The BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch is a BTC-Touring class racing car that was built for the 2005 British Touring Car Championship season by Triple 8 Race Engineering, who ran Vauxhall's official works program.

BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch

Category	BTCC
Constructor	Triple 8 Race Engineering
Technical specifications
Chassis	Vauxhall Astra Mk V
Engine	2,000 cc (122.0 cu in) In-line 4 NA front-mounted, FWD
Transmission	6-speed Sequential
Tyres	Dunlop
Competition history
Notable entrants	VXRacing Arkas Racing
Debut	2005 BTCC at Donington Park
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 117 (2005-2008) 10 5 9
Teams' Championships	0
Constructors' Championships	1 (2005)
Drivers' Championships	0

Works history

VXRacing BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch at Brands Hatch

After campaigning the BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Coupe for 4 years, VX Racing took the decision to replace the car with the brand-new Astra SportHatch for the 2005 BTCC season.[1][2] An experimental BTC-T spec Vectra had been built in 2003, but the experiment was not continued due to the weight of the car.[3] Replacing such a successful car proved difficult, however; and the car only won ten out of the sixty races it contested as a works entry, in the hands of Yvan Muller, Colin Turkington and Fabrizio Giovanardi. The emergence of the BTC-T Honda Integra Type R proved to be a challenge too far for Vauxhall, despite a successful debut victory,[4] and Vauxhall's 100th BTCC win at Knockhill in 2006.[5] Despite the dominance of Matt Neal's Integra, however, the car did deliver the 2005 Manufacturer's championship to Vauxhall, as Team Dynamics were not competing in this championship.[6]

Later career

After the car's replacement with the Super 2000-spec Vectra,[7] the Turkish driver Erkut Kizilirmak bought three of the four chassis, and used them for his Arkas Racing team in the BTCC for 2007,[8] with some occasional races in the Turkish Touring Car Championship. In 2008, Erkut expanded the BTCC effort to a two-car team, being joined by Martyn Bell.[9]

Chassis history

Chassis CH12

• 2005 – Yvan Muller (Rounds 1-3)/Two Seater
• 2006 – Two Seater/Erkut Kizilirmak (Rounds 13-15/18-21)
• 2007 onwards – Two Seater

Chassis CH14

• 2005 – Colin Turkington (Rounds 1-12)
• 2006 onwards – Unused

Chassis CH15

• 2005/06 – Gavin Smith
• 2007 – Erkut Kizilirmak (Turkish Touring Car Championship)
• 2008 – Erkut Kizilirmak (Rounds 10-30)

Chassis CH16

• 2005 – Yvan Muller (Rounds 4–30)
• 2006 – Fabrizio Giovanardi
• 2007/08 – Erkut Kizilirmak (Rounds 1–9, written off at Donington Park)

Chassis CH17

• 2005 – Colin Turkington (Rounds 13–30)
• 2006/07 – Tom Chilton
• 2008 – Martyn Bell

References