Another good test for Alan at Brands Hatch
Following the Media Day on the 12th the next stop for Alan's busy testing schedule was Brands Hatch on the 17th in what would be his final test before the first 3 rounds at the circuit on the 30th March.
Like Rockingham the weather was really cold so getting heat in to the cars tyres would take at least 3-4 laps. The morning session didn't get off to a good start for Alan as his car refused to start. "It did this to me at Snett!" said the Whitley Bay Driver. After about half a dozen attempts the car coughed in to life and Alan was on his way. He was told by the team he had to do one lap to ensure the car met with the local noise restrictions. It did and Alan went back out to start some serious testing. With the Brands Indy Circuit being only 1.2 miles lap times would be very close and with 19 cars on track finding a clear lap would be tough.
Alan's times were looking good and like Rockingham he was on par with John George when disaster struck. On the approach to druids Alan's car didnt select the gear he needed causing the car to lock up and skate off in to the gravel. Thankfully there was no apparent damage and after he was dragged out Alan drove slowly back to the pits . "I was trying a little too hard. I was using the bridge as my reference point and I tried to brake just after that but the cars gears locked causing me to go straight on. My mistake." After the car was checked over went back out and the rest of the morning passed with no problems.
The afternoon session was again very cold and like the morning it was going to take a handful of laps to get heat into the rear tyres. Again Alan's times were good and he eventually set a time of 50.5secs which was 2/10ths faster than what the car did last year in the hands of Simon Blanckley. Towards the end of the afternoon Alan made a slight mistake at Paddock and just caught the corner of the splitter in the gravel and it was enough to break it. With no front grip Alan pitted to have the bumper changed. After that was done the car was checked and Alan was sent on his way. with the temperature plummeting the times didnt improve. At the end of the day Alan said "I am delighted with the time and I have done what I wanted to achieve today which was to tag on to John George . It's the fastest I have ever been round here and I can't wait for the first meeting." Team manager Mike Pickup added "Alan has done a fantastic job and like he said we are looking in great shape for the first meeting next weekend."
Positive Run at Rockingham
Rockingham Motor Speedway was the venue for the 2008 Media and this was also the chance for the entry list to be revealed ahead of the opening 3 rounds of the Hi-Q MSA British Touring Car Championship. Following his debut in the final 2 meetings of 2007 Alan Taylor will return with his Ex Team Dynamics Honda Integra run by Robertshaw Racing.
"I really can't wait to get in the car and race. I had a dayat Snetterton last week and it was good to get back out there as it was the first time I had driven the car since Thruxton last october." This year the team expands to 3 cars and alongside Alan will be reigning SEAT Cupra R Champion Harry Vaulkhard and 2006 British GTC Champion Matt Allison, each driving a car new to the series. The Chevrolet Lacetti which runs to the FiA Super 2000 Rules.
The morning was dedicated to the media who took the opportunity of doin teacking shots with the cars around the ovel and then it was a photo call on the grid with all the cars and drivers. The afternoon was a 4 hour test in which 22 out of the 27 entered took part in. Alan was looking forward to getting out on track and eager to compare his times with the other drivers. After a slight problem with his battery Alan was setting competitive times despite having a lot of understeer at the Deene Hairpain and Tarzan Hairpin which, are the 2 slowest corners on the circuit. After sometime in the pits and a chat with the team the car underwent a few changes to dial out the understeer. This was a success and Alan set a time that was good enough for 19th overall just 6 tenths off TH Motorsports John George in another Honda Integra. At the end of the day Alan said "I am really happy with that. I was getting annoyed with the cars understeer but the team did a great job dialling it out of the car and it was great to see that i am on the pace of the cars around me."
Frustrating Test for Taylor at Snetterton
for the first time since October 2007 Alan Taylor went to Snetterton to shakedown his Robertshaw Racing Honda Integra. The day did not start too well with the car failing the noise test. " The car runs at 114db but the test days here are 105db" Team Manager Joe Bradley explained. "We will make the exhaust quieter to conform with the local noise regulations." Whilst the cars exhaust was being packed the attention was turned to the starter motor which was refusing to allow the car to fire up. This meant that the car was unable to run in the morning sessions. "It's very frustrating " said Taylor "I haven't driven the car since Thruxton and need to get as much mileage in the car before Brands in 3 weeks time." The car was finally fixed for the afternoon session. Because of the issue with the starter motor the team had to push start the car. The final afternoon session was trouble free for Alan who racked up important mileage of the Norfolk Circuit. "That session was very productive but with a lot of traffic out there I couldn't get a clear run. I need to find 2 seconds and I'm confident with more testing I will achieve that." Next Stop for Alan and his Robertshaw Racing team will be the BTCC Media Day at Rockingham where he will be joined by Team-Mates Harry Vaulkhard and Matt Allison in their Chevrolet Lacettis.
Late Change for Final Rounds.
The Final Rounds of the HI-Q MSA British Touring car Championship will now take place on the Indy Circuit at Brands Hatch. This is due to local noise restrictions which only allow the GP Loop to be used so many times a year.
Rockingham to stage Media Day (From BTCC.net)
Rockingham will stage the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championships official Media Day on Wednesday 12 March and has confirmed that public admission to the event will be free. From 1pm, the gates will open and fans will be granted access to the circuits grandstands and infield paddock to catch their first glimpse of the newly-unveiled BTCC grid as it takes to the track for an official test session.
More than 500 fans turned up mid-week for 2007�s event, also held at Rockingham. And with the BTCC celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008, there is even more excitement anticipated this time around at the dramatic Northamptonshire venue.
Rockingham�s Director of Sales & Marketing Charlotte Orton, said: This event proved very popular last season with more than 500 fans taking full advantage of the free access to the circuit for the first official test session.
Media Day is an excellent opportunity for both teams and fans to prepare for the new season, and we're thrilled Rockingham has again been chosen to host the BTCC pre-season event next year.
More details about Rockinghams BTCC Media Day will be announced nearer the time.
Hi-Q, The new name for the 2008 BTCC (BTCC.net)
HiQ, the nationwide vehicle servicing and tyre retailing network, has announced its title sponsorship of the UK�s premier motor racing series, the MSA British Touring Car Championship, for the next three years beginning with the 2008 season.
This high-profile sponsorship will play a key role in promoting HiQ�s ambitious programme of development which is set to change the way fast fit is delivered in the UK. HiQ is part of the Goodyear Dunlop group in the UK, which has backed the BTCC since 2005 with the high-performance Dunlop tyre brand as title sponsor. Dunlop will continue as official tyre supplier to the BTCC.
Neil Burrows, HiQ Managing Director, stated: The BTCC has proved that it can deliver a high value of advertising worth, with live ITV coverage, the biggest UK motor sport attendance figures and broad media exposure. It gives HiQ a perfect opportunity to promote our unique offering as we re-launch and grow our network across the UK. HiQ's presence at BTCC meetings will extend considerably beyond the title sponsorship to the championship. The company will invite staff, franchisees and fleet customers to events, and the nationwide reach of HiQ branches will provide the basis for localised PR campaigns to promote BTCC events in town centres across the country, making the championship even more accessible for fans.
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: I am thrilled that HiQ has chosen to partner with the BTCC to accelerate its ambitious network-building plans in the UK. We have enjoyed a great relationship with the parent company, Goodyear Dunlop, for several years, and are delighted that the group continues to work closely with the BTCC through promoting its HiQ retail network as it expands across the country.
HiQ has invested heavily in a programme of development that involves the redevelopment of all centres, linked to a unique on-line service www.hiqonline.co.uk which allows customers to purchase their tyres on-line and choose when and where they have them fitted within the network. The network provides MOT and vehicle servicing, as well as tyre fitting, at over 120 branches across the UK. Burrows added: �HiQ has begun an ambitious programme, not only to simply change the look of its centres, but make a fundamental change to the way fast fit is delivered in the UK. Partnering with the countrys biggest motor sport championship will help us communicate with our target audience and promote the scale of the investment in the HiQ network.
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