we looked at the car closely during the test, and the Focus is in a much better place now. We covered a lot of ground during the two days, and we now have the right set-up for each tyre.

“The BMWs will be the cars to beat for sure this weekend, even with full weight, but we’ll be a good position to give them a run for their money! Hopefully, my years of experience will put us in good stead. Experience equals points; that’s what I’m hoping for. I really want to get a win this weekend; it’s been a while since I’ve taken a win at Snetterton.”

#48 Ollie Jackson:

“On paper, it should be a good weekend for us. We’ve made great strides forward with the car.  I’m feeling at one with it, so hopefully, we can convert that into good results and get the monkey off our back.

“If we can run confidently and comfortably in the top ten and then push for the top 5 and maybe steal a reverse grid result I’d be really happy with that. I think we deserve a break.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how things play out with the three different compounds. I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the grid runs the same tyre in the same races, so it might not mix things up as much as usual. We’ve got a handle on the set-ups for each now so we should be in a good position for all three races come Sunday.”

Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship take place at Snetterton circuit, Norfolk on August 3-4. Live coverage of Sunday’s (August 4) events will be shown on ITV4, ITV4HD and via the ITVhub from 10.45 – 18:30; with itv.com/btcc featuring live timing and streaming of Saturday’s (August 3) qualifying session from 15.00.

The post Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher chasing Snetterton success as BTCC resumes appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Tordoff’s one-off livery will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the Norfolk track on Saturday as part of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship’s 60th Anniversary celebrations, with the distinctive bright pink bodywork and contrasting black branding guaranteed to bring an extra splash of colour to the grid to help mark the occasion.

The six-times BTCC race winner is hopeful that the makeover will also bring some additional good fortune for his comeback campaign as the second half of the season gets underway on the 2.99 mile circuit.

Sam Tordoff said; “We had such a great reaction to the JCT600 70th anniversary platinum livery that we ran at Croft in 2016. As soon as I had signed the contract with Motorbase to return to the BTCC this year, I was adamant that we should do something similar once again. The 60th BTCC anniversary celebrations at Snetterton seemed the perfect time to do it.

“We wanted to choose a colour that really made an impact on the track and also on TV. Bright pink has become my signature colour over recent years. My pink helmet attracts a lot of attention and comments – as you’d expect – and we wanted something special for the car, so it was a no-brainer to run with it!”

“It’s definitely going to grab people’s attention. Who knows, we may even decide to keep it!” 

The 29-year-old heads into the second half of the season in confident form after a recent run of strong results in the GardX-backed Focus RS. Remarkably, despite being the fastest qualifier on the grid so far this season, Tordoff’s race results have been hampered by a series of unfortunate and uncontrollable incidents – a fact that the Yorkshireman hopes to put right this weekend.

“Snetterton is probably my successful track, especially in the BTCC;” he added. “I’ve won there in everything that I’ve raced in and it’s one of my all-time favourite circuits. I took my fist Clio cup win there and also my first BTCC pole position and race win, so it holds great memories for me.”

As part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations, Snetterton also plays host to a one-off double distance, double points contest for the final race of the weekend. Following an additional 15-minute, base-weight qualifying session on the Saturday, all cars will also race the 20 lap distance free of the usual championship success-ballast.

“We’re going into the weekend well prepared;” added Tordoff. “The team clocked up a huge amount of mileage on the recent two day tyre test, so I’ll have the knowledge to build on that data.

“Race 3 is going to be a true test to see where everyone’s cars really are when we’re not hampered by ballast. It’s going to be like round 1 at Brands Hatch all over again. It’ll be interesting to see how our car stacks up against everyone else, both in qualifying and the race.

“It all bodes well for a good weekend. Hopefully the stars will finally align and we can get back to winning ways.”

Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship take place on the Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk on July 28/29.

Saturday (July 28) plays host to two free practice sessions at 09.30 and 12.10 before the first customary 30 minute qualifying session at 15.10 -15.40, with the additional ballast-free qualifying session for the special anniversary race taking place at 17.40 – 17.55.

Live coverage of both qualifying sessions can be viewed online at: http://www.itv.com/btcc/qualifying-live

Sunday’s (July 29) opening two races are scheduled for 11.30 and 13.50, with the extended double distance, double point contest scheduled for 17.15 with live full-day coverage on ITV4, ITV4HD and online at itv.com/hub/itv4 from 10.30-18.30.

Live timing for all sessions is available at: http://www.tsl-timing.com/event/183003

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With the BTCC commemorating its 60th year, a special one-off ‘Diamond Double’ contest is in play for the final race of the weekend; with potential game-changing double championship points on offer for the top 15 finishers of the double distance 20 lap challenge. In a break from the traditional reversed-grid race 3 format, an additional base weight qualifying session held on Saturday will also determine starting positions for the ballast-free showcase.

The Motorbase-run outfit heads to Snetterton in excellent form and with its sights firmly set on closing the gap to the Championship leaders. Three podium finishes from the last two meetings at Croft and Oulton Park have helped to cement the team’s position as the leading Independent Team in the Overall Teams’ Standings and the Kent-based squad sits just 6 points off the current Indy Teams’ Championship leaders.

Both Tom Chilton and James Cole attended the recent two day Dunlop tyre test on the 2.99mile Snetterton 300 circuit, with the duo clocking up over 1,000km of essential track time ahead of this weekend’s pivotal rounds. Working through both qualifying and full race length runs, the Ford Focus RS remained in the top 7 combined times over the two day test programme, posting the 2nd fastest time on both the opening and closing sessions.

Oly Collins Team Manager commented; “After a great two day test with Dunlop, we’re as prepared as we can be going into this weekend.

“Both James and Tom covered a huge amount of miles in those two days, and we had a great chance to test some development parts prior to the start of the second half of the season. We managed to work on both qualifying and race runs and definitely feel that we made some moves forward with the RS; which we need to remember is still a new car to us all this season.

“We now head into the second half and this weekend at Snetterton confident of claiming more podiums and even more success on track. Like everyone else, we’re well aware of the importance of the diamond double race with double points available. It will certainly keep things interesting in the Championship, and could well have a huge impact on deciding this year’s Champions.”

Driver quotes: 

#3 Tom Chilton: 
“I’m very excited about Snetterton this weekend. We have a very strong car. We completed around 1,000km at the Dunlop test and collected a huge amount of data. We already had a great race car, but I think we have an even better car now heading into the double points race.

“The extra 15-minute qualifying session will be interesting to see how all of the cars compare against each other without the ballast on-board.

“I would love to get a win this weekend, it would be awesome. The ideal scenario would be to get a win in race 2 and then still be free of the weight for the final double point race.”

#20 James Cole: 
“We had two days solid testing at Snetterton earlier this month, which gave us some fantastic additional learnings on the car which will hopefully prove invaluable going into the extended race this weekend. We’ve moved the car forward even more from Croft. We have great consistency and reliability in the RS both in qualifying and race pace and that should put us in good stead for the extra-long 20 lap race.

“I think there may be a few surprises this weekend. All being well, our hard work over the summer break will be rewarded with some good results and a podium or two!”

Rounds 16, 17 and 18 of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship takes place on the Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk on July 28/29.

Saturday (July 28) plays host to two free practice sessions at 09.30 and 12.10 before the first customary 30 minute qualifying session at 15.10 -15.40, with the additional ballast-free qualifying session for the special anniversary race taking place at 17.40 – 17.55.

Live coverage of both qualifying sessions can be viewed online at: http://www.itv.com/btcc/qualifying-live

Sunday’s (July 29) opening two races are scheduled for 11.30 and 13.50, with the extended double distance, double point contest scheduled for 17.15 with live full-day coverage on ITV4, ITV4HD and online at itv.com/hub/itv4 from 10.30-18.30.

Live timing for all sessions is also available at: http://www.tsl-timing.com/event/183003

The post Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher looking to carry momentum into ‘Diamond Double’ Snetterton event appeared first on Alliance Racing.

It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for the Kent-based squad with newcomer Valentin Hasse-Clot and team-mate Dan Vaughan struggling to fully convert their impressive race pace into worthy results on race day.

21-year-old Hasse-Clot made his mark on the Carrera Cup GB debut early on during Sunday’s opening race. The French Carrera Cup Rookie Champion produced an outstanding charge off the start line; leaping from 7th on the grid to P2 in just two laps, and the Frenchman looked set for a podium on his maiden appearance. Regrettably a small error on lap 3, in the treacherous racing conditions, pitched him into the barriers and ended the race for the #88 Porsche 911 Cup Car.

A less dramatic opening race for team-mate Dan Vaughan saw the #55 911 Cup Car take the Pro-Am Class lead in the opening laps. Sadly, Vaughan was unable to hold position in the tricky conditions and he slipped back down the order, eventually ending the race 3rd in class.Starting from dead-last for race 2, Hasse-Clot once again demonstrated his undoubted pace in the #88 car. From P23, the Frenchman expertly scythed his way through the field and into P7 by the 7th tour of the circuit. However, with only 7 laps remaining and minimal opportunities to progress, he was forced to hold position to take P7 at the flag. Vaughan scored his 2nd podium of the day in race 2, with the 21-year-old putting up a valiant battle in the Pro-Am class to end the 14 lap contest in P10 overall, 3rd in the Pro-Am class.

In recognition of the team’s performance, and in particular the efforts and skill of crew managing to rebuild Hasse-Clot’s car in time to make race 2, Motorbase Performance were also awarded ‘Team of the Weekend’ by the Championship.

The Porsche Carrera Cup GB now has a short break before reconvening at Knockhill in Fife, Scotland for rounds 11 and 12 on August 25/26.

Quotes: 

Team Principal David Bartrum: 
“Dan had an interesting weekend really. He’s had two podiums, but we all feel that he really should have progressed a bit more this weekend. We’re into the 2nd half of the season now, so he needs to be getting the wins to stay in the fight for the title.

“Valentin was an interesting addition to the team. He didn’t qualify great but it was his first time racing in the UK so we expected that. His first race wasn’t very long, but it was certainly very memorable! He came from 7th to P2 before the end of the first lap. It was just such a shame that he made a mistake and crashed out because I would have loved to see where he would have ended the race. It was really exciting to watch.

“The boys did a great job repairing the car in time to get him back out as good as new for race 2 and Valentin went out and went from 23rd to 7th. I really can’t wait to see what he can do as he gets more used to the tracks and the car.

“Getting Team of the Week from Porsche was a nice addition. It just underlined the brilliant job that the team did this weekend and it’s great for their hard work to be recognised.”

#88 Valentin Hasse-Clot (Pro Class):
“Qualifying was tough. The field is so close, there was only 3 tenths between the top 7. In the first race I went from 7th to 2nd and then made a mistake and killed my weekend so I had to start the 2nd race last. I made it up to 7th in 2 laps but the race was done by then really. I feel a bit frustrated that we missed out on a podium this weekend. I know that our place is in the top 3 so we are quite confident for the next round at Knockhill.

“I was surprised by the warm welcome everyone gave me this weekend. That was nice. The top 6/7 is the same as in France but the circuits are far more technical. I’ve been really impressed with the British motorsport fans and their incredible support for the drivers, especially in this weather!”

#55 Dan Vaughan (Pro-Am Class):
“A solid weekend with two podiums; but not a great weekend. I had the car; I just didn’t get the best of out of myself. The car has been mega and the team have worked really well, I just feel like I should have done a bit better.

“It’s been a big help having Valentin in the team and it’ll help me for sure sitting down and going over the data together. I’m looking forward to Knockhill next; hopefully we’ll be able to get back into the Championship fight.”

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