BTCC: Stars on show at Autosport International
12 January 2000
The stars of the Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship will be heavily involved in the action at this year’s Autosport International Show, held at Birmingham’s NEC this week, 13th-16th January. Alan Gow, Chief Executive of BTCC Organiser TOCA Limited, will be taking part in the opening question and answer forum on the Autosport Live stage at 10.45am on Thursday. Team Honda Sport’s young British star James Thompson, together with new BTCC team mate Tom Kristensen, will be appearing on the Autosport Live stage on Thursday at 12.15pm. James is one of the favourites for championship glory in 2000 and he will be talking about his hopes for the coming season. Local hero Matt Neal, 1999 Michelin Cup for Independents Champion, will take to the Autosport Live stage on Friday 14th at 2.45pm. The Team Dynamics pilot will feature alongside the Nissan Primera that propelled him to victory in round two at Donington Park last season, pocketing him a cool £250,000 jackpot in the process. Ford Team Mondeo drivers Anthony Reid and Alain Menu will be meeting their fans on the Rapid Fit stand over the weekend. Anthony Reid will be available on Saturday, whilst Alain Menu will be in attendance on Sunday. Vauxhall Motorsport’s winter signing, Jason Plato is also set to appear at the NEC. For the opportunity to speak to Jason, please contact Vauxhall Motorsport Press Officer, Dan Mayo on 07788 926404. Unfortunately team mates, Yvan Muller and Vincent Radermecker are unable to attend the show due to the team’s testing commitments. BOWMAN RACING FIRST TO SIGN FOR CLASS B CATEGORY Sponsored by the Touring Car VIP Club, Bowman Racing has confirmed its intention to enter the new BTCC Class B category in 2000 with a factory prepared Peugeot 306. This follows last week’s announcement by TOCA that the BTCC 2000 will be open to cars eligible for the National Saloon Championship. The Peugeot 306 will be unveiled on the Touring Car VIP Club stand (9208), in Hall 9 at 10am on Thusday.