Alan Gow:
As far as the series is concerned, it is good that people can see it as a progression and realise that they can start in the lower formulas and move up. The important part is that the step from a Cupra Cup car into a BTCC car isn’t that huge, either in costs or in the type or car it is. If you go back to the 1990s, the difference was millions and now it isn’t. They have shown that the move can be made and that the jump isn’t too big for people to make.
Q:
The TV package has been announced for 2007. We knew that Motors TV weren’t going to be there anymore, but
ITV have shown their commitment again and the BTCC will feature on a number of channels during the coming season. How happy are you with the package you’ve put together?
Alan Gow:
I’m really happy because it expands our coverage over and above where we have been before. We are now seen on four channels, the Motors TV coverage has been largely taken over by Setanta so people can sit and watch all of the days racing if they wish to and a lot of people had expressed disappointment that they wouldn’t be able to watch the Clios, the Porsche and the FBMWs – and that has now been taken care of. As far as the BTCC is concerned, we are on all the platforms. We are on terrestrial, digital – both Freeview and digital, we have highlights and live coverage and there are tons of opportunities to watch the BTCC, more than ever before.
Q:
And how much of a commitment do you feel it is on the part of ITV that they are bringing Louise Goodman and Ted Kravitz over from their
F1 coverage to present the BTCC programme?
Alan Gow:
That is what we said in our press release – it shows how they have expanded their commitment. They are bringing Ted and Louise over to help give the show some more gravitas. That can only be good for us.
Q:
What do you think is the biggest thing that fans can look forward to from the BTCC in 2007?
Alan Gow:
I think it will be totally unpredictable. There are so many new cars and we have seen from testing today that the Vauxhall is on the pace of the SEAT so far, so is the
BMW. There is such a variety of cars as we mentioned before and that will bring the unpredictable racing. It’s anyone’s call at the moment.
Q:
We ask you this question every season and you always refuse to answer – but we’ll try anyway. If you were a betting man, who would you put your money on for the title?
Alan Gow:
Ok, I’ll answer this year. If I was a betting man, I would bet on the SEATs, because they should – in theory – be able to hit the ground running this year with a known car, they have all the data from last year and the continuity that none of the others teams have. They should be able to get early points in the bag before others maybe get their cars developed further. So I would put my money on the SEATs but I could be wrong.
Q:
The joys of the BTCC almost mean predictions count for nothing…
Alan Gow:
Exactly. Last year people said the SEATs were going to win and look what happened. As I said, just looking at testing today and how some of the cars are running and I don’t know how secure my prediction is. Its going to be interesting because of the variety of cars and circuits we go to, we go from tight and twisty circuits like
Brands Hatch Indy to the fast and flowing
Thruxton and Rockingham – and that variety of circuits means that some cars are better suited to certain tracks than others are. That is what will put the cat amongst the pigeons.
