TIN-TOPS DELIVER BANG FOR BUCK
It is not unusual for a handful of drivers to go into the British Touring Car Championship in with a shot at the crown – indeed, it has been more than 10 years since the silverware was locked away before the last rounds of the season. But this year’s will be tighter than ever: the meeting at Silverstone last weekend played into the hands of the title hopefuls, and there is now only seven points between the top three in the standings. It is going to be one heck of a showdown. The BTCC has been through something of a watershed season in 2022 with the introduction of the hybrid era, which gives the participants some extra electrical power at the push of a button on the steering wheel. It was a first for a global tin-top championship but it hasn’t derailed the fierce competition.
While the racing might not have quite delivered the door handleto-door handle action that some past seasons might have, the new era has delivered what title hopeful Tom Ingram says is perhaps a more “purist” contest. The only evidence of that is to look at the drivers who are at the head of the pack: each one of them has a right to the crown given their performances this term.
The path to tin-top success in the category never runs smoothly. The finale at Brands Hatch it likely to include more twists and turns yet. It will be cold, probably rainy and almost dark by the time race three takes place, but don’t let that put you off. It will be a showdown not to be missed.
In terms of title success, our congratulations must go to Osian Pryce for lifting the British Rally Championship on the Trackrod event last weekend. He has been knocking hard on the door for so long that it had to come his way soon, but he did it in style with a victory on the rally and also beating title holder Keith Cronin along the way.
Plaudits must also go to 19-year-old Elliot Payne, who scooped the BTRDA Rally Series on the same event to underline that he has a bright future. Wallace Menzies prevailed in the tense shootout for the British Hillclimb Championship spoils at Loton Park in a season where either he or Alex Summers would have deserved the crown.
The subject of our readers’ Q&A this week is Ralph Firman, a driver who made it all the way to Formula 1 before continuing his single-seater career in A1GP and then a decorated sportscar career in Japan. His exciting recent announcement that he is reviving the Van Diemen name, a firm started by his father Ralph Firman Sr some 50 years ago, is the next chapter in his journey.