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new-spec touring car new-spec touring car motorsport-news.co.uk FEBRUARY 22 2012 3

motorsport-news.co.uk

HEADLINE NEWS

NEWS HEADLINE

Photos: Jakob Ebrey, LAT, Honda Racing

Racing Honda LAT, Ebrey, Jakob Photos: Racing Honda LAT, Ebrey, Jakob Photos:

FIRSTFIRSTFIRSTFIRSTPICTURESPICTURESPICTURESPICTURES

WINNERS LIST

All-time BTCC manufacturers wins POS DRIVER POINTS

1 Ford

241

2 Vauxhall 130 3 Honda 121 4 Chevrolet 110 5 BMW 66 6 Jaguar 51 7 Seat 44 8 Renault 38 9 Rover 33 10 Nissan 25

Wind tunnel tests have helped to refine new Civic

Neal gave his new machine a shakedown at MIRA

“The power of the engine was good, and I was so impressed with the way the car generated grip. There are some small niggling problems that you get from any new car, but none of them are related to the bits that TeamDynamics has built and they didn’t stop us from completing a full day of running.

“We know how to build title-winning cars because we did it with the S2000 Civic and before that with the Honda Integra. I expect this car to be able to do the same.”

Quick out of the box TheHonda Racing Team started work on its 2012 machine back in November last year and that means it has amuch bigger lead in time to the 2012 season than any of its rivals.

The new factory MGprogramme was only revealed at the end of January, although Triple Eight Race Engineering has been working on the twoMG6 challengers since just before Christmas. Other teams will be starting with a combination of new cars or older S2000 cars with newspecification engines. Neal said: “By starting our build programme with the new car very early, it gives us a number of positives.

It means that we have been through all the issues with building up a new car, and there were a few, and it also means that wewill be able to get plenty of miles on it before the first rounds of the season.”

The turbo boost levels of the NGTCcars will be increased in 2012 to encourage the competitiveness of the machines. The cars also use bigger wheels and tyres, and Neal said that the initial running would be used to get on top of the new regulations.

“We have worked hard on the engine mapping and we are playing with the boost levels to see how that affects the handling of the car,” said Neal. “We want to improve the engine mapping to give us a better power delivery with more boost while working on the durability of the engine.

“The bigger tyres also mean that we have to think about tyre wear and the weight of the car, so there is plenty to learn that you are only able to do by putting miles on the car. That means we are going to get a head start on the others by actually being out there on the circuit. I amoptimistic that the groundwork that we have already been able to domeans that wewill have a title-winning car on our hands.”

2006: James Kaye and Mark Proctor represent the model in smaller teams, and Kaye scores a remarkable podium finish at Oulton Park. Wins: 0

2007:Team Dynamics launches the new-shape Civic (above) for Gordon Shedden and Neal to drive. Shedden finishes third while Neal is fourth in an impressive debut season. Wins: 5

2008:With Neal’s switch to Vauxhall, Chilton and Shedden lead the way for Honda. Shedden takes two triumphs but is only seventh while Chilton is ninth overall. Wins: 3

2009: Dynamics swaps between Shedden, Johnny Herbert and James Thompson for its lead Civic and Thompson takes three wins. Honda supports the team. Wins: 3

2010: The Honda Racing Team, as it is rechristened, takes second and third in the points as Neal is runner up. Wins:10

2011:Neal wins his third title with seven wins ahead of Shedden, (below) who takes six wins over the 30 races in the car, which is fitted with the new-spec twolitre turbocharged engine. Wins: 13

2012:Honda is the first manufacturer to fully commit to new-look Next Generation Touring Car rules.

NGTC Civic is a complete rework from last year’s car

BTCCWHO GOESWHERE

The likely line-up for 2012 DRIVER TEAM-CAR

Jason Plato Triple Eight Race Engineering MG6 Andy Neate Triple Eight Race Engineering MG6 Andrew Jordan Pirtek Racing Honda Civic Jeff Smith Pirtek Racing Honda Civic Matt Neal Honda Racing Team Civic Gordon Shedden Honda Racing Team Civic Mat Jackson Motorbase Performance Ford Focus Aron Smith Motorbase Performance Ford Focus Liam Griffin Motorbase Performance Ford Focus Rob Collard WSRBMW320si Nick Foster WSRBMW320si Tom Onslow-Cole WSRBMW320si TBA Special Tuning Racing Seat Leon TBA Special Tuning Racing Seat Leon Lea Wood Central Group Racing Vauxhall

Vectra

Dave Newsham ES Racing Vauxhall Vectra Chris James ES Racing Vauxhall Vectra TBA Techspeed Chevrolet Cruze TBA Techspeed Chevrolet Cruze TBA GSR BMW320si Tony Gilham TBA Honda Civic Frank Wrathall Dynojet Toyota Avensis Tony Hughes Speedworks Toyota Avensis Adam Morgan Speedworks Toyota Avensis Ollie Jackson AmD Tuning VWGolf Rob Austin Rob Austin Racing Audi A4 TBA Rob Austin Racing Audi A4 John Thorne Thorney Motorsport Vauxhall

Insignia

Dan Welch Welch Motorsport Proton Gen-2

Plato’s car will be a Triple Eight MG6

MAT JACKSON TO SPEARHEAD MOTORBASE ATTACK ON PAGE 6