BTCC: Vauxhall's Muller leads the hunt as leader is weighed down
23 August 2000
Ford's trio of racers are marked men this weekend as the 2000 Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship enters its final stages - for everyone will be going all-out to topple the Blue Oval boys. Following a four-week summer break, the action returns with rounds 19 and 20 at Brands Hatch, Kent, on Bank Holiday Monday (August 28), but it won't be much of a holiday for team-mates Anthony Reid, Alain Menu and Rickard Rydell. The three Mondeo drivers have put Ford in the best possible position with just six races remaining. The team leads the Manufacturers', Teams' and Drivers' championships and the Michelin Pit-Stop Challenge, but the chasing pack is determined to see that change. Leading the hot pursuit is Vauxhall's French ace Yvan Muller. He is fourth in the standings 25 points behind leader Reid, but with 35 points up for grabs at each of the remaining three race weekends, Muller has every chance of overhauling the mighty Mondeo men. Says the Vectra driver: "It is still possible to win the championship and I will be doing everything I possibly can to win it. It will be difficult, for sure, but we have to try to do our best and not make any mistakes." Vauxhall team-mate Jason Plato - also in the title frame in fifth place - won in a Vectra at the season's opening meeting at Brands Hatch so Muller knows his car has a good chance of success this weekend. He adds: "We are on the smaller Indy circuit this time [Plato won on the Grand Prix track] so it will be a bit different but not bad for us. I'm looking forward to it." Reid took over the lead of the series from Menu at the previous meeting at Donington Park, where he recorded his first victory of the season. But Reid's performance there could play into the hands of his title rivals because he will carry 40kg of success ballast in his Mondeo this weekend while Menu, Rydell, Muller and Plato have none. The Scot is confident, however, that the extra weight will not affect his speed too much. He says: "I think of all the circuits to carry ballast the Brands Hatch Indy track is probably the best. All the places where you need to accelerate hard after tight corners, where the weight hurts you most, are downhill. "But then lap times are always very close on this circuit and anything that hinders your progress is not ideal." Reid is under pressure going into the final six races, with team-mate Menu just seven points behind and Rydell only a further ten in arrears, but he is not concerned. "This is one of the closest finishes to a season for years but I've got a lot of experience of pressure situations and I've won big championships before [Reid took the 1992 Japanese Formula Three title, beating Formula One's Jacques Villeneuve]. I would say this is the most competitive championship I've ever been involved with and I'm racing against the strongest team-mates I've ever had. But I'm looking forward to the challenge of the rest of the year. I'm certainly not worried about the pressure," he says. Although not a title contender, Honda's James Thompson could play a major role in the outcome of the championship. The young Briton's dreams of BTCC glory were effectively ended at Brands Hatch in April when he suffered concussion in a crash that saw him miss the next four races. His aim for the rest of the season is to score victories in his improving Accord and that would take points away from the main protagonists. Says the 26-year-old: "I can't wait to get back into it. The Accord is running competitively and I want to try to get some good results for Honda. I'll be trying to win as many races as possible, whether that will have a big knock-on effect on the outcome of the championship I don't know." Another who will be hoping to get in among the Ford front-runners is Michelin Cup for Independents champion Matt Neal. The Team Dynamics Max Power Racing star notched up a brace of seconds at Donington Park, his best performance of the season, and, although carrying 40kg of success ballast, is looking to return to the podium. The ranks will be swelled at Brands Hatch with the welcome return of Alfa Romeo, the manufacturer that brought Italian style to the series with its all-conquering 155 in 1994. This time, a pair of GA Racing-prepared 156s will compete in Class B with British drivers Gavin Pyper and Tom Ferrier, who at 18 becomes the youngest ever BTCC competitor. The arrival of Alfa Romeo could unsettle the established Class B pacesetters, leader Alan Morrison (Touring Car VIP Club Peugeot 306) and second-placed James Kaye (Barwell Motorsport Honda Accord). Former touring car driver John Bintcliffe's team is getting stronger with every race and his two Nissan Primeras, raced by Robert Collard and Marc Nordon, will also be in contention for honours this weekend. BTCC spectators at Brands Hatch will witness an exciting package of support race action, including the Slick 50 Formula Ford Zetec, Ford Credit Fiesta Zetec, Autobytel Lotus, Formula Renault 2000, Elf Clio Renaultsport UK Cup, and Lamborghini championships. The BTCC contenders are testing at Brands Hatch on Saturday, August 26. Qualifying takes place on Sunday (August 27), with the races on Monday, August 28. Round 19 (Sprint Race, 25 laps, 30.65-miles) is scheduled to start at 12.45pm with Round 20 (Feature Race, 50 laps, 61.3-miles) getting the green light at 3.30pm.