AmD Milltek Racing's first Shakedown at Brands Hatch

[Mr.B]

Shaun Hollamby, of the AmDMilltekRacing.com team, has today given the VW Golf he plans to race in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship its first run at Brands Hatch.

Orpington-based Hollamby has spent the morning shaking down the MK5 Golf at the world-famous Brands venue – his home track.

The Golf, one of the most iconic cars in motor manufacturing history, is sure to attract a tremendous following among enthusiasts. The last time a Golf raced in the BTCC was 1989, the final year the series ran to a 'multi-class' format.

As 44-year-old Hollamby told btcc.net: “The support we’ve received since we announced the Golf BTCC project has been fantastic. That’s before the season has even begun.

“I really hope we see owners, club members and fans from all the VW magazines, internet forums and so on turning up at race events and supporting us. Every BTCC round attracts 30,000-plus people so there’s a great opportunity for them to become noticed in front of a huge audience.”

Hollamby has spent the winter building the Golf to the BTCC’s Super 2000 technical regulations having brought the car over from the Baltic touring car series.

The former VW Cup front-runner said: “Everything that could be done to it has been done to it. The support we’ve also received from everyone inside the BTCC has been brilliant – no looking down noses at us, just fantastic advice and encouragement all the way.

“Today is purely a shakedown but the car immediately feels very solid and exceptionally well balanced on all four corners. What else can I say? It goes, it stops, it turns left and right so it's been a good first run.”

You can read more on the building and testing of the AmD Milltek Racing VW Golf BTCC car on the AmD Essex BTCC Blog.

http://www.millteksport.com/amdmillt....shakedown.cfm

http://www.amdmilltekracing.com/

http://www.amdessex.com/btcc.blog.cfm

Not sure how many people here follow the BTCC or the WTCC but I'm excited!

[GOLFBALLS]

Yea same.

It's running the pipercross intake too.

I wish someone would make it possible here. What's happening to the v8 supercar series now that Ford have given up on rwd falcons?

[Mr.B]

Yea same.

It's running the pipercross intake too.

I wish someone would make it possible here. What's happening to the v8 supercar series now that Ford have given up on rwd falcons?

While American racing fans remain enamored with stock car racing, road course-bound touring car series continue to draw big crowds overseas. In Europe there's the World Touring Car Championship. DTM is one of the most popular forms of motorsport in Germany. The Japanese have Super GT. But Down Under, V8 Supercars reign supreme.

The Australian touring car series has typically been the battleground for Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores, but the Aussie brands could get some company once again thanks to new regulations. Following a similar move by NASCAR, series organizers in Australia are preparing to institute a new Car of the Future program that could open the door for foreign automakers to take part. The formula calls for a spec chassis with independent rear suspension replacing the live rear axles on the current competitors, plus more advanced DOHC 24-valve engines to accompany (and eventually replace) the pushrod 16-valve units currently in place.

According to reports from the other side of the world, Mercedes-Benz could be the first to take advantage of the new regs, spurred into action by the increased sales of FPVs and HSVs among V8 Supercars fans Down Under. The German automaker's Australian unit has commissioned Brock Engineering – run by the legendary Peter Brock's son James – to build a sort of ring-taxi type of vehicle based on the C63 AMG in which Mick Doohan – a superbike champion whose record rivals that of Valentino Rossi – will chauffeur paying customers and VIPs on hot laps around the Philip Island circuit in Victoria. The stripped-out, track-prepped C63, according to sources, could form the basis for a Mercedes V8 Supercar, similar to the company's DTM racer.

Although Mercedes typically prevents its regional subsidiaries from competing in local motorsport disciplines, an exception could apparently be made for the popular Australian series, with factory support provided to privateer entires. Nissan and Hyundai are reportedly also considering entries in the championship.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/14/m...ry-down-under/