BTCC: Bumper Driver Lineup for 2000 BTCC
1 March 2000
A bumper entry is poised to thrill spectators and television viewers when the 2000 Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship gets underway in April. A total of 22 drivers have so far registered with TOCA – the official championship organiser - to compete in this year’s series. This represents an increase of five cars on the grid compared with the start of last year’s BTCC. The entry list includes three former champions – Rickard Rydell (1998), Alain Menu (’97) and Gabriele Tarquini (’94); three-car teams entered by manufacturers - Honda, Ford and Vauxhall; and three Britons - Jason Plato, Anthony Reid and James Thompson - all with a chance of becoming the first British driver to win the title since John Cleland (’95). Reigning Michelin Cup for Independents’ Champion Matt Neal, who became the first non-works driver to win a BTCC race last year, will face a stiff challenge to win back-to-back titles as 1996 Independent winner Lee Brookes has confirmed his intentions to race. Scottish ace Colin Blair, driving a Nissan Primera similar to Neal’s, also will be putting the current ‘Indy king’ under pressure. New to the 2000 BTCC is Class B. The new category is for cars complying with the FIA Super Production regulations, with some variance, and National Saloon Championship regulations. It has created a great deal of interest with ten drivers already committed to enter the world’s most successful touring car series. Former touring car drivers James Kaye and Mark Lemmer are among the leading Class B entrants, alongside former one-make saloon car champion Alan Morrison, and saloon specialists Robert Collard, Gavin Pyper, David Pitcher and Nick James. TOCA Chief Executive Alan Gow says: "I am delighted by this entry list and it is still only provisional! I’m confident more drivers and cars will be announced in the coming weeks. This shows the BTCC is in a healthy position for 2000. "With 22 cars confirmed the action is going to be as good as ever, if not better. I’m sure the spectators and TV viewers will not be disappointed." Official BTCC testing – where all the teams run together at the same venue – starts on Thursday (2 March) at Brands Hatch, Kent. The opening rounds of the championship, which will be featured live on BBC Grandstand, also take place at Brands Hatch, on Sunday, 9 April. No Driver Nationality Entrant/Sponsor Car 3 Rickard Rydell S Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 4 James Thompson GB Team Honda Sport Honda Accord 5 Jason Plato GB Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 6 Yvan Muller F Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 8 Vincent Radermecker B Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 9 Matt Neal GB Team Dynamics Max Power Racing Team Nissan Primera GT 11 Alain Menu CH Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 12 Anthony Reid GB Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 18 Gabriele Tarquini I Team Honda Sport Honda Accord 45 Colin Blair GB P.R.O. Motorsport Nissan Primera GT 77 Tom Kristensen DK Team Honda Sport Honda Accord 99 Lee Brookes GB Brookes Motorsport /Rock-It Cargo TBA Class B: 13 Alan Morrison GB Touring Car VIP Club Peugeot 306 GTi 16 Tom Ferrier GB Gary Ayles Racing Alfa Romeo 156 20 Marc Nordon GB BSR Nissan Primera 21 Robert Collard GB BSR Nissan Primera 23 Mark Lemmer GB Barwell Motorsport Honda Integra R 33 James Kaye GB Barwell Motorsport Honda Accord 43 Richard Cuene-GrandidierF Driver Proton Compact GTi 44 Gavin Pyper GB Gary Ayles Racing Alfa Romeo 156 48 Nick James GB Arnold James Honda Integra R 69 David Pitcher GB Driver Honda Integra R