Press Report : MG considers BTCC race return

Autocar/Motorsport News, 9th June, 2010

MG is eyeing an assault on the British Touring Car Championship when the sport’s new regulations come into force in 2011, according to a report in this week’s Motorsport News.

The Chinese-owned firm is in talks with potential teams about running a two-car programme in Britain’s headline tin-top championship, which is due to adopt a new low-cost rules package next season.

The firm took the wraps off its new MG6 fastback during the annual MGLive! meeting at Silverstone last weekend and marque chiefs have admitted they are interested in turning it into a BTCC racer.

MG Motor UK’s Sales and Marketing Director, Guy Jones, told Rob Ladbrook of Motorsport News: ‘We have had approaches on many different levels of motorsport – from people in grassroots series to established BTCC teams – who want to race the MG6.

The MG6 is very versatile and already runs an engine similar to the forthcoming NGTC touring car unit so it perfectly suits the BTCC blueprint. There is no concrete plan at the moment but we are at the table with interested parties and a BTCC programme will undoubtedly be seriously considered.” Guy Jones, Sales and Marketing Director, MG Motor UK Limited

‘The MG6 is very versatile and already runs an engine similar to the forthcoming NGTC touring car unit so it perfectly suits the BTCC blueprint. There is no concrete plan at the moment but we are at the table with interested parties and a BTCC programme will undoubtedly be seriously considered.”

BTCC Series Director, Alan Gow, commented: ‘The British Touring Car Championship offers the perfect platform for any manufacturer to promote their products and get a level of publicity that’s unrivalled. The NGTC rules will make it even more appealing for any new manufacturer to join the grid and they have already provoked a lot of interest.”

The most recent MG works involvement in the BTCC was MG Sport and Racing’s ZS model, run by WSR from 2001 to 2003 with Warren Hughes and Anthony Reid at the wheel. The last MG to race in the series was Jason Hughes’ bioethanol-powered machine in 2008.

[Source: Autocar]

Clive Goldthorp

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