BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch explained

Car Name:	BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch
Category:	BTCC
Constructor:	Triple 8 Race Engineering
Team:	VXRacing Arkas Racing
Chassis:	Vauxhall Astra Mk V
Capacity:	20001NaN1
Configuration:	In-line 4
Turbo/Na:	NA
Engine Position:	front-mounted, FWD
Gears:	6-speed
Type:	Sequential
Tyres:	Dunlop
Debut:	2005 BTCC at Donington Park
Races:	117 (2005-2008)
Wins:	10
Cons Champ:	1 (2005)
Drivers Champ:	0
Teams Champ:	0
Poles:	5
Fastest Laps:	9

The BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch is a BTC-Touring class racing car that was built for the 2005 British Touring Car Championship season by Triple 8 Race Engineering, who ran Vauxhall's official works program.

Works history

After campaigning the BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Coupe for 4 years, VX Racing took the decision to replace the car with the brand-new Astra SportHatch for the 2005 BTCC season.^{[1] [2]} An experimental BTC-T spec Vectra had been built in 2003, but the experiment was not continued due to the weight of the car.^[3] Replacing such a successful car proved difficult, however; and the car only won ten out of the sixty races it contested as a works entry, in the hands of Yvan Muller, Colin Turkington and Fabrizio Giovanardi. The emergence of the BTC-T Honda Integra Type R proved to be a challenge too far for Vauxhall, despite a successful debut victory,^[4] and Vauxhall's 100th BTCC win at Knockhill in 2006.^[5] Despite the dominance of Matt Neal's Integra, however, the car did deliver the 2005 Manufacturer's championship to Vauxhall, as Team Dynamics were not competing in this championship.^[6]

Later career

After the car's replacement with the Super 2000-spec Vectra,^[7] the Turkish driver Erkut Kizilirmak bought three of the four chassis, and used them for his Arkas Racing team in the BTCC for 2007,^[8] with some occasional races in the Turkish Touring Car Championship. In 2008, Erkut expanded the BTCC effort to a two-car team, being joined by Martyn Bell.^[9]

Chassis history

Chassis CH12

• 2005 – Yvan Muller (Rounds 1-3)/Two Seater
• 2006 – Two Seater/Erkut Kizilirmak (Rounds 13-15/18-21)
• 2007 onwards – Two Seater

Chassis CH14

• 2005 – Colin Turkington (Rounds 1-12)
• 2006 onwards – Unused

Chassis CH15

• 2005/06 – Gavin Smith
• 2007 – Erkut Kizilirmak (Turkish Touring Car Championship)
• 2008 – Erkut Kizilirmak (Rounds 10-30)

Chassis CH16

• 2005 – Yvan Muller (Rounds 4–30)
• 2006 – Fabrizio Giovanardi
• 2007/08 – Erkut Kizilirmak (Rounds 1–9, written off at Donington Park)

Chassis CH17

• 2005 – Colin Turkington (Rounds 13–30)
• 2006/07 – Tom Chilton
• 2008 – Martyn Bell

Notes and References

1. Web site: Vauxhall To Defend BTCC Titles With New Astra . Carpages.co.uk . 2005-01-17 . 2012-12-24.
2. Web site: BTCCPages.com . PICS : New VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch in full livery - BTCC News . BTCCPages.com . 2012-12-24.
3. Autosport magazine feature 25 January 2007 'Tin-Tops That Never Raced'
4. Web site: Victorious Race Debut For VX Racing Astra Sport Hatch . Carpages.co.uk . 2005-04-12 . 2012-12-24.
5. Web site: Jonathan Gill . BTCC: Gio brings Vauxhall 100 up . Auto Express . 2006-09-07 . 2012-12-24.
6. Web site: BTCCPages.com . 2005 BTCC Points . BTCCPages.com . 2009-04-05 . 2012-12-24.
7. Web site: Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship . https://archive.today/20130221061931/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=381 . dead . 2013-02-21 . BTCC . 2006-12-18 . 2012-12-24 .
8. Web site: BTCC: Turkish team enters BTCC . https://archive.today/20130205053359/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=971 . dead . 5 February 2013 . TouringCarTimes . 2012-12-24 .
9. Web site: Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship . https://archive.today/20130222144639/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=850 . dead . 2013-02-22 . BTCC . 2008-02-04 . 2012-12-24 .