BTCC season preview: Let the battle of Britain commence
4 April 2000
The 2000 Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship - expected to be one the closest ever - gets underway this weekend (Sunday, 9 April). The world’s best touring car aces will line-up at Brands Hatch, Kent, ready to do battle in the first two races of the 24-round championship Among them are three Britons, all vying to be the first home-grown driver to win the title since 1995 - Honda’s young-gun Yorkshireman James Thompson, Vauxhall’s new signing Jason Plato, of Oxford, and Ford’s Scottish ace Anthony Reid. They will put on a dazzling display of driving in front of the live BBC Grandstand TV cameras, and Hollywood star Jason Priestley. The actor, who races in the USA, is taking time out from his West End appearance in the play Side Man to attend as a VIP guest of BTCC organisers TOCA. Each of the trio knows how important the first win of the year is and each wants nothing less than a maximum score in both rounds one and two this weekend to get the season off to a flyer. Says Thompson: “Hopefully I have enough speed, guile and experience to win the championship. Honda has put a lot into the BTCC and it certainly deserves the top reward.” But Plato warns: “They [Thompson and Honda] aren’t going to have it all their own way. I firmly believe we have the winning car.” The BTCC’s foreign legion will also be out to stop the Brit pack, with three former champions looking to double their title tally in 2000 and three other overseas stars gunning for their first championship. The Ford Mondeo team has two ex-champions with Switzerland’s Alain Menu (1997) and Sweden’s Rickard Rydell (1998) teaming up for the first time. Honda fields former Formula One ace Gabriele Tarquini, who took the series by storm to land the title in 1994. Alongside the Italian and Thompson in the Accord squad will be BTCC newcomer Tom Kristensen, the Dane joining the British series after finishing third in the German equivalent last year. Vauxhall’s spectacular Frenchman Yvan Muller, a five times Ice Racing champion in his homeland, won his first BTCC race last season and plans an all-out assault on the title this year. Like Plato, Muller will have to watch an attack from his other talented team-mate, Belgian Vincent Radermecker, who has joined the Luton marque from Volvo. But they will all have one eye on Stourbridge’s Matt Neal, the reigning Michelin Cup for Independents champion. He caused a stir last year by winning a race outright, a rare feat for an Independent driver without the might of manufacturer support. Neal has already sent a shot across the big boys’ bows by being quickest in two of the pre-season official tests. Neal’s Nissan Primera will be strong again this season and the Midlander could threaten an upset as the season progresses. But if he is not careful while fighting the manufacturer teams, his Independent crown could come under threat by Scotland’s Colin Blair. The Glaswegian competes in his first BTCC this year in a Nissan similar to Neal’s and won’t be far off the pace as he moves up the touring car learning curve. TV viewers and spectators at the circuits will witness a new innovation to BTCC racing this year with the introduction of Class B. The category, for cars less technologically developed than the Super Tourers of the main championship, will provide a fascinating race within a race, as the ten-strong field fights for its own title. Ex-Super Tourer racers 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 and Marc Nordon, both run by former Audi BTCC driver and race-winner John Bintcliffe. Another change to the championship for 2000 brings the introduction of success ballast; a move designed to help keep the BTCC racing close and action-packed and prevent domination by any one team. The top-three finishers in each race will have weight added to their cars for the entire duration of the following meeting. A race-winner receives 40kg, second place gets 30kg and third 20kg (to a maximum of 40kg). New rules also mean sole BTCC tyre supplier Michelin will have an effect on the outcome of the championship. Tyre warmers are banned, giving drivers less grip in the early stages of the race, and there are no intermediate tyres in 2000, only slick or wet-weather rubber, making tyre choice in greasy conditions critical. Both rounds one and two will be held on the famous 2.62-mile Grand Prix layout at Brands Hatch. All teams will test at the circuit on Friday with qualifying to decide the starting grids for Sunday’s action on Saturday. Round one (Sprint Race, 14 laps, 36.7miles) starts at 12.45pm and round two (Feature Race, 28 laps, 73.4miles) begins at 4pm. Each BTCC Feature Race includes a mandatory pit-stop (for Super Touring cars only) to change a minimum of two wheels. Spectators attending the BTCC race day will also be thrilled by the support race package provided by TOCA, the championship organiser. This includes the Slick 50 Formula Ford ZETEC Championship (single-seaters), the Ford Credit Fiesta ZETEC Championship (saloon cars), Formula Renault 2000 Championship (single-seaters), Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup and Autobytel Lotus Championship (saloons). This weekend there will be a treat for nostalgic motorsport fans with the Thoroughbred Grand Prix championship making a guest appearance. For tickets, contact Brands Hatch. Tel: 01474 872331