Team Aircool has endured late drama as it prepares for the start of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season.
The team, run by former WTCC Independents' champions GR Asia, will switch from the SEAT Toledo it ran last season to a newer Leon which will come from Spain for the start of the campaign at
Brands Hatch this weekend.
However, the team hit trouble having agreed to collect the car from SEAT yesterday [Tuesday] when it discovered that it couldn't drive its race transporter through France on a bank holiday weekend – leaving the team to instead send alternative transport to collect the car.
The Leon is now en-route back to the UK and will go straight to Brands Hatch for final preparations for the opening races of the season, which will see Jones get behind the wheel for the first time.
“Following negotiations with SEAT, they have pulled out all the stops for us and managed to finish our new Leon ahead of schedule,” team manager Graham Davis said. “After being contacted by SEAT just before easter it was agreed that we would be able to collect the car from them on Tuesday afternoon.
“Having thought all would be plain sailing we then found that it is against French law for our transporter to be on the road over the bank holiday weekend. The result was that while most of the country enjoyed Easter Monday at home, Tony our driver left for Barcelona in a pick-up truck and trailer ready to be waiting outside the SEAT Sport workshop by lunchtime Tuesday.
“The latest news is that the car has been loaded onto the trailer and is now on its way back to the UK but is still unpainted and carrying no sponsors logos or decals. It is destined to go straight from the ferry to Brands Hatch where the team will pull out all the stops to get the car finished ready for the weekend.”
