BTCC News

Matt Neal may not have had much competition in the Independents Cup this year up until now, and it is ironic that the withdrawal of the one man who could have beaten the lanky Englishman for the title now presents Matt with his toughest challenge yet.

Matt Neal will finally get some stiff competition in the Independent Class of the BTCC this weekend at Donington Park when he will be challenged by last year's series runner-up David Leslie.

1. Rickard Rydell SWE Ford Mondeo 1 min 17.508secs 2. Jason Plato GB Vauxhall Vectra 1 min 17.882secs 3. Anthony Reid GB Ford Mondeo 1 min 17.980secs 4. Yvan Muller FRA Vauxhall Vectra 1 min 17.987secs. 5. James Thompson GB Honda Accord 1 min 18.018secs

For one weekend per year, the BTCC circus descends to Norfolk for a motor-racing carnival, the highlight of which being two spectacular, lights blazing, sparks flying night races for the BTCC boys to get their teeth into.

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill has played down speculation that he may make a racing return in touring cars.

In the first major reaction to the new set of rules announced by BMP on Tuesday. British Touring Car Championship stalwarts Vauxhall have announce that they will scrap their current Vectra model in favour of the smaller, lighter Astra for next years championship.

Just a week after completing its take-over of the British Touring Car championship from TOCA, who had run the series since 1992, British Motorsport Promoters (BMP) announced the new rules and regulations for the 2001 series.

Once again Rickard Rydell was in unbeatable form in the feature race at Croft and led the race from start to finish, successfully repelling the efforts of both Alain Menu and Anthony Reid in a race where Ford scored a crushing 1-2-3, result.

Jason Plato came within a whisker of beating the lap record at Croft on Friday when he hauled his Vauxhall Vectra around the North Yorkshire track in a time of 1 minute 21.241 seconds to claim top spot as the teams make their final preparations for Sunday's races.

Ford have announced that they will appeal against the disqualification of Rickard Rydell from the feature race at Silverstone last Sunday. The Swedish driver was disqualified after his Mondeo's rear wing did not conform to the specified angles of the homologated template.

1. Yvan Muller FRA Vauxhall Vectra 30 laps. 2. Rickard Rydell SWE Ford Mondeo +5.424 secs. 3. Gabriele Tarquini ITA Honda Accord +8.916 secs.

Rickard Rydell vaulted back from his nightmare Oulton Park weekend to secure pole position for round 12 of the British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone.

Will Hoy's return to the BTCC fold in a Class B Peugeot 306 could be seen as something of a homecoming for the 1991 series champion as he is being re-united with the man who brought him his only BTCC crown.

Despite being 30 kilos overweight, (by virtue of success ballast) Alain Menu wrung the neck of his Ford Mondeo to take sole posession of the British Touring Car Championship lead, dominating round nine of the series at the picturesque Cheshire circuit.

Factory Vauxhall driver Jason Plato was one of nearly 100,000 NASCAR fans who cheered Dale Earnhardt Jr on to a historic victory at The Winston, Lowe's Motor Speedway's prestigious non championship event.

Alain Menu struck the first blow of the Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship [BTCC] by claiming pole position for both season-opening races at Brands Hatch.