BTCC 2001: Rounds 11 & 12 – Donington Park

Donington Park was to be the stage for round 11 & 12 of the 2001 BTCC season, returning back to home soil after last time’s outing at Mondello Park in Ireland.

A huge crowd welcomed the drivers, and with Yvan Muller pulling away in the driver’s championship, it was up to the rest of the field to pull themselves back into contention.

And this weekend would see a new driver joining the pack – New Zealand SuperBike racer, Aaron Slight would be behind the wheel of a Peugeot 406.

Round 11: Sprint Race

It was the Egg Sport Vauxhall team that stepped up during qualifying for the Sprint, with James Thompson taking pole ahead of Yvan Muller, and Phil Bennett beating Jason Plato to third on the grid.

The Alfa 147s were back in contention, but not for long as they failed to make the grid for the sprint race due to more mechanical issues.

In the production class it was Gavin Pyper who took the fastest time in qualifying for his first pole of the season, but unfortunately for him it didn’t last long… an engine change in his Alfa 156 meant he had to start from the back of the field.

So it was the familiar face of Simon Harrison taking pole in the Peugeot 306, followed by teammate Roger Moen, and then the Ford Focus of Gareth Howell.

The lights were on, and it was to be 16 laps for the Touring Cars, and 15 for the Production Cars. 

Thompson was away well and it was Bennett getting alongside Muller into the first corner, giving him a love tap on the way through. Side by side into the 2nd bend and Muller returned the favour, but having got past him temporarily both Muller and Plato then got ahead.

And it was to be worse news for Bennett as Steve Soper held his ground at the exit, leaving Bennett nowhere to go. His Astra was sent spinning across the grass, but he managed to save it and rejoin the back of the pack.

As the Production race got underway, Howell managed to pass Moen into second, but it was Harrison leading through the first lap.

As Phil Bennett tried making his way through the Touring Car pack, at the front it was Plato trying to regain ground on Muller. Heading down into the hairpin, Plato was late on the brakes and locked up, sending him into the back of teammate Muller.

Muller’s bumper went flying but he just about managed to keep his Astra on the track, although Plato was through. A questionable pass from Plato, one that Muller would not be too happy with.

Howell was in the wars in the Production class, and having made his way up to second, was now down in the middle of the pack. Gavin Pyper was making his way through the field in his Alfa, trying to make up for his back of the grid start.

Harrison was cruising out front, but a lock up sent him wide and he was passed by Moen and Graves. But an engine problem for Graves saw him leaving the battle and retiring from the race in a big cloud of smoke.

Bumperless Muller was on the warpath after nearly being taken out by Plato, and it wouldn’t be long before he had an opportunity to re-pass. A physical tussle saw him scythe down the inside of Plato onto the home straight, with Plato waving his hand in frustration… but to the impartial eye it was a much fairer pass than the one Plato had just pulled off!

Meanwhile, the scrap between the two Vauxhall Motorsport Astras meant James Thompson was pulling out a large gap out front.

However, oil on the track from Graves’ Honda meant the safety car had to make an appearance, backing up the field.

Moen took the restart in the lead, with Jackson following closely behind, and Pyper had made it all the way up to third. And that would soon become second, with a great move on the Ford Focus as the race got back underway.

By this point the Touring cars were in the middle of the Production class pack, so headlights ablaze they had to each pick their way through the lead Production cars. An annoyance for Thompson who had done so well to pull away.

It was all getting a bit messy, but as the Astras made it through to the front, Thompson was under pressure from Muller, with Plato still sizing up his teammate.

And Plato was back past Muller into the chicane with another forceful pass, with a hint of a brake fade from Muller’s Vauxhall.

With the battling going on behind him, Thompson pulled out another gap and took the chequered flag, with Muller having one last lunge at Plato on the final lap, but ultimately settling for third. Bennett recovered to finish in fourth.

Roger Moen took the win in the production class, followed by Pyper and Jackson. A great recovery drive by Pyper.

Sprint Race Results

Position	Class	Driver	Team	Car	Laps	Time	Best
1		James THOMPSON	Egg Sport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	33:14.833	1:43.526
2		Jason PLATO	Vauxhall Motorsport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	1.801	1:43.684
3		Yvan MULLER	Vauxhall Motorsport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	2.696	1:43.660
4		Phil BENNETT	Egg Sport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	4.635	1:44.396
5		Dan EAVES	Peugeot Sport UK	Peugeot 406 Coupé	17	9.603	1:44.908
6		Steve SOPER	Peugeot Sport UK	Peugeot 406 Coupé	17	10.625	1:44.887
7		Aaron SLIGHT	Peugeot Sport UK	Peugeot 406 Coupé	17	13.909	1:45.372
8	P	Roger MOEN	HTML	Peugeot 306 GTi	17	16.337	1:48.084
9	P	Gavin PYPER	GA-Janspeed Racing	Alfa Romeo 156	17	17.371	1:48.351
10	P	Mat JACKSON	GR Motorsport	Ford Focus	17	17.898	1:48.940
11	P	Rob COLLARD	Collard Racing	Renault Clio	17	22.577	1:49.509
12	P	James KAYE	Team Kaliber Sport with Barwell	Honda Accord	17	22.587	1:48.953
13	P	Jim EDWARDS Jnr	TCR/Interactive Network Solutions	Honda Accord	17	33.857	1:48.980
14	P	Rick KRAEMER	GR Motorsport	Ford Focus	17	35.203	1:50.789
15	P	Dave ALLAN	Synchro Motorsport	Honda Accord	17	36.379	1:50.996
16	P	Annie TEMPLETON	Tech-Speed Motorsport	Peugeot 306 GTi	17	45.46	1:52.486
17	P	Simon HARRISON	HTML	Peugeot 306 GTi	17	1:31.700	1:47.978
R	P	Simon GRAVES	Team Kaliber Sport with Barwell	Honda Accord	8	DNF	1:48.046
R	P	Colin BLAIR	GA-Janspeed Racing	Alfa Romeo 156	7	DNF	1:50.964
R	P	John B-AND-Q	Team B&Q/Talksport Radio	Honda Integra Type-R	6	DNF	1:54.855
R	P	Gareth HOWELL	GR Motorsport	Ford Focus	5	DNF	1:48.310
R		Kurt LUBY	ABG Motorsport	Lexus IS200	5	DNF	1:45.857
R	P	Richard MEINS	GR Motorsport	Ford Focus	3	DNF	1:50.756
R	P	Paul O’NEILL	Tech-Speed Motorsport	Peugeot 306 GTi	0	DNF	N/A
NS	P	Nick BEAUMONT	Team B&Q/Talksport Radio	Honda Integra Type-R	–	DNS
NS		Tim HARVEY	JS Motorsport	Alfa Romeo 147	–	DNS

Round 12: Feature Race

Following on from Thompson’s Sprint Race win, it was him again on pole position for the Feature Race. Plato was in second, and Muller in third. Bennett was in fourth, and with Luby’s Lexus unable to race due to suspension damage sustained earlier, it was just the three Peugeots following the Vauxhalls.

In the Production class it was Pyper on pole, followed by Harrison, Moen and Howell.

It was a rolling start for the Feature Race, and Thompson got another good start. Plato was alongside, but Thompson held on. Soper made it up to fourth, but Bennett took the place back, pushing him out wide.

Out at the front it wouldn’t take long for Plato to get back alongside Thompson, and made a pass stick up into Mcleans to take the lead.

All of a sudden it was Thompson under pressure again with Muller taking a look down the inside, narrowly avoiding taking him out.

But Muller decided to make an early stop, opting out of the battle and giving him some free air to run into. A very quick 6.4 second stop gave him the best chance of leapfrogging the other Astras later in the race.

At the front of the Production race it was Pyper out ahead, but an issue with his Alfa saw him pulling off and retiring, giving Harrison the opportunity to lead as James Kaye retired his Honda.

Thompson followed Muller’s strategic decision to pit early, and his crew pulled off a rapid 6.5 second stop. It worked for him, and he came back out on track just ahead of Muller.

Plato was also in the pits and the pressure was on to keep the lead, and so was Phil Bennett. 6.5 seconds, 7 seconds for Bennett, and it was about to get close as the two Astras rejoined the race. But it was as you were, with Plato re-taking the lead, and Bennett rejoining in fourth.

As the Peugeot 406s started making their stops, Phil Bennett’s Astra pulled off onto the grass with a mechanical issue. Dan Eaves’ 33 second pit stop put him to the back of the Touring field, but he was happy to see the safety car come out shortly afterwards.

The marshals were recovering Bennett’s car, and it was new boy Aaron Slight in the lead for the restart as he was yet to pit.

Slight stayed out ahead, but the posse of Vauxhalls were battling just behind him. Thompson was sizing up Plato, and Muller was sizing up Thompson. All of them looking for a way past Slight.

As Thompson went for a move on Plato, Plato closed the door and pushed him out wide, which gave Muller an opportunity to go for second, which he gracefully took. Perfect reading of the battle ahead of him by Muller to take full advantage.

As Plato lined up Slight, Muller was again on hand to take advantage, and made a move up the inside of Plato. As Plato was recovering from that, he got a whack from Thompson who also fancied the position, but he couldn’t make the move stick.

Muller made it past Slight cleanly, and Plato tried the same but ended up making contact. Slight was not giving an inch in his first race, but Plato and Thompson did make it through as Slight headed into the pits.

And that would be the end of the action for the New Zealander as he had to retire his Peugeot, perhaps as a result of that contact with Plato

It was now clear for Muller, Plato, and Thompson to race for the win, and Plato was again getting his elbows out with his teammate. Plato gave him a nudge going into the final bend and made it past, closing the door on Muller at the exit, forcing him out onto the grass.

With Thompson now all over Muller, he returned the favour into the next corner with a headbutt, but couldn’t find a way past his teammate. That compromised Muller’s exit, and Thompson took advantage up into second place.

Muller fought back through the hairpin and into McLeans, getting the move done up the inside of Thompson to retake second. Amazing motor racing from both parties.

With Plato pulling out a decent lead, Thompson and Muller was the battle to watch. And Thompson once again made an excellent move stick to take the position.

Meanwhile in the Production race, Graves had taken the lead in his Honda but Moen was tracking him all the way. Jackson was third in the Focus right behind, and Moen made a move on Graves to take the lead.

Jackson then passed Graves easily, hinting at an issue for the Accord as we entered the final stages. And it looked like a terminal issue, as Graves’ car coughed and sputtered along the home straight.

With the Honda out the way, Jackson and Moen battled for the lead, and Jackson pulled off an excellent pass into McLeans to take the lead.

Into the final lap and there was a decent gap between the first three Vauxhalls. Plato, Thompson, and Muller took the top three spots. Dan Eaves took fourth.

In the Production race, Jackson took first with Moen in second. Amazingly, Graves did manage to bring his Honda home in third after looking like he needed to retire just a lap earlier.

Another great weekend of action as the championship battle heated up between the Vauxhalls. 

Next up: round 13 & 14 at Knockhill.

Feature Race Results

Position	Class	Driver	Team	Car	Laps	Time	Best
1		James THOMPSON	Egg Sport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	33:14.833	1:43.526
2		Jason PLATO	Vauxhall Motorsport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	1.801	1:43.684
3		Yvan MULLER	Vauxhall Motorsport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	2.696	1:43.660
4		Phil BENNETT	Egg Sport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	17	4.635	1:44.396
5		Dan EAVES	Peugeot Sport UK	Peugeot 406 Coupé	17	9.603	1:44.908
6		Steve SOPER	Peugeot Sport UK	Peugeot 406 Coupé	17	10.625	1:44.887
7		Aaron SLIGHT	Peugeot Sport UK	Peugeot 406 Coupé	17	13.909	1:45.372
8	P	Roger MOEN	HTML	Peugeot 306 GTi	17	16.337	1:48.084
9	P	Gavin PYPER	GA-Janspeed Racing	Alfa Romeo 156	17	17.371	1:48.351
10	P	Mat JACKSON	GR Motorsport	Ford Focus	17	17.898	1:48.940
11	P	Rob COLLARD	Collard Racing	Renault Clio	17	22.577	1:49.509
12	P	James KAYE	Team Kaliber Sport with Barwell	Honda Accord	17	22.587	1:48.953
13	P	Jim EDWARDS Jnr	TCR/Interactive Network Solutions	Honda Accord	17	33.857	1:48.980
14	P	Rick KRAEMER	GR Motorsport	Ford Focus	17	35.203	1:50.789
15	P	Dave ALLAN	Synchro Motorsport	Honda Accord	17	36.379	1:50.996
16	P	Annie TEMPLETON	Tech-Speed Motorsport	Peugeot 306 GTi	17	45.46	1:52.486
17	P	Simon HARRISON	HTML	Peugeot 306 GTi	17	1:31.700	1:47.978
R	P	Simon GRAVES	Team Kaliber Sport with Barwell	Honda Accord	8	DNF	1:48.046
R	P	Colin BLAIR	GA-Janspeed Racing	Alfa Romeo 156	24	DNF	1:50.227
R	P	Simon HARRISON	HTML	Peugeot 306 GTi	23	DNF	1:48.432
R		Aaron SLIGHT	Peugeot Sport UK	Peugeot 406 Coupé	21	DNF	1:44.356
R		Phil BENNETT	Egg Sport	Vauxhall Astra Coupé	11	DNF	1:43.728
R	P	Simon GRAVES	Team Kaliber Sport with Barwell	Honda Accord	7	DNF	1:53.417
R	P	Tom BOARDMAN	Tom Boardman Racing	Peugeot 306 GTi	16	DNF	1:55.786
R	P	Paul O’NEILL	Tech-Speed Motorsport	Peugeot 306 GTi	2	DNF	1:56.200
R	P	Colin BLAIR	GA-Janspeed Racing	Alfa Romeo 156	1	DNF	2:09.524
NS	P	Nick BEAUMONT	Team B&Q/Talksport Radio	Honda Integra Type-R	–	DNS
NS		Tim HARVEY	JS Motorsport	Alfa Romeo 147	–	DNS

Touring Car Driver’s Championship Standings After Round 11 & 12 – Leaders

Driver	Points
Muller	164
Plato	144
Thompson	143
Bennett	87

Touring Car Team Championship Standings After Round 11 & 12 – Leaders

Team	Points
Vauxhall Motorsport	131
Team Egg Sport	105
Peugeot Sport UK	34
ABG Motorsport	18

Production Car Driver’s Championship Standings After Round 11 & 12 – Leaders

Driver	Points
Kaye	114
Harrison	109
Moen	106
Jackson	85
Pyper	61

Production Car Team Championship Standings After Round 11 & 12 – Leaders

Team	Points
GR Motorsport	96
Team Kaliber Sport with Barwell	87
HTML	71
GA Janspeed	34