the Halfords Yuasa Honda Civic's prove that Oulton Park can be a front drive success, with some great results.

• Second success of season keeps Matt Neal firmly in title fight
• Honda Civic Type R fastest front wheel-drive car at Oulton Park
• Gordon Shedden denied podium finish by late-race puncture

Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Matt Neal tallied his second success of the 2016 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign at Oulton Park this weekend (4/5 June), as the Honda Civic Type R proved its prowess as the fastest front wheel-drive car in the field.

  

Oulton Park is renowned as a circuit that favours rear wheel-drive machinery, and with both drivers carrying significant success ballast, Gordon Shedden qualified fifth – less than eight hundredths-of-a-second shy of the top spot – with Neal not far behind in eighth, placing the pairing ahead of the majority of their chief title rivals.

 

Shedden ran as high as third in the opener, but with his soft-compound tyres fading in the closing stages, he found himself fighting a rearguard battle. Following a valiant defence under persistent pressure, the defending champion ultimately had to concede the position to old foe Jason Plato, taking the chequered flag fourth with Neal ninth.

 

The Scot repeated the result with a solid effort in race two, as Neal emerged from a titanic multi-car scrap in seventh. That saw both Civic Type Rs begin the reversed-grid finale from the sharp end of the order, with Neal leading from lights-out and Shedden working his way swiftly up to second.

 

Thereafter, the duo ran in close formation as they consistently pulled away from the chasing pack, but a late puncture for Shedden dashed a comfortable one-two finish. 

Neal’s dominant victory saw him leave Oulton just one point off the championship lead, with Halfords Yuasa Racing in the same position in the Teams’ standings. Honda similarly sits second in the Manufacturers’ Classification, with Shedden improving a spot to fourth in the Drivers’ table.

 

Matt Neal:

“It seems to be becoming a bit of a trend at the moment that we run under the radar in races one and two with the weight on-board and then win race three! 

The ballast certainly hurt us in qualifying and race one, and race two got pretty fraught at times with some really robust driving – we had to battle for every inch of track space. It was nice to have a more straightforward race three, although it was obviously a shame about Flash’s puncture because it would have been great to take a one-two finish for Halfords Yuasa Racing. 

After that, I backed off a bit because we had enough of a cushion behind. I was dead chuffed to get the win – I really don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that feeling!”

 

Gordon Shedden:

“I think it’s fair to say the Civic Type R was the fastest front wheel-drive car at Oulton and given the advantage that the rear wheel-drive cars enjoyed, we definitely extracted the most that we could from races one and two. Race three was looking even better and then we got the puncture so close to the end, which was massively disappointing. 

It came completely out of the blue; there was no tyre drop-off and the car felt fine. In hindsight, given the advantage we had, perhaps we could have backed off a bit earlier but neither of us was taking any unnecessary risks – it was just pure bad luck. Still, we proved once again that we have the pace so we’ll put it behind us and move onto the next one.”

Jaguar has announced it will return to the iconic Le Mans circuit by taking part in the Classic race series this year.

• Iconic Jaguar sportscars will return to the Le Mans circuit as the Jaguar Classic Challenge confirms Le Mans Classic in revised 2016 calendar
• Race series is part of Jaguar Land Rover Classic business specialising in cars, services, parts and experiences
• First race commences at the Donington Historic Festival on 30 April - 2 May
• Drivers wishing to take part in the true spirit of classic racing in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page at http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge for full details

Excitement levels are building for the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge as the Le Mans Classic is confirmed for inclusion in the all-new race calendar for 2016. The Le Mans Classic will be one of the major highlights of the forthcoming season that will see a diverse field of pre-1966 Jaguars going wheel-to-wheel in the competitive single-marque series.

Jaguar has a long and successful history at Le Mans, with the marque first winning there back in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead driving the C-type – affectionately known as XKC 003.

A one-two finish followed this in 1953 with the duo of Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton taking overall honours. Jaguar dominated Le Mans for three consecutive years in 1955, 1956 and 1957 in the D-type.  A further two race victories were to follow years later in 1988 and 1990 in the XJR-9LM and XJR-12 respectively.

Along with the inclusion of the Le Mans Classic in the calendar, the Jaguar Classic Challenge, run in conjunction with the Historic Sports Car Club (HSCC), will also adopt new technical regulations based on the FIA’s Appendix K framework for cars competing in international historic racing competitions. These regulations pay particular consideration to a car’s period specification and are in keeping with the true spirit of historic motor racing.

Drivers participating in this year’s Classic Challenge will now also qualify to enter many other international historic races that run these standardised set of rules.

The dates for the 2016 Jaguar Classic Challenge are as follows:

Donington Historic Festival: 30^th April – 2^nd May

Silverstone International Trophy: 21^st – 22^nd May

Le Mans Classic: 8^th – 10^th July

AvD-Oldtimer-Grand-Prix, Nürburgring: 12^th – 14^th August

Oulton Park Gold Cup: 27^th – 29^th August

Tim Hannig, Director, Jaguar Land Rover Classic, said: “Jaguar’s wonderful history of racing at Le Mans will add to the spectacle of the Jaguar Classic Challenge. Watching a diverse array of pre-1966 Jaguars racing on the iconic circuit, some of which even raced there in period, will surely be a sight not to be missed.

“The racing and camaraderie between the drivers during the inaugural season was fantastic to witness and the new regulations will enhance the experience for both competitors and fans alike making it a fitting tribute to the brand’s rich racing pedigree.

“The Jaguar Land Rover Classic business specialises in cars, services, parts and experiences to maintain and nurture the passion for the Jaguar brand and its iconic models for decades to come.”

Drivers wishing to take part in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page for the new season at 

http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge 

for full details and information on how to enter.

Sam Watkins to continue with 20TEN Racing Team in the 2016 Renault UK Clio Cup.

The 20Ten Racing team has announced Sam Watkins (Swansea) as the first of its driver signings for the 2016 Renault UK Clio Cup season.

The 17-year-old joined the UK Clio Cup grid with the Derby-based squad for the final two events of 2015 – at Silverstone and Brands Hatch – and quickly started showing flashes of speed.

20Ten has enjoyed a number of race wins and other podium results in the UK Clio Cup these past two years and Team Principal Simon Hunt clearly believes Watkins is an exciting prospect. He commented: “Silverstone and Brands Hatch were all about Sam getting a taste for what the UK Clio Cup is about and he adapted well.

“As his experience of both the car and the touring car-type racing in the UK Clio Cup builds I can see him emerging as a real front-runner as the 2016 season progresses. Certainly I’m very happy to have been able to hang on to him as we look to build on our positive results.”

Watkins, who has previously raced in Ford Fiesta Juniors, said: “I learnt a huge amount at Silverstone and Brands Hatch. This is all about racing on the big stage alongside the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) so now I know what to expect in 2016.

“The biggest thing is being confident in a racing situation – the UK Clio Cup is where drivers come to show what they are made of before the step up to international touring car, sportscar or GT competition so inevitably things get very competitive. But having now tested the water I feel ready for what lies ahead and am really looking forward to getting back on track with some pre-season testing.”

Renaultsport’s UK Motorsport Championship Manager Will Fewkes added: “It’s great to see Sam returning for a full season in the UK Clio Cup after showing some very promising form in his first two events. 20Ten also have a sound reputation for bringing on new talent and this is a driver-team combination that could just spring a surprise or two in 2016. It will be interesting to see how they progress together during the course of a full season…”

All of the Renault UK Clio Cup’s races will again take place at the BTCC’s high-profile events in 2016 meaning huge trackside crowds plus live free-to-air television coverage on the ITV4 channel for its teams, drivers and sponsors.

RACE DATES: 2016 RENAULT UK CLIO CUP

Sat 2/Sun 3 April	Rounds 1 & 2	Brands Hatch Indy, Kent
Sat 16/Sun 17 April	Rounds 3 & 4	Donington Park, Leics
Sat 7/Sun 8 May	Rounds 5 & 6	Thruxton, Hants
Sat 4/Sun 5 June	Rounds 7 & 8	Oulton Park Island, Cheshire
Sat 18/Sun 19 June	Rounds 9 & 10	Croft, North Yorkshire
Sat 30/Sun 31 July	Rounds 11 & 12	Snetterton, Norfolk
Sat 27/Sun 28 August	Rounds 13 & 14	Rockingham, Northants
Sat 17/Sun 18 September	Rounds 15 & 16	Silverstone National, Northants
Sat 1/Sun 2 October	Rounds 17 & 18	Brands Hatch Grand Prix, Kent

Peugeot promises fun for all at Both CarFest events this year, and i am sure they will be amazing.

• PEUGEOT supports CarFest South and North to raise money for BBC Children in Need
• New CarFest Dynamic Duo Family Challenge backed by PEUGEOT
• 108 TOP! to be the fastest, funkiest DJ booth in the world

PEUGEOT is promising fun for all the family with a feast of fantastic features at this summer’s CarFest events. CarFest North is at Oulton Park, Cheshire from July 31 to August 2; CarFest South, follows from August 28-30 at Laverstoke Park Farm, near Andover in Hampshire. 

At both events PEUGEOT is a major supporter by helping to provide entertainment for all the family and raise money for the BBC Children in Need charity.

New this year to the PEUGEOT-sponsored Big Top is the CarFest Dynamic Duo Family Challenge. 

This fun family spectacle invites CarFest visitors to enter teams of two. 200 competitors then go through an elimination process starting with general knowledge questions on cars, music and food. The Family Challenge climaxes with a race against the clock to pack a PEUGEOT 208 with a host of novelty items.

For visitors young and old with energy to burn, PEUGEOT has a very special 108 TOP!. This has a DJ booth built into it and will be the centrepiece for a toddler disco every day. 

And if you can’t do enough dancing, there will be two DJs battling it out in a silent disco while a not-so-silent disco will blast out sounds guaranteed to get all ages moving.

That isn’t the only family fun from the French maker. Visitors to the PEUGEOT stand have the chance to channel their inner Superhero, in the spirit of PEUGEOT’s BBC Children in Need money-raising challenges.

Inside the PEUGEOT marquee section there’s a reaction light chaser and a range of superhero fancy dress equipment, anyone wanting to take part, dresses up as their favourite Superhero then competes to see who has the fastest reactions. A leader board will display the highest scores over the three days.

Visitors to the PEUGEOT marquee will also be able to relax in a special seating area and follow PEUGEOT’s own BBC Children in Need exploits via a giant screen.  PEUGEOT and its Dealer network have already raised more than £1million for the charity.

The PEUGEOT stand will also feature plenty of style with a comprehensive range of the latest vehicles for CarFest visitors to get up close and personal with. Included are the recently launched PEUGEOT 2008 Urban Cross, the 208 GTi by PEUGEOT Sport, 108 TOP! 108 Roland Garros and 308 SW GT.

CarFest is the brainchild of petrolhead, music lover and family man Chris Evans, the Radio 2 DJ and new BBC Top Gear presenter. 

As well as a host of mouth-watering Formula One cars, rally cars, touring cars and supercars, there will be plenty of tyre-smoking on-track action as well as top music acts including Take That (August 30), Primal Scream (July 31) and Paloma Faith (August 29). 

All the proceeds from both CarFest events go to BBC Children in Need.

Honda to pull out all the stops to support the CarFest 2015 events in Cheshire and Hampshire.

• Cars, stars and interactive treats galore from Honda at CarFest
• Racing fans challenged to prove they can be ‘King of the Hell’
• Activities for all ages, from five-year-olds to the young-at-heart

Honda (UK) is pulling out all the stops at Chris Evans’ two charity-focused CarFest events this summer, bringing along stars and cars, two-wheeled thrills and a range of crowd-pleasing entertainment and displays.

CarFest is the brainchild of popular Radio 2 presenter and new Top Gear host Evans, raising vital funds for BBC Children In Need via a family-oriented, high-octane blend of fast and exotic cars, celebrity cameos and live music from some of the hottest acts around.

Honda played a leading role last year and will return in 2015 to both CarFest North at Oulton Park in Cheshire (31 July – 2 August) and CarFest South at ex-Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter’s Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire (28-30 August).

A full Honda stand will showcase the company’s refreshed and exciting product range, including the Civic Type R, Civic Sport, Civic Tourer, HR-V, CR-V, Jazz and – straight from the brand’s award-winning Goodwood Festival of Speed stand – the McLaren-Honda MP4-30 in a box, as driven by F1 World Champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

Highlighting Honda’s expertise on two wheels as well as four, ten motorcycles will be on display, whilst the ‘King of the Hell’ Xbox roadshow roars into town, offering festival-goers the chance to win a brand new Civic Type R for a year by setting the fastest time around the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife in a state-of-the-art simulator.

Nicknamed ‘The Green Hell’ by F1 legend Sir Jackie Stewart, the 12.9-mile Nordschleife is regarded as the most challenging and daunting circuit in the world, with each lap comprising no fewer than 154 corners, large bumps, cambers and surface changes.

The British-built Civic Type R – Honda’s ‘Race Car for the Road’ and the most extreme and high-performing model ever to wear the acclaimed ‘Red H’ badge – set a new front-wheel-drive lap record there last year, and in celebration of its arrival in UK dealerships, fans are invited to test their mettle by getting as close as possible to that impressive benchmark.

Honda Yuasa Racing Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship duo Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal – currently sitting first and third in the title standings, with Honda comfortably atop the manufacturers’ table – will perform high-speed demonstration runs behind the wheel of both the BTCC race car and road-going Civic Type R at CarFest North, before returning to the track in the Civic Type R at CarFest South.

Honda’s latest Robot mower – Miimo – will be a working display in the Honda activity centre and will inspire a unique children’s drawing activity, whilst many of last summer’s favourites make a welcome return.

My First Licence is a mini-motorbike taster session that introduces 5-to-11-year-old non-riders to the exciting world of motorcycling on restricted 50cc Honda CRF50 bikes in a safe, controlled and fully supervised environment, complete with helmets and kneepads and culminating in the presentation of their own special licence.

The ATV Experience on Honda’s TRX420 continues the fun yet educational theme, teaching older teens the inside line on throttle control, slaloming, overcoming obstacles and balance. The ride-on lawnmowers for 16-year-olds and above, meanwhile, generated hilarious head-to-head racing last year around a timed garden course, where lane control and garbage-grabbing were the orders of the day.

Last but by no means least, the innovative and interactive ‘Power of Lean’ experience will allow those brave enough to simulate Superbike-style knee-down riding, replicating the feeling of being at full power whilst almost horizontal to the ground!

Although most tickets have now sold out, there is still availability for Friday attendance at CarFest North.

Plato Storms to the top of the rankings with a double win at Oulton park in the amazing Volkswagen CC.

Team BMR star takes championship lead while Sam Tordoff wins finale in Cheshire

Team BMR’s Jason Plato took two wins before Sam Tordoff claimed victory in the finale as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship entertained a huge crowd at Oulton Park yesterday (7 June).

The picturesque Cheshire circuit was basked in glorious sunshine throughout race day as Plato picked up from where he had left off in qualifying on Saturday.

Starting from pole position the VW CC driver ripped off the line in race one and rarely looked back despite Matt Neal’s best efforts in the Honda Civic Type R.

It was actually Team IHG Rewards Club’s Andy Priaulx who made the best getaway and looked like he could wrestle the lead away from Plato as the gaggle of cars roared down to Old Hall for the first time. The Guernseyman seemed solely focussed on Plato ahead, however, leaving the door open for Neal’s Honda Yuasa Racing machine to sneak back past the #111 car on the run down to Cascades.

With the rear-wheel drive BMW 125i M Sport slow to generate heat into its tyres it would take Priaulx almost three laps to find the ultimate pace. From that point he pressured Neal, but the triple BTCC champion kept his cool to defend the place perfectly around the 2.2-mile Island Circuit.

After his commanding race one win Plato produced a similar performance in the second contest, this time with the race-long attention coming from the other Honda of Gordon Shedden. 

The Type R touched the VW CC on a couple of occasions while tussling for top spot, most notably at the Island Hairpin, but Shedden couldn't quite make a move stick. The Scotsman made one last attempt on the final corner of the final lap, but would eventually fall short by just 0.093s.

Plato’s victory marked the first time this season that a driver has taken top honours with maximum success ballast on board and was also the 199^th podium of his incredible BTCC career.

Jordan’s MG6 continues to rack up the points at an incredibly consistent rate and race two proved no exception. The 2013 BTCC champion kept Plato and Shedden honest throughout to claim another podium for the manufacturer squad, whilst Neal’s Honda followed in the order after seeing off challenges from three BMWs.

West Surrey Racing looked to be staring at three successful results, with the reverse grid race to follow, but the team’s hopes unravelled on the final lap. Rob Collard had initially blasted from eighth on the grid into fourth before the multiple race-winner hounded Neal’s Civic for much of the contest.

His challenge faded late on, however, allowing team-mate Priaulx to drag himself into contention. The triple World Touring Car Champion made an ambitious attempt at the hairpin on the final lap but contact with the rear of Collard’s sister car led to disaster. Broken rear suspension forced out Collard on the spot while Priaulx could only limp home in 15th.

Their pain became Sam Tordoff’s gain as he got the better of both Adam Morgan and Aron Smith to take fifth. It was a great battle from the three young chargers, which included two impressive moves from the JCT600 with GardX-backed car. With little room to manoeuvre he first slipped by Morgan’s Mercedes on the run down to Cascades on lap eight, but the best was to come three tours later when he out-braked the VW CC of Smith at Lodge. 

Morgan also eyed his own opportunity as he immediately followed Tordoff through, relegating Smith to seventh in the process.

It was an expensive move for Smith as the post-race reverse grid draw provided Morgan with pole for the final race. The Lancastrian won race three at Thruxton last time out and was nicely positioned to repeat the trick in front of his home crowd.

Unfortunately there was heartache for the WIX Racing driver this time around, when he was adjudged to have jump started and he was forced to take a drive through penalty.

Neal inherited the race three lead after he had passed Tordoff on the exit of turn one but the Yorkshireman would fight back later in the bout.

Tordoff reeled Neal in and tucked his car down the inside of the Honda at Lodge before making the move stick at Old Hall on lap nine. 

One tour later and it was MG Triple Eight’s Jordan who produced a similar move on Neal, although this time the pair touched on a number of occasions before the Honda man eventually succumbed. Neal regained his composure to complete the podium ahead of team-mate Shedden, who had himself fallen into the clutches of Plato.

Colin Turkington collected solid points in sixth in what had been a largely low-key day for the reigning champion. He showed his class in race three with a stellar pass at Lodge, which dropped his Team BMR stablemate Aron Smith down to seventh.

The action at Oulton leaves the championship race tantalisingly poised with Plato leading Shedden by just three points. Neal is a further five points in arrears with Jordan only 13 points off the championship summit. Reigning supremo Turkington dropped to fifth in the standings and will be looking to bounce back at Croft next time out.

Honda Yuasa Racing extended its advantage in the Manufacturer's’ order while Team BMR kept its lead in the Teams’ standings. Plato and Team BMR currently hold the Independents’ honours whilst Power Maxed Racing’s Josh Cook tops the Jack Sears Trophy.

Rounds 13, 14 and 15 of the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take place at Croft in Yorkshire in three weeks time (27/28 June).

Jason Plato said: “I love this place. We had real confidence after our test here, we've got the car just where we want it and when you're in the groove with both the car and the circuit it makes the job a whole lot easier. 

The gamble this weekend for us was to save the tyre until race three and make the absolute most of the first two. We know we’re quick here, and our plan was totally vindicated, it’s been a fantastic day for us. That said I was pleased with the performance on the soft tyre in the third race too. Pole position and two wins – a good weekend by anyone’s standards!”

Sam Tordoff said: “That means a lot – it’s been a difficult year for me up to now, I expected to be up at the front and challenging sooner than this. I set myself high standards and I want to be challenging to win this championship. This weekend has been a real step change though, and the results really reflect that. 

We needed an uplift in the team and that one is for them. 

Matt [Neal] made a slight mistake – I think there was some oil down – and it was the only chance I needed. I ran my own race and was a little concerned about Jordan’s pace towards the end but we had just enough.”

Gordon Shedden said: “It was close in race two, I just wish it had been close the other way around. It’s been good, but not quite where we need to be. We threw a wild set-up at the car for race three and it didn't quite work out, but that said these points are going to be very valuable as the season goes on. 

We're learning all the time and even though the car wasn't absolutely spot on this weekend we still scored some good results. We can move forward to Croft with big smiles on our faces.”

Matt Neal said: “I just love driving this car! In the first race I didn't make the best start which gave Jason a bit of a gap, but it was an intense race to the end. I’m disappointed with race three – there must have been some oil down but it felt a bit like a puncture. 

I wasn't sure of the grip the next time around either and that’s what let Andrew [Jordan] through. The strength of the Civic Type R is in the high-speed stuff and that’s where the problem was. I don’t like giving them away and we definitely could have won that race. There are positives though, the podium is still a great result and even with weight on, the car is still performing very well.”

Andrew Jordan said: “I gave it everything in the last race, but Sam [Tordoff] was strong in the key areas and I just couldn't get enough of a run at him. It’s a great result – a bit of a shame not to get the win but I'm going home happy with a really strong weekend under our belts. 

A third, fourth and second really gives us the boost we needed and it’s a big step forward, but we mustn't get complacent because we've still got some work to regularly be with the front-runners. We have a quicker package now to go with the great consistency we've already had this year.”

2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Oulton Park

Race 1

1. Jason PLATO (Team BMR): 14 Laps
2. Matt NEAL (Honda Yuasa Racing): +1.322s
3. Andy PRIAULX (Team IHG Rewards Club): +2.789s
4. Andrew JORDAN (MG Triple Eight Racing): +3.696s
5. Aron SMITH (Team BMR): +5.187s
6. Gordon SHEDDEN (Honda Yuasa Racing): +6.439s

Race 2

1. Jason PLATO (Team BMR): 15 Laps
2. Gordon SHEDDEN (Honda Yuasa Racing): +0.093s
3. Andrew JORDAN (MG Triple Eight Racing): +1.520s
4. Matt NEAL (Honda Yuasa Racing): +7.403s
5. Sam TORDOFF (Team JCT600 with GardX): +8.369s
6. Adam MORGAN (WIX Racing): +9.822s

Race 3

1. Sam TORDOFF (Team JCT600 with GardX): 15 Laps
2. Andrew JORDAN (MG Triple Eight Racing): +0.264s
3. Matt NEAL (Honda Yuasa Racing): +0.766s
4. Gordon SHEDDEN (Honda Yuasa Racing): +2.997s
5. Jason PLATO (Team BMR): +3.137s
6. Colin TURKINGTON (Team BMR): +3.831s