Plato joins MG for marque's new three-year BTCC programme By Kevin Turner Wednesday, January 25th 2012, 08:00 GMT Jason Plato has joined MG for the marque's new assault on the British Touring Car Championship. MG has announced a three-year programme in the series and has signed double champion Plato and Andy Neate to drive its MG6 GT cars for 2012. They will run under the MG KX Momentum Racing banner. Triple Eight Race Engineering, which scored over 100 BTCC wins when it ran the works Vauxhall squad, will prepare the NGTC-specification cars, which will run the TOCA engine this year. Plato, who has already taken BTCC victories for Renault, Vauxhall, SEAT, and Chevrolet, said: "It's really exciting to be involved in a brand-new all-British team and it's just brilliant that the iconic name of MG will be back on track. "I think it's going to be fantastic and it's great for British motorsport." MG Motor's sales and marketing director Guy Jones said: "We are delighted the new MG6 will be seen by millions of fans in Britain and beyond. This continues the famous sporting lineage of the brand." Although MG is Chinese-owned, the five-door MG6 GT was designed and engineered in the UK. MG's last BTCC win came in 2006, when Colin Turkington scored two victories in a West Surrey Racing-run MG ZS.
not much has confirmed yet, just reading the rumour thread etc, Team ES are running the 888 Vectras from last year and dave newshame has joined them, no mention of the insigina drivers yet
MG’s return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship has been warmly welcomed by Series Director Alan Gow. MG Motor UK has committed to building its new BTCC car – the MG6 GT model – to the Next Generation Touring Car regulations. These are leading to a greater number of bigger, faster, turbocharged machines on the BTCC grid for fans and media to savour. Double Champion Jason Plato and emerging talent Andy Neate will drive for MG’s team which, with primary sponsorship from Tesco Fuels’ Momentum 99 brand and energy drink KX, will be called MG KX Momentum Racing. Triple Eight Race Engineering, one of the most successful constructors in BTCC history, will build and prepare the cars for what will be MG’s first foray as an official entry in the championship since 2003. Gow, who made the BTCC a household name in the Nineties and who has led it through another boom period recently – it currently enjoys some 120 hours of coverage per season on ITV – commented: “This is fantastic news for all the fans who follow the BTCC, either in their hundreds of thousands trackside or in their vast millions watching on TV in both the UK and many other regions around the globe. “MG is one of motoring’s truly evocative names so its BTCC campaign will, I’m sure, really capture the public’s imagination. This high-profile return to the forefront of competition in the BTCC is also certain to prove highly effective in terms of marketing for MG and all of its partners, as well as delivering some great results for them on the track.” And added Gow: “This news has again underlined the great success of our NGTC regulations, enabling teams and manufacturers such as MG to embark on a major BTCC programme in a far more cost-effective and competitive basis than before – hence the reason we have such a fabulous diversity of makes and models in our championship.” MG Motor UK today announced it will enter the 2012 BTCC Series with a ‘dream team’ of cars, drivers, constructors and sponsors. Two MG6 GT cars will run in the all-new MG KX Momentum Racing team piloted by double BTCC champion Jason Plato and BTCC rising star Andy Neate. The cars will be prepared by Triple Eight Race Engineering, one of the most successful constructors in touring car racing. And completing the ‘dream team’ are principal sponsors Tesco Fuels with their Momentum 99 brand and KX energy drink completing an all-British line-up. MG KX Momentum Racing will debut at Brands Hatch on April 1 when the 2012 Dunlop MSA BTCC championship season gets under way. The MG6 GT five-door fastback is the first all-new MG in 16 years. It is designed and engineered at MG Motor UK’s plant in Birmingham where final assembly also takes place. Jason Plato is the most successful driver in BTCC racing history with 68 career wins, with more fastest laps, pole and podium positions than any other driver in the history of the Series. He is undoubtedly the face of British Touring Cars as well as being a well-known and respected TV presenter and newly appointed Director of the British Racing Drivers Club. Plato said: “It’s really exciting to be involved in a brand-new all-British team and it’s just brilliant that the iconic name of MG will be back on the track.” Guy Jones, MG Motor’s Sales & Marketing Director, said: “We are delighted that the new MG6 will be seen by millions of fans in Britain and beyond and this continues the famous sporting lineage of the brand.” Triple Eight, headed by Ian Harrison, is based at Greatworth, just a few miles from the famous Silverstone race circuit. The company has more than 100 BTCC race wins to its credit.
Can't wait for this season to start - there has been so much chatter online for the last few months about this, I read about a rumour that Plato was joining MG and honestly didn't think it was anything more than speculation! We now have a new Factory Team in MG, and also Thorney Motorsport in their Insignia. Might try and get over for one of the weekends if anyone fancies it?
Road trip to Knockhill it is then - I've been to BTCC there before and it's a great circuit for watching of you pick the right spot.
They are Keeping quiet so not sure, would love to see them sign a big name. like to see gio or turkington back on the grid this year. Could still be a few surprises come media day
Have known a lot about this thanks to my communications with MG UK and local dealerships, I am hugely chuffed about this especially as I now work for Tesco Cant wait for the merchendise!
That is fantastic news, another manufacturer on the grid Also good to see 888 involved, alongside Plato that should mean good results in the long run. What is the deal with the NGTC malarkey? Are they running two classes again this year, like they did last year? NGTC cars were not very competitive last year.
The goal of the NGTC classification is to allow more manufacturers and privateers to race by reducing the cost of a competitive car and to reduce reliance on the increasingly expensive Super 2000 equipment. Basically they way of stoping big money teams winning and to level the playing field with flat budgets. Along the lines of what NASCAR did it mid 90's. NGTC cars whernt ment to be as competitive last year, but if you look at the competition between the NGTC cars themselves it was immensely tight and thats what touring car needs to be about. I cant fecking wait for this!
Still a hugely successful car in the chinese rally scene. MG3 will be its replacement. They REALLY need to get the 99 ron Momentum into NI now also.
LIES! They need a derve zr with a solid map etc. She'd have all the BTCC stunned by her pace, Proper Bo I tell the!!
Lol Touring cars are all spaceframe jobs anyway, standardised parts. Only the bodyshell has some vague connection to the badge on the bonnet. NGTC is no different, just even more standardised parts, like engine and gearbox and whatnot, to reduce costs.
That's they're problem man, standard derv zr chassis on avo coilys and maybe a sneaky couple of hours with Mark the man at MAD tuning for a sneaky map and theres a 3rd title for plato not'a problem! lol
HONDA SIGNS UP AGAIN WITH YUASA FOR 2012 BTCC ATTACK World leaders in battery design and manufacture, Yuasa have signed for a third year as a key sponsor with the Honda Racing British Touring Car Championship Team. The company has already played a key role in developing the Honda Civic BTCC success over the past two years and is now looking forward to working with the team on the new Civic making its BTCC debut at Brands Hatch on April 1. Yuasa Batteries UK Managing Director Andrew Taylor commented, "It's been a remarkably strong partnership which has given Yuasa the perfect springboard for its ambitious UK and European aftermarket plans over the next three years. With a brand new car and exciting rule changes for 2012, we expect a season of very close racing with Matt and Gordon taking on all-comers in the title fight." Behind the scenes, Team Dynamics is putting the final touches to the new 2012 Civic at its Pershore headquarters with plans well advanced thanks to close cooperation with Honda's Swindon-based engineering team. Team Manager Peter Crolla said, "Honda's engineers and everyone at the Swindon car plant have been 100 per cent behind the build, giving us support at every critical phase. We are certainly in a good place compared to previous build programmes at this point. We can't wait to start racing." Honda (UK) Managing Director Dave Hodgetts said "We've developed a strong relationship with the Yuasa team and we're looking forward to building on the championship success of 2011, with the continuity and experience of Yuasa, Team Dynamics, Matt and Gordon. I have every confidence we will have a great season with some extremely close racing ahead."
Ne Toyota Avensis looks very nice. Cant wait for it to start again http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2818
Not a bad effort at all! That other former Ginetta, forget his name, driver did really well last year in the Toyota. Really funny to see a "Toyota" with Ginetta plastered all over it Almost as funny as the Lada stickers all over the Renault F1 car last year
Frank wrathall I did find that quite funny myself lol I get the obvious ones like ferrari/fiat stuff but otherwise its pretty random lol