BTCC heads for fastest track in UK

The Hampshire speedbowl of Thruxton is the daunting challenge awaiting the drivers in the British Touring Car Championship this bank holiday weekend.

The fastest track in the UK, Thruxton boasts average lap speeds of well in excess of 100mph, with top speeds of around 150mph.

And while the track provides enough of a challenge in the dry, the sodden conditions of 2012 added yet more uncertainty to proceedings.

The weekend forecast is currently for dry conditions, but Honda Racing Team pair Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal will be confident of success whatever the weather.

Shedden took two wins in his Honda Civic last year, while Neal told TouringCarTimes after Donington that he expected the car to be strong in all conditions, due to the track’s fast corners.

Three-time Thruxton victor Jason Plato is another man who is confident in his car’s potential here, alongside Triple Eight MG team-mate Sam Tordoff, who has impressed hugely in his first two meetings with the team.

With Andrew Jordan continuing to look like a genuine challenger for two championships in his Eurotech Racing Honda Civic, and Colin Turkington returning to the winner’s circle in his new West Surrey Racing BMW 125i, the stage is set for another competitive outing.

One element the teams will not face this weekend is the soft tyre conundrum.

Dunlop traditionally produces a special compound for the unique demands of Thruxton, and it is up to the teams to judge how far to push the camber settings amid the ever-present risk of punctures.

Free practice gets under way at 10:00 BST on Saturday, with second practice at 12:40 BST and qualifying at 15:25 BST.

The lights go out for Sunday’s three races at 12:02 BST, 14:32 BST and 17:17 BST respectively.