The British Touring Car Championship: A Thrilling Experience

There is a good reason why the British Touring Car Championship is so popular, not only because of the unbelievably close and exciting racing but also due to the fact that the cars resemble those you can walk into a showroom and buy. Matt Neal, a 25-year veteran of the BTCC and Honda Civic driver, shares his experience with us. He explains that a lot of trust goes into it, which is based on the new Civic Type-R, introduced in 2015, an awesome piece of kit. In British Touring cars, they have to run many common components for every car to try and even the field, which takes away from the excitement.

One of the key areas where the new race car and the new road car differ is aerodynamics. The restrictions on aerodynamics are one of the things that come into play in British Touring cars. They also have to work with boost restrictions, which keep them pulled back at times. The engine produces around 370 brake horsepower and about 450 Newton meters of torque, but peak power comes in around 3000 RPM, resulting in a pretty even split between top speed and mid-corner speed.

Matt Neal also highlights the phenomenal brakes on these cars. As you hit that middle pedal, the car will slow down quickly, but you won't lock the brakes from high speed. The pressure is evenly distributed through the braking area, allowing for good balance. However, he notes that when tuning the car for mid-corner speed with rear-wheel steer, it can feel a little bit spooky in the middle part of the corners as the rear starts to come around on you.

The Odyssey victory Cup experience was quite thrilling for Matt Neal. He mentions that the car feels very big because of its low profile, but when you look at it from an angle, it's actually not that much bigger than a normal Civic course. The steering is light and positive, making it easy to drive. However, if you're over-revving or downshifting, the car will cut the throttle for you, which can be both good and bad.

When driving on the track, Matt Neal emphasizes the importance of feeling everything that's going on with the car, including braking down. The steering is very responsive and enjoys being driven aggressively, especially when it comes to high-speed cornering. He notes that the car takes over and allows you to really lean into the turns. It's not just about being fast in a straight line but rather about the high-speed cornering where the car truly shines.

Matt Neal also shares his experience with the DRS system, which is used on some tracks during the BTCC. He explains that it's not much slower than the regular cars and that it's really fun to use. However, he notes that some people might find it disconcerting to be in a car that can accelerate so quickly.

One of the unique things about driving a British Touring Car is the fact that it feels like you're racing in a normal hot hatchback but with the added speed and agility of a proper racing car. Matt Neal concludes by saying that he loves everything about the car, from its direct and immediate steering to its phenomenal braking performance. He believes that these cars are incredibly fun to drive and that anyone can get behind the wheel and feel confident in their abilities.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthere is a good reason the British Touring Car Championship is so popular not only is the racing unbelievably close and exciting the cars resemble those you can walk into a showroom and buy just how close is a British Touring Car to his road-going equivalent Matt Neal a Honda Civic driver and 25-year veteran of the BTCC is generous enough to let us find out it's a lot of trust going into it is based on the the new Civic type-r which is just come out in 2015 it is an awesome piece of kit and in British Touring cars we have to run so many components common components which to every cartridge to try and even the field that closed all that book yeah we are allowed our own engine we are loaded I'll add around chassis and arrow so aerodynamics is one of the key areas of the new race car and the new road car we're pushing out again with restrictions which we have to work through boost restrictions which they keep on pulling us back about 370 brake horsepower and about 450 Newton meters of torque but you got peak power coming in like around 3000 so that's pro so it's pretty full split then it's not peeking what's it rents are 7,000 but as soon as you you get it going it will pull on the reins yeah excellent and what should I they should not be wary of getting closer to limit they can bite you a little bit so it's something to watch out for other things to look out for the brakes are phenomenal actually as hard as you can hit that middle pedal yeah you will slow the car yeah from high speed you won't lock the brace but you know and then you'll sort of bleed out that the pressure is you're getting through into the braking area but you can trail the brake all the way into the apex of the corner and that's the balance like if you do that you get balanced is good but we play we tune the car a lot for mid-corner speed with the rear wheel steer so you can it can feel a little bit spooky in the middle part of the corners the rear starts to come around on you but it's just that's that's it doing its job yeah what thanks very much and I'll bring it back as it is best of luck nor alive I'm in the inside of Matthew Neal's Odyssey victory Cup what can I tell you about Tory car they feel very big because you know what you said very low just hit right in the middle it feels much bigger than the normal Civic course it is at all including two on the inside because there's every chance the chimera gets knocked off in a first corner it's quite an intimidating piece of kit I must be honest use the clutch to get away everybody uses the same seat speed transmission you don't need it anymore talk stare at these low revs is a fairly frequent as a kid brake pedal feel is good the steering is light that is just all around as soon as younger brother is quite a lot daughter year shift is really positive you just gotta shove it through and it cuts the throttle for you but if you are over revving and you downshift anywhere like so get shift lights on a service a red capture now 2/5 on this back straight there's little snow circuit and substations sir through their crab second for this one his mother more money than I am lovely steering's able to be fair not this on a road car but it's a little bit too my views really came to be in a fairly frugal hot hatchback to let this go to talk Sudhir through to the rim these days but yeah you certainly feel everything that's going on be breaking down and they do the down ships apparently I think the big difference between right car race car you see mouse arrow done have accurate that it will give you space but I'm supposed to get very much it's a pretty cool thing it's amazing it's so instantly responsive what it really enjoys you give it the more you get after it just no supplies you Kelly throwing Rotten say if I pack in any way more Omegan it's okay I'm loving this this try fancy racing monoxide to any other knock jobs Egypt has excelled you start to feel it he'll be back to you you do really need to be really positive roll over the straight night speed is fun enough not the thing that's disconcerting about this now DRS reason of that not much slower in a straight line mom this does is health recorders it's because you can't quite comprehend bubble say what about somebody eating on a track day car everybody Supergirl I don't race in car cuz I tell you all no it's good though it's good fun let's make up yeah well thing it's just it's it's slightly a tip dagger first because if you say that much lower it feels that much bigger than a Civic doesn't it but yeah yeah let's go but I love its everything so direct and so immediate and that's you know that's that's not so it's just the steering's mega yeah yeah yeah nice mega but I'm not anywhere near it but it's just it's yeah it's a confidence up in its and sucks I sort of believe and realize what you can do on the brakes we stand on its nose really yeah because it's not the it's not the straight-line acceleration is it that is startling cuz you just go yeah okay actually a fast sports car this is great straight corners aren't the impressive bit it's the high speed cornering what's what's the speed does the arrow take over and you can really lean on it let me say about you know sort of third fourth gear come on Rebecca confidence that it does it does you can see been out of the car for a couple months you have to really build up again yeah yeah it's not quite as intimidating as you because I thought it might be yeah you get a joke apart you put fresh tires on it now or fresher another set of fresh tires on it brilliant ahead of the tires last during the race so pretty good I mean the hard one you can be as fast to the last up is you're on a ferry here and they've got a tunnel just come out with a new soft tire for us which again is Omega so it's quite gratified presumably you can push as hard as you want as much for as long as you like just for the moment you\n"