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The return of Nick Foster to the BTCC heads pre-Rockingham news

By MJP Media | 2 September 2015

Nick Foster to drive the Team IHG Rewards Club BMW at Rockingham. Swindon Engines to supply the 'TOCA' engine into 2021. RML to supply specified chassis, suspension and associated components for the BTCC.

Nick Foster in his 2014 WSR-prepared BMW 125i M Sport

Former BTCC podium finisher Nick Foster is to make a one-off return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this weekend after it was confirmed he would drive the Team IHG Rewards Club BMW at Rockingham with Andy Priaulx missing the event due to scheduled GT commitments with BMW. After careful consideration of some 16 interested drivers, both IHG Rewards Club and West Surrey Racing opted for Foster's return.

The experienced driver spent four seasons with West Surrey Racing in the BTCC - scoring one podium - and raced for the squad from the outset of its NGTC-spec BMW 1-Series project in 2013. Foster enjoyed a competitive two years behind the wheel of the all-conquering BMW 125i M Sport and helped the outfit secure Teams' and Independent Teams' titles in 2014.

Swindon Engines will supply the 'TOCA' engine into 2021

Series organiser TOCA has awarded the five-year contract for the supply of a new NGTC-spec 'TOCA' engine to Swindon Engines. The requirement to make available to teams a cost competitive engine with proven durability has been fulfilled by Swindon Engines since the introduction of the NGTC regulations back in 2011. With that term concluding next year, this new contract and engine will take the partnership between the two organisations through to 2021.

This latest tender was scheduled as part of a 'mid-term' NGTC evaluation, as per the Technical Partnership recently awarded to RML to provide specified chassis, suspension and associated components to BTCC teams. Nine engine manufacturers entered the first phase of the tender process, from which a four-strong shortlist was selected to present to a Review Panel comprising of TOCA and some nine BTCC teams which included teams using TOCA engines and all other major engines run in the championship.

RML helped Jason Plato win the 2010 BTCC Drivers' Championship

In other news, TOCA has awarded a vital Technical Partner contract to the RML Group for the supply of the specified chassis, suspension and associated components for the MSA British Touring Car Championship. The Wellingborough-based RML Group are widely regarded as one of the world's leading touring car design and engineering companies. After a lengthy tender process which began earlier this year, the 'BTCC Design Group' - comprising many of the championship's leading designers and engineers - selected RML for the six-year term commencing in 2016. With NGTC regulations first being introduced back in 2011 for a ten-year period, this new contract comes following the scheduled 'mid-term' evaluation.

As the successful applicant to provide NGTC chassis design, engineering and component supply services, RML will undertake comprehensive evaluation and design work. Initially this will involve concentrating on some technical updates which will be available to all teams for the 2016 season onwards - the vast majority of which will be compatible and interchangeable with current components. A team can then choose to use some or all (or none) of the updates, purely depending on their own requirements and budgets.

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