tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18793106150261326562024-03-05T16:38:20.184-08:00Sian WilliamsCovering all the motorsport tips you should know and my experiences along side my youtube channel! Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-74665755114314703632022-04-29T01:21:00.003-07:002023-04-05T06:57:39.337-07:00BTCC Opening round at Donington Park!<p style="text-align: center;"> Wow, what a season opener we had and I was so happy to be track side enjoying it all!</p><p style="text-align: center;">This season I have decided to not only vlog on youtube, but also blog my experience too in case I miss things out in my videos and I can also share pictures here! I must admit I was a bit rusty with filming, room to improve for rest of season!</p><p style="text-align: center;">It was a windy weekend but I think I almost expect that at most tracks. Got there saturday morning and boy have I missed the feeling of being at a track and the smell of burnt tyres! We all went on a mission. We all wanted new merchandise and went straight to where it normally is and there was nothing! IT HAD MOVED. So off we went to find where they had moved to, I even asked some people who were very friendly and told us where it was. So after a long walk around a the track we found it! There is so much nice merchandise this year, it was hard to restrain ourselves. I am sure we will all be picking up more bits. </p><p style="text-align: center;">After that we walked round to a viewing area to watch qualifying and none of us even wanted to predict who would get pole, first race of hybrid area and BTCC is unpredictable at the best of times but it was Jake Hill who got pole. I am happy about that, I always think Jake is an underdog and will be a major factor in the championship this year. We were lucky to see Jake and his dad Simon by garages after qualifying and saying congratulations and being all happy.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXcac5O0D0P10tXly8l7ohx6Eg4W-6wOjGHbRysFZAIqGlKFf66r9f7iPLZ4uCEhv28DNT1M6dt3vQttAAvkaWuA0UahapB6f3taMjQ1TcGFxTm9BCL0NGK14hhaM_HxeXDt8vQgrob5dGAfxcoabcajzep4TQ1-uwyZ2RN2HGqdjaPpowiApXcQZ/s4032/Me%20with%20Hills.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXcac5O0D0P10tXly8l7ohx6Eg4W-6wOjGHbRysFZAIqGlKFf66r9f7iPLZ4uCEhv28DNT1M6dt3vQttAAvkaWuA0UahapB6f3taMjQ1TcGFxTm9BCL0NGK14hhaM_HxeXDt8vQgrob5dGAfxcoabcajzep4TQ1-uwyZ2RN2HGqdjaPpowiApXcQZ/w211-h281/Me%20with%20Hills.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>We watched the rest of the races which were Mini's and Ginettas. We watched the Ginetta's from the start finish straight and we loved watching them pull off and seeing who got a good and bad start, some of them were very varied! After that we headed to our hotel which was 5 minute drive from the track. We thought that would be great, wouldn't take long to get to the circuit, oh how wrong were we! As soon as we pulled out onto the main road and we joined the queuing traffic! It took over an hour which was ridiculous but we have learnt for next time!<p></p><p style="text-align: center;">I did panic thinking we wouldn't get a good spot, but we got where we wanted. But we did all say were not moving for rest of the day! We just took it in turns to look after chairs if a couple people wandered off. Charlie and I went to see our lovely people at BTCC Blueprints and got some keyrings, stickers and magnets. So if you love small stuff like that, deffo check out their website or go to their awning at a race weekend. We all treated ourselves to burger and chips for lunch. Personally I thought the food was good and yes it is on the more expensive side but it was good and I expect to pay the prices I do.</p><p style="text-align: center;"> We all made race 1 predictions and said either Sutton or Hill would win and we were all WRONG. BTCC can be so hard to predict even though we all said same people. All the races were entertaining and it was just so good to be watching racing again. Lucy and I went for a walk between race 2 and 3 and we bumped into Aiden. Laser Tools had a few issues but there has been worse weekends. Everyone still all happy and willing to chat which is lovely. I did tell Aiden I wanted to see improvement at Brands Hatch because we will be doing hospitality! If him and Dexter have a really good weekend at Brands then I am going to say we are their lucky charms.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxOX6UG8uW0HGXDRerMQZVrD-F-Gz-BLgIU19pLAz7fnbmMlAs_IiKHrcV6f-L-3kLYqUaOpp3pSNsRWHQ1Nil7bS9buVu6FdfwseQsNf9eFuIgfaTY50IVVwh_58dXudsVF9LYfyDuw8RUBxuK_ZcvuBJonWTHgx-cU7D0ze4YwWk0Ds5aIjxvjA/s4032/Me%20and%20Aiden%20dony%2022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxOX6UG8uW0HGXDRerMQZVrD-F-Gz-BLgIU19pLAz7fnbmMlAs_IiKHrcV6f-L-3kLYqUaOpp3pSNsRWHQ1Nil7bS9buVu6FdfwseQsNf9eFuIgfaTY50IVVwh_58dXudsVF9LYfyDuw8RUBxuK_ZcvuBJonWTHgx-cU7D0ze4YwWk0Ds5aIjxvjA/s320/Me%20and%20Aiden%20dony%2022.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">We stuck around after racing ended and watched everyone pile out of the circuit until we were virtually the only ones. We did have the screen in front of us so we watched drivers get out their cars, interviews and the podium. Then strolled out of the circuit and to the car. We didn't have to wait too long to get out so staying later worked a treat. Then finished it off with a mcdonalds when we got home and then it was the end of the first race weekend!</p><p style="text-align: center;">I have the three week wait until Brands Hatch but we are so excited as I mentioned we will be doing VIP with Laser Tools. I love doing VIP with them, everyone is so friendly and its just an incredible experience that we do it once a year now. </p><p style="text-align: center;">My Vlog below if you would like to watch that as well, as I mentioned earlier I think I am a bit rusty but I will make sure I film LOTS at Brands Hatch!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/PT3gX92z8uE" target="_blank">BTCC Donington Vlog 2022</a><br /></p>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-55163852596296629912021-01-01T07:04:00.000-08:002021-01-01T07:04:00.743-08:00Silverstone experience and lapland?!<p style="text-align: center;"> Silverstone is almost 2 hours from where I live but when they announced they were putting on Lapland, I knew I had to go. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Lapland was the opportunity to drive your own car (safely) round the iconic Silverstone circuit, at night with surprises in store and a drive in cinema to watch the snowman to end the experience. I did debate it as it would be almost a 4 hour round trip for something that would take no more than 2 hours. That's when I remembered the Silverstone experience! I have been wanting to go since it was first opened so now was the time, lets kill two birds with one stone and make a day of it!<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">The morning was spent driving up to Silverstone and timing it perfectly to eat McDonald's in the car and follow the last F1 qualifying session of the year. Then it was time to drive to Silverstone and into the experience! Masks had to be worn at all times and hand sanitiser was available, I felt very safe. Part of the experience was to walk a little bit of the track and we were advised that due to lapland that would be closed early, so first on the agenda was to go outside! It had been raining on and off all day and we were so lucky that when we went outside, it was chilly and a bit windy but the sun was shining down!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocJ_by1ob84oUZCk24Wm5aLM8naBLoiC5j0Eks5kAHxzOx1-2qsNCX4cn_u9b08asK-dVYBWBznLCr6WYI3Rz_KINVx2KaBJSp3pp6tyoOnz1eNgjBqdrOG1QcdlShT5LbNZ-s2as1QM/s1656/Silverstone+experience+on+track.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocJ_by1ob84oUZCk24Wm5aLM8naBLoiC5j0Eks5kAHxzOx1-2qsNCX4cn_u9b08asK-dVYBWBznLCr6WYI3Rz_KINVx2KaBJSp3pp6tyoOnz1eNgjBqdrOG1QcdlShT5LbNZ-s2as1QM/s320/Silverstone+experience+on+track.jpg" /><br /></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Back indoors we went and stood in this dark corridor with a timer ticking down, we were then shown a video and the doors to the experience opened and we were in heaven. It went through how Silverstone was used as an airfield during the war, which I know will interest my dad for sure! Then it was almost like walking through time, there was a replica of a F1 car from the early years which you could sit in, I decided against that in fear of getting stuck! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was just in awe of the stuff they had, all the things to look at and the activities they had! You could wave a flag of your choice over a barrier, try your hand at using a wheel gun and the funniest one would have to be the two brake pedals, one is for a normal car and the other one was for a F1 car and I could barely push the brake pedal for the F1 car! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsSlHaIuNdaInxpB9cGlYJID2pI5Q7uC5Q7Xa7CHKU2y4FfQnlFcKPFjkKazWRTfgAV4wupV6IXlvx4MmJWg1KUEeXT7_Pg1XJGlnaqsMqtKbezeyGUuFXdQsMPkBWeSm6TOaizfR-S4/s1656/Silverstone+experience+flag+waving.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsSlHaIuNdaInxpB9cGlYJID2pI5Q7uC5Q7Xa7CHKU2y4FfQnlFcKPFjkKazWRTfgAV4wupV6IXlvx4MmJWg1KUEeXT7_Pg1XJGlnaqsMqtKbezeyGUuFXdQsMPkBWeSm6TOaizfR-S4/s320/Silverstone+experience+flag+waving.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then there was all these different cars throughout the era's, mostly F1 however there was one BTCC car which made me happy! I love both F1 and BTCC and I saw a mix of both, would have preferred a little more BTCC but something is better than nothing! They had helmets, trophies, overalls, boots. They even had entry lists with drivers name and their signature next to it. It was crazy to see how far motorsport has come and to see some legends signatures. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1skT331PpFuNfd_-XqlVBh11Me8pmzNCx8XlmIWrlAhEXJYXPcq-Ze5bqqylBZMe10fnAUYXjL77efkMxSeFG7_TTFQEor7tF3D93PEqyxq8_dEzEXvCB35nfQiY1BlzFg1T7Cr0a98/s1656/Silvo+exp+Andy+Rouse+overalls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1skT331PpFuNfd_-XqlVBh11Me8pmzNCx8XlmIWrlAhEXJYXPcq-Ze5bqqylBZMe10fnAUYXjL77efkMxSeFG7_TTFQEor7tF3D93PEqyxq8_dEzEXvCB35nfQiY1BlzFg1T7Cr0a98/s320/Silvo+exp+Andy+Rouse+overalls.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMkFAj4pNkOFeOWwVKUtTZj9M2v2cOWTrfiGtEtlpTADqFZmV_ozAmJy10cy2BlXKtR4gepgkriEVJptxgzbRz9SeKMDnivCjde7FtWmksgGtG5tJW-v9QziVDl4vrjmb1CBaOkrZ7Zk/s1656/Silvo+exp+Hamilton+trophy+and+helmet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAMkFAj4pNkOFeOWwVKUtTZj9M2v2cOWTrfiGtEtlpTADqFZmV_ozAmJy10cy2BlXKtR4gepgkriEVJptxgzbRz9SeKMDnivCjde7FtWmksgGtG5tJW-v9QziVDl4vrjmb1CBaOkrZ7Zk/s320/Silvo+exp+Hamilton+trophy+and+helmet.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8MOd9V2mFVIFYC4pZUEEFnzv0966AQFEF_o7jPTRFB1ygmSIKpum5asVhKs7hjd9N2GWdweC4Mf9dV18xiG1fBT_Zm6WjEHRKy2LmVVBUPuNsfntM7phbrOwK4SLe0ckZ6SAO5uaozs/s1656/Silvo+exp+Plato+overalls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8MOd9V2mFVIFYC4pZUEEFnzv0966AQFEF_o7jPTRFB1ygmSIKpum5asVhKs7hjd9N2GWdweC4Mf9dV18xiG1fBT_Zm6WjEHRKy2LmVVBUPuNsfntM7phbrOwK4SLe0ckZ6SAO5uaozs/s320/Silvo+exp+Plato+overalls.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before I properly got into motorsport, I associated the red Ferrari driven my Michael Schumacher with F1 and to see one of his helmets made me very happy indeed. I fully got into motorsport just as Schumacher left but his name is iconic to me and to see that made me one happy girl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBKUxF6B00pLVeVKXzIsc2wZ5SgT4oZefbzbtyuYSZ8bqZn2lOAs3QjHiXQLieapoH5XD1i3sc7s6lHte87zO3lysqr2P-VR31yFctsnOhKAYT8ui-w34_u0gABP2_Xux7RZfE2d7x3U/s1656/Silverstone+exp+MS+Helmet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBKUxF6B00pLVeVKXzIsc2wZ5SgT4oZefbzbtyuYSZ8bqZn2lOAs3QjHiXQLieapoH5XD1i3sc7s6lHte87zO3lysqr2P-VR31yFctsnOhKAYT8ui-w34_u0gABP2_Xux7RZfE2d7x3U/s320/Silverstone+exp+MS+Helmet.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You could walk round the experience as quickly or as slowly as you like, I think we spent almost 2 hours in there, time went quicker than I thought! You just immerse yourself in whats around you and don't check the time, just embrace whats there. The last bit was a podium with a cardboard cut out of the Silverstone trophy. I could not resist taking some photos and re-enacting it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKD1lS3ISysAQcTT4KWCYGM3K9QEeEef2tV-1-UaksiC6SsR4GcDytT9L7vjMxlpBTb8m7po3qaokT7Je1oH5wB51RwSfzd8L9UcaGgwxhVBeDvBNURWyozoAmevh0wKtCmNMRrJoWGVs/s1656/Silverstone+experience+trophy+throw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKD1lS3ISysAQcTT4KWCYGM3K9QEeEef2tV-1-UaksiC6SsR4GcDytT9L7vjMxlpBTb8m7po3qaokT7Je1oH5wB51RwSfzd8L9UcaGgwxhVBeDvBNURWyozoAmevh0wKtCmNMRrJoWGVs/s320/Silverstone+experience+trophy+throw.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWJmQqz8FJ5OknhomhWVhDlaxPKYahDMIOHj7gT6mEnAvpG9KE3UNjEaA4Q71KL9knJcAaZMahIf54VAezx62_2KlaMzMIg9lM90TmTXKVj9sLtsWNKXFvxhTgbWryFoGUklvlK7f-u8/s1656/Silverstone+experience+trophy+catch.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="1242" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKWJmQqz8FJ5OknhomhWVhDlaxPKYahDMIOHj7gT6mEnAvpG9KE3UNjEaA4Q71KL9knJcAaZMahIf54VAezx62_2KlaMzMIg9lM90TmTXKVj9sLtsWNKXFvxhTgbWryFoGUklvlK7f-u8/s320/Silverstone+experience+trophy+catch.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The last bit you sat in these seats and you were taken on the ultimate lap of Silverstone, I wont spoil any of that! It was really cool but it made me feel a tad dizzy. Then you walk into one of my favourite places, the gift shop. I am such a sentimental person and I love having something to remember an experience by, especially when it is such a happy memory. I bought a Silverstone tea-towel, made our own keyrings, I also bought a racing choc lollipop and I would highly recommend! I could have spent a lot more but I restrained myself, until my next visit anyway when I get more!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then, it was off to the pub for some food and kill a couple of hours before returning for Lapland! I couldn't take too many pictures as I was driving but it was so much fun. It's just exciting driving on a circuit I love, have visited lots and witnessed so many good races. Of course I wish I could have gone more than 5/10mph but I really could take it all in. Especially when we went on the newly named Hamilton straight! There were elves dancing and cheering, Santa waving at you, all these lights and it was really really fun. On one corner I dropped back slightly so I could speed up a little bit and drive over a kerb, I couldn't resist! The car in the lane next to me did a practice start and I am so jealous I didn't have a go myself, could have seen who got the better start! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0E5khWy5H25QXpdqd3QzJQtXLYv0nqRqmm_8570OgF_z72VTrW3vMOdkr52K1m98pLfsl6GEGNWIImfkKwCgiWuQmS4J8beBoStBUcZ8sQqAaXNu9ZxQ05WduytkY_bQsJWUg_tH5m8/s1242/Silverstone+lapland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0E5khWy5H25QXpdqd3QzJQtXLYv0nqRqmm_8570OgF_z72VTrW3vMOdkr52K1m98pLfsl6GEGNWIImfkKwCgiWuQmS4J8beBoStBUcZ8sQqAaXNu9ZxQ05WduytkY_bQsJWUg_tH5m8/s320/Silverstone+lapland.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once we had gone round the lap we were directed to our cinema screen where we could get out, stretch our legs, go to the loo and they even had some food and drink stands, although we stayed in the car. We had the Silverstone radio on which had Alan Hyde on, a voice I recognised straight away from BTCC. It was sad once the film was over because it means it was time to hit the road and head home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In a year that hasn't been what anyone expected, it is a day that will go down as being one of my favourites ever that I will cherish. I wish I had taken more pictures of everything if I am honest, but I know I will be returning! I hope Silverstone put Lapland on again because I think it was a success.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Silverstone experience and Lapland was a lot of fun, would recommend both to any motorsport fan!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-42796203835042585642020-12-10T12:31:00.000-08:002020-12-10T12:31:26.155-08:00Tom Oliphant: ‘I know what I need to do to be a true title contender next year’<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Recently, I had the opportunity to speak to BMW’s Tom
Oliphant to reflect on finishing sixth in the driver standings in his third
season in BTCC. ‘It’s been a hard three seasons. A lot harder than I thought it
would be, I’ve been really proud of what I have achieved this year and I’m
really looking on to next couple of years’ <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">‘My target for this season was to get into the photo
contenders at penultimate round and I did that. I think my aim was to challenge
for title if I could but be in the mix which I was, you know apart from Jake
Hill’s misery at the start of the year I felt like the 6 of us (Sutton,
Turkington, Cammish, Ingram, Butcher) were always at the front and I
established myself up there than midfield’ <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Oliphant stepped up his game this season and was considerably
more consistent when it came to scoring points. When asked what Oliphant felt
his biggest improvement this season was, he confirmed my thoughts; ‘I think
point scoring, in my first couple years I was quick and qualified well but
point scoring across all three races on a weekend and really focusing on coming
away with decent points wasn’t something I really did and this year I was able
to do that a lot better’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">BMW won the teams and manufacturing championships in 2020.
With Andrew Jordan withdrawing from the team and leaving Turkington and
Oliphant, it meant it was more important to ensure consistent point scoring.
This is one of Oliphants highlights from the season helping the team secure
those titles. ‘When Jordan decided not to race it came on my shoulders to step
up and help the team and BMW to get those titles, if I performed like I did
last season I don’t think that would have happened’. Another highlight for
Oliphant was cementing himself as one the drivers that is always up there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This was Oliphants second season with BMW, last year he had
Turkington and Jordan as teammates, two champions and well-respected drivers in
the paddock. I just had to ask Oliphant how he found that and how much he was
able to learn from these two drivers who have a lot of experience and success
between them. ‘When I went into the meeting with BMW and WSR, first question I
asked was if Turkington and Jordan are going to back, they’re basically the
best team on grid and have been for a number of years but for me, I have always
wanted to have the best teammate. I wanted to learn from Turkington and Jordan,
they taught me so much, on and off the track, you know how professional you
have to be and how hard you have to work, on the track, Jordan’s qualifying
pace was inspiring to watch, the way Turkington manages championships is just
incredible and watching them both, especially end of last season when they were
both going for the title that was interesting. I feel like if I’m back next
year and fighting for the title then I will be able to draw on that and what
they can do and do it myself hopefully’ <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Oliphant has nothing but nice things to say about both
drivers. I mentioned that they seem to have different driving styles, but
Oliphant has seen it differently ‘That’s how it looks from the outside, the way
Jordan throws that car around is breath-taking in so many different cars, has
ability to drive anything on the limit. Turkington, people think he’s really
consistent and quite safe, but his qualifying laps make you speechless.
Snetterton he had max ballast and put it on pole, he manages at the last moment
to bring out unmatched lap time, makes it looks effortless, world class driver’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Second round of this year’s season, Oliphant found himself
on the top step of the podium claiming his maiden win in BTCC after an
incredible move around the outside of Moffat and Jelley on the start finish
straight. ‘I knew I had a good car down the pit straight, when they started
fighting, I don’t know what made me go round the outside. Halfway round I
didn’t really believe the move would work out. After that had Sutton on me for
14 laps and yeah probably worst person in the world to have behind you when you
want to claim maiden win, it also made it better, if I had just won the race
from getting ahead of Moffat and Jelley then wouldn’t been quite as impressive
as fending off Sutton.’ <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">However, Oliphant wasn’t able to celebrate like other
drivers who have claimed their maiden wins in previous seasons have due to this
year’s season going behind closed doors. ‘If you look back at Proctor’s first
win etc they’ve got the whole team, jumping on the car. I got out, emotions
were there, and I had two mechanics due to restrictions and no fans
celebrating, didn’t have sponsors, had my whole family which was brilliant but
my first win hopefully next year with fans will feel like my first win again
which will be quite nice’ <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">Oliphant really impressed me at Silverstone and had a really
mixed weekend, qualified well, mechanical issue race one, sliced through the field
race two and fought for a podium and potential win in the final race so I
couldn’t resist not asking how he views that weekend. ‘I wanted more points
from it, was rapid in qualifying and practice and got unlucky, I was pleased
running in fifth behind Turkington and suspension broke which is unlucky. I
really enjoyed race two, went all out, just having no weight and being able to
throw the car around and pass as many people as possible. That’s what I love
about touring cars, really good fun. Didn’t really expect to get top ten, aim
was points from twenty-eighth on grid, to come ninth and start on pole was
brilliant. Got two really good starts race 3, couldn’t keep Jackson behind
which was disappointing as I wanted my second win of the season and I was quicker
than anyone else around the top six, I think if I had gotten in front I would
have driven off in the distance but yeah really disappointing but gave it my
best. Good weekend but should have been a lot better.’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">With all the serious questions, I had to throw some nicer,
bit more fun questions. Oliphant named Donington as his favourite circuit
‘don’t know why, always gone well there, fantastic place to drive, all corners
are fast, suits my driving style, almost always in any series except touring
cars is where I have had my first wins’. So, everyone keep your eyes out next
time Oliphant is at Donington, he will be flying round the circuit!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The last question was a hypothetical one, that is BTCC could
have one race somewhere that isn’t on the calendar, where would he choose and
why. ‘So many good answers, my big favourite track in life is Magny Cours, I
think Portimao be quite good, erm Dijon perhaps, quite small but could be quite
a good touring car track, proper old school F1 track and it’s got a long straight
so could get quite interesting racing. Any of those tracks though, cracking
circuits in Europe. If I ever became billionaire, I’d build a track with all my
favourite corners.’<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It was so much fun talking to Oliphant covering his season,
what he has learnt from teammates and surprisingly what he would do if he was a
billionaire! <o:p></o:p></p>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-20386720701250747942020-12-01T11:16:00.000-08:002020-12-01T11:16:37.526-08:00Laser Tools Racing: The family run team that's achieved a dream<p style="text-align: center;">Laser Tools Racing entered the BTCC in 2014 being run by Bob
Moffat, fielding his son Aiden Moffat. Aiden did a couple of rounds in 2013
with various teams becoming the youngest ever driver in BTCC. In 2020 the team
were covering the news for a different reason. They expanded to two cars with
2017 champion Ash Sutton; who won the driver’s championship and helped secure
massive success for the Laser Tools team.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FagqxtnMp6pLSfxtpFFYw_2fH9QygKBtPQbwdOtVFhENSCXrhcWgb1QTDQepy9I9sUphSWwwXLzKZ9gRhIhzKJXAv8Rrnqp3abbFR_coKe8eeFFDFWhn8zGKk6ZKGv6vQY65e0D4uz0/s2048/Laser+Silverstone+FP2+1+2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FagqxtnMp6pLSfxtpFFYw_2fH9QygKBtPQbwdOtVFhENSCXrhcWgb1QTDQepy9I9sUphSWwwXLzKZ9gRhIhzKJXAv8Rrnqp3abbFR_coKe8eeFFDFWhn8zGKk6ZKGv6vQY65e0D4uz0/s320/Laser+Silverstone+FP2+1+2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">During the first full season in 2014 for Aiden there would
have been lots of things to learn, a new car; a Chevrolet, a whole new team,
but the fact he has his family alongside him would have made him feel more
comfortable. I assume this first season was more focused on gaining experience
and getting race weekends under his belt. It was a pointless season until the
last round at Brands Hatch where Aiden was able to have two point finishes to
his name and almost a third.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">In 2015 Laser Tools partnered with Ciceley and Aiden found
himself racing in a Mercedes-Benz A Class which helped make Aiden become a much
more regular face in the mid-field with his chrome blue livery hard to miss.
The team and Aiden got their maiden podium in the series when they visited
their home circuit, Knockhill with Aiden finishing 3<sup>rd</sup>. Bet it felt
good to get that first podium out the way and where better to do it than at his
closest circuit in-front of all the Scottish fans. Aiden scooped together 77
points in his second full season finishing 17<sup>th</sup> in the driver
standings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2016 begins and Aiden starts it off with scoring points in
every race of the opening round at Brands. A couple of rounds later and
Thruxton, Oulton and Croft were all weekends to forget in terms of points.
However, Aiden came back stronger and scored points in all of the following
race weekends. He even ended the season in style and coming 2<sup>nd</sup>, his
best ever finish in the final race. It was such a successful season for Aiden
that he almost had double the points he did in 2015 finishing with 138 points
and 14<sup>th</sup> in the driver standings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">The team continue to use Mercedes in 2017 and the first
round did not go well with two retirements. That couldn’t keep them down as
Aiden and the team bounced back to take their maiden win in the season together
at the first round at Donington. After 3 seasons, they finally tasted champagne
from the top step of the podium. They scored points in more races than they didn’t,
and they were rewarded once again at the end of the season. Final race weekend
at Brands and Aiden pulls another win out the bag, making a habit out of ending
last race weekend with a podium! Aiden finished 13<sup>th</sup> in the driver
standings with 121 points.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2018 was a mixed bag of results in terms of points. However,
this time with 3 podiums, 1 more than last season; including a win at
Silverstone. They scored a similar amount of points as previous season with 117
points and 16<sup>th</sup> in the driver standings.<o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHkqE8WaCLgDwt4v0ZBKL2etjUlFCvzgdmbihUzxS5UoSNO_mM3Qcxr-DrwEEcbVkb7Epj50kFPyylv9EyQjj1WMsiUqfKHVgZcYHA53vqEPyWizurRndUtZNtvhl5QgurTmdPHc4KKQ/s2048/Laser-Silverstone-FP2-2-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHkqE8WaCLgDwt4v0ZBKL2etjUlFCvzgdmbihUzxS5UoSNO_mM3Qcxr-DrwEEcbVkb7Epj50kFPyylv9EyQjj1WMsiUqfKHVgZcYHA53vqEPyWizurRndUtZNtvhl5QgurTmdPHc4KKQ/s320/Laser-Silverstone-FP2-2-2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2019 rolls around and first race goes well with Aiden coming
home 4<sup>th</sup>. However, the car was starting to show its age slightly
after 5 years. Halfway through the season the team made a big decision. To
introduce their new car, the Infiniti Q50. Personally, I think it was a clever
idea to bring a new car in halfway through the season because you use those
races to get used to the car, play with set up. This was a big change for Aiden
as the Infiniti was rear wheel drive (RWD) and it’s not what he was used to. But
he had 5 rounds and plenty of chances to drive the car. The team got its maiden
podium with the Infiniti in this season. Rain started pouring just before they
were about to get underway for the last race of the day at Silverstone. Teams
and drivers had a decision to make, when to change to wets. Aiden’s engineer
Federico called him in early and at the right time, before we knew it Aiden was
through the field and chasing Jack Goff for first. I was in the garage that
weekend and it was a thrilling race, although nerve-wracking when we saw Aiden
spin but luckily, he kept it on the tarmac and brought it home in a well
deserved 2<sup>nd</sup> place. The team had taken a risk changing cars and they
were rewarded in the wet conditions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">2020 was the year of expansion. After getting the very
experienced in RWD Ash Sutton to test the car back in 2019 to aid development,
it led to him joining the team. Making it the first time Laser Tools had two
cars with two very good drivers. Ash seemed to be on the pace straight away and
that made everyone stop and look at what was happening. First weekend of the
season with a new car and team and Ash secured the first win in the Infiniti. A
few rounds in, you could tell after playing with the set-up Ash felt confident
and comfortable in the car and making himself a real championship contender. It
wasn’t long till Aiden was following suit in confidence and scoring in the top
10 multiple times. Aiden wasn’t able to step on the podium this season but did
come very close with a 4<sup>th</sup> place. I am sure it won’t be long until
we see a double podium finish for the team!<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">It looked as though this team were really finding their feet
with the Infiniti and their hard work was paying off big time now. Ash won the
overall and independents driver championship in the Infiniti, which is
incredible. The first full season with the Infiniti’s, a new driver, a new team
and they hit it out of the park. It didn’t stop there, with Ash and Aiden being
so consistent and constantly in the points the team came third in the overall
team’s championship but ultimately won the independents team championship for
the very first time!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kycwf6Th09tBmRIF4HEgao8lHHEMZweaqaayxxBQLco2Taarc8rDDabwhwb5bQrsbrutXnagIbVDO_mmXt_VPptrx94tfF0njzrxGO7PQ_CpfKxb05IevWQG7UCjzAoFZ4PXTWhMFps/s2048/Laser-Silverstone-FP2-3-2020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kycwf6Th09tBmRIF4HEgao8lHHEMZweaqaayxxBQLco2Taarc8rDDabwhwb5bQrsbrutXnagIbVDO_mmXt_VPptrx94tfF0njzrxGO7PQ_CpfKxb05IevWQG7UCjzAoFZ4PXTWhMFps/s320/Laser-Silverstone-FP2-3-2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This team that has been around for years and had some
success, came into the 2020 season and had faith in everyone, whole of the team,
drivers and the cars and seeing Aiden’s mum Donna collect the trophy for
independents on TV was so heart-warming. The Moffat’s and the team are all so
welcoming and friendly. They all work so hard and to have it all pay off in the
way that it did, I’m sure it makes it all worthwhile for them.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">I don’t believe this will be a one off either. I strongly
suspect they are going to be strong contenders for the same championships next season,
and I wish them all the best.<o:p></o:p></p>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-4901977900140203652020-11-22T13:03:00.001-08:002020-11-22T13:03:48.707-08:00BTCC: What a year we had!<p style="text-align: center;"> Wow. I still don't I have got over sunday, the last BTCC race weekend of the season and we got a mix of everything. We had a full wet race, a drying track and championships going down to the wire. It was the best way to end the season.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Personally, for me it had the best outcome as I had hoped Ash Sutton would win the championship with Laser Tools Racing. As always, the championship went down to the wire.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Firstly, I want to start off by saying how impressed I am with BTCC. When UK lockdown was announced it was the worst timing for them. However, they spoke to tracks and re-arranged the calendar and to only lose one race weekend is really good going. They left a good few months before planning to start the season and they timed it so well. They thought ahead and thanks to that we have witnessed some brilliant racing.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Things finally kicked off at the start of August at Donington behind close doors. Of course it was a massive shame for fans but we still got to watch it all on TV. I think a lot of people expected BMW's Colin Turkington and Honda's Dan Cammish to be straight in, scoring points and looking to win the championship. However, it became apparent that weekend that Ash Sutton; who moved to join Laser Tools Racing for this season had a lot of pace in his Infiniti Q50. All taking their first wins of the season this first weekend, potentially foreshadowing the championship battle that was to follow?</p><p style="text-align: center;">We also had some new race winners this season. Tom Oliphant in the second BMW taking his maiden win in the series at Brands Hatch. With Andrew Jordan dropping out, it was time for Oliphant to shine. And you know what, I have been impressed, he has really shown he can overtake and also defend like his life depends on it. The best example I have for this is at Silverstone this year. Oliphant battled with Ollie Jackson, he kept that Ford behind for as long as possible. Jackson did get passed but they had a really hard and fair fight before that outcome. This is actually the race that Jackson took his first win in the series. And wow, it did not come easy! And he had a charging Ash Sutton behind him. I feel like Oliphant and Jackson are drivers that could be over-looked and people focus on their teammates (Turkington and Rory Butcher) and these wins have given them more confidence in themselves and they can only improve more from here.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Some standout drivers for me has to be Sutton as mentioned, he joined this team who only had half a season of data on this car and he very quickly had the car where he wanted it. He has tons of experience in RWD which his team-mate Aiden Moffat lacked, and he was able to identify what he wanted adapting and I think it's fair to say Sutton pushes cars to the limit and never wants to settle for less than first which is understandable. I reckon the Infiniti suits his driving style perfectly and that's why he looked comfortable in that car from the start. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Jake Hill joined the new MB Motorsport team that took over from AmD running Honda's. I have followed Hill throughout his time in BTCC and every year he progresses tons. It didn't get off to a great start with five retirements in the first six races due to mechanical issues. Hill was constantly up there during practice sessions and showing the pace and that he was a real threat. During the third round at Oulton, Hill was rewarded with his first podium of the season. The first of the five times he would step on the podium. Becoming the most successful BTCC season for Hill. He finished fifth in the Independent championship and seventh overall. I am very pleased to see Hill and MB Motorsport are continuing together for 2021, they can build on what they started.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Some other noticeable mentions of improved drivers include Tom Ingram and Rory Butcher who had themselves in contention for championship going into last round, they were counted as outsiders but anything can happen in touring cars! Josh Cook continued to impress in his BTC Racing machinery, Moffat looked more comfortable and confident as the season went on and was a regualar point scorer, finish in top ten multiple times with a best finish of fourth at Brands Hatch GP. </p><p style="text-align: center;">With lots of excitement and close racing also comes incidents and we had some scary ones this season. The two biggest ones being Rory Butchers incident at Silverstone. Butcher was fighting for position with Matt Neal and the slightest bit of contact sent Butcher on the grass, into the barriers, do a few rolls before landing upright back on the track. It was a scary thing to watch and we are all so glad Butcher was okay and everyone was able to avoid his car. It really shows how robust these cars are built and Motorbase did so well to get the car ready for the next race weekend as there was so much damage. Trade Price Racing's Bobby Thompson takes the crown for the most flips as I think he rolled six or seven times before landing upside down. Thompson was able to get out and walk away but you got the sense he wasn't 100%. Unfortunately that was it for Thompson and he was out for the last two rounds of the season. He was leading the Jack Sears Trophy as well, so was a massive blow to his season.</p><p style="text-align: center;">There are just so many things that I could discuss. I already cannot wait for 2021! We had great, close racing, surprises, excitement, everything the BTCC constantly delivers. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Ps- I have lots of blog post ideas coming up so keep your eyes peeled!</p>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-60540020006637176012020-09-21T08:43:00.000-07:002020-09-21T08:43:17.398-07:00BTCC: Who has impressed so far?<p style="text-align: center;"> We have had almost half the BTCC season so far, wow that's gone quick! We have had action at Donington, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Knockhill. So, who has impressed us at almost the half way stage?</p><p style="text-align: center;">1. First on the list has to be Ash Sutton. He joined Laser Tools Racing after the team decided to expand to two cars. The Infiniti Q50 was introduced mid-way through the season last year. Sutton did test the car and seemed to be impressed enough to join the team. He has years of knowledge and experience with RWD that his team-mate Moffat was lacking. Sutton qualified 3rd for the first race of the year and took the Infiniti Q50 win in race 3. He followed this up with a win at Oulton. However, it wasn't until Knockhill when Sutton really showed us what he can do. He qualified on pole, kept Colin Turkington behind him for not one but two races; to take two wins at Knockhill. He has shown the car has pace and we all know he is a fierce overtaker and defender. A real championship contender. </p><p style="text-align: center;">2. Tom Ingram makes my list, think I will nickname him Mr Consistency! He has had 2 DNFs this season out of the 12 races and in the races he has finished he has consistently not only been in the points but in the top 10. He has 2 podiums already this season and has found himself fourth several times. It is only a matter of time before he finds himself on the top step of the podium. As we all know, points all add up and these good finishes and races now could be vital at the end of the season. Ingram is the only Toyota car on the grid and he makes his presence known. I think he might be this years underdog! He will be one to watch.</p><p style="text-align: center;">3. Jake Hill has to be on this list for me. Joining a new team, getting to know a new car, his boss being his team-mate from last year, there's been quite a few changes for Hill. One thing that hasn't changed is his speed. Hill has been constantly up in timings from testing to practice sessions and even qualifying when he started on the front row in Knockhill. MB Motorsport had an awful start with reliability issues but Hill has bounced back and capitalised on every opportunity on offer. He has shown the car has some serious pace and that the car suits his driving style. Hill has demonstrated he can overtake and he can do some serious defending and not let anyone passed while remaining respectful to other drivers. I strongly believe had there not been reliability issues Hill would have more than just two podium to his name so far this season. </p><p style="text-align: center;">4. Rory Butcher had 5 podiums to his name, including wins in Oulton Park and Knockhill. Last years Jack Sears and Independent winner is clearly looking for the overall title this year and he has a good car behind him. The Scotsman is currently sitting third in overall standings and it is clear to see why. Butcher has shown the one-lap pace in the car by getting pole twice; when he hasn't got pole hes been around three-tenths of a second off, so never too far away. With five podiums so far this season, including two wins, its not hard to see why hes 3rd in the standings. Can this Scotsman take this battle all the way to the end of the season? With this current form, I think he can and he will. </p><p style="text-align: center;">5. Tom Oliphant didn't really stand out to me last season. With the likes of Turkington and Andrew Jordan as teammates he never seemed to be on their same level. This year it has been nice to see Oliphant more confident in the car, really pushing. Hes chased people down, made good overtakes, made his car as wide as possible to keep position. Oliphant clearly used his first year at BMW to learn from his teammates and has really come into his own this season. His 2019 campaign included two podium positions, half way through this year and he has three podiums; including his first win in the championship at Brands Hatch. Oliphant has yet to finish outside of the points with his lowest finish being 12th. He is currently 4th in the championship standing, so one we need to keep a close eye on. </p><p style="text-align: center;">I want to mention Colin Turkington and Dam Cammish. They haven't impressed me as such because they have met the high expectations I had for them. I knew as champion Turkington would come out fighting in his BMW and be a championship contender once again. Cammish has something to prove after being so close and missing out last season. He has shown this year, his opportunity is not going to pass him by. They were the two obvious favourites for this years championship before the season even started; they are still favourites but they have other drivers accompanying them now. </p>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-51811521735808158352020-09-03T05:30:00.000-07:002020-09-03T05:30:01.442-07:00Thank you Claire Williams<p style="text-align: center;"> Today it was announced that Claire Williams will be stepping away from Formula 1 after this weekend. This news comes weeks after the sale of Williams. Personally, it is such a shame to know the Williams family will no longer be a part of this sport they have a long history in.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I have always felt some support for Williams as we share the same name but they were a family run team and you could see how much it all meant to them. Myself, along with everyone else in motorsport felt sorry for the team when they dropped to the back of the grid.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I want to take this time to thank Claire Williams for everything she has done for the team. She has faced so much criticism and people blaming her for the downfall of the team. Throughout it all, she has remained focused, resilient and positive even when times were extremely tough. And shes even planned a wedding, got married and gave birth!</p><p style="text-align: center;">Claire stands for so much and will always be an inspiration. She is a woman who has for years ran a Formula 1 team. Claire has done through all the hard times and been part of the Williams team since 2002, almost 20 years working for the team and going through the ranks to team principal.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Claire has shown us women that we can do, if we work hard, be positive, resilient, we can do anything we set our minds too. In a time when there is a constant push for change and opportunities be made available for everyone, she has demonstrated it is possible. Dreams are not unreachable.</p><p style="text-align: center;">I wont forget meeting her during the Spanish GP in 2018. She was extremely friendly and left a lasting impression on me. She was so happy to be there and chat to people and have pictures taken. I remember telling her I support them as we have the same surname, she joked and told me I was wearing the wrong team shirt! </p><p style="text-align: center;">Claire, along with the other females working in motorsport are so inspirational and motivating. I am grateful I have been able to watch Claire during these times. She has never lost faith in the team and I hope one day she can watch the team she spent so many years of her life dedicated to, go back to winning ways. </p><p style="text-align: center;">So, I just want to say, thank you Claire for everything you have done. Everything you have shown us females, you have truly been an inspiration and I wish you all the best and happiness in the future.</p>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-8730184965181440322020-07-28T10:51:00.000-07:002020-07-28T10:51:12.863-07:00Why I am so excited for BTCC to be back!<div style="text-align: center;">I got into the BTCC properly when I was around 17/18. Since then I can honestly say it has changed my life for the better. So I decided to write this point about why I am so excited for the BTCC to return. Some of you may even share some of the same reasons. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reason 1: It gives me something to look forward to. With BTCC we are always on countdown to the next race weekend. We also get 3 BTCC races per weekend and all the support races TOCA offer so there will always be excitement and rarely an empty track! Nothing else can brighten your monday than realising its race week. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reason 2: Lots of different tracks to explore. BTCC go to 8 different tracks across the UK. If you are down for long road trips then you can go to every race if you wanted! This year I was planning on going to all races apart from Croft and Knockhill but in the future I would really like to go every race weekend for a whole season. Because the tracks are widespread across the UK then it shouldn't be too hard to find a race weekend not too far from home if you just wanted to go for the day.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reason 3: Very reasonable price for what you get. By this I mean the actual tickets are normally around the £35 mark (I know can be track dependent) for a weekend ticket and that's practice, qualifying and lots and lots of races. I tend to use Saturday to explore different views from the track and work out where the best spot will be on Sunday! Okay the food/drink stands aren't cheap but you can always bring your own picnic, drink and snacks along (although I always recommend the Churro stand at Brands Hatch). </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reason 4: Up close and personal to teams and drivers. The paddock is always open to fans (apart from Brands Hatch for safety reasons) so you can walk behind the garage, try see whats going on. Might even catch some drivers who are normally more than happy to stop for a chat and/or a picture. From my own experiences they are all lovely, not just the drivers. For example, one of the BTC Racing guys let me have a go at trying to get the dirt of the tyres, not as easy as it looks! Another member of BTC Racing let me stand on a wet marked tyre when watching the race from the garage because I was too small to see the screen. Laser Tools Racing and Team HARD are also teams I have had such good experiences with, will always make sure I pop buy to say hello! Of course with restrictions due to COVID-19, paddock etc will be closed off to spectators but its something to look forward to when situation improves. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reason 5: You can make new friends. You never know where you will make new friends, whether its from camping near them and socialising at the campsite or asking to borrow something or just standing next to them and cheering for the same driver or team. Every fan has a story and are normally more than happy to share and you never know, it may change your whole weekend and could end up having an experience you may not have had otherwise. <span><br /></span><span></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Reason 6: My life would be a lot more boring without it. I love the feeling of arriving at the race track, I always find it so exciting, you never know what the weekend has in store for you! It could be a good weekend for your favourite team or driver or the worst but either way in general it is always a memorable weekend. The premise of the qualifying and racing is always the same but the results can be so varied and people really do surprise you some weekends (Stephen Jelley first win comes to mind). It's never predictable, never the same, sometimes so unpredictable and that's why I love it. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Personally, when I am at a track, I am always so happy and it almost gives me a feeling of being at home. That's how I know BTCC is so incredibly important to me and I am so grateful it is in my life and I wouldn't have it any other way. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I am extremely excited to be able to use my season pass this weekend to attend BTCC at Donington. Let me know if you are attending or if you're going to watch from the comfort of your own home!</div>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-47509264414389562022020-07-06T08:43:00.000-07:002020-07-06T08:43:21.890-07:00My Motorsport Month 5 Years Ago! F1, FE, BTCC<div style="text-align: center;">So 5 years ago, July 2016 when I was 18 years old and went to see all 3 of my favourite motorsport categories race. I cannot believe it has been that long, when I realised I knew I wanted to write a post about it and reminisce.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The first race in this month I went to was Formule E, when it was in its very first season and held the season ending double header at Battersea Park in London. I had been sceptical about the series but wanted to give it a go and experience the cars with my own eyes and ears. I spoke to my cousin who lives in London and his wife Ti offered to go with me. So the day before I travelled to theirs in London. Ti had actually arranged a hen-do that saturday so at 18 years old, my cousin officially took me on my first hen-do! Dont worry, we avoided the hangover (fairly sure we had energy drinks when we got up) and took the tube to Battersea. We got ear pieces so we could hear the commentators. We walked around, I remembered it being such a nice and chill atmosphere. We decided to queue for the autograph session, while there we made friends with the couple in front of us with a young child, he was so cute. He got passed down the line from driver to driver! The first driver we met was Jerome D'Ambrosio and he was lovely, he was sat at the side of the stage and when I asked for a picture with him, he stood up next to me, I just thought that was very friendly. I got all the drivers we met to sign my ticket and picked up driver cards. I actually put them in a big picture frame and have it on my wall. It was such a fun day. We watched the race from side of the track but after the third safety car we decided to go by the stage and watch rest of the race and action from the screens. It was such a good decision because when the podium happened, we were at the front row and when winning championship driver/teams celebrated we were right there. There were girls on the stage shooting free t-shirts out of a cannon, I really wanted one but since we were front row it wasn't coming our way but luckily one of the girls spotted me and threw one to me. It was such a fun day, I don't think I stopped smiling. From that day I really got more into Formula E. I plan to go to the Rome E-Prix next year, fingers crossed it happens!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9PpSBFUOws7u20Jhkynr2zAIsBqBL-Rv2bNMmEeVEMpugyW5Nv_Ga4YPIWwDEadt42YvayqLYN3bT-1KcMwwQlsYsBCWCEdlPg2DM70Rw5wiqskGRLZWt4hMmAm1pphXH74Iy7jsjv8/s960/Formula+E+2016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9PpSBFUOws7u20Jhkynr2zAIsBqBL-Rv2bNMmEeVEMpugyW5Nv_Ga4YPIWwDEadt42YvayqLYN3bT-1KcMwwQlsYsBCWCEdlPg2DM70Rw5wiqskGRLZWt4hMmAm1pphXH74Iy7jsjv8/s320/Formula+E+2016.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Next up was the one I was arguably most excited about, Formula 1 at Silverstone. It was my first ever F1 race and the series I was most into it. The year before my brother, dad and I all had milestone birthdays and mum bought us all sunday tickets. I remember crying when I worked out what it was and I had to wait a whole year for it to come around! We got up early, drove to a park and ride near the track and got the shuttle bus in. We had food packed, hats, waterproofs, we had everything. As we walked in the GP3 race was just finishing, we walked around and looked through the grandstand on the start/finish straight and watching GP2 start. Even those cars were loud! We decided to set up camp on the grass between Vale and Stowe. It was a good point, could see them coming towards Vale and passing us to Stowe corner or go in the pits. So we always knew who was pitting! It kept raining on and off which made the race more exciting but we had to keep covering our little picnic wed set up! My favourite part probably has to be were we walked on the track after the race and I sat on a kerb. I just remember being at my happiest as it was a surreal experience at the time, my first F1 race and something I will never forget. It also played a massive part of why I got Silverstone track tattoo'd on my arm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2XSrqHRFVrJC5sa7FPGer7ABqvQ9gwReaS8yD3DHu8eNYVjok9neKTi1Q9WXZ6_BwXqDqeaKkKX_yzw0QJibfRMIe8E-qPAjCT3fVGL3beRyV3JrnRMLSyOQ3wpWyEhtWab7E9jheCM/s960/F1+2016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir2XSrqHRFVrJC5sa7FPGer7ABqvQ9gwReaS8yD3DHu8eNYVjok9neKTi1Q9WXZ6_BwXqDqeaKkKX_yzw0QJibfRMIe8E-qPAjCT3fVGL3beRyV3JrnRMLSyOQ3wpWyEhtWab7E9jheCM/s320/F1+2016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Rounding off the month was camping at Snetterton for BTCC. This one turned into a tradition for me to go to so I am super sad I cant do it for the fifth year in a row. It was me and a friend, we went in my small car, had a small tent it was quite laughable, I'd say we were amateurs. We had a BBQ in the rain and sat in my car when it chucked it down. We made friends with the people near us who took us in and honestly made the weekend so much better with their knowledge and how well we all got on. I remember a LOT of walking, buying a Snetterton shirt I still have. I cant remember if this was the saturday or sunday but the sun was shining in the morning as we were sat on the back straight, although we applied sunscreen, we got burnt. The best part was the left side was more sunburnt than the right! I remember the sunday pitwalk the four of us all said who we wanted to meet and planned to split off and get the drivers we wanted first! Fairly sure it was the first time I met Aiden Moffat and Andrew Jordan. I just had so much fun that weekend and I have continued to do it every year since. I would always recommend camping and attending Snetterton, good weather, good racing, good atmosphere!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinG2v_dK4YxoeOjl-ThVAOJ9OJykUhRfQN5T4UmMdmERSveANU1b4Kw161myqFZ0aBQvqycigObTsz2auUPL0OjDjXhYvemuuCexytFloD-0zPk8diSjWaypDlhcWJcUkArPjwynwURfY/s960/Snetterton+btcc+2016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinG2v_dK4YxoeOjl-ThVAOJ9OJykUhRfQN5T4UmMdmERSveANU1b4Kw161myqFZ0aBQvqycigObTsz2auUPL0OjDjXhYvemuuCexytFloD-0zPk8diSjWaypDlhcWJcUkArPjwynwURfY/s320/Snetterton+btcc+2016.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">July 2016 will always go down in my history of my favourite months ever. I have so many good memories from all of these three events I was luckily enough to go to. I remember being so incredibly happy and enjoying the experiences. I haven't gone to anymore FE events, I have been to F1 Spanish GP in 2017 and testing this year, I have been to at least 10 BTCC race weekends since. My love for all three series have grown so much and I will always be grateful for the experiences I have had and hopefully the experiences I am going to have in the future.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-55124302149936096732020-06-28T11:37:00.000-07:002020-06-28T11:37:01.313-07:00How BTCC has led the way in lockdown<div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">We all know I love BTCC and will go on and on about how great I think it is but they are doing very well with keeping fans engaged throughout the absence of on track action.</font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">Every Sunday that was scheduled to be a race weekend they are getting fans to vote for their favourite races at that circuit and showing the top 3, also known as race day with a difference. It is a brilliant idea, people can relive old races or watch ones they haven’t seen for the first time. Fans can either re-watch thrilling races from the comfort of their bed or sofa watching it on TV/laptop or take their laptop outside, in the sun mimicking what it would have been like at a racetrack.</font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">There are some cracking races that get shown. You get some older races too, some before I started really watching BTCC. So, you get a chance to see what drivers were around and what they could do, get some more background knowledge on people and teams and even some interesting liveries! It is the perfect opportunity to learn more or relive some cracking times if you were watching back then. The more recent years races they replay continue to remind us about how close the field is, all the brilliant drivers BTCC has and get us more excited to when we are finally allowed to get going when it is safe.</font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">Most if not all the teams have now released their new merchandise for the 2020 season and places like BTCC Blueprints have updated their stickers, mugs etc with the 2020 liveries and drivers. You can still get excited and into this season without it kicking off yet. We all get to represent and support our favourite teams or drivers this year without being trackside. So, we can still get our hands on some merchandise!</font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">Some drivers and companies are also running competitions to keep us entertained. For example Tom Ingram, he has been doing some limited edition ‘wish you were here’ postcards that I believe have gone down very well. If you are lucky enough to get one, you need to look for a gold 80 in the top left corner of the postcard. If you see one of those, that means you win a prize! It could be an item of merchandise like a t-shirt or hat or race day doing VIP with Ingram.</font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_j6p_cxB6ZCWuXhmH9kgCtL9Ww5vNZWSPNFnaiif-FV-iGDcq1eB6JGJeiU4IzxEBj9Z4v8iKJOpAOgm7uJyUekgKZiVx0edk_dJ114jaJXuMkszP2ZsPxXPrcwrKYzsXY_2kPapfT2M/s960/Tingram+Postcard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font color="#0f1f97"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_j6p_cxB6ZCWuXhmH9kgCtL9Ww5vNZWSPNFnaiif-FV-iGDcq1eB6JGJeiU4IzxEBj9Z4v8iKJOpAOgm7uJyUekgKZiVx0edk_dJ114jaJXuMkszP2ZsPxXPrcwrKYzsXY_2kPapfT2M/s320/Tingram+Postcard.jpg" width="320" /></font></a></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">BTCC Blueprints are also running competitions to win bundles and goodies. Okay you might be stuck at home most days but you could be stuck at home drinking out of a mug with your favourite car or team on, or could spend a day putting up a poster or stickers you have won from taking part.</font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">The BTCC app is also a handy thing to have right now, any news will be on the app, as well as interviews, an extra race day with a difference! They are also going to be launching btcc careers where fans can select a job role and find out all about it. Giving fans the opportunity to learn about key responsibilities, any qualifications that person has, whether that just be just out of interest or hope of following in their footsteps! The statement BTCC released about this also says there may be the chance for a fan to shadow a person in the TOCA package for a day on a race weekend, Covid-19 restrictions pending of course.</font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdfryJhI8LIwmTAh3sDBq5PvaNql21aGU4o0YaEXj7RfxRHNOvMySWlYNix50mFTAy9FiSAJscdHWmvQVNdKQg4LU7XyHc4Bl_EG8Cr1RRbYQ1oC8dyyJJzCsnClB07CLMPQTUrFQIa0/s330/BTCC+App.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><font color="#0f1f97"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdfryJhI8LIwmTAh3sDBq5PvaNql21aGU4o0YaEXj7RfxRHNOvMySWlYNix50mFTAy9FiSAJscdHWmvQVNdKQg4LU7XyHc4Bl_EG8Cr1RRbYQ1oC8dyyJJzCsnClB07CLMPQTUrFQIa0/s320/BTCC+App.jpg" /></font></a></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97"><br /></font></div><div class="yiv9489188272MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: center;"><font color="#0f1f97">BTCC is keeping the fans engaged and occupied. They are doing their best to give fans the entertainment they want and deserve. We may not know when things will return back to the way they were but we can be sure BTCC will be there providing us with things to do but its not long to go now before real racing can resume!</font></div>Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-83196706397273319692020-05-11T11:02:00.001-07:002020-05-11T11:02:49.927-07:00F1 Testing: Is it worth going to?<div style="text-align: center;">
So this year one evening I made the impulse decision with Fern to go to F1 testing in Barcelona this year and have a paddock pass for a day. Before I knew it, it was 25th February and I was driving to pick up Fern. Got to the airport and parked on the third level in section D, obviously we saw the reference to Daniel Ricciardo! It was a sign the next 48 hours would be incredible.<br />
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Upon landing in Barcelona we were greeted by our driver Davide who took us to our hotel, another F1 reference, it just seemed they kept coming! We unpacked, laid out our clothes for tomorrow and went to sleep with alarms set ready for the following day! We woke up, had showers and got ready for the day before heading down to breakfast, it was time to fuel up. There was lovely food and when doughnuts are on offer for breakfast who am I to say no? There wasn't many people other than a couple of F1 team members. We got picked up by taxi and taken to the track where the day begun. I wore jeans, comfy trainers and a Charles Leclerc pocket shirt Fern designed!<br />
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We arrived at the circuit and queued for our paddock passes which we had for the day! I remember coming out of the gym one evening and Fern had messaged me loads saying there was just one day left for paddock and should we book, so we did! There was a lot of walking about, up and down the paddock seeing whats going on, looking to see if there was any drivers about! My goal was to meet and have a picture with Charles Leclerc, didn't quite realise that everytime a Ferrari or Mercedes driver appeared there was always a mass of fans! Fern is a massive fan of McLaren who were down the bottom of the paddock, nearly as soon as we got down there Lando Norris was about and we got pictures with him! It was so exciting for me, a surreal moment to just enter F1 paddock for first time and within 10 minutes have a picture with a current F1 driver! We got some drinks by the stall just by paddock and Fern had sweets to keep us going! The shop also caught our eye, I bought a baggy circuit de Catalunya top (not just because I forgot to pack pyjamas) and Fern treated herself to a big circuit coat. We walked to the nearest grandstand to the paddock and watched and took pictures as the cars went by. Could also see in the distance Latifi when his Williams broke down. We also did the pitwalk at lunchtime and as I am small I was able to squeeze in gaps and get some good pictures of the cars! I think this day I did around 18,000 steps which is a huge increase for me. The day went so quick but it didn't end when the track action did.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCPInDhCJHlIuA-ilHLwzjzTnK0yri1B5VCyPAzVWrrghf3OKklTsgE8YATRVrb_SsvkYMeiyblVAUK-UAlFI7v9spMMzDYVMza8yv5JKE7NMwekN7UQzM0EjfoK2J_2n2WBvUYkLE6c/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCPInDhCJHlIuA-ilHLwzjzTnK0yri1B5VCyPAzVWrrghf3OKklTsgE8YATRVrb_SsvkYMeiyblVAUK-UAlFI7v9spMMzDYVMza8yv5JKE7NMwekN7UQzM0EjfoK2J_2n2WBvUYkLE6c/s320/Me+and+Lando.jpg" /></a></div>
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Afterwards a group of us went down to Montmelo to a tapas place Fern had been to before to try tapas and proper Sangria! It did not disappoint, there was so much food, all the dishes were very tasty! I feel really lucky Fern encouraged us to go eat there and I am so glad I tried tapas too! I can be a bit fussy but was determined to be optimistic and i was pleasantly surprised. We all enjoyed our meals (after using google translate to read the menus) and drank Sangria or another drink. The company was also very great, there was 7 of us and I only knew Fern up till that day so it was so nice to get to know everyone else and have a laugh! Definitely think everytime we go testing we need to hit up that tapas restaurant! </div>
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Back at the hotel we just went to sleep to prepare for the second and last day! We had an afternoon/evening flight so needed to leave the track around 1pm to get back to the hotel and checkout and to the airport. Early morning to get ready again and off we went! This time we had a track tour, we got to watch from above the pitlane, funny enough above Ferrari garage so I was fairly happy! Just as they wanted to move us along the car came in so some people stayed to watch and take pictures of that! We were shown some little rooms like all the screens with all data etc on! They allowed us a paddock pass for about 15 minutes, wasn't as long as we were promised. Fern and I walked down to the end at McLaren but I headed back up to meeting point early to stop at Ferrari for a few minutes hoping Charles would appear but he didn't. However, just before we were all about to meet to move on I saw a crowd of fans go round Ferrari hospitality so I dashed down there and it was Charles! I put myself in a good position, he was coming my way (you also have to get your elbows out a bit, especially since I am very short!), Charles was next to me and I was about to take a picture when someone pushed me out the way, I hope he enjoyed his selfie! It was disappointing but I stood next to and saw Charles so wasn't the end of the world, still very grateful! Next was hopping on a coach which went round the inside of the circuit. It was really cool to see that and stop at moments to see cars coming round the corners. </div>
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After that was over we had a few hours left. We headed over to the grandstand opposite the pitlane and had a snack while watching the cars, at one point we were opposite Haas and could see Grosjean getting into to his car. Since it was hot we got an ice cream and walked about two thirds of the circuit which took a while, I am a slow walker sometimes! We stopped at the stadium section for a bit and that has very good view of a good few corners and photo opportunities! There was no shade though, I wish I had taken a hat with me! It was hot and sunny but I wish I had prepared more! I have been to the circuit once before but didn't walk round it, only up to the first corner so it was really nice to see a lot more of the circuit and other view points! I loved going with Fern as she knew all the good view points, 10/10 as a guide! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefG2D3qhXVM2cpan6cLsV3S6tQXDkP8q1F8UFkgRzBJGf2iBjDQPH5nXlGekZrTWB7JE_JWS7t5Tfd6-iLHvhLMnAdkJi3lmKz7uQa8m7F8KDWuwCKjZCaZKFgPAmPRh6b76W6wI-zyw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefG2D3qhXVM2cpan6cLsV3S6tQXDkP8q1F8UFkgRzBJGf2iBjDQPH5nXlGekZrTWB7JE_JWS7t5Tfd6-iLHvhLMnAdkJi3lmKz7uQa8m7F8KDWuwCKjZCaZKFgPAmPRh6b76W6wI-zyw/s320/Vettel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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After that it was slow walk out and saying goodbye to the cars and the circuit. Our driver Antonio (yes another driver we encountered that had a F1 related name) It was a really quick 48 hour trip but for me it was incredible! Made so many memories with Fern, we nearly boarded the wrong flight and went to Berlin instead of Barcelona, met some incredible new friends, met some drivers and Zak Brown. We even made it on the circuits social media page! A few of us were in the paddock and a couple of guys said they were making a video and all they needed was us smiling and waving, so we did it thinking why not, it wasn't until one of us was watching a video the circuit had uploaded that we saw we were in it! </div>
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It really was just such an incredible time, it was sad to come home but testing allows you to get up close with cars, potentially with drivers too if you have a paddock pass and make some memories and new experiences! I will 100% be heading to testing again, I would recommend it to anyone! I had such a great time I decided to encapsulate those feelings and get a tattoo of the circuit to go above the one I have of Silverstone! Now every time I see it I think of all the fun times and memories. </div>
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I hope you have all enjoyed this blog post, let me know if you have been to testing or would go! </div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0London, UK51.5073509 -0.127758323.197117063821153 -35.284008299999996 79.817584736178844 35.028491700000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-82718711266968118132020-05-04T12:41:00.000-07:002020-05-04T13:18:49.732-07:00Merchandise: Does it matter where you get it from?<div style="text-align: center;">
If there is one thing I am guilty of every race weekend I go to is buying merchandise, I am also likely to order online too! </div>
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There are so many places you can get merchandise, Dread and Harlequin Teamwear are the main places to get teams and drivers merchandise they have bought out. They both have stalls at weekends and an online store. I have bought from both and they are good quality and a range from shirts, hats, jackets, coats, etc. I also do like dread because they stock BTCC merchandise and thats where I bought my BTCC bag from a few years ago that I love and have used ever since. It has lasted so well, through rain and shine and looks as good as it did when I bought it. Teamwear and BTCC stuff can be expensive but it is always good quality and it is always nice to have a bit of your favourite driver or teams official kit. Dread just released Laser Tools Racing merchandise and I have a couple of bits and the jacket is so nice, the material is soft, fits really well, it looks good. I know I am going to get lots of wear out of it and moneys worth!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWnE7GcQGjTiaaPqBcxJzFObHYdqNwqq7ImF14-27e3glBq8bhnkx2gZSlDUlpWrMbS_UaSzUWfZ3jOdwL1rxcxUSYLyotOvSup7k-g7wl0n7b6xTrRHF3dAuFqGQduJnKZ7mLqms5ns/s1600/Laser+Tools+Racing+Jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWnE7GcQGjTiaaPqBcxJzFObHYdqNwqq7ImF14-27e3glBq8bhnkx2gZSlDUlpWrMbS_UaSzUWfZ3jOdwL1rxcxUSYLyotOvSup7k-g7wl0n7b6xTrRHF3dAuFqGQduJnKZ7mLqms5ns/s320/Laser+Tools+Racing+Jacket.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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However, price isn't everything, you can still get good quality stuff for a good price. I love BTCC Blueprints. They do mugs, coasters, phone cases, tops, stickers, beanies/hats, keyrings and more! I am sure I have purchased other things and whenever I look it always looks good quality and well done. I have even just ordered a Laser Tools Racing mug that was in their sale!<br />
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The Scrapyard also do a similar thing to BTCC Blueprints, they even take requests. For example, I contacted them about an Aiden Moffat beanie and they were more than willing to make one for me, such lovely people. Good quality products definitely worth checking out and if you cant see exactly what they are after just give them a message!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4vHyqN56efZCJE6Iv24QQEZuGJEhSHf4EGX9tZ8rwCDt3rOn4hRpusthoVp0sd7KuKF9ehgE-so8DtwsF1M9n8hmQzSo7cGsVWmJF9WazF2JRG3-gsD7xdn3ypw5w6GOXVXK344G-5A/s1600/Aiden+Moffat+Beanie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="722" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho4vHyqN56efZCJE6Iv24QQEZuGJEhSHf4EGX9tZ8rwCDt3rOn4hRpusthoVp0sd7KuKF9ehgE-so8DtwsF1M9n8hmQzSo7cGsVWmJF9WazF2JRG3-gsD7xdn3ypw5w6GOXVXK344G-5A/s320/Aiden+Moffat+Beanie.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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They have new and past champions eg. Alain Menu. They have things going back to 1958! They have something for everyone and if you cant see it at their stand or online I am sure if you ask them they will be more than happy to see what they can do for you! They have also started to have driver signings from 2019. I remember seeing crowds around that so its another opportunity for you to see and meet your favourite drivers.<br />
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Harlequin have a wide range of sizing (as do all) and their material for the shirts are lightweight and breathable for those weekends where the sun shines! Again, very comfy and long lasting. They have their owns stall at race weekends and they are incredibly friendly and helpful, they want to make sure you are happy with what you are purchasing, maybe even treating yourself to!</div>
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Like I said, I have bought from all 3 and have had no issues with any. Always happy with what I have got. If you want the official stuff and are happy to spend a little bit more then Dread and Harlequin is the way to go. Although if you want lots of little bits or limit yourself to a few expensive bits then btcc blueprints is 100% worth a visit. I would recommend it to anyone and every fan. They also do special edition shirts like BTCC Showdown one they did last year for Brands Hatch.</div>
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So, I don't believe it matters where you get your merchandise from, all that matters is you are comfortable in what you are wearing and representing your favourite team/driver. Can you guess from these pictures who might be one of my favourites? I think it really depends on what you are after and what your budget is. And there is always ebay too, can find some gems on there! I will leave the link to all three online stores below as I know teams are releasing new merchandise at the moment and btcc blueprints have 2020 stuff too and also a clearance section! </div>
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<a href="https://shop.dread.cc/shop/">https://shop.dread.cc/shop/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.harlequinteamwear.co.uk/">https://www.harlequinteamwear.co.uk/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.btccblueprints.co.uk/">https://www.btccblueprints.co.uk/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/BTCCScrapyard/">https://www.facebook.com/BTCCScrapyard/</a><br />
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Let me know where you get your merchandise from and your favourite, most treasured you have ever got whether you've been gifted it or brought it yourself! For me, it has to be my BTCC backpack, cant do a race weekend without it.</div>
Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-3424883907046982432020-04-27T11:15:00.001-07:002020-04-27T11:15:07.429-07:00Opinion: Top 10 Drivers to watch out for<div style="text-align: center;">
I have decided to compile a list of 10 drivers I think everyone else needs to watch out for and why. This is personal opinion so do let me know what you think and who would be on your list! </div>
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1. Colin Turkington</div>
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I dont think there is any surprise Turkington is on this list. Four time British Touring Car Champion, he is the one everyone wants to beat and needs to beat if they want to be champion. Turkington has shown us time and time again why he is a champion with his consistency, overtakes and defending from others and of course his wins. </div>
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2. Andrew Jordan</div>
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Jordan is also a champion in his own right winning the championship in 2013. Since 2011 Jordan has never finished the championship lower than 9th position and finishing 2nd last season. We almost thought we lost him from the grid after Pirtek announced they would be withdrawing and with Pirtek being Jordans big sponsor, it was touch and go whether he would stay on the grid. Thankfully he has managed to stay on the grid for 2020 (hopefully we have a season) and it would have been a massive loss to see him depart and I am sure he feels he has a score to settle, another championship win!<br />
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3. Jake Hill</div>
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I have watched Hill progress from being with Team Hard and leaving halfway through the season, to joining Trade Price last year and finally get his first official win. Hill is a driver with highs and lows in the BTCC and he is one of the nicest guys on the grid in my opinion. You can always tell his determination to do well and how much he enjoys it from speaking to him. Every year Hill improves and I think people really started noticing him more last season. A great driver, friendly person who I think has had a string of bad luck. For 2020 Hill has moved to MB Motorsport which has taken over from AmD's Honda's. AmD won the independents in 2019 with Rory Butcher so Hill will no doubt want to replicate that in the Honda. The team is owned by Hills partner from last season Mark Blundell with AmD's founder Shaun Hollamby staying as team principal. I have no doubt Hill is in great hands and will continue to get good results. </div>
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4. Dam Cammish</div>
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Cammish won the independent championship in his first season and was fighting for the overall championship last year. He has shown exactly why Honda have put him in one of their seats. He has that drive to win, he knows where to place the car to defend. He has raced on BTCC tracks many years while racing in TOCA packages like Porsche Carrera Cup. He has the knowledge and I think he has shown he is more than capable of winning a championship one day. </div>
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5. Ash Sutton</div>
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Championship winner in 2017 in only his second season in BTCC and his first season with Subaru. In 2017 he achieved 6 wins and 8 podiums (14 podiums overall) which is very impressive. Ash is a hard racer, he is always fighting for positions, never gives up. For 2020 he has switched to join Aiden Moffat at Laser Tools Racing as they are expanding from one car to two. He tested in the car last season and he has experience of rear wheel drive which will only help the team. Sutton and Moffat have a good on/off track relationship. Moffat used the Infinite Q50 for half the season last year and I am sure they will work well together and Sutton can only flourish in the car. </div>
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6. Jack Goff</div>
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Goff was nearly without a seat going to into 2019 as Goff's team Eurotech/Wix withdrew. I remember everyone on social media saying how bad it is that Goff is without a seat. However last minute he got a call up with Team Hard. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief Goff had a seat, even if he went into it almost blind with no testing. Last year wasn't the easiest of seasons but Goff made the most of it and at Silverstone in mixed conditions he used his experience and gambled on wets and stormed through from the back of the grid to get his first win since Snetterton 2018. Goff is always a fighter and never gives up, does the best with what he has available and I am sure he will only continue to improve.<br />
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7. Aiden Moffat</div>
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Moffat made his debut at only 16 years of age and has been in BTCC every season since. His first full season was 2014 with Laser Tools Racing and they have had an successful partnership with a total of 3 wins. I dont think the amount of wins actually translate to how well Moffat is. As I have mentioned above Moffat and Laser Tools made the decision to switch to using Infiniti Q50 from Snetterton last season. This was due to a disappointing start to the season and it gave them the opportunity to begin gathering data for 2020. A very clever move if you ask me and Moffat scored the first podium in the Infiniti at Silverstone last year, I believe it was someone in his team that told him to gamble and put wets on, it was then Moffat's job to get the car as far up the grid as possible, he was chasing Goff for first until he spun and had to settle for second. However, it was a boost they needed that the car is good in the wet and they now have some wet weather data too! Like I said for Sutton, once the car is where they want it to be there will be no stopping them. I honestly believe they will be a front running team with two incredible drivers. </div>
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8. Tom Chilton</div>
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Chilton originally joined the grid in 2002 up to 2011, even winning the independent championship in 2010. Chilton rejoined in 2017 after spending the past 5 years in World Touring Car Championship. He is a fan favourite and always delivers. Chilton always seems to be up there fighting in the points and for podiums. For 2020 is has signed to join BTC Racing and I think they are a very good match. BTC Racing is always up there fighting at the front too and seem to be getting stronger by the season. I am very much looking forward to seeing how they get on together, I am positive it is only going to go well. Chilton is a strong driver in a strong team. </div>
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9. Michael Crees</div>
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Personally I had never heard of Creesy (as he is mostly known as) until he joined BTCC in 2019 with Team Hard. He immediately became one of fans favourite drivers. I remember at Snetterton he came down to the campsite and said hello and chatted to fans which in my 3/4 years camping there I had never known a driver to do before. He really goes above and beyond for fans and he comes across as a happy, jokey, positive member of the paddock who is extremely grateful for the support he gets. This is why I have added him on this list, I along with many other fans would love to see him do even better in his second season which is definitely possible with BTC Racing. I dont know what he would do to celebrate if he got a podium or a win, and that is all possible. </div>
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10. Rory Butcher</div>
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Last year Butcher was crowned Independents and Jack Sears trophy last year with Cobra Sport Amd/RCIB Insurance and has always shown his pace and his skill. He even took two wins last year and has signed with Motorbase for the 2020 season where I am sure he is hoping to expand that win tally. He is good enough to win an overall championship and it would be interesting to see if he brings the fight to the likes of Turkington and Jordan. Butcher joined in 2017 (I thought he had been around for longer) and I am sure the more he learns, the better he will be.</div>
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So there we go, sorry its a bit of a long one. I decided to add some pictures in I had of me with some drivers! I wanted to make sure I validated why I felt they deserved to make my list, do let me know who you will be looking out for and who would be on your list! </div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-17300397392763892882020-04-20T11:04:00.002-07:002020-04-20T11:04:41.549-07:00Missing BTCC? My top 3 moments<div style="text-align: center;">
I imagine that like me, you are all missing the action and fun surrounding BTCC as the season should have recently started this season. We all know due to ongoing issues in the world there is no motorsport in the UK at the moment until atleast July. That seems ages away but we don't need to be sad. We may have to stay inside but we can use this time to improve ourselves, whether that be a new skill, new hobby, the world is our oyster. If you are a key worker then I want to say thank you for continuing to work hard and look out for us, we appreciate you more than you know. </div>
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I decided we can still enjoy BTCC, I am going to round up my top 3 moments throughout the last couple of seasons.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">3. Dan Cammish crashes out in the last race of 2019 to hand the championship title to Colin Turkington.</span><br />
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I feel this maybe the one everyone thinks of first as it is the most recent but every fan was on the edge of their seat to see who was going to win the championship last year. I love that the battle normally continues into the last round and this one went down to the final race and the final few laps. Colin Turkington is arguable one of the best BTCC drivers and the one everyone wants to beat. Cammish was just finishing his second season in the championship and what a way to end it by fighting till the very end. In his rookie season he won the Jack Sears Trophy and it would have been mighty impressive if he had been able to follow it up with the overall championship the consecutive year. Cammish put himself in the best position for the championship until his brakes failed in the final two laps causing him to crash. This ultimately left Turkington with one job to do, to bring the car home in 6th to round his points total to 320, outscoring Cammish and Andrew Jordan by just 2 points. You can relive the final few laps of last season below:<br />
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<span style="color: red;">2. Jack Goff wins with Team HARD in tricky conditions at Silverstone.</span></div>
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Again this is a throwback to last year and a race with mixed conditions. Goff and Aiden Moffat (in his Infinite he switched to half way through the season) both gambled and went on wet tyres early on in the race. Goff started at the very back for the final race of the day after retiring in race 2 so a gamble on to wets was a good idea as he had nothing to lose. It was a guessing game of when to change tyres and do you risk it but Goff and Aiden stormed through the field to the front with the Team HARD driver leading the way. Laser Tool's Moffat started to close in on Goff before having a spin which gave everyone in his garage a heart attack (I was in the garage and it was intense to say the least). Moffat had to settle for second, the first podium in the Infinite while Goff took Team Hard's first outright win and his first win since Snetterton 2018. You can remind yourself of this eventful race with R27 in 100s here:</div>
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<span style="color: red;">1. Jack Goff and Ash Sutton go side by side over the line at Snetterton 2018</span><br />
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So Goff's last win before the one above was also won in dramatic style. He likes to make his wins memorable doesn't he? This has to be one of the closest wins I have ever witnessed. I remember being on the edge of your seat, where they going to make contact? Was one of them going to slip up in the wet? Or will they go neck and neck to the line? The latter being the everyone's preferred option and outcome! Goff was all over the back of Sutton in the last lap and coming round the final corner Goff moved over to the side and now it was about speed and Goff just got over the line first!<br />
You can watch another one of Goff's marvellous wins here:<br />
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There you go, there are my top 3 moments over the last couple of seasons. This doesn't change the fact I miss BTCC and all the action but it just shows we can re-watch thrilling moments and enjoy them. There is lots on youtube, clips and full races from multiple seasons, I know you can also buy season review DVD's online, perfect for times like these where we all need to stay sane and still have our motorsport fix!</div>
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I hope you enjoyed my top 3 moments, dont forget to let me know what your favourite moments are in BTCC! Would love to know, I bet there is loads! </div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-5680014747517977812019-10-09T14:13:00.003-07:002019-10-09T14:13:38.653-07:00VIP with Laser Tools Racing at Silverstone!<div style="text-align: center;">
Wow, what a weekend the team had and I am so glad I got to witness it all close up and personal.</div>
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I have followed Laser Tools for years now and when I got my boyfriend into BTCC one of the drivers and teams he liked was Aiden Moffat and Laser Tools Racing. At the start of september it was his birthday, so I decided a perfect present would be VIP with Laser Tools Racing, after a few emails back and forth with Donna, we were booked in! I made a little poster to hide in with the presents and he was so happy and excited when he read it, although I think I was more excited than him! We bought tickets for the saturday, booked a hotel, woke up early saturday morning and off we went and enjoyed a day walking around.<br />
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Sunday morning it was raining boo! However it was not going to dampen our spirit. We were greeted at the gate and whisked to hospitality on the buggy, I do enjoy going on the buggies and at Silverstone it is a walk from the gate in my opinion. When we arrived at the awning we were greeted with happy faces, given our passes and told which table was ours for the day and what grid walk we would be going on. I never have a preference on which grid walk but I always love the last race of the day, everyone all fired up and I think it does tend to be the best, no one is thinking about the rest of the day and whether to make that risky move or not, they just go for it.<br />
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First up we grabbed a drink from the fridge and waited for breakfast to be served and it was delicious. Bacon and/or sausage rolls with pastries and fruit. I am quite fussy with how bacon is cooked, I like it crispy and for me the bacon was cooked perfectly. It was a good breakfast to start they day.<br />
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Next we had a walk around and went to the garage. Getting up close with the car which Cam was nice enough to talk us through different bits and show us inside the car and the steering wheel and explain things. Everyone in the team was so nice and welcoming, answering any questions and speaking to us. It was a lovely atmosphere and I really enjoyed spending time in there and watching them all set up and get ready for a race.<br />
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Lunch was enjoyable, great atmosphere, good food, chatting away and getting to know people on the table. I was just keen for race 2 as it was our turn for the grid walk. Again, we watched the set up in the garage and the car be pushed out into the pits. Then it was grid walk time, I love standing on the side of the grid waiting for all the cars to come round. It just gets me so excited being so up close and personal. I love standing in front and slightly to the side of the grid spot and watching the driver come up and stop in his marks.<br />
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Back to the garage to watch the race and it started to rain, the Infinity had never done a lap in the rain before so it was going to be interesting and a good chance to get data. Unfortunately on the out lap there was an issue but the team did an incredible job to get Aiden back out so they got a little bit of data.<br />
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Back to the hospitality awning for some cake, and in fact birthday cake as on the saturday it was Aiden's 23rd! His mum Donna got the most amazing cake made and it was lovely, as were the other desserts the team provided. It was then followed by a Q&A, understandably Aiden wasn't having the best day but he was still in a good mood, positive and as friendly as always.<br />
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Charlie and I hadn't decided where to watch race 3 but we got asked if we wanted to go on the grid for the final race, never going to say no. The atmosphere before the last race is immense as anything can happen, and that was true that day! The rain started to pour and the team made the right call with the timing of the tyre change to wets. He had nothing to lose, he was starting from the back and it would give him data for his new Infiniti. I cannot describe everyone's excitement watching the TV and seeing him go through the field and before we knew it he was second! The most nerve wracking part was obviously when Aiden decided to try a 360 spin! However, it got to the last lap and he was coming home for a comfortable second. Time to leap over to the pit wall to cheer him across the line and run down to where the cars will pull up to greet him when he comes round. It was so heartwarming and incredible to see everyone's faces and enjoyment from this podium, no one expected a podium so soon, especially not when he hadn't got any wet weather data.<br />
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I am so grateful I got to experience it and the podium. It was brilliant to end the day on the biggest high. Everyone in the team was so nice and welcoming, I really enjoyed speaking to Aiden's grid girl Hannah, getting to know people in the team. It was a really memorable day for all the right reasons.<br />
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Donna emailed me a few days later and sent me a picture their photographer Mike Inkley and it really just sums up how happy I was. Out of breathe, rain on my glasses, hats made me look like a gnome, but none of that mattered as celebrating the podium and all the teams hard work was more important.<br />
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Thank you to Donna for organising the surprise for Charlie, the team for being so friendly and welcoming. I will never forget that day and I would 100% recommend doing VIP with Laser Tools Racing.<br />
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-82718466661343186402019-10-02T13:41:00.000-07:002019-10-02T13:41:45.403-07:00Behind the tyre barriers: 'it can be mentally tiring'<div style="text-align: center;">
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Being a marshal takes a lot of sacrifice, takes up a whole weekend, can be any weather and you don't know how the day will go. But most importantly a marshal needs to be passionate about it and a lot of commitment and I believe every marshal has that dedication. However, it could be easy to forget how physically and mentally draining it can be.<br />
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The obvious physical aspect is the fact that a marshal predominately stands all day in all weather conditions which can vary. I cant imagine it is not much fun to stand in 25 degree heat all day in fire proof overalls and steel capped boots! I definitely couldn't do it!<br />
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Kac said one mentally challenging part of being a flag marshal is trying to keep track of who is where and who to show what flag, especially when someone is a lap down etc. Marshal's have to 'keep on top with each drivers positions' and knowing who is who from a distance. Apparently, the trick was to look at wing mirror or any strip colours, good idea!<br />
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It can be tiring and mentally and physically draining but I think the mental feeling of being with like-minded people, doing something you enjoy, watching motorsport up close and personal would be so uplifting. One thing I was repeatably told was how nice it was to be with their little family and marshal community. I can imagine its a nice escape and a little bit like a second home for a weekend. Motorsport is one big family, brings everyone together and that's one of my favourite things about it. It is always so nice to be reunited with people you haven't seen in a while, have a good time and watch some race cars but sounds like it might be more fun getting in the thick of the action.<br />
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I know this is a shorter post than my others but no one said anything bad about it affecting them, physically or mentally. Okay, you may be tired for a couple of days after the weekend but if you go as a fan, you get used to it. I think being a marshal has a good effect on everyone I spoke to, they thoroughly enjoy being a marshal and would recommend it to everyone interested to give it a go.<br />
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I hope you have all enjoyed my marshal series, I just felt they needed to be spoke about more because they are the unsung heroes of motorsport. A massive thank you to every marshal that messaged me and told me their story! I couldn't have done it without you, I am grateful you trust me to tell part of your journey and the information I was given. I respect every marshal more than I even thought possible. Who knows, my little series might have even convinced someone to go to a taster day!<br />
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Thank you marshal's for doing what you do.<br />
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-13901489198573548282019-09-27T08:23:00.000-07:002019-09-27T08:23:54.481-07:00Marshal series: In rain or shine!<div style="text-align: center;">
As a motorsport fan I know we are all so happy to wake up early and get going to a track to spectate but a marshal gets up even earlier and has a more tedious day ahead than us.<br />
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Andy told me he gets up between 5.45 and 6am so he can wake up, have a brew and breakfast and then head to sign on. You can sign on around 7-8am. Someone else said the sign on time can vary but they normally aim to sign on around 7:30am so they get up at 6:30 to get ready and make lunch etc. Gosh I'm not sure I could ever do that, I dont even wake up that early for work!<br />
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During signing on you find out which post you are going to be on for the weekend. Someone said saturday is 'always a guessing game of which post we will have this weekend?' Lewis is in charge of track marshal's at Knockhill and he said they spend a lot of time doing post briefings and making sure everyone knows hand signals, escape routes etc so everyone is on the same page. Andy said he does general checks of the post and where things are and checking with post chief where boundaries are.<br />
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Obviously you introduce yourself to other marshal's on your post if you don't already know them, apparently banter and having a laugh is 'a standard fare' I bet it can be fun, getting to know people and telling stories. Lewis said there is 'amazing camaraderie' and that you can meet some 'seriously interesting' people.<br />
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Joe told me sometimes you'll be on a post where 'little to nothing happens' but at other times 'you'll be faced with things to do every session' Sounds like a case of expect the unexpected! Lewis said they normally have things prearranged as to who is doing what so if anything happen's they jump into action, do what they need to do, then they continue their chats and having a laugh. Seems like a good plan to me. Joe said there is 'no feeling like being out from behind the barrier helping a stranded competitor'.<br />
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I have been told lunch is sometimes referred to as the 'L' word because they don't want to scare it away! While us as fans watching always have a dedicated lunch break, it can be shortened due to safety cars and red flags. However, marshal's are the ones who clean up the track and have to make sure its ready for the next race so if there has been long delays, there could be no lunch for marshal's.<br />
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Saturday night sounds like a lot of fun if i'm honest. Making their way to the campsite something via the bar apparently! Having a few beers (or your drink of choice) with other marshal's and having a BBQ. I wish when I am camping I could go to the marshal campsite, probably could I just never know where it is. I would love to see them after a long day, sounds like they just chill out before going to bed and getting up early to do it all again and normally with more chaos on a sunday.<br />
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I cant begin to imagine how tricky it could be with weather conditions as well in steel toe boots and orange overalls, keeping hydrated must be key in hot weather. Cant be much fun in cold and rain, however it does provide more action normally so maybe they're so busy sometimes they don't even notice! Good on all of them for doing it, I've even been told someone has done it in snow, unbelievable.<br />
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Two long days keeping everything under control, I applaud them all. I couldn't do the 12 hour day they put in. To any marshal at Silverstone this weekend, at the end of each race I wont just be clapping for the drivers, I'll be clapping for you too.<br />
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Hope you have all enjoyed part 3 of the marshal series, the final one will be next week!<br />
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-88334031145028619512019-09-18T12:56:00.000-07:002019-09-18T12:56:16.681-07:00A Marshal's motivation: 'I wanted to give something back'<div style="text-align: center;">
Welcome back to part 2 of my marshal series, so glad you all liked the first part!</div>
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One thing I found quite interesting when I was reading peoples stories was their motivation for joining in the first place. It wasn't always a case of wanting to get closer to the action (although that's a bonus) but to immerse themselves into something new to escape the stress and chaos of everyday life.</div>
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Most people did say their love of motorsport and desire to be involved is what motivated them to train to be a marshal which I can completely understand. As one marshal Joe explained to me his motivation for continuing is that 'its a hobby that I enjoy immensely' and that's his motivation now which has changed from when he initially started from his desire to become more involved and 'the ability to let both fans and drivers continue to do/see what they love' I felt this statement is so important and reminds us how important a marshal role really is. Without them at their posts on standby or waving the correct flag or cleaning a mess up etc, we wouldn't have what we do. They are a strong main pillar of motorsport and that's something to be celebrated. Michael told me something very similar as he said he wanted to 'give something back' and a couple of other people said that to. However he said it took him a while to stop thinking 'I shouldn't be this side of the fence' I can imagine it feels wrong after being a spectator for so long.<br />
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Thomas told me his uncle is into marshalling motorbikes and he thought 'ill give it a try but it doesn't look like a barrel of laughs' 6 years on and he is still wearing the orange! Thomas has got the experience under his belt as he has helped a few trainee marshal and marshalled at F1 British GP this year (see pic below Thomas sent me) which he called his 'most epic achievement' considering he broke his hip in February. Personally I think that is amazing, he had a goal, he was determined and he did it, he loves it that much he couldn't wait to get back. He said 'watching motor racing on tv is okay but being trackside and actually in the action is so much better' and quite a few people have said something similar as Lewis told me he gets 'an insane adrenaline rush everytime we need to go do something' I would love to have heart rate monitors on marshals during a race weekend, bet it would go through the roof! Nathan echo'd this as well as he told me 'i love the buzz and excitement of race day' I suppose you never know what is going to happen and when (we can all relate as motorsport is very exciting and unpredictable especially BTCC) but you always have to be on high alert.<br />
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Jamie actually told me he was 'drawn in by seeing the marshal's react' when responding to any incident. No better way than to find out for yourself I guess! It appears quite a bit of motivation has been from either seeing marshal work trackside or knowing someone that has done it and been inspired by them which I think is lovely as it is probably the best way to give people an idea of what they do. Someone told me when he's gone to circuits he's seen the marshal's and thought 'it looks good' but he's sadly got some personal issues going on at the moment and he'd found marshalling 'a really good distraction and help' as the other marshal have been really friendly and like a second family. I found this very touching as it is a good example of a way to enjoy yourself and take some time out of everyday life with support from your own special family.<br />
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Hope you all enjoyed part 2, thank you to everyone who has sent me pictures, they have all been saved for more posts! Let me know if this has motivated you to think about potentially being a marshal or doing a taster day!</div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-89372907750604016132019-09-10T11:02:00.004-07:002019-09-10T11:02:31.026-07:00Marshal: Back to the start<br />
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Marshal’s can often go unnoticed and I feel really are the
unsung heroes of the sport. I am so excited that this is the start of a 4 part
series on my blog about marshal’s within motorsport. I just really want to tell
their stories and hope I can do it justice. I cannot thank everyone enough who
messaged me and told me their story and is happy for it to be shared.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I felt it was only right to begin from the start, how the
marshals got into it and what advice they would give to newbies or anyone on
the fence about joining. I can honestly say no one has a bad word about
marshaling and they would all recommend it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There appears to be different ways to get into it, but to
make sure you know what you are getting into there are taster days you can do.
It will give you an idea about what is involved and whether it is right for
you. A marshal Andy told me it is a good way to start by doing a taster day at
a track and closer to him and once you are a marshal to add more tracks
gradually. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Nikki told me she found out about marshaling when she went
to Autosport one day with a work colleague and they got chatting to the guy at
the marshal stand. Before they knew it they signed up for a taster day then and
there and have been hooked ever since. If you are ever unsure or have questions
about what its like etc then a marshal stand is a good place to go. Whether
that’s at Autosport international or stands at tracks (I normally see a stand
when I go race weekends and not just for BTCC) there is always someone there to
talk to and I am sure it would be good to hear peoples stories, watch their
faces light up as they’re telling you and they can go in-depth and answered
your questions based on their experience. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Joe advised me to visit British Motorsport Marshal Club
(BMMC) website. I have checked it out myself and it looks very interesting and
I am not even thinking about being a marshal! You can put your details in for a
taster day and your main interest, either cars, rally or bikes. Then someone
will be in touch with your nearest circuit and when is available to have a go.
The website is full of information from memberships to training, more about
being a marshal. It looks like everything you would want to know would be on
that website. If you try the website and still have question’s then any BTCC
group etc would have members that I am sure would be happy to help answer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This is all just a smidge of what I have learnt and parts of
stories I have been told. I hope you have enjoyed part 1 and are excited for
what is yet to come!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-43728803017126380582019-08-07T11:28:00.001-07:002019-08-07T11:28:37.379-07:00VIP with BTC Racing at Snetterton!<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Wow, I still cannot get over how incredible Sunday was doing
VIP with BTC Racing with Charlie, Dan and Jay. I have only done VIP once before
with another team and I didn’t know what to expect but I was so excited as I
knew everyone would be nice and we would hopefully have a good result. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So, first of all you arrive, we camped so we walked from
campsite however you can be picked up from the entrance and taken to
hospitality on a buggy. I for one love the buggies, I find them so fun. We
arrived at dead on 9 (Paul one of the team had said be there by 9) and we were
greeted by the members of the team, given our badges, had a quick run through
of the day and sat out our table taking it all in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<img src="https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/67841050_413950859217059_8269365263888023552_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQnJWVAulca_nEcNkR2ZjoNLVKGH0S0t68kPks7lUbLvLc3z-ppYbfoaYYe7tXMMMnk&_nc_ht=scontent-lht6-1.xx&oh=14be0f49958d0ad59f76ae65f66dd323&oe=5DDB471F" /></div>
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We all grabbed a drink from the refreshment fridge which you
could help yourself to throughout the day. Shortly after it was time for
breakfast, there was plenty of choice, yoghurt, fruit and a bun with bacon,
cheese and sausage in, it all looked lovely! There was 8 tables in hospitalit
unit so nice and small and everyone on our table was nice, we all enjoyed
breakfast and chatted about who we liked and what race we were aiming to get on
the grid for. One couple we met was Jim and Ally who you may know from CMB
Artworks who are just as friendly as you would expect and Matt with his Seb his
6 year old son. Seb was so cute, he loved Chris Smiley so much and went up and
hugged him and his face would light up when he saw him it was the sweetest
thing. People at motorsport events are always nice but I think we had the luck
of the draw with our table.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After breakfast we had our garage tour. It started off with standing
outside back of garage with a member of the team showing us the tyres and
talking us through it all and explaining it all. Then we entered the garage and
saw the cars close up and personal. We stood infront of Smiley’s car and again
they told us about the car, showed us underneath the bonnet and a look inside.
The team were happy to answer any questions we had.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next up was time to wait for the grid walk for race 1, how
exciting! I love every chance I get to go on the grid watching everything
unfold. The team getting ready, the driver sitting in the car prepping himself
for what’s to come. The funniest part of getting on grid for race 1 is there is
a height restriction and the marshall was holding a stick to make sure everyone
was tall enough and I’m not going to lie it was a close call! Then it was time
to head to the garage and watch the race. It wasn’t a bad race for the team but
little did we know the best was yet to come. <o:p></o:p></div>
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After race 1 it was time to walk back to hospitality and
wait for lunch. I cannot lie to you lunch was so nice. Beef, cabbage, potato
and the nicest gravy, followed by a gorgeous dessert to top it all off. We then
stuck around hospitality unit watching support races and race 2 of BTCC. Before
we knew it it was time for the driver Q&A where ITV4 commentator David
Addison grilled Smiley and Cook on how they were feeling, previous races and
the final race which is what we were all looking forward to; All while eating
an afternoon snack!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Smiley was pulled for pole for reverse grid so we intended
on staying in hospitality to watch the race on the TV screen but Paul asked us
if we wanted to go on the grid again and it was an offer we couldn’t refuse.
The BTCC field is big so looking down from pole I felt was a bit daunting so
imagine what the driver feels like on the first lap, I’d be looking straight
the whole time with my foot down! We all got ourselves set up in the garage to
watch and hope Smiley could hold on with the hards and that Cook would storm
through using the softs. A TV camera was stood just outside of the garage to
get the teams reactions so we all wanted to look at one screen and the guy that
talked to us about tyres earlier on in the day gave me a wet tyre to stand on
as a joke, made my view a whole lot better thanks man!</div>
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<img src="https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/67898677_1377347615753346_6875497356695961600_n.jpg?_nc_cat=105&_nc_oc=AQnpWJdEQDd-9XfgZlNEjP_SSdyWE-JSdqH9Y4Vo9gRsDIrzu-e0e0bGv2u_1Nwoe5M&_nc_ht=scontent-lht6-1.xx&oh=ed35d7bb5a26c4cbd7c654c611932d39&oe=5DDFF024" /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I still find it surreal
that we were going through just a fraction of the emotions the team did that
day. The boys I had a fight on their hands and not just the drivers but the
team as well got a result they work so hard for and deserve, a double podium!
It was so heartwarming to see the team celebrate and how happy they are that
their hard work and all the time and effort they put in was repaid that day.
The podium was the same, full of energy and happiness and the adrenaline! I'm so
happy I was front row for it too, got sprayed by a bit of champagne too thanks
Smiley!</div>
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We then headed back via buggy through the traffic to collect
our belongings from hospitality, still in this bubble of celebration. We had
already had such a great day and that result really was icing on the cake. We
cannot thank everyone enough for being so welcoming and lovely and treating us
like we were family. Nothing was too much to ask, they all wanted you to have
the best experience possible and I know myself, Charlie, Jay and Dan all did
and we are eternally grateful. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Big shoutout to the whole team, Paul, Lindsay, Zoe, Debbie
and my own personal security and chauffeur Stefan and the rest of the team! I
am not sure when we will be back but don’t worry we will be! <o:p></o:p></div>
Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-56866615340122608422019-07-17T11:56:00.002-07:002019-07-17T11:56:54.327-07:00I'm ready for BTCC Snetterton!<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Its that time again where we are half way through the BTCC
season with five rounds to go! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Next up is Snetterton and a couple of years ago I did a blog
post called ‘why I am so excited for Snetterton’ and nothing as changed. This
year will be my fourth year in a row camping and it is now my tradition with my
group of friends. Sadly, Becki and Hannah cant make it this year (were all doing
brands instead) so it is up to me, Dan and Jay to have the best time for them.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Snetterton always brings the action. Drivers and teams come
back refreshed and ready to either build on what they’ve done so far, or in
Aiden Moffat’s example wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. Everyone
has a new lease of life and determination to do better which always provides
entertainment and on track action. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For me, Snetterton is just perfect, my other closest tracks
are at the start and end of season so this race weekend in the summer after
break is amazing. A few days away in what is normally good weather at one of my
favourite places with some of my favourite people. Its not just my friend’s I
camp with either, you get to know the people camping around you and that just
brings a whole new feel to it, you can all have a laugh, borrow things if need
be. One group we always camp near helped us try to temporarily fix one our
tents when it broke in the wind last year. It is also nice to wonder around Friday
afternoon round the track and paddock and see everyone setting up and how
excited they are. People will always try and make time to stop and chat but a Friday
is much more chilled so easier to either catch up with people or say hello. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The facilities at the campsite is what you would expect but
it isn’t bad and they do provide live music Friday and Saturday night. It is
just nice to not have to worry about going home or being stuck in traffic, you
come and go from the tent as you like. Once track action is over you can
wonder, go on the track, go back to the tent, grab a drink and start the BBQ.
It just feels like the world and its time is your own, no rush what so ever. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I will recommend not only snetteron as a circuit but the
camping too and I will time and time again. If you haven’t booked your tickets
yet for BTCC even if its just the Sunday or weekend and youre not camping let
me know. Also, do share your thoughts on camping and what you like about Snetterton!<br />
<br />
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-49349504166057401142019-06-26T12:19:00.001-07:002019-06-26T12:19:41.331-07:00BTCC 2020 CalendarA couple of weeks ago every BTCC fan found out the calendar for 2020. Which means get booking hotels and getting long weekends planned and booked off work! However, if they expected it to be similar to this season, they would be right although there have been some noticeable changes. If you haven't seen it or want reminding what it looks like here it is:<div>
<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Rounds Date</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><strong style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Venue/Circuit</strong><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">1,2,3 28/29 March Donington Park (National) </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">4,5,6 11/12 April Brands Hatch (Indy) </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">7,8,9 25/26 April Silverstone (National) </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">10,11,12 16/17 May Thruxton</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">13,14,15 13/14 June Oulton Park (Island) </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">16,17,18 25/26 July Snetterton (300) </span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">19,20,21 15/16 August Croft</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">22,23,24 29/30 August Knockhill</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">25,26,27 26/27 September Silverstone (International)</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Titillium Web", verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">28,29,30 10/11 October Brands Hatch (Grand Prix)</span><br /><div>
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The first change I noticed straight away is that Brands Hatch will not be kick starting the season for the first time since 2011, instead Donington Park have the honours. The season even gets underway a week earlier than it did this year. Personally, I enjoy going to both tracks but I must admit I feel Donington is a better choice as you arrive at the paddock as soon as you access the track and I can imagine the atmosphere will be incredible as you can see the teams preparing and getting ready to do it all again for another year.</div>
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Next thing I realised was Silverstone appears twice, that really excited me! I enjoy Silverstone as a track and it always delivers in action. It will be interesting to watch them do the National and then the International. I am excited to see that added to the calendar and not just because it means its another race weekend I get to go to (but it is a bonus). If you can get to silverstone and have always umm'd and ahh'd about going I would highly recommend, you now have two opportunities. You can sit in the grandstands for no extra cost which was a bonus in 2017 when it stormed! </div>
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Croft has moved to later in the season fro June to August after Snetteron. BTCC's broadcaster ITV4 have commitments to show footballs 2020 Euro and also Tour De France so it had to be re-worked slightly to make sure they could show all of the sports. Personally I don't mind as long as I can watch it on TV live and it shows they really value BTCC to make sure they were happy with this too.</div>
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Am I allowed to say I am excited for next season when the current is still ongoing? I am looking forward to seeing how Donington performs as a season opener and how drivers find the International circuit at Silverstone, which BTCC hasn't used since 2004. So for most of the current field they wont have done that layout in a BTCC car so everyone will be out of their comfort zones.</div>
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Tell me what you think, do you like the changes? Which races will you be going to? </div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-43172338156184004042019-06-12T13:00:00.003-07:002019-06-12T13:00:58.378-07:00What is CMB Artworks?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
CMB Artwork began as
a hobby for Jim Bushell, he never thought things would ever turn out the way
they have. <o:p></o:p></div>
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First we need to go
back to the start, Jim has always had a soft spot for Art doing a BTEC in
school and then going on to get a National Diploma in Media Arts. His first job
was as a graphic designer at his local newspaper where he worked for 10 years
before taking a year out to go back-packing around the world! Something I must
say I am envious of. When Jim returned he studied mechanical and electrical
engineering which took him down a different career path.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: center;">It wasn’t until Jim
picked up a pencil and started drawing again in 2014 that he realised how much
he missed it. With his interest for motorsport and his passion for drawing,
using BTCC’s as his muse was not a bad. After receiving amazing feedback from
motorsport fans Jim said they ‘blew his mind’ and began painting and drawing
from his shed. Soon after he was being asked for commissions by fans, sponsors
and even some BTCC drivers!</span><span style="text-align: center;">That is when CMB
Artworks was born. CMB is a nod to his children as they are the first letter of
each of their names. </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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This isn’t just a
part time job for Jim, he does it because he is passionate about it, he told me
‘to get money from something I love is humbling’ This is shown by the fact that
Jim gives pieces away as prices for charity auctions and regularly does
giveaways for his supports on his social media sites. <o:p></o:p></div>
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CMB Artworks
previously sponsored Rory Collingbourne in Clio Cup (who he also did paintings
for) and Keiran Gallagher in his VW.</div>
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However, he currently sponsors Ralphie
Reeves (if you haven’t heard of him you can read all about him on a previous
blog post!), Lee Keeler in RX and most recently Motorsport 4 Mental Health. The
last one is something Jim was keen to sponsor as it is something he has suffered
with himself. It shows you don’t need to have money to sponsor people, as long
as you have a good product like Jim does where he gives them artwork to sell or
auction off, every little helps.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jim normally uses his
own pictures that he takes however I know first hand you can get your own used.
Some of my friends surprised me with one of Jim’s paintings for my 21<sup>st</sup>
birthday last year and it was using one of my best friend’s photo’s. The most
popular choice is 16x20” canvas which is hand drawn, painted with acrylics and
varnished. Jim does sell one he paints himself but takes requests so if someone
wants a one of piece that is just theirs and no one else has, Jim is the man.
You can also get A4 framed prints or A4 sketched drawing in artist pencils, don’t
by Jim’s partner Ally. Their newest edition is fully hand made 16” wall clocks,
again hand drawn, painted and varnished. They look amazing! <o:p></o:p></div>
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CMB Artworks also has
their own merchandise which consists of mugs, caps, car stickers and hoodies,
they all normally appear in giveaways. I’m tempted to get a hoody! Jim and Ally’s
plan is to over a few years expand the whole brand and the products they offer
and maybe have a shop/gallery of their own. I really do believe they will
succeed, their work is incredible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They told me they
want to offer the best original service and I truly believe they do that, it is
so unique and for me knowing someone has thoroughly enjoyed and loved creating
something to give to someone else really makes it that extra bit special. Like I
said I have one piece and I recently just snapped up another and I cannot wait
for it to arrive!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxRqK-bMxBi4lyeBtKtLIeJxoeY79KH4ItAR-csfoMpQWFkVBF3dWGZJgGGFaX9xWtAEmS4IHRkAQAxbtozTuYRq95yniHK9tmnGcC2EXCmgerSrvXHImZAygdYRlkuPDEplx45oK66Y/s1600/CMB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxRqK-bMxBi4lyeBtKtLIeJxoeY79KH4ItAR-csfoMpQWFkVBF3dWGZJgGGFaX9xWtAEmS4IHRkAQAxbtozTuYRq95yniHK9tmnGcC2EXCmgerSrvXHImZAygdYRlkuPDEplx45oK66Y/s320/CMB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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CMB Artwork provides
the best service, quality and everything is done with passion. I do not have a
bad word to say about Jim or the brand. His work is well worth a look at and if
you like anything or want to enquire just give him a message, you won’t regret
it! I will leave you with a quote from Jim and Ally which sums them up
perfectly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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‘Massive thanks to
all our loyal customers and supporters who we know make this work, nothing like
the motorsport family. Jim and Ally x’<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBv70gJKqd9EzNnExYJqFpP_K-oMG0pkd3kEe1a-78F9jFkG2P07zf6SEMhf4f0ht0LbXLdmnL_-9ANlHjv4BQZj2hstQPzMTKFR9nAJAa-yBupwmgWx-rkJAaCLTm0b7ye6eXR9Zrxas/s1600/CMBB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBv70gJKqd9EzNnExYJqFpP_K-oMG0pkd3kEe1a-78F9jFkG2P07zf6SEMhf4f0ht0LbXLdmnL_-9ANlHjv4BQZj2hstQPzMTKFR9nAJAa-yBupwmgWx-rkJAaCLTm0b7ye6eXR9Zrxas/s320/CMBB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Website- <a href="http://www.cmbartworks.com/">www.cmbartworks.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Facebook- CMB
Artworks<o:p></o:p></div>
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Instagram-
@cmbartworks <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-51688152748545596522019-05-30T11:31:00.003-07:002019-05-30T11:31:46.253-07:00Why remember the name Ralphie Reeves?<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Ralphie Reeves is a 6
year old boy from Basingstoke with big dreams.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He got his first go in a go kart
when he was 3 years old, 3 years later he is already making sure people
know who he is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This year he can be
regularly found at BTCC weekends with Team HARD, why you ask? Because Ralphie
is the youngest driver signed to the Stilp HARD Academy. I am so glad he is as
well because I had the pleasure of meeting him and learning who he is at BTCC
Media day and he is the sweetest boy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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His local karting
club is Shenington, Banbury. He finished 2<sup>nd</sup> overall in the UK kart
championship at Shenington competing against 6-8 year olds. The youngest in his
group so far demonstrating that he has a lot of skill already and we need to
keep our eyes out. When he finished 2<sup>nd</sup> he only ran 80% of the championship
and was 4 throughout most of it, only turning 5 with 3 rounds to go. If that isn’t
impressive enough he is matching the lap times of others and he is using a
2012 kart whereas everyone else is using 2019 chassis'. Imagine what he could do
with a 2019 chassis!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Ralphie trains a lot at
a place called izone. Which is in fact run by former BTCC and current WEC driver
Andy Priaulx MBE. The trainers that mentor Ralphie there said he was very
special. In-fact calling him ‘a young superstar of the future’ after his first
experience at the izone!<o:p></o:p></div>
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However, money in
motorsport is never far from anyone’s minds, especially a child’s parent. Ralphie’s
father Russell told me he always tries to get Ralphie to a track when possible
and wants him to achieve the best and believes Ralphie has the talent to
deliver this. His fastest time at Shenington on a kart matches the top 5 times
which are set by 13 year old's. There is clearly big things to come from the 6 year
old! But without sponsors and the money coming in to the help the future maybe
sadly limited.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One thing that does
work in their favour is Ralphie has already got an ever growing following. You
can find him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. With lots of support comes
exposure and when that is partnered with results from any races that will help draw
in potential sponsors.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you ask me Ralphie
Reeves is a name and face you need to remember!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1879310615026132656.post-39227934598298952282019-05-21T13:41:00.002-07:002019-05-21T13:41:47.964-07:00Is going to a BTCC day/weekend worth it?<div style="text-align: center;">
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I know this probably seems like a stupid question but hear
me out, there are pros and cons to going and staying at home. In my personal
opinion, I do enjoy both and I think most people do as well so let’s break it
down.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Being trackside allows you to be right in the midst of the
action and excitement with the atmosphere. From going ‘oooh’ with everyone else
when drivers collide to cheering and clapping when races have finished. There
is nothing like that feeling of being there and experiencing it all live and
roaming around the paddock and behind the garages seeing what goes on. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Weather: If you are last minute in planning then weather is
probably going to be a big factor as you are unlikely to wake up on a Sunday morning,
look at heavy rain and think, let’s go sit next to a track for 6 hours! Rain
does spice up the races and make them much more interesting to see how drivers
manage the tricky and changing conditions. The cold is something I think you
acclimatise yourself to if you are a regular to race circuits. You know the
chances are it is going to be cold, windy, rain or all three at some point and you
will have prepared yourself for every situation. If there’s one piece of advice
to give to newbies going trackside for first time, BE PREPARED.</div>
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<o:p></o:p>Comfort: Okay so there is a clear winner here, you would
rather sit on your sofa all day than a deck chair but it’s all part of the
experience and a great bit of exercise! If you wear a fit bit just watch the
steps go up and double your daily target! But comfy trainers are a massive help
if you plan on going as they stop your feet from hurting, keep them warm and
stop feet getting dirty. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Food: Clear winner here, food at home is free and you can
cook during breaks or even get someone to cook you food! (or be naughty and
have take away). However, it is nice watching a race next to the track eating
chips or a naughty treat. Treats are a must track side, almost feels like you’ve
earnt it because you’ve got up early and you have walked a lot. I do enjoy a
waffle or churros from time to time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Other things to note are obviously you get a chance to meet
drivers whether that’s walking through the paddock or going to the autograph
sessions. However, drivers are quite responsive on social media so it is a great
place to send a good luck or well done message. A. lso, when you are trackside
sometimes you may not be near a screen so you aren’t always aware of what’s
going on but most tracks have an app you can download with the timetable and
live timings, as well as the BTCC website. Being at home you do see more
coverage on races and everything that goes on whereas sometimes at the track
you can be quite confused, I know I have been.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sometimes I wish I lived not far from all the tracks so I could
go to every BTCC weekend but after being trackside for Brands Hatch and
Donington it was quite nice watching Thruxton from my own home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me know if you have a preference on watching from home
or at the circuit! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Sian Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05009732809541932264noreply@blogger.com0