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DOYLE BUOYANT AFTER COMPLETING MAIDEN BTCC SEASON 

In-Tune Racing’s Michael Doyle celebrated completing the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship with his 10th Independents Trophy points finish at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit on Sunday, 21st September, ending the year a highly creditable 11th overall. 

At the wheel of his five-year-old Honda Civic Type R, which has been backed this year by In-Tune Garage Services Ltd, Andrew Watt Car Components and the Scottish Sun, the Gartocharn based 21-year-old achieved a best result of 15th overall during the first of the weekend’s three races, eighth in the Independents Trophy class. 

Lining up 16th on the grid for round 28 thanks to his most competitive and trouble-free qualifying run of the campaign, the young Scottish star made a great start to immediately get ahead of the MG ZS of Jason Hughes and following the retirements of Hughes and John George on the second lap, Michael found himself in 13th place overall. 

The Safety Car emerged on lap three and then at the re-start on the fifth tour, Michael moved into 12th place as Stephen Jelley’s Team RAC BMW had a problem. Ahead of Andrew Jordan, Michael was under a lot of pressure and finally succumbed to the quicker car on lap eight. 

Impressively at this stage, Michael continued to keep ahead of 2008 British Touring Car Champion Fabrizio Giovanardi but on lap 10 at Clearways the legendary touring car star managed to get through as the In-Tune Honda Civic ran slightly wide.

Losing a couple more places before the finish, Michael did reel Giovanardi back in during the closing stages and ended the race in 15th place overall, just 0.120 seconds adrift of the Italian. Importantly, Michael’s best race lap was less than a 10th of a second slower than that managed by the VX Racing sensation too. 

Starting round 29 from 15th on the grid, Michael made a good start once more and climbed into 13th place ahead of Mike Jordan. On lap six, the youngster dropped a couple of places but a retirement for Jason Plato’s SEAT Leon saw Michael move back into 14th position. 

Then, on lap 17, Michael was forced to pull off the circuit when a gearbox failure struck; the problem also preventing him from starting the 30th and final round of the season. While a disappointing end to the weekend and the season, the touring car rookie was still very buoyant about his first year in the UK’s biggest motor racing championship. 

“What a year it’s been”, he commented, “We had a really good weekend testing wise, perhaps the best we’ve had all season as every time we went out and tried things we went quicker and quicker.  

“In the first race we had a couple of set-up issues but to finish right on the tail of the double BTCC Champion (Fabrizio Giovanardi) was absolutely brilliant. I’m delighted to have made it through to the end of the season and I can now say I’ve completed a full year of racing in the British Touring Cars. 

“Onwards and upwards now, we need to work hard to try and secure the budget to get back out there and do it all again in 2009. We definitely feel we’ve established ourselves in this championship now, it’s been a very tough season but I’d had so much support from so many people – without them all we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have.”

In the overall BTCC Drivers Championship, Michael concluded the year 16th on five points with In-Tune Racing achieving a top 10 finish in the Teams Championship. In the Independents Trophy, Michael was 11th overall on 31 points while In-Tune claimed 52 points and 10th position in the Independents Team Trophy.   

GIANT-KILLING RESULT FOR DOYLE AT SILVERSTONE NATIONAL

Scotland’s Michael Doyle produced one of the giant-killing acts of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Silverstone National Circuit on Sunday, 31st August, by racing to a career-best eighth place finish during the rain-hit third race of the weekend. 

Serving up one of the drives of the season, the 21-year-old Glaswegian raced and, more importantly, overtook several top-line cars, including the brand new S2000 specification Honda Civics of Tom Chilton and Gordon Shedden – all at the wheel of his five year old Civic Type R. 

Not only was the result Michael’s second overall top 10 finish of his debut season in touring cars, the points earned from eighth position means he has climbed into 16th place overall in the outright BTCC championship table.  

In the Independents Trophy, the In-Tune Racing star is now in 11th place courtesy of the result which saw him take the chequered flag as the fifth highest Independents runner – the best of his touring car career to date – while his squad is 10th in the BTCC Teams Championship and also 10th in the Independents Team Trophy. 

“Being up there banging wheels with the works drivers was incredible”, said an ecstatic Michael after round 27, “I really enjoyed it and the result certainly makes up for all of the troubles we had at Knockhill during the last event. The whole team has given a fantastic account of itself this weekend, it’s been absolutely brilliant.” 

Having had the disappointment of a non-finish during round 26 – Michael forced into the gravel at Brooklands on lap three – the close-knit, family-run In-Tune Racing squad worked very hard to get the car ready for the final race and from the start Michael paid the team back well, a terrific opening lap moving him from 17th on the grid into 13th position. 

Into the third tour, Michael was beginning to knock on the door of the top 10 as he mastered the tricky, wet conditions. Then, on lap 10, he got ahead of the much newer Honda Civic of Chilton. As an interesting aside, the Honda Michael races this year used to be driven by Chilton and the latter took its last race victory at Silverstone back in 2005. 

Moving into the top eight before the end of the lap, the Gartocharn-based driver did slip to 10th a couple of laps later but then produced the highlight of the race when he passed both Civics of Shedden and Chilton in the same move; almost unthinkable in the aging Type R. 

Back into eighth place on lap 14, the Scotsman’s giant-killing act continued as he pulled away from Chilton and closed down the BMW 320si of Robert Collard.  

The chequered flag was shown on lap 22 and the In-Tune star crossed the line in eighth position with a best race lap just four 10ths of a second shy of that managed by race victor Mat Jackson in his ex-World Touring Car Championship winning BMW 320si. 

The fact 20 of the 22 starters finished the race underlines what an outstanding drive Michael produced – the result certainly wasn’t thanks to a string of retirements, he earned every position. 

Reflecting on the third race of the weekend, he said: “I had a reasonably good start and managed to stay close to the group in front which had Mike Jordan and the BMWs in there. The track got greasier and greasier so I went back to the sort of lines you use in karting and that enabled me to get the power on much earlier. 

“Where I was quicker, the others were slightly slower. It was really good to be up there battling with the works Hondas which are four years newer than mine! It’s been brilliant, I’m really pleased for the team as they’ve worked so hard – they did wonders to get the car out there and in good enough shape to allow me to do what I did in race three.” 

Round 25, the first of the weekend’s races, saw Michael achieve eighth place in the Independents Trophy and 15th overall after a solid drive from 18th on the grid. All in all, the penultimate event of the debut campaign for the smallest BTCC team was a success.

GEARBOX PROBLEMS TAINT DOYLE’S KNOCKHILL HOMECOMING 

Hometown hero Michael Doyle wasn’t quite able to achieve the results he had hoped for at Knockhill Circuit in Fife yesterday, Sunday, 17th August, during the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship’s annual visit to Scotland for rounds 22, 23 and 24.

The 21-year-old BTCC rookie from Gartocharn – making his first Knockhill appearance at the wheel of his Honda Civic Type R – saw his hopes of at least one points-scoring finish evaporate due to a recurrence of gearbox problems which have had a major bearing on his maiden touring car season to date. 

“I’m a bit gutted not to get a finish here this weekend but all credit to the team, they did an exceptional job to get the car out for every session”, said Michael, “Every one of them worked tirelessly every minute of the day and I can’t thank them enough.

“It’s great to have had such fantastic support, we had lots of friends and family here and I’m just disappointed we couldn’t give them a result. We tried really hard but it wasn’t to be with all the bad luck, we’ll have to see what we can do at Silverstone in a fortnight.” 

Backed for the weekend by daily newspaper the Scottish Sun, Michael and his Glasgow based In-Tune Racing team headed into the event in buoyant mood with high hopes of delivering some strong results.  

Unfortunately for Michael, his problems started in qualifying on Saturday afternoon when a coolant leak from the engine bay resulted in fluid on his tyres and an inevitable spin after just 10 laps. Even so, he still managed to out-qualify several drivers and lined up 19th on the grid for round 22 with a best time of 55.065 seconds (83.11mph). 

At the start of the first of Sunday’s races, Michael had a fair amount of wheel-spin but still managed to get away well and made up a couple of positions to move into 17th place ahead of the Safety Car being deployed at the start of lap two. The re-start came on lap six but as the young Scotsman battled hard with Jason Hughes, the pair made contact and both ended their involvement in the tyre barriers. 

Bitterly disappointed with the outcome, the In-Tune mechanics did a tremendous job to ensure Michael’s Honda was ready for round 23 and at the start, from 20th on the grid, he moved up one position before the end of the opening lap.  

Embroiled in tight scrap early on with four other cars battling over the top 16, as the race approached mid-distance Michael started to slip back and at the end of lap 12 he was forced to pit with gearbox and radiator problems. 

Round 24 saw Michael start at the back of the grid due to his retirement from the previous encounter. Making an outstanding getaway, the Scot gained a handful of places on the run to the first corner to move into 17th position. His terrific early progress was halted once again though when gearbox problems resurfaced. 

Michael commented: “From where I was on the grid for race three I couldn’t see the lights so I just watched one of the Halfords cars and when he went, I went. Some of the cars in front of me weren’t away as well so I gained quite a few places.

“Down onto the back straight, I tried to take sixth gear but the computer said no! I was stuck in fifth gear on the rev limiter and so I had to back off. We made some set-up changes for the third race and the car felt a lot better handling wise. That’s really the only positive we can take from the weekend. 

“We’re annoyed the gremlins with the gearbox have come back again, we really thought we’d sorted that out but something has obviously gone wrong again. We’ll get the car back to the workshop and get it all looked at. It’s been a disappointing weekend on the track but a fun one nonetheless, I want to thank everyone for their incredible support.” 

During the build-up to this weekend’s action, Michael took part in a variety of Knockhill promotional events including an appearance in Glasgow city centre alongside regulars from the British Superbike Championship – which competed at the Fife venue seven days ago – and also some photo-shoots with the Scottish Sun at the track itself. 

“I’d like to thank Jon Doran and the guys at the Scottish Sun for giving us extra support this weekend for our home event, we really have appreciated it and the additional exposure we’ve received has been invaluable alongside the fantastic support we always get from Clyde 1 radio station and the Lennox Herald”, added Michael.

Marc Orme

DOYLE CLIMBS BTCC INDEPENDENTS POINTS TABLE AT OULTON

 In-Tune Racing’s Michael Doyle once again produced performances far exceeding the capabilities of his aging Honda Civic Type R during the seventh event of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Oulton Park yesterday, Sunday, 27th July, in front of a huge 30,000 strong crowd. 

The 21-year-old Scotsman, from Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond, has raised a lot of eyebrows so far during his maiden year of BTCC action and over the weekend at Oulton Park’s Island Circuit he was on great form to climb the Independents Trophy table. 

Finishing round 19 as the ninth best Independent runner and then securing an eighth place Independents result in round 21, Michael has risen to 13th place in the class standings while also securing enough points to lift his family-led, Glasgow-based In-Tune Racing squad into the top 10 of the Team Trophy. 

“We’ve had a pretty good weekend and, as always, it’s been a pleasure working with the guys from the team who did me proud”, said Michael, “We raced well and I think we proved once again how we deserve our place in the BTCC.”

Qualifying with the 18th fastest time of 1m 29.928 seconds (89.11mph), at the start of the first of the weekend’s three races, Michael got away well and moved into 16th place before taking 15th position from the BMW 320si of Rob Collard at the hairpin. 

Dicing hard for much of the race with Harry Vaulkhard’s Chevrolet Lacetti and, latterly, the works Vauxhall Vectra of former champion Matt Neal, Michael came home in 16th place overall – less than seven 10ths of a second shy of Neal at the chequered flag. 

Race two wasn’t as joyous for the In-Tune squad when serious damage to the left-rear wheel on the Honda resulted in an eventual retirement just a couple of laps from the finish. 

Starting 16th on the grid, he made progress yet again and into lap two was running in 14th position. Unfortunately, a small mistake under braking into Old Hall forced Michael wide, spinning the car on the exit of the turn and enforcing contact with the barriers.  

Recovering to run at the tail of the field, Michael soldiered on while becoming increasingly aware of a problem which prevented him from turning right. Even so, he remarkably lapped at a consistently good pace before the problem gained severity. 

Closer inspection by the team after Michel pitted revealed the left-rear wheel had almost broken away completely from the car with damage to the suspension and entire wheel assembly. The team did an outstanding job to get the car repaired in time for race three. 

Lining up 16th on the grid, he ran well during the opening lap and then did brilliantly to emerge from chaos at Knickerbrook Chicane on lap one in 11th position. Scything his way past several stricken front-runners, the young Scot ran comfortably – following a short Safety Car period – until lap seven when Collard forced him wide at Lodge Corner. 

Recovering onto the track after the contact, Michael raced hard and managed to fend off 2008 title contender and former champion Jason Plato for a while before succumbing on lap 11. Slipping to 13th place, that’s where he remained to the flag. Impressively, he also lapped within one second of the times being done by race winner Gordon Shedden.

“Hats off to everyone in the team for getting the car turned around in time for race three after the problems we had in the second one, they did a fantastic job”, said a grateful Michael, “The weekend didn’t start too good, we tried some different things for the second practice and then put in some reasonable times in qualifying. 

“The races were good in the main. In the second one I made a blinding start but the spin at Old Hall was a real shame. I stood on the brakes a bit too hard as they were new and I ended up hitting the barriers. As the race went on the car got progressively worse at turning right until it reached the point where it wouldn’t turn right at all!” 

He added: “To finish just one second off the pace of the first three drivers in a car that’s five years old is exceptional in our eyes. We’re really pleased with the performance we’ve shown again. My best lap was actually only nine 10ths of a second off the quickest done by (Fabrizio) Giovanardi – that’s a good feeling!”

DOUBLE INDEPENDENTS POINTS FINISH DELIGHTS DOYLE

Scotland’s Michael Doyle made another leap forward in competitiveness during the sixth event of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship at Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk yesterday, Sunday, 13th July, with a best race result of 11th position during the last of the day’s three lively encounters. 

Taking the chequered flag at the end of round 18 in 12th position, the 21-year-old from Gartocharn was later promoted to 11th overall, and seventh in the Independents Trophy, following the exclusion of Adam Jones’ SEAT which was deemed to be underweight. 

Round 17 was similarly promising with the In-Tune Racing star battling wheel to wheel with the much quicker BMW 320si of Stephen Jelley for a large portion of the race. While not providing his best result of the weekend, Michael ending the race in 13th position overall, it was a true highlight as it underlined his ever developing competitiveness. 

“We made a huge improvement this weekend, it’s been fantastic and has given the entire team a lot of confidence ahead of Oulton Park in two weeks”, said Michael, “I really feel, as a driver, I could have achieved more but we made positive steps forward so I’m delighted. The team has worked so hard, they’re a fantastic bunch of guys. 

“It was nice to be racing cars that have had so much more development than our old Honda Civic and which should be much quicker than we are. We’ve made good inroads since Croft. I think the best way to sum it up is that we’ve now become a true team in the BTCC and we deserve our place in the championship, we feel we belong here.” 

Unfortunately for Michael, the promise of three solid Independents points finishes went begging during the first race of the day, round 16, when a sheared wheel nut resulted in retirement on lap two. Nonetheless, the fantastic progress the whole In-Tune Racing team has made at Snetterton has provided a major boost for the remainder of the season. 

At the start of round 17, Michael made a terrific start to move from 20th on the grid to 18th place and on lap two he moved another position higher as Jason Hughes’ MG ZS fell back. The Glaswegian ace then moved into the top 16 before the end of lap two following a spin for Jelley in his Team RAC BMW. 

By lap five, Michael was into the top 13 and looking very impressive. Five more laps into the race the recovering Jelley started to get back on terms with the In-Tune Honda Civic Type R which was now in 12th position. Although the BMW managed to get ahead at the Esses on lap 11, Michael wasn’t about to let it pull away. 

Shadowing Jelley’s more powerful car for the next three laps nose-to-tail, Michael’s potential progress was halted on the 14th tour when the Safety Car was deployed. At the re-start on lap 16, Michael fought to hold on to 12th position and he almost made it to the chequered flag without losing the place. 

Hughes, recovering in his MG, produced a very late braking move into the Esses on the inside to wrest 12th place from Michael but 13th was still a great finish. Impressively, his fastest race lap of 1m 13.929 seconds was just 1.3 seconds shy of the best managed by round 17 winner Jason Plato in his SEAT Leon TDi.

Round 18 saw Michael make steady progress as several rivals faltered and by lap six he was into the top 15. Problems for Plato on lap nine lifted the In-Tune star into 14th place and his next targets were Hughes and the Chevrolet Lacetti of Harry Vaulkhard. 

Passing Hughes on lap 13, Michael set his sights on Vaulkhard but the latter then suffered a puncture into the Esses which instantly lifted the Scotsman into the top 12 before he had chance to muster up his own passing move. Keeping Hughes at bay to the finish, Michael was then promoted into 11th place following Jones’ aforementioned exclusion. 

“I’m gutted with how race one ended but very happy with the weekend overall”, added Michael, “We’re achieving the steady progression we want, we’re getting better all of the time. I made an awesome start to the third race but I got hit from behind which knocked the steering geometry out and it took me a few laps to adjust to the feel of it. 

“Following race two, we were called in to the weighing area and it turned out we were 16 kilograms over the limit which obviously cost us a few 10ths of a second a lap. We had some problems but we also worked very well as a team and showed good pace. I know we can achieve much more but we’re making great progress. I’m really happy.”

DOYLE MASTERS CROFT RAIN FOR MAIDEN BTCC TOP 10 

HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship rookie Michael Doyle secured his, and the In-Tune Racing team’s, maiden overall top 10 BTCC finish at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire yesterday, Sunday, 1st June, during a rain-lashed 13th round of the season. 

The 20-year-old Scot from Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond ended the first of Sunday’s three BTCC races in a superb ninth position overall – ahead of front-runners Andrew Jordan, Mat Jackson, Tom Onslow-Cole and SEAT Sport UK pairing Jason Plato and Darren Turner – the result also saw Michael secure his best finish in the Independents Trophy with sixth place. 

“I’m very happy with the performance we produced this weekend”, said Michael, “We improved the car throughout and although we had a few problems and niggles during the build-up, in the first race we showed just what we can do when the car is working well and when we’re on a level playing field with the bigger teams.” 

The atrocious weather played havoc with the timetable and conditions were in stark contrast to the glorious sunshine experienced during qualifying on Saturday where Michael recorded the 19th fastest time with a lap of 1m 28.625 seconds (86.31mph).  

However, the drenched track and persistent rain acted as a welcome leveller for Michael’s team as it battles the resources of the bigger squads.  

At the start of round 13, Michael made up good ground and on the opening lap he was into 15th position and pushing hard to catch the MG ZS of Jason Hughes ahead. He was soon into 13th place and a first ever BTCC points finish looked firmly on the cards. 

Red flags were shown on lap five though after the Honda Integra of Alan Taylor collided with the already stranded BMW of Stephen Jelley at Tower Bend.  

Counted back a lap, the classification showed Michael in 14th place and therefore he was in that position on the grid for the re-start. Problems with his Honda’s battery did look as though Michael wouldn’t be able to start from the grid but, very thankfully, he managed to fire the car up before going on to make a terrific getaway as others struggled for grip.  

Running in 10th place as he approached Sunny In, the In-Tune racer then passed Harry Vaulkhard under braking to take ninth. The Safety Car appeared at the start of lap two due to another car off at Tower and red flags followed for a second time soon after. On the grounds of safety due to the terrible conditions, the race was then declared a result. 

Driving beautifully on the soddened track, Michael underlined his ability given the right equipment and looked forward to producing more of the same in round 14. He looked set for another top 10 too early on, but a gearbox problem on lap two was the start of an eventual retirement which came on lap seven – the issue also meant he missed round 15. 

“In race two I had a reasonable start and through the first few corners I had a good battle with Adam Jones and Mike Jordan”, said Michael, “Everything looked good and I think we had the chance to fight for another top 10 but as I came to brake at Tower on my second lap, the gearbox got stuck between sixth and fifth so I couldn’t stop the car. 

“I ended up in the crop field on the outside. I rejoined a long way down but in the end I had to pit as the problem got worse. It was such a shame the weather caused problems with the timetable as, if the third race had started as originally scheduled, we’d have had the car ready in time for round 15. We just needed about another 15 minutes.” 

With a full six weeks to wait until the next BTCC event of the season at Snetterton in Norfolk on 12th/13th July, Michael and his In-Tune Racing team will make good use of the break to try and attract some vital sponsorship to enable them to build on the excellent promise they showed at Croft this weekend. 

He added: “Hopefully we’ll make it to Snetterton, it’s all budget dependant but hopefully the result we achieved today will go some way to helping us attract more sponsors. I had a lot of fun in the car today and I really enjoyed racing in the top 10. With the right backing, we know that’s where we can be on a regular basis.” 

BATTLING DOYLE IMPRESSES WITH THRUXTON PACE 

Promising young touring car racer Michael Doyle enjoyed his most competitive run of the 2008 season at Thruxton in Hampshire yesterday, Sunday, 18th May – a credit to the determination of the Scotsman’s In-Tune Racing team having been badly let down by a number of non-attending mechanics just two days prior to the race meeting. 

With a skeleton squad arriving at the 2.35-mile venue on Friday, things looked bleak for the 20-year-old ahead of the latest HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship outing. 

But with some very encouraging race performances, and assistance from sidelined BTCC racer Nick Leason, the Gartocharn based driver managed to achieve his second Independents Trophy points finish of the year with a terrific top 15 result in round 10. It could have been even better too, had it not been for some errant blue flags! 

“I was lapping quicker than Robert Collard ahead in the Motorbase BMW 320si and I was confident I’d be able to have a go at him but then I started to be shown blue flags”, explained Michael, “I could see (Gordon) Shedden approaching with his lights on and it wasn’t until I got back to the pits I realised we were racing for position. 

“When I backed off to let him by, heeding the blue flags I’d been shown incorrectly, it meant I lost momentum behind Collard and so lost the chance of gaining more places and points. That was a real shame.” 

Aiming to continue his progress during round 11, things looked promising as he made a better getaway than in the first encounter and he fought with some much quicker machines such as the Motorbase BMW of Steven Kane, the Honda Civic of Tom Chilton and the Honda Integras of Mike and Andrew Jordan. 

The Safety Car was deployed on lap two and at that point Michael was in 15th position. At the re-start on lap six, the talented rookie held station and started to lap quicker than the likes of Mike Jordan and Gareth Howell’s SEAT Toledo. 

On lap 10 though, a front wheel bearing failure as he approached Noble – where he suffered a huge accident when racing in the ELF Renault Clio Cup support series last year – saw Michael spin off the circuit. Collecting part of an advertising hoarding over the radiator of his Honda Civic, he was forced to retire to the pits when his engine overheated. 

Missing out on another solid top 15 result, Michael’s luck didn’t improve when it became obvious the overheating had caused damage to the engine and would keep him out of the third race of the day, round 12. 

“Unfortunately we had gearbox problems again but hopefully we’ll have them sorted out before Croft in two weeks. Then the engine temperature went through the roof when the advertising board got stuck over the radiator. We need to wait and see what the engine builders tell us before we make a decision about the next event”, said Michael. 

“It’s been a very difficult weekend for us as we were badly let down on Thursday by three guys who had been working with us so that put us on the backfoot before we’d even turned a wheel on the car. 

“Thankfully, Nick Leason helped us out by putting me onto his brother Tony and some other friends who came down to Thruxton to help us out. I can’t thank Nick enough and also Tony, Alan, Paul and Carol – they really did us proud and enabled us to have a couple of good races. Thanks must go to everyone who rolled up their sleeves!” 

The fifth race meeting of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship, rounds 13, 14 and 15, will take place just a fortnight from now over the weekend 31st May/1st June at North Yorkshire’s Croft Circuit. 

Michael added: “I really hope we’ll be at Croft but we have to be realistic, we need to attract more sponsors but without being on track and getting the results it’s very difficult – it’s the age-old problem of motor racing. We’ll just have to see what happens.” 

 

In-Tune Racing’s Michael Doyle opened his HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship Independents Trophy points account at Donington Park National Circuit yesterday, Sunday, 4th May, during round seven of the season – the highlight of an otherwise trying weekend for the young Scottish racer.

 

After suffering a recurrence of the gearbox problems which have dogged his maiden BTCC campaign during Free Practice on Saturday morning, the 20-year-old touring car rookie was forced to miss the second session but did make it out for qualifying where he posted the 23rd fastest time in his Honda Civic.

 

It wasn’t a trouble-free session by any means, a coming together with John George following a spin at the Old Hairpin limiting Michael’s running to just seven laps.

 

Racing strongly during the first of Sunday’s races, the ELF Renault Clio Cup race winner secured an overall result of 15th position and was therefore the 10th placed Independents runner to take his first point of the championship. The finish was an achievement in itself as opening lap contact made his car a handful to drive for the remainder of the race.

 

Compounded by a break to his gear linkage and a loss of pressure in the clutch, Michael worked wonders to bring the car home in the Independents Points.

 

The BTCC newcomer, who lives in Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond and away from the track works for his family’s Glasgow based In-Tune Garage Services business, hoped for more from round eight where he would start 15th on the grid but his race ended almost before it began when his engine developed a problem on the start line.

 

It also meant he wouldn’t be able to contest the third of the day’s races so all in all it was a very trying weekend for the young Scotsman. Now, he is focusing on the race meeting perhaps furthest from home – the fourth event of the year at Thruxton in Hampshire which takes place a fortnight from now.

 

“It’s been a really disappointing weekend”, said Michael, “We’ve had a lot of problems with the car and to be honest I don’t know how we managed to come home in the points in the first race. We’ll stay positive though, as soon as these niggles are sorted out I’m confident we’ll be able to move up the grid and challenge for some good results.

 

“Thruxton is next on the calendar in a couple of weeks, you definitely need a strong engine there so hopefully we’ll have everything sorted out and be able to show what we can do. I still feel optimistic and I’m looking forward to it.”

 

DREAM RESULT JUST ELUDES DOYLE AT RAINY ROCKINGHAM 

Scottish saloon car ace Michael Doyle came within just a handful of laps of achieving a dream top 10 result at Rockingham in Northamptonshire yesterday, Sunday, 13th April, during the sixth round of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship. 

Only half a dozen races into his first ever year of touring car competition, the 20-year-old from Gartocharn produced a stunning performance in horrendous conditions and was on the verge of a career-best ninth place overall when an unfortunate excursion seven laps from home brought his race to an untimely end. 

With numerous front-runners coming to grief on the drenched International Super Sports Car Circuit, the In-Tune Racing ace revelled in the conditions to climb from 20th on the grid to 13th within the space of a couple of laps. 

Running in the top 12 on lap six, Michael started to reel in 11th-placed Erkut Kizilirmak and before too long he had steered his Honda Civic Type R into the top 10. The Safety Car was deployed on lap nine due to a couple of cars off the circuit and at the re-start on lap 12, Michael looked set to secure by far his best ever BTCC result. 

Sadly though, as has been the luck since his championship debut at Brands Hatch a fortnight ago, the ELF Renault Clio Cup graduate slid out of contention over the soaked grass of the Rockingham infield, inevitable contact with the barriers bringing the curtain down on a spirited and highly impressive drive.   

The In-Tune Garage Services and Andrew Watt Car Components backed racer certainly deserved more from round six which, incidentally, was screened live on ITV4, but with such great progress made Michael is full of confidence ahead of the third event of the season at Donington Park National Circuit in Leicestershire on 3rd/4th May. 

“It was an unfortunate end to the third race but I really enjoyed myself out there and I think we did a fantastic job in the conditions”, commented Michael, “When I managed to get up to ninth place I really did think we were on for our first ever BTCC points. It was a shame the race ended in the barriers but I think we acquitted ourselves well in difficult conditions. 

“There are many more positives than negatives to come out of the weekend and the whole team is confident we can move forward again at Donington in three weeks. Whether it rains or it’s dry, I’m really looking forward to it and I feel we’re beginning to really get our teeth into racing in the BTCC.” 

The start of the weekend on Saturday saw the In-Tune squad hampered by a series of niggling gremlins which persisted throughout both free practice sessions and then resulted in Michael being forced to miss qualifying through a mixture of clutch and gearbox issues. 

Working hard to prepare the car in time for Sunday’s first race, the team did a great job and after posting a top 20 finish in round four, Michael went on to suffer an unfortunate retirement in round five. The final race proved to be a major turn around though, the young Scotsman’s skill in the pouring rain a treat to watch.

He added: “We cured the gremlins from Brands Hatch and Andy Scott (chief engineer) helped us a lot with the set-up this weekend which made a huge difference. Things were going well initially on Saturday but then the clutch packed in and as soon as we had rectified that problem, then the gearbox started causing us some troubles again. 

“In the end we got things sorted out and I think we can take a lot of confidence from the way we performed in the third race. The problems were unfortunate and we obviously don’t have the biggest budget out there. We’re doing a good job with what we have though and we’re working hard on trying to secure more sponsors as the weeks go by.” 

Yesterday was also notable for the visit of several youngsters from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Michael welcoming the children prior to the first race where he posed for photos and also signed autographs.  

Charity work is something he attaches a great deal of importance to and he was also keen to show his respect during a minute’s applause at Rockingham on Sunday morning which was held in memory of late BTCC family members David Leslie and Richard Lloyd, both of whom were killed during a tragic air crash on 30th March. 

Highlights of Rockingham’s race action will be screened late tonight, Monday, 14th April, on the UK’s leading commercial station ITV1 at 01.05. Freeview, cable and digital satellite channel ITV4, and cable and digital satellite station Men & Motors, will broadcast additional re-runs later in the week – please check TV listings for details. 

Rounds seven, eight and nine of the 2008 BTCC season will take place at Donington Park National Circuit, Leicestershire, three weeks from now on 3rd/4th May

BTCC ROOKIE DOYLE ACHIEVES TOP 15 GOAL ON DEBUT 

In-Tune Racing’s Michael Doyle climbed a literal mountain at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit over the weekend, 29th/30th March, to achieve a deserved top 15 race result on his HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship debut. 

The 20-year-old Scotsman, who has made the step-up to the BTCC in its 50th anniversary season after a successful three-year tenure in the ELF Renault Clio Cup support series, arrived at the Kent track on Friday without an engine in his BTC-specification Honda Civic Type-R and faced a race against time to get the car prepared for Saturday’s qualifying. 

Although forced to miss the opening free practice as the team mechanics put the final finishing touches to the car, Michael emerged on track in the second session but was only able to complete an installation lap due to a power steering glitch. 

With a persistent misfire and gear problem throughout qualifying, Michael lined up 25th on the grid for his maiden BTCC race having never even driven the car before. Forced to pit after several laps due to the recurrent misfire, he did re-emerge five laps down on the leaders but wasn’t classified in the results due to not having completed sufficient distance. 

Round two saw the In-Tune racer, who lives in Gartocharn on the banks of Loch Lomond, start 22nd on the grid and he eventually finished in 18th place after a see-saw battle to place himself on row nine of the grid for Sunday afternoon’s third and final race. 

Easily his most impressive and promising drive of the weekend, the In-Tune Garage Services and Andrew Watt Car Components backed star ran much more strongly in the third encounter, adapting to cope with his car’s continued problems. 

Although the race was affected by two Safety Car periods, Michael kept his cool and ran in 16th position on lap 14 after getting ahead of the S2000-specification Chevrolet Lacetti of Harry Vaulkhard. An entertaining battle with Arkas Racing team-mates Erkut Kizilirmak and Martyn Bell then ensued, Michael emerging ahead and taking 15th place at the flag. 

Showing gritty determination and commitment throughout his first weekend in the BTCC, the top 15 finish was just reward for a great effort and never-say-die attitude. With more time in the car and some genuine test opportunities, Michael is confident he and his team can quickly move higher up the British Touring Car Championship pecking order. 

Perhaps most impressive was the fact Michael had to contend with the misfire, problems with his gears on the downshift and a blank dash-board display in every race. Yet he managed to work around the issues to improve with every outing, even though things got progressively worse throughout raceday. 

“We said at the start of the weekend if we could finish in the top 15 we’d be delighted and that’s what we managed to do in race three”, he commented, “Actually, to bring the car home in all three races was a great achievement considering we haven’t tested, we missed the first free practice and then only had one lap in the second practice. 

“Qualifying was our first proper run with the car and that’s when problems with a misfire and the gears came to light and compromised things. It’s been very hard work and our budget is tight but we’re confident we’ll improve as the weeks and months go by. There is much more to come from me and the car, we’re not in the BTCC to make up the numbers. 

“Without any testing at all, to have been lapping just a second off the pace of Fabrizio Giovanardi (reigning BTCC Champion) was really satisfying with all of the problems we’ve had. From 52.1 second laps in round one, we got down to 50.8 second lap times in the third race. Racing in the BTCC is my dream and I can’t wait for the next round now.”

Highlights of Sunday’s action from Brands Hatch will be broadcast on ITV1 late tonight, Monday, 31st March, at 00.50. Further screenings will be carried on Men & Motors and ITV1 during the coming week, please check listings for further details. 

The second BTCC race meeting of the season, featuring rounds four, five and six, will take place two weeks from now at Rockingham International Super Sports Car Circuit in Northamptonshire on 12th/13th April. 

pics : Jakob Ebrey Photography