BTCC BOSS PREDICTS ACTION-PACKED BRANDS HATCH SEASON-OPENER
Crowds attending the Brands Hatch circuit on Sunday 30 March
for the opening rounds of 2008’s HiQ MSA British Touring
Car Championship are in for a day “full of drama, excitement
and controversy” – so believes the boss of the
race series, Alan Gow.
Less than a second covered the 16 fastest drivers during
BTCC testing around the Brands track earlier this week, with
the top runners all inside last year’s pole position
time. Reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, Vauxhall team-mate
and fellow former title-winner Matt Neal and SEAT arch rival
Jason Plato (champion in 2001) were in the top ten but eclipsing
them all was young BMW driver Mat Jackson.
The drivers and their teams will return to the world-famous
Kent circuit towards the end of next week for their first
three races of 2008 and with the ITV4 cameras broadcasting
live throughout the Sunday afternoon there will be added pressure
to perform.
Gow, the BTCC’s Series Director and who in the 1990s
made the championship a household name, predicts plenty of
panel-scraping action during the three races which headline
a programme of ten races on the day.
He said: “The BTCC at Brands Hatch always makes for
a great day out – not just for motor sport fans but
the public in general. People can come and see versions of
their family road car being raced at incredible speeds by
some of the top touring car drivers in the world and as a
result there is a great following among young and old.
“We very much look forward to welcoming the crowds
to Brands Hatch for our first rounds of 2008 – as do
the drivers during the public Pit Lane Walkabout autograph
session. After five months off, the drivers are raring to
go and I expect a day full of drama, excitement and controversy
on 30 March. The lap times from testing point to three extremely
close races.
“I’m also delighted to see that Brands Hatch
has continued its free admission policy for children aged
12 and under. As well, its public facilities rank among the
finest of any race track in the UK. I don’t believe
there will be such a high-profile event in the South-East
on 30 March – sporting or otherwise – that can
offer such great value for money entertainment for the public
as Brands Hatch’s BTCC race day.”
|
