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| MG’s racing return with a dream team |
| Tuesday, 14 February 2012 00:00 |
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MG’s return to top-flight motorsport has been confirmed with the unveiling of the new MG KX Momentum team, led by double-champion Jason Plato. Report by Adam Sloman. Photographs: Adam Sloman/MG/Pegasus Photographic At last it is official – in 2012, MG will return to top flight motorsport with a dream team in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Two times BTCC champion Jason Plato – the 44 year old Fifth Gear television host and record race winner – will be joined by Andy Neate in a pair of MG6 GTs prepared by Triple 8 Race Engineering. The three year programme also sees MG link up with Tesco Momentum 99 fuel and the supermarket’s KX energy drink. Triple 8 are one of the most successful constructors in BTCC history, having enjoyed success most recently running championship-winning Vauxhall Vectras under the VXR Racing banner. Jason and Andy both share an affection for the MG brand, with Jason currently driving a 6GT road car, while Andy has owned both a BGT and an MGF – though he recalls spending more time trying to fix the BGT than actually driving it! Plato was at the centre of a fierce rivalry with Honda’s Matt Neal last season, battling for the title right the way up until 2011’s finale, and the MG team are aiming to hit the ground running with the intention of being competitive right from the off. ‘It’s a three year programme,’ said Plato, ‘We don’t have a great deal of time, but we do have a great team. We want wins in year one, with an eye on the championship.’ Neate too is looking forward to the coming season. ‘It’s the perfect opportunity for me,’ he said. ‘I have the chance to be a regular front runner. I need to move on and my objective is to win the championship. And why not? I haven’t had the tools on track until now, but this is a dream come true.’ Team Principle Ian Harrison added: ‘We need to be competitive and reliable. The NGTC (Next Generation Touring Car) rules allow us to do this.’ This refers to the NGTC regulations which were drawn up in late 2010 as a way of reducing costs and encouraging more teams to compete, and to which the MG6 GT BTCC car will be built. Under these regulations, manufacturers can opt to use their own 2.0 turbo or, as MG have chosen, to use the TOCA engine, developed by Swindon Race Engines. This is a 2.0 turbo-charged unit developing approximately 300bhp and mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox. An FIA safety roll cage including anti-intrusion bars and AP six pot calipers with ventilated discs at the front plus two pot calipers with discs to the rear will also feature on the BTCC cars. MG Sales and Marketing Director, Guy Jones sees the BTCC as an ideal way to raise MG’s profile, and says MG fans can expect a strong trackside presence. ‘We intend to share our story with MG in China, South Africa, Chile and more,’ he said, ‘but this is a British story with a British team, British drivers and British sponsors. It gives us a great platform to raise awareness and engage with the MG community.’ PR and Events Manager, Doug Wallace added: ‘We’ve got lots of ideas. We’re planning to do something for MG6 owners, too. The fact that MG is back on the track is fantastic news for the whole MG fraternity.’ This announcement is the result of over 18 months of dialogue between MG and Triple 8. ‘It was something I was very keen to explore,’ says Harrison. ‘MG weren’t ready at the beginning, but we kept talking and this all came together fairly quickly.’ The timing of the announcement leaves Triple 8 with around six months’ worth of work to fit into just three months, with the build due to begin at the team’s Banbury factory imminently. Testing is planned ahead of the March 19 deadline for the championship’s Silverstone media day, while the championship proper starts at Kent’s Brands Hatch on April 1.
Triple 8 The Drivers Andy Neate. Age: 37 |
