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<body> <Table Width="550" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse" cellpadding="0"><TR><TD Width="35"><IMG SRC="//www.totalmotorsport.com/images/spacer.gif" WIDTH="35" HEIGHT="1"></td><td> <CENTER><Table border="0" width="100%"> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="5">BTCC</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2">04/07/2002</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="4">Touring teams get ready for Croft</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><B><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="3">Bennett & Peugeot will hope for less contact</FONT></B></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="center"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="1">  </FONT></TD></TR> <TR><TD width="100%" align="left"><FONT FACE="Tahoma" SIZE="2"><B>BTCC Protagonists Ready To Lock Horns In Croft Encounter</B><BR> <BR> It's time to rumble for participants in the Green Flag 2002 MSA British Touring Car Championship as the top line series makes its sole visit to Croft Circuit, near Darlington, over the weekend of 13/14 July.<BR> <BR> <center><IMG border="1" SRC="../Championships/Storage/btcroft35a.jpg" hspace="9 "></center><BR> <BR> Just one point separates current championship leader Matt Neal in his Egg Sport entered Vauxhall Astra Coupé from popular Yorkshireman James Thompson for Vauxhall Motorsport. With last year's Runner-up, Vauxhall's Yvan Muller, champing at the bit in third, closely followed by the MG Sport and Racing team - the only non-Vauxhall race winners this year - Rounds 11 and 12 of the Green Flag BTCC are undoubtedly going to provide no-holds-barred flat-out race action.<BR> <BR> Muller, who got his season back on track last time out with an emphatic Feature Race win at Mondello Park in Ireland, was arguably favourite for overall honours at the start of the season. However, a run of bad luck has stifled the flamboyant Frenchman's progress and he desperately needs to rack up the points at every opportunity if he is to take the fight to his Vauxhall team mates.<BR> <BR> His sparring partner in the Vauxhall Motorsport camp is local driver James Thompson. Thompson, who originally hails from York, suffered several mechanical dramas early in the season; as a result, he went over his permitted engine allocation at Mondello Park, consequently losing five championship points. That he only lies one point adrift of Matt Neal in the sister Vauxhall outfit is testimony to his consistency over the past few rounds, but with 35 points on offer each race weekend, 'Thommo' is all too aware how quickly things can change:<BR> <BR> "The series is extremely competitive this season and there's no quarter given anywhere, whether that be by the other Vauxhall drivers or the new manufacturers to the series. MG is providing probably the greatest threat at the moment, with Warren Hughes and Anthony Reid, although you can't discount anyone. I had a pretty difficult start to the season and Yvan is experiencing a similar run of bad luck at the moment. But that's racing! I've just got to keep the pressure on and do the best job I can at every opportunity - it's really too early to be thinking of the championship."<BR> <BR> The super-quick Neal, who has been on the podium at all but one race meeting so far this season, also faces competition from his Egg Sport team mate, Paul O'Neill. The relatively inexperienced youngster scored his debut race win at his home circuit of Oulton Park back in April and has impressed BTCC regulars with his pace and maturity.<BR> <BR> In fact, the Green Flag BTCC boasts a plethora of young driving talent this season. Colin Turkington and Gareth Howell, who drive identical MG ZS race cars, have both recently found form for new outfit Team Atomic Kitten (backed by the chart-topping girl band), with Turkington cruelly denied a front row grid position in Ireland when he succumbed to food poisoning. And Barwell Motorsport's Tom Chilton made his mark from the word go, when he became the youngest ever BTCC driver - and the youngest ever BTCC driver to reach the podium, all in his first race!<BR> <BR> New, young drivers aside, there are also new, hungry manufacturers involved in the series this year, all of whom are making their presence felt in the supremely competitive BTCC arena. Team Petronas Syntium Proton has already enjoyed three podium finishes in the very capable hands of experienced Touring car exponent, David Leslie, who partners Phil Bennett in the works Proton Impians. A podium result must also surely be just round the corner for the impressive Honda Racing team, which has entrusted its identical Civic Type-Rs to Guernseyman Andy Priaulx and Irish driver Alan Morrison, both of whom are showing improving pace as the season progresses.<BR> <BR> In the Independents' Cup (for Touring drivers entered without manufacturer support), Tim Harvey and former World Superbike star Aaron Slight are currently tied at the top of the points table, for Team Halfords and Barwell Motorsport respectively. Harvey, who struggled with the tight, twisty nature of Mondello Park Circuit in his Peugeot 406 Coupé three weeks ago, will be keen to try and take advantage at Croft; but it won't be without the close attentions of team mate Dan Eaves, Slight and the rapid Team Atomic Kitten duo.<BR> <BR> Racing in the Production category has been fast and furious all year, providing epic scraps all the way down the grid. The supremely consistent James Kaye has powered his Synchro Motorsport Civic Type-R to four pole positions and three class wins so far and has a healthy 21 points lead. Spencer Marsh (Beacon Motorsport) and Jim Edwards Junior (Team B&Q Jet York City) are currently Kaye's biggest threat from a points position, but all three have had to give best on several occasions to Norman Simon. The experienced German, who is campaigning a BMW 320i for Edenbridge Racing, would be battling for overall honours at this stage if it wasn't for a string of mechanical dramas. If luck goes his way to the end of the season, he could pose the most significant threat to the laconic Kaye, along with speedy young Scot Gavin Pyper, who won last time out for respected Alfa outfit GA Motorsport.<BR> <BR> A veritable concoction of speed, glamour, thrills and undoubted spills await the Croft race day crowd next weekend. Whether it's a Vauxhall, MG, Proton, Honda or Peugeot driver who lifts the winner's trophy and sprays the obligatory champagne, one things for sure . it will be classic Green Flag BTCC action all the way!</FONT></TD></TR> </TABLE><BR> </CENTER> <BR><CENTER><font size="1" color="#808080" face="Tahoma">Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport</font></CENTER> </td> </tr> </table> </body>