Thompson to be official test driver for NGTC

Two-times BTCC champion James Thompson will be the official test driver for TOCA for the Next Generation Touring Car.

The car being developed by GPR Motorsport, will make it’s track debut at a competition weekend at the season finalé at Brands Hatch in October, and may even compete in the race itself.

Series Director Alan Gow, said of appointing Thompson:
“I couldn’t think of a more ideal driver than James, with his vast experience and proven track record in the BTCC as well as other international race series, to provide the precise technical feedback needed to develop its full potential – and I thank him for enthusiastically accepting my offer.”

The NGTC specification regulations can be used from next year, but won’t become the dominant specification until 2013, by the potential implementation on restrictions on the cars.

Restrictions of this nature were also to be applied if any of the older BTC-spec cars were still competitive when S2000 took over as the main class in the championship in 2007.

These were never needed however, as top teams such as Team Dynamics, West Surrey Racing & Triple Eight Race Engineering moved from their BTC-spec Integra’s, MG-ZS’s and Astra’s to S2000 Civic’s, BMW 320si’s and Vectra’s respectively. At the last round at Croft, only four BTC-spec cars competed out of the 22 car grid.

The NGTC engine itself, built by Swindon Engines, is already in a development year, being run by Pinkney Motorsport & Pirtek Racing, taking it’s first win at the final race at Croft at the weekend.