Ten reasons to be excited about 2010
In the long winter days, the new touring car season can seem a world away. But fear not, with the V8 Supercar season kicking off with a Middle East double header in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, the new season is closer than you think. 41 days in fact until we have Supercar racing, and just a further 15 days until the WTCC roars into action in Brazil
For racing in Europe though the first round of the European Touring Car Championship in Braga should provide an appetiser for BTCC premiere in just 82 days time.
Seems a world away doesn’t it?
So to celebrate a New Year, a new start, and a new season, here are TouringCarTimes’ Ten reasons to be excited about 2010.
10) Superstars get ‘new’ stars
The on the up Italian series provided some great action in 2009, and now Superstars promoter Dario Calzavara is looking to recruit some big names for this season. Touring car refugees Alex Zanardi, Nicola Larini and Fabrizio Giovanardi have been heavily linked, but Calzavara has his eyes on former GP stars Nigel Mansell, Johnny Herbert and Riccardo Patrese as the series expands its international calendar.
According to series bosses thirteen teams running twelve different models of vehicle are already committed to the series for 2010 making it the fastest growing touring car series in Europe, if not the world.
9) The revamped European Touring Car Championship
Ok so on the face of it may not be the most exciting news, that the one-off, end-of-season away day that is the ETCC has become a four race mini-series. But with manufacturers and teams finding the WTCC too big and too expensive to commit to, the ETCC could find itself in pole position to pick up all those teams from domestic championships who still harbour ambitions of winning on a wider scale.
With two of the rounds being held in central Europe, the potential is there to attract entries from the DTC, STCC, ADAC Procar and Baltic series, while the hope is that other BTCC teams may follow in Bamboo’s footsteps and plan a trip to one of the rounds.
ROAL have taken a lead and committed to running two BMWs, but will other teams follow suit, especially with several rounds coming immediately before or after all important domestic dates?
For those that do commit, the bragging rights of being the best in Europe await.
8) The last chance to see Paul Di Resta in the DTM?
There can only be so long until Paul Di Resta flies the touring car nest back to single-seaters, and many are predicting 2011 will be that year, especially after his call up by the Force India F1 Team in December.
If so then this year could be the last chance to see the Scotsman in the Mercedes C-Class and also his last chance to claim the title, after finishing 2nd and 3rd in the standings in recent seasons.
7) Zolder joins the WTCC
World Touring Cars return to Belgium for the first time since 2005, and this time at a circuit which will provide plenty of overtaking opportunities, potentially making for two great races.
A long running host to the DTM in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Zolder last hosted the DTM in 2002 and the ETCC in 2001. Although he won’t race on it, ex-Chevrolet driver Nicola Larini is happy with the move, saying, “I know Zolder well from the 1990s and I think it’s perfectly suited for touring cars.
“It is technical and demanding, especially for the brakes, with constant changes of rhythm, and it’s also quite spectacular.” Start looking forward to the 20th June now!
6) The BTCC goes ‘Next Generation’
Well ok, not entirely, but 2010 does give a chance for fans to get a sneak preview of the Next Generation Touring Car rules, with at least two drivers running the NGTC engine.
Andrew Jordan and David Pinkney have committed to running the Swindon Racing Engines prepared turbos in Vauxhall Vectras and others may follow suit while Thorney Motorsport have also spoken of their plans to develop a Vauxhall Insignia for next season
The only cloud on the horizon is the doubt that remains over BMWs future in the series due to whether rear wheel drive will still be permitted, and whether other series will adopt the regulations, or will the BTCC once again find itself an island as earlier in the 2000s.
5) The Scandinavian Touring Car Championship is go!
History will be made on the 25th April when the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship launches at the Jyllandsringen in Denmark.
That will be the first of four joint STCC/DTC meetings in 2010 that will form a Scandinavian Cup with the ambition for a full Scandinavian Championship to take place a year later, while the potential to encompass Norway, Finland and the Baltic nations in future seasons should excite touring car fans across Europe.
It certainly excites former Danish champion Jan Magnussen, who proclaimed to TouringCarTimes that it was “the best thing that has happened for Scandinavian motorsport ever!”
4) Jamie Whincup goes for a hattrick
Since the Australian Touring Car Championship began in 1960, only two drivers have succeeded in winning three titles in a row – Ian Geoghegan (1966-69) and Mark Skaife (2000-02). Jamie Whincup can add his name to that exclusive short list in 2010, if he can claim the V8 Supercars title.
That’s a big if though. On eight other occasions drivers have stood the chance of claiming the hattrick but have failed to score that the illusive third. If Whincup can, then he’ll join the all time greats list.
The quest begins in Abu Dhabi in just over a month.
3) Oliver Jarvis gets a top line Audi
When Oliver Jarvis became the first driver to claim pole using a year old machine at Zandvoort in July, it looked like being a matter of when, not if, he would graduate to a new Audi. The retirement of Tom Kristensen opened that door, and finishing top old Audi in the standings, just three points behind the Dane, firmly closed it with Jarvis safely inside.
The young Brit narrowly missed out on points twice in his debut year, before beginning 2009 with a fine podium at Hockenheim and then came Zandvoort.
A year on and he now has the chance to go toe-to-toe with Mercedes Brit duo of Di Resta and Gary Paffett and be a regular podium contender. A maiden race win beckons.
2) Jason Plato guns for Rouse’s record
With 53 wins to his name, Jason Plato is one of the most successful drivers in BTCC history. But not quite the most successful. That honour falls to Andy Rouse with 60 race wins, but Plato has on five occasions scored the seven (or more) wins that would see him equal Rouse’s record.
In fact if Plato can repeat his ’08, ’06 or ’01 performances then by the time we leave Brands Hatch in ten months there could be a new name alone at the top of the standings. Plato though still has some way to go to match Rouse’s four championships however!
Whilst on the subject of BTCC records, Plato himself should surpass 2,500 championship points this season, while perennial rival Matt Neal is on course to claim both his 100th podium and 2,000th point during 2010.
1) The future of touring car racing in Europe, unveiled?
Ok, so it’s really to do with 2011, but during the course of this year, we should at last see the future and glimpse the new regulations for both the WTCC and DTM.
The BTCC have already announced their intention to go their own way once more with NGTC regs, but with many series using the S2000 machines currently obligatory in the WTCC, the final choice of Marcello Lotti and co could have a widespread effect across Europe.
Likewise the new DTM regulations are eagerly anticipated, in the hope that they can attract new manufacturers to the series and promote closer, more exciting racing. With regulations for ’10 frozen, Audi, Mercedes and series organiser ITR have had sufficient time to develop new rules. The questions are, which way will they go, and crucially will they work?
One thing is for sure, the two new sets of regulations (three if you include the BTCC) are unlikely to be similar, ensuring that the touring car scene is likely to remain fragmented for some time to come.
Photos: Superstars, ETCC Media, DTM Media, Zolder Circuit, Pirtek Racing, Mediaempire.se, Gripping Media, jamiewhincup.com.au, btcc.net
