Stephen Bailey
Executive member
Team Pasty Muncher takes on the world
The 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.
The 2007 BTCC is set to be one of the most exciting and hard thought championships in history. From 2004 to 2006, there was always a mix of BTC-T spec and S2000 cars and whilst the racing was generally close, weight penalties (or indeed weight taken out of the S2000 cas) were often enforced to the slightly faster BTC-T spec cars to allow the S2000 cars to compete.
BTC-T Spec
S2000
With the introduction of the S2000 rules, there has been an influx of new teams, cars and drivers. New cars include the BMW 320si, as well as the older 320i, Vauxhall Vectra, Honda Accord along with the already established SEAT Leon. Full run through to come later along with news on the only official test!
2007 format
Race weekend
On Saturday afternoon, a 30-minute qualifying session is held. The times from this decide the starting grid for the first of Sunday’s three rounds. The starting grid for the second of Sunday’s three rounds is decided by the finishing order of the day’s first race. Sunday’s third round grid is decided by the finishing order of the second race but, uniquely, with the leading positions reversed. The number of positions to be reversed becomes known only after race two when the winner draws a random number between six and ten.
Success ballast
After both the first and second races on Sunday, the following weight handicaps are added to the top five finishers’ cars before the start of races two and three respectively: 1st – 45kgs; 2nd – 36kgs; 3rd – 27kgs; 4th – 18kgs; 5th – 9kgs. Sixth place or lower does not carry any ballast. After race three, the same amounts of ballast are added to the cars of the top five drivers in the championship in time for the next race meeting when their cars must take part in practice, qualifying and race one carrying that extra weight. Ballast allocation is decided by the order in which the drivers cross the finish line – eg. if a driver finishes race one in second place but is then relegated to tenth in the official results (possibly due to a rules infringement) their car must still carry second-placed ballast in race two.
Points system
For those not familiar with the points system, here it is:
Position - Points
1 - 15
2 - 12
3 - 10
4 - 8
5 - 6
6 - 5
7 - 4
8 - 3
9 - 2
10 - 1
There are also points awarded for pole position, fastest race lap and leading a lap in a race. If a driver were to score maximum points over the weekend then they would collect a whopping 54 points!
The calender
A few changes this year with Croft and Knockhill missing out on places on the calender.
Rounds - Circuit
1, 2, 3 - Brands Hatch Indy
4, 5, 6 - Silverstone National
7, 8, 9 - Donington Park
10, 11, 12 - Oulton Park Island
13, 14, 15 - Thruxton
16, 17, 18 - Snetterton
19, 20, 21 - Mondello Park (Ireland)
22, 23, 24 - Knockhill (Scotland)
25, 26, 27 - Brands Hatch GP
28, 29, 30 - Silverstone National
Runners and riders
Team Halfords - Honda Accord
1 - Matt Neal
52 - Gordon Shedden
The champion team of the last two years, Matt Neal will be looking for a third consecutive drivers crown this year, but will be up against it in a car that has never won a race in the WTCC. Gordon Shedden will be looking to build on last years performances which saw him finish fourth in the drivers standings. Can Halfords succeed where others have failed with this car?
SEAT Sport UK - SEAT Leon - Works team
11 - Jason Plato
12 - Stephen Bailey
This years favourites, heading into a fourth season with S2000 technology and the second with the Leon, they surely have an advantage over all the other teams. Plato will be looking to win the title for the first time since his triumph in 2001. 20 year old Stephen Bailey makes his debut in the series and will surely have every opportunity to impress in what is a proven race winning car.
VX Racing - Vauxhall Vectra - Works team
5 - Fabrizio Giovanardi
7 - Tom Chilton
Any team with multiple European champion Fabrizio Giovanardi will be challenging for big points. He should feel more at home in a S2000 car compared to last years awful Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch. Chilton will be looking to justify the faith shown in him this year after being chosen for the second seat.
Team RAC - BMW 320si
3 - Colin Turkington
33 - Tom Onslow-Cole
With the WTCC title winning 320si at their disposal, Team RAC will be looking to seriously challenge the front runners but they will be well aware that no one has yet been able to get the BMW to work particularly well in the British series. The early season see most likely be tough for Turkington, who only has experience of FWD touring cars, and Tom Onslow-Cole, who is about to start his debut season in the BTCC after moving up from the Renault Clio Cup.
Motorbase Performance - SEAT Toledo Cupra
23 - Matt Allison
24 - Tom Ferrier
25 - Gareth Howell
Another race winning car under S2000 rules, but it's not raced in the BTCC since it was replaced by the Leon as the works car. Should occasionally upset the big boys with three talented young drivers, and in Howell a three time race winner.
A-Tech - Alfa Romeo 156
56 - David Pinkney
59 - Richard Marsh
New team, old drivers and a very old car. The 156 was a title winning car in its day but it is now very long in the tooth having not really been developed since the end of 2005 in the WTCC. Occasionally challenge for a top ten, but don't expect it too often.
Kartworld Racing - BMW 320i
28 - Jason Hughes
82 - Fiona Leggate
Having run FWD MG's, this will be very different for the small Kartworld outfit. Much like A-Tech, occasionally challenge for points.
Jacksons M-Sport - BMW 320si
48 - Mat Jackson
Jackson has been in the BTCC before, but only in a production class Ford Focus in 2001, this is his first "proper" season of British Touring Cars and he has World Champion Andy Priaulx's BMW 320si of last year to show what he can do. There is no doubt about his pace after winning the SEAT Cupra Championship last year, but it'll be interesting to see if the talented youngster can transfer that pace to the BTCC. Will cause upsets at some stage this season.
Quest Racing - Alfa Romeo 156
17 - Eoin Murray
Positive signs from Eoin Murray last year, where he took it to the big boys a number of times, when his budget allowed. Finances could well be an issue again for the small independant team, as well as having the 156 which is past its best.
Team Eurotech - Honda Accord
77 - Mike Jordan
Regularly fighting for the top positions last year, Mike Jordan will be looking to upset the apple cart again this year in the Accord. If Halfords are fast then he'll be fast, simple as that.
Allaboutproperty.com - BMW 320i
15 - Martyn Bell
Martyn Bell says he is aiming for regular point scoring finishes. That may be bit hopeful on his part, but after a years experience with the 320i, he should certainly be more competitive than last season.
Team Air Cool - SEAT Toledo Cupra
21 - Adam Jones
Quick driver, and will certainly cause headaches for the bigger teams with the Toledo.
GR Asia - SEAT Leon
8 - Gavin Smith
Armed with the 2007 Leon, Gavin Smith could well be the dark horse this year. When's he quick he'll be right up there, but he has to be on it all the time.
Arkas Racing - SEAT Leon
90 - Erkut Kizilirmak
Turkish touring car champion, found wanting in his couple of outings last year in the Astra Sport Hatch. Unknown how he will perform in this years Leon.
J Team Motorsport - BMW 320i
No image available
45 - Jim Pocklington
Not much known, but Pocklington is known to be wanting to be compete with the likes of Kartworld and allaboutproperty.com.
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Note - I'm well aware some of the cars aren't the same as the pictures, but this is due to restrictions in the mod.
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Championship index:
Silverstone test day report
Silverstone test day images
Brands Hatch Indy, rounds 1, 2 & 3
Race one qualifying report
Race one result and images
Race one highlights
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The Injustice!!!!!
