Winning snap by Phil Steere

A snap happy photographer from Brighton has been awarded with a camera worth £500, after winning HiQ’s 2011 photo competition.

Phil Steere scooped the prize after responding to HiQ’s appeal to fans of the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship to send in photos capturing the season’s thrills and spills.

The HiQ fast fit network received hundreds of entries from devoted fans, with a host of images capturing their favourite driver’s trials and tribulations around the track.

But there was one shot that stood out to HiQ, which the brand believes conveys all the excitement and anticipation of a day watching one of the world’s best motorsport events.

HiQ retail marketing manager Geraldine McGovern said: “We had hundreds of entries to choose from and while
the decision was extremely tough, we couldn’t see any other winner apart from Phil’s once we’d looked through each entry closely.

“We wanted a photo that captured the spirit of the British Touring Car Championship and that is exactly what Phil managed with this shot.

“Out of all the entries, this was the only one we received which featured the cars in a stationary position. Yet in doing so, the overall mood, anticipation and excitement of the moment is heightened.

“To frame the shot so effectively and even capture the watery autumnal sunshine from a pivotal race weekend at Brands Hatch made the photo all the more poignant as well.

“In short, it is what the BTCC is all about and we loved this picture.”

Winning snapper Phil, said: “What I love about the photo is that it captures the excitement and anticipation that I always feel at the start of a BTCC race. There’s nothing quite like seeing the cars lined up ready for action waiting for the lights to go out and the drivers to come hurtling past you.

“It was a great day of racing at Brands Hatch in the blazing sunshine and the photo was taken at the start of the last race as the sun was beginning to go down.”

Geraldine concluded, “Well done Phil. We hope he will put the camera to good use and send us some more
shots when the 2012 season gets underway.”

With 41 per cent of the vote, the Audi A4 driver claimed the top spot following his impressive performance in race 3 at Silverstone, giving what fans’ believe is a glimpse of his potential in the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship 2012.

One of only a few drivers on the grid with a full NGTC specification car, Rob has had a multitude of successes which has seen him awarded with a podium finish and a previous champagne moment award at Rockingham.

Winning fan Susanne Jones praised Rob for his ‘ability to overtake the championship contenders’ in the final round, which concluded an impressive debut season for the Evesham driver.

Jason Plato came runner up with 36 per cent of the fans’ vote and Gordon Shedden in a respectable third with 12 per cent.

Susanne has won two complimentary tickets to the first round of the 2012 season, Brands Hatch and will award Rob with champagne before one of the race rounds.

Honda Racing’s Matt Neal was crowned champion for the third time after a challenging season, which saw him hang on to the lead he had over team-mate Gordon Shedden, although the title could have gone either way going in to the final race. It was an emotional moment as the crowd were allowed on to the track to see the final podium and trophy presentation, and it was evident to see how much it meant to Matt to clinch the championship victory.

So, what a season it has been. The BTCC is famous for close and exciting racing and this year was certainly full
of that. With plenty of incidents on and off the track it was definately one to remember. Who can forget last year’s champion Jason Plato rolling, rolling and rolling again at Donington? And the infamous Honda 1-2-off they go at Oulton Park? The turbo v normally aspirated argument has been raging all season, and was parity obtained? I’m not sure. But I had to laugh at the message on the back of the Hondas at Silverstone – “Does My Turbo Look Big In This.”

We were treated to some fantastic races and lots of new names on the podium. Tom Boardman was a winner after a
somewhat controversial race, James Nash started the season brilliantly and despite dropping down the placings came back with a vengeance to claim the Independents title. Frank Wrathall was a revelation in his NGTC – spec Toyota Avensis and showed that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.

Tom Onslow-Cole jumped ship from AMD Milltek to Team Aon, a move which obviously paid off as he ended the season with another podium finish. Dan Welch was a late addition in the Proton but showed a lot of promise, and we were even treated to an albeit quick glance at Thorney Motorsport’s Insignia “Batmobile”  as it completed a
single installation lap at Silvrstone but then peeled off into the pits, where it stayed.

But after all the shenanigans of the season only one man could win, and Matt Neal proved that he is a very worthy
champion. Bring on 2012!

The reason for my bold claim? Well, we’ve had new drivers, new teams, familiar rivalries, some good old fashioned whinging and one or two memorable outbursts.

How nice has it been to see different people on the podium instead of the same ones at every race.

Frank Wrathall deserves all the plaudits going, according to Gemma

It’s nice to have a variation of drivers and some real emerging stars such as Frank Wrathall in his Toyota Avensis New Generation Touring Car (NGTC).

Who would have thought that he would make the podium this season, let alone two third places at Knockhill and a third and a second at Rockingham.

It shows how far the car has come since the beginning of the year so I have to take my hat off to the Dynojet team.

Also the likes of Dan Welch bringing a new car to the grid with a Proton Gem-2 and Rob Austin in an Audi A4 deserve praise, showing that a race can be won as seen at Rockingham.

Then there’s Lea Wood in the old Honda Integra proving it still goes, while Chris James shone in the Chevrolet Lacetti.

One of the biggest highlights has been the sight of so many bumper grids, with 29 cars on occasions. Let’s hope they are all in the BTCC next year.

Team Dynamics have gone a good job to keep Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal in harmony for the season when they were both fighting for the title for so long.

I think both drivers deserved to win the championship and I was hoping it would be Shedden but Neal felt really humble about it, which was nice to hear.

You love him or hate him apparently! Gemma opts for the latter

But one thing that has got me a bit mad from this year has been Jason Plato’s whinging about the turbos.

I thought the whole point was you get the guidelines from TOCA and you build the car from them?

Obviously Plato didn’t know that but the more he kept complaining the more I disliked him and wanted Honda to do well.

Like Plato says himself, he’s like marmite and you either love him or hate him. Unfortunately for me, I opt for the latter.

There have also been some memorable moments in the BTCC this year like Matt Neal taking Gordon Shedden out on the last lap at Oulton Park.

Even though we should forget about it we just can’t, because many thought their previously unbreakable bond might become strained like never before.

The fact they remained so close and harmonious is a show of teamwork at its very best.

Other memorable moments I’ll treasure include Neal and Plato having a right bust up live on TV at Rockingham after qualifying.

Gordon Shedden at Oulton, not long before 'that' crash that Gemma can't forget!

Neal thought Plato blocked him and it didn’t help when Plato stuck his fingers up at Neal!

Andy Neate and Alex MacDowell also had a tear up at Rockingham over MacDowell clipping Neate in the first race which made him spin.

It was also good to see James Thompson back in the BTCC on Sunday (16/10) with Airwaves Racing to try and help Mat Jackson win the Independents Championship which unfortunately eluded him.

James Nash won that in the first race. Hope Thompson is back in 2012.

But I do have to say that even though I’m writing this impartially I’m a Team AON fan through and through.

How good was it to see three cars in the field with Tom Chilton, Andy Neate and Tom Onslow – Cole  (who has a tattoo on his ear even Miami would be proud of!)?

I was so thrilled when Chilton won the first race at Knockhill where I even managed to gain his bubbly.

He also deserves great credit for winning race three at Silverstone, holding off Plato for much of the race.

I wonder what 2012 will hold and which drivers go where and who stays and goes? What’s your predictions?

Silverstone also saw the return to the championship of James Thompson driving the third Airwaves Ford Focus and a new NGTC entrant in John Thorne driving a Batman liveried Vauxhall Insignia. With a full day of racing ahead and packed out grandstands waiting for the action to begin, the atmosphere was electric.

The Hondas were too good at Silverstone, as they've been for much of the season

Qualifying saw Matt Neal take pole position for race one of the day with Jackson starting second.

For the first race of the day it actually turned into a bit of a crash fest with multiple incidents from the word go. Ollie Jackson ended up going backwards down the pit-straight with Rob Austin & Tony Gilham having to take avoiding action onto the outskirts of the track into retirement.

After a brief safety car period, racing was resumed and it was Neal & Jackson who were battling for the win – Jackson pushed and pushed for the lead whilst defending from Shedden but a puncture near the end of the race put him at the back and out of both the overall and independents championship. Jason Plato also suffered a puncture mid-race.

It was James Nash who was there to pick up the pieces and took a fine third on the podium behind the Honda duo to take the Independents Crown for 2011. Race-long battles between Onslow-Cole in the Ford, Alex MacDowall and Dave Newsham saw them eventually finish 4^th, 5^th & 6^th respectively.

Tom Boardman crashed out late on, Thompson suffered a puncture, O’Neill was barely seen out on track and Thorne only managed an installation lap in the Insignia. Result: Neal, Shedden, Nash

The grid for race two lined up as per the result of race one with Neal & Shedden (the only realistic title contenders) lining up on the front row with Plato back in 20^th after his earlier puncture.

A great getaway gave Shedden the early lead with Neal briefly slipping back behind Tom Onslow-Cole before regaining the place. Neal pressed hard hoping for a mistake from Shedden but it never came and it was status-quo to the finish – taking Honda’s second 1-2 of the day ahead of Onslow-Cole. Further down the field WSR endured a nightmare lap with Rob Collard in the pits whilst teammate Nick Foster spun into Thompson and into retirement, plus it was a second retirement for Paul O’Neill after another short race.

Blink and you've missed him! Matt Neal takes charge in race two

On the flipside, STR enjoyed their best result of the season with a 4^th & 6^th place for Newsham and Boardman respectively, whilst Daniel Welch scored his first BTCC point. Result: Shedden, Neal, Onslow-Cole.

The reverse grid draw for Race three put Alex MacDowall on pole position but the race was all about the Honda duo of Neal & Shedden who were starting down in 8^th & 9^th places. The atmosphere was electric in the grandstands as the lights went out. It was Tom Chilton in the AON Ford who got away to take the lead with Plato quickly up to second and this was how it stayed until the flag. Further down Matt & Gordon struggled to keep up with the maximum ballast and slipped down the field in what was a pretty unspectacular race. Andy Neate & Dave Newsham made contact early on in the race putting both drivers into retirement. Up at the front MacDowall slipped to fourth whilst Tom Boardman moved up to third place.

Rob Austin had a stellar drive in his NGTC Audi A4 elbowing his way past the Hondas and Onslow-Cole to finish in sixth. However, with Matt Neal finishing in eighth place ahead of Wrathall and more importantly Shedden it allowed him to take his third BTCC Drivers Title by a mere eight points. Result: Chilton, Plato, Boardman.

That's the spray to do it! Neal wins third title

After the race the fans were allowed onto the track to crowd in front of the podium on-track to witness Matt being crowned Champion by series co-ordinator Alan Gow.

Trophies also went to Honda for the Manufacturers, 888 for the Independents titles. A fantastic sight and an ecstatic Honda driver and team clearly showed how much it meant to them all. It is a shame for Shedden who has been close all season but in a team game they all won as one.

It has been a fantastic season from start to finish with tremendous support from team, manufacturers, sponsors and drivers to make such thrilling action on track to provide the excitement for the fans.

There is so much to look forward to in 2012 with new cars already announced and a further progression to full NGTC Rules & Regulations. So what has been your highlight of the season and what do you think to Matt’s third BTCC Title?

Leave your thoughts, enjoy the off-season and see you all in 2012 – the countdown begins today!

For everyone at HiQ, the sight of hundreds of camera flashes amongst the thousands of fans in the grandstands was the perfect ending to a memorable season.

Many of those spectators were clad in pink as we raised thousands more pounds for Breast Cancer Care courtesy of a day of goody bag handouts and offer of official memorabilia.

It soon became apparent that Neal and Shedden were the two serious contenders at Silverstone

Retail marketing manager Geraldine McGovern said: “The generosity and fanaticism of the BTCC fans never ceases to amaze us.

“We’ve had a wonderful weekend and have enjoyed a fantastic spectacle on the track, when we weren’t raising thousands of pounds off it for Breast Cancer Care.

“We’d like to thank everyone for coming along to see us at our stand, while we’d also like to congratulate Matt Neal for winning his third title.

“His teammate Gordon Shedden was an honourable, terrific teammate too, and also deserves credit for playing his part in Team Honda’s HiQ Teams’ Championship win.”

In front of ITV Sport’s cameras – broadcasting live for seven and a half hours from the event – and packed grandstands at Silverstone. The BTCC also ended on a massive high twith a record 30 cars appearing on its grid.

Worcestershire’s Neal won race one from pole position ahead of Fife’s Shedden. Buckinghamshire’s James Nash finished third in his 888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra to secure the Independents Trophy.

Shedden then retaliated by winning race two ahead of Neal, their Civics chased to the line by Tom Onslow-Cole’s Team Aon Ford Focus. It meant Shedden was now just six points behind Neal heading into the day’s third and final race of the season.

A wonderful sight at Silverstone - a packed grid for the final round of racing

But it was to be Neal’s day as he finished the third race in eighth, two places ahead of Shedden, to add to his previous titles in 2005 and 2006 – also in Hondas and with the same Team Dynamics squad.

The race was won by Tom Chilton’s Team Aon Ford Focus ahead of 2010 Champion Jason Plato’s Silverline Chevrolet Cruze and Tom Boardman’s Special Tuning Racing SEAT Leon.

An ecstatic Neal, who at 44 has become the first triple BTCC Champion since Andy Rouse in the early Eighties, commented: “This has been the toughest of my three titles to win – the competition has been extraordinarily high and Gordon has been such a hard team-mate to beat. To have my name on the trophy for a third time alongside so many great names… I am overwhelmed. It means the world to me.

“My pole position lap on Saturday, with maximum ballast in my car, was one of the best laps of my entire career and it set things up perfectly for me. If I hadn’t won it I would have been disappointed for myself but over the moon for Gordon – he’s become like a younger brother to me and even though he’s only been in the BTCC for six years he is one of the absolute best out there on the track.

“But it’s not just me who has won this championship – it is everybody in the Honda team. Gordon and I couldn’t ask for a better company or bunch of people to drive for and they all richly deserve this clean sweep of titles.”

Champagne time! Matt Neal celebrates his third BTCC title

Shedden, aged 32 from Dalgety Bay, had today hoped to become the first Scottish driver to win the BTCC since John Cleland in 1995. He said: “We’d said all along our priority was to ensure Honda won these titles and then see where things led after that – I was third last year, now second this… maybe it’ll be my turn next season.

 “I gave it my all but it was to be Matt’s championship this time around and I’m very happy for him and particularly everyone in the Honda team.”

Plato, currently in a five way tussle to win the coveted silverware at Silverstone, has received the backing of hundreds of fans for his heroics in the penultimate race weekend at Brands Hatch.

It is the second time he has earned the fans’ adulation for his efforts at the Brands GP circuit, having scooped the bubbly in 2009 for an unforgettable hat-trick of wins.

Plato (centre) has the HiQ vote going into Brands Hatch, with Neal, Shedden, Jackson and Nash all in pursuit of his drivers' title

And it is the second time Plato has picked up the award in 2011, having won at Donington Park after recovering from a spectacular crash at Craner Curves.

Plato polled 45 per cent of votes for his most recent heroics, where he won the first two races of the day and rallied to a sixth place finish in the final race.

Plato’s old adversary Matt Neal came second with 23 per cent of votes, with Andy Neate third (14 per cent).

Winning fan Rae Akehurst from Maidstone, Kent, was picked at random to win a bottle of champagne and present a bottle of bubbly to Plato in person, before embarking on a grid walk before one of the races.

She said: “I love Jason and think he was great at Brands. He was consistent throughout the weekend and kept the championship well and truly alive.

“It will be a dream come true to meet him on Sunday.”

HiQ’s retail marketing manager Geraldine McGovern said: “Our champagne moment awards have been a resounding success again this season.

“We have crowned some wonderful winners this season thanks to the fans’ involvement.

“We hope they will be voting one more time once the dust has settled at Silverstone. We can’t wait!”

That’s the magic of Britain’s premier motor racing series, which will keep supporters of every driver talking right up until the final race weekend at Silverstone on October 15 and 16.

Jason Plato lead from the front in races one and two

On a balmy afternoon in Kent, Jason Plato emerged with two victories to steal a march on his Honda rivals, only for Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden to seal a one-two in the third and final race.

It all means that Neal is in the lead by a mere five points from Plato and teammate Shedden, with everything still to play for in a fortnight’s time. With the HiQ Teams’ Championship title all but secured for Honda Racing, the team can focus all their efforts on securing a memorable double triumph.

Typically, Jason Plato was playing down his chances of retaining his title, deeming Silverstone’s circuit too incompatible with his Chevrolet Cruze, despite his Brands delight. But he’ll take his position from where he was three race weekends ago, as will Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden right now, following the disaster of tyre woes in race one at Brands Hatch.

Mat Jackson and James Nash may well have a say in proceedings too and can mathematically win the title themselves. And with the BTCC gods as notorious as HiQ knows they are, we wouldn’t dare predict who will finish where come 6pm on Sunday October 16.

This way to Silverstone Flash! Neal and Shedden steal the show in race 3

Neal, who won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 said: “A 1-2 in racxe three is a relief because at one stage today it really looked like the title was slipping through our fingers through some bad luck.” Nash and Jackson will also battle it out for the Independents Trophy for the drivers in privateer teams – 17 points separate them with a potential 45 still available from the season’s final three races.

Quite who will win the HiQ champagne moment after this weekend is anyone’s guess.

Quite who will win the overall silverware out of five different drivers really is anyone’s guess.

A whopping 46 per-cent of supporters voted for the Worcestershire speedster to scoop the bubbly, in the biggest margin recorded by HiQ all season.

Rob claimed the fastest overall lap in his Audi A4 in the second practice of the day, pre-empting a 2^nd place podium in race three at the Northamptonshire circuit.

Winning fan Gerry Barclay praised Rob for his ‘tenacious driving’ and his ability to storm up the grid in qualifying and in races two and three.

Not surprisingly, Frank Wrathall – winner of the last two HiQ champagne moments – took second place with 29 per cent of the vote, and James Nash was third with 14 per cent.

Gerry has won the opportunity to present Rob with champagne at the penultimate round of the season, Brands Hatch this weekend.

Gerry will also receive two tickets for the race weekend and a complimentary grid walk before one of the races.

To vote for a HiQ Champagne Moment and stand a chance of winning a race weekend experience to treasure, click on http://www.hiqonline.co.uk/hiqBtcc/champagneMoments/

]]> http://www.hiqbtcc.com/austin-knocks-wrathall-off-the-top-spot-to-claim-hiq-champagne-moment/feed 0 http://www.hiqbtcc.com/unforgettable-weekend-at-rockingham http://www.hiqbtcc.com/unforgettable-weekend-at-rockingham#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:49:29 +0000 Ben http://www.hiqbtcc.com/?p=324 It was unpredictable, unbeatable British motorsport at its best, and everyone at the HiQ fast fit network is still lapping up an unforgettable race weekend at Rockingham.

There was a sea of pink hats and blue spanners at the track this time, as the HiQ team got underway with their charity fundraising in aid of Breast Cancer Care.

In a nutshell of a thrilling season so far, Honda’s Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden are tied for the drivers’ title, with current champion Jason Plato loitering with intent behind them.

With two race weekends to go, the destiny of the silverware is as unknown as it was when the first green light flashed at Brands Hatch in April.

What is clear however, is the skills of Frank Wrathall, who is rapidly becoming the most endearing success story of the season.

He followed up two champagne moment wins with three performances to put him in line with another.

Paul O’Neill shone in race one too, finishing in a season best second, while James Nash went one better in race three for a first ever victory.

Leaving the Northamptonshire venue, Scotsman Shedden and his Honda team-mate, Worcestershire’s Matt Neal, are dramatically tied for the championship lead as the BTCC now heads to the world-famous Brands Hatch Grand
Prix circuit in Kent for the penultimate three races of its nail-biting 2011 season on 1-2 October.

Starting from pole position in his Silverline Chevrolet Cruze, reigning Champion Plato from Oxford led today’s opening race all the way to record his sixth win of the season. Widnes’s Paul O’Neill, also driving a Cruze for the GoMobileUK.com with tech-speed team, finished second ahead of Preston racer Frank Wrathall, third in his Dynojet Toyota Avensis. Neal was fourth and Shedden sixth. As a result, Neal edged past Shedden to lead the championship by two points.

Shedden then immediately struck back with his fifth win of the season in his Honda Racing Team Civic in race two ahead of Wrathall and Neal. This meant Shedden now held a five-point championship lead from Neal. Notably, Wrathall’s second place was the best result to date for a car built to the BTCC’s latest Next Generation Touring Car regulations.

Race three saw Nash, from nearby Newport Pagnell, achieve the first win of his BTCC career as his 888 Racing with Collins Contractors Vauxhall Vectra held off Pershore rival Rob Austin’s NGTC-spec Rob Austin Racing Audi A4. Hampshire’s Robert Collard took third in his WSR BMW. Nash’s win, incidentally, meant he became the eighth different winner so far this season and ensured the famed 888 team’s record of at least one victory every season since 1998 remains in tact. Behind, Neal took sixth to draw level on points with Shedden who finished well down after his Civic was damaged in a collision with a rival car.

As a result, Honda duo Neal and Shedden are now joint first at the top of the table from Plato in third, the Chevrolet driver having achieved the day’s highest cumulative score thanks to his race one win and then fourth and fifth place finishes.

Shedden, from Dalgety Bay, Fife commented: “I keep saying it but today again has shown just how quickly it can all turn around. I hadn’t expected to win here but the car was dynamite in race two and I took my chance. Going into one corner in race three I was ahead of Matt and on for more decent points and 20 yards later I’ve been knocked aside and everyone has come sailing past. I can’t see the championship being decided until the very last lap of the season at Silverstone.”

Droitwich Spa racer Neal, Champion in 2005 and 2006, added: “Gordon is absolutely right. Yet again we’ve seen more teams, cars and drivers becoming increasingly competitive in shaking up the order. Nor can we discount Jason – he’s taken a fair chunk out of us today. He’s still a little way back but we’ve seen him make up more than that sort of ground in the final two rounds before.”

Plato added: “We’ve probably got more out of the day than we anticipated which is extremely pleasing. But although I think we can be strong again at Brands Hatch I still don’t see how we’ll be able to match the turbocharged cars at
Silverstone. We’ll of course give it everything but it’s really for the Honda drivers to lose now.”

Meanwhile Nash has also moved past Mat Jackson into the lead of Independents Trophy. For the second event in a row, Jackson, who had led the outright standings just tworounds ago, again failed to score in any of today’s races. Similarly, Nash’s 888/Collins outfit has moved past Jackson’s Airwaves Racing squad to head the Independent Teams Trophy. Honda/Dynamics and the Honda Racing Team remain comfortable leaders of the Manufacturer/Constructor and HiQ Teams championships respectively.

Elsewhere, a number of drivers were punished by officials at Rockingham for a variety of incidents, namely: Jason Plato and Matt Neal, both fined £1000, given three penalty points on their competition licences and handed a six-place grid penalty, suspended for the balance of the 2011 season for on and off-track incidents during qualifying; Andy Neate, fined £1500 and given three penalty points for an on-track incident in race one and subsequent
abusive language; Alex MacDowall, Paul O’Neill and Nick Foster, all given two penalty points and official reprimands for on-track incidents in races one, two and three respectively. In addition, Tom Boardman was also fined £1000, given three penalty points and a six-place grid penalty for today’s first race for an on-track incident in the previous round at Knockhill.