Alan Gow last night confirmed he will continue to lead the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship for the next four years at least, when he spoke before a packed audience at the series’ annual awards ceremony.
In front of 600 guests at Birmingham’s Hilton Metropole Hotel, Series Director Gow reflected on the BTCC’s 2006 season and also announced he will remain in charge of Britain’s most popular motor racing championship until the end of 2010.
Gow said: “That was a pretty good season, wasn’t it? Let’s just put it into perspective; in the world of four-wheel motor racing the BTCC is, by an enormous margin, the biggest in the UK. In TV audiences, it’s second only to Formula 1 and in spectator numbers it’s by far the largest. We simply dwarf all other motor sport in this country.
“Something I’m very proud of is our huge increase in competitor numbers. What a difference a year makes. Ten new teams joined our championship this year. Remember that we started 2005 with just 12 cars and we finished 2006 with 26. Over a hundred per cent increase….now that’s what you call growth. And as for popularity and support, who can forget the massive crowd we had at our last round?”
Gow then reeled off a list of impressive statistics that demonstrate the competitiveness and strength of the BTCC.
- Eight different drivers shared 30 race victories- 14 different drivers stood on the podium- In ten qualifying sessions, six different drivers took pole position- The 30 fastest race laps were shared between ten different drivers- 11 different drivers took turns leading a race- 23 of the 29 drivers all scored championship points- Some 15 hours of prime-time ITV1 coverage, plus approximately the same amount again in late-night repeats on ITV1- Around 20 million people watched it on TV in the UK alone and many millions more internationally- Over a quarter of a million fans watched it trackside
He added: “So what’s the secret of our success? Simple, really; we’re the biggest and best show in town. We’re not perfect and we’ve got plenty of scope to develop… but I can tell you that no other championship in this country delivers a team, driver, sponsor or manufacturer with anything like the profile, spectacle and sheer audience numbers that we do.
“We’ve recently seen many teams and drivers stepping up from other series. Why? Well, let’s face it, for professional drivers or teams to go and race in any other series outside the BTCC or supporting package is like wetting their pants in a dark suit; it may give them a nice warm feeling, but hardly anyone knows they’re doing it.”
Gow then said: “But with most positives there is usually a negative attached… and I should inform you that my contract with the BTCC finishes at the end of this year. Unfortunately for many of you, we’ve renewed my contract for another four years – so you are all stuck with me for a while yet.”
Receiving their trophies were the top three drivers in the championship, Matt Neal, Jason Plato and Colin Turkington, SEAT for winning its first Manufacturers’ title and Team Halfords which successfully defended the Teams’ crown. Neal and Team Halfords collected the Independents Trophy’s Drivers’ and Teams’ silverware as well.
The winners of the BTCC’s manufacturer-backed support race categories, Formula BMW, Formula Renault, Clio Cup, Porsche Carrera Cup and SEAT Cupra also made stage appearances.
