Team Halfords - News and Announcements

Team Halfords return for Season 2


garyp3398 during testing last year

Team Halfords today announced it's intention to return to the AG Tuning British Touring Car Championship for a second season. The team will be retaining the services of drivers ckBrenneke and garyp3398, although the option of a third driver currently remains open. Their return to the BTCC follows what team leader ckBrenneke describes as a 'strong but underachieveing' first season which saw them pick up a single third place podium.

"We really walked into season one blind," ckBrenneke commented yesterday. "Our car was underdeveloped, down on power, and had been a late choice. As you see in touring cars all the time, an untested car may have potential, but it also has numerous pitfalls. On top of that, none of us really had the experience of driving against such talented individuals as we faced last season."


ckBrenneke and jenson09 locked in battle at Sunset Infield

Although the decision on what car the team will be driving is yet to be made, garyp3398 has confirmed that they have narrowed the field down.

"We've spent the last few days out at Mugello testing what we hope will be a championship contending car," he said. "The chassis is good, really good, and against our other test mules, we were lapping consistently a full second ahead. ckBrenneke hasn't spent as much time in the car as myself, as I have been out tuning it with the team, but when he joined us yesterday he instantly bonded with the car.
"The hope is that once we have our decision ratified, we can go out at the general test session/media day and rattle a few cages!"


ckBrenneke guns it round Silverstone National at Round 24

What is for certain is that the team will not be returning to the Civics that they ran last year. News broke last night that the cars have been sold off to Austin Motorsport, which will also see technical support and advice being offered to the team. The decision has also been made to box the Integra that the team ran for craigsteralex last year following his decision to return to the prostreet arena.

"It's been a good car to us," ckBrenneke replied when we inquired, "and we don't want to sell it on, at least not yet. The technology in it is still strong enough to compete with arguably stonger cars, which we saw at Laguna Seca last year. With a bit of tinkering, we can bring it up to spec and in line with this years regulations. But that's for another time. We're busy with our new car just now."

The boys at Team Halfords have been hard at work in the close season with their newest project. Seen in testing at Maple Valley Short, their assault on Season 2 of the BTCC will be spearheaded by a pair of imported Honda Civic Si coupes.

WOW.......again
Don't even think my car would win a livery comp this time

STOP PRESS!!!

Rumour has it that Team Halfords are signing a high profile third driver to their squad. News to be formally announced on media day.

The team's Civic Si's have also been spotted in testing sporting a new livery.

More news as it comes in.

Team Halfords is delighted to announce that jenson09 has agreed terms with the squad. He will be contesting the second season of the BTCC in the third of the team's Honda Civic Si Coupes, revealed at the Media Day yesterday. The team had originally hoped to announce the news at the media day itself, but due to unforeseen circumstances, jenson09 was unable to attend.


ckBrenneke attacks one of Sunset Infield's sweeping corners in the new Civic Si

ckBrenneke said "We are absolutely delighted to have jenson09 onboard. Undoubtedly, we see his signing as a major coup. A driver of his caliber racing for us, we believe, states firmly that Team Halfords is a force to be reckoned with, and is a contender for the Teams title this year."

garyp3398, who was instrumental in signing jenson09, added "With the team now at full strength, and a car which we feel has great potential, we can't wait till the 9th December." garyp3398 has been lead test on the new car, brought in to replace the outgoing Civic Type R 2007. He spent all his free time in the workshop developing the build and tune for the car with the Team Halfords engineers, and is rightly proud of his achievement. "We've been setting some cracking times in testing, which gives us real hope for the car. We're hoping to get out to Maple Valley for a team test session shortly to give jenson09 his first run out in the Civic."


The all-new (and very dirty!) Halfords Civic Si sporting its new livery


garyp3398


jenson09


ckBrenneke

jenson09 got his frs taste of his newBTCC changer earlier today at te Maple Valley circuit which will play host to the start of the new BTCC season next week

The new Team Halfords driver concentrated on set up work head of the first race aswell as getting to know his new car. His first test had the Halford driver at roughly half a second off the overall testng pace.

"It really is a great deal to get the chance to race for such an etablished team in the BTCC. The new Civic Si is an awesome car to drive and I'm really pleased with it so far. It's only the second time I've really driven a longer wheelbase touring car but the handling is sublime. I think we can realy make a difference this year with this car and hopefully get stuck in and get some deserved wins under our belt."

"It's important to me to repay the teams faith in me. I'm not going to say I'll be winning from day one but I'd like to think that elusive victory is not too far away!"

em jenson, i think your display pic is broken!

Its showing for me mate....and how did you get your avatar as your pic??

Looks fine to me!

lol ta mate!! Thats scarily accurate actually

Final testing for the first round of the BTCC showed that Team Halfords seems to be in good shape for the season ahead.
Second driver jenson09 had this to say:

"Testing has proven really positive. There hasn't been one point where I've got in the car and gone 'oh dear!.'
I think we have not just a quick car but a consistant one too. The handling is such that my somewhat aggressive driving style seems to not upset it too much. And I could stay with ck throughout the test."

The only incedent during the test was a small collision on the exit of turn one as ck and jenson09 simulated a race start. Neither car was seriously damaged and both continued.

Team Halfords very much looks forward to the first race tomorrow night.

Race 1 comments:

Team Halfords had a steady opening to S2 of the BTCC. The team lies third in the standings with controlled races from both drivers.

Jenson's side of the garage:

Qualifying highlighted a few issues with his adaptation to the the new car and showed that on this circuit at least, he was not on form, qualifying last but one.

Race 1: First race of the season and after a so so start he was fighting with AJZero and Aid123x for the lower places. A promising finish was ruined when contact with Aid into turn one saw the Halfords driver turned off the track and plumb last. Racing incedent.

The rest of the meeting was a similar story. Twice at the final hairpin he found trouble and first, with AJZero running wide jenson09 made a move up the inside only to be sandwiched between AJ and DAN who had made an optimistic lunge too. In the finl round he was tagged by one of the Stobart Focus's enough to run him wide and drop him to the back of the pack. Again the Halfords man considered it to simply be a racing incedent. It's touring cars after all!!
On two occasions he would turn into Turn 1 and find cars sideways infront of him. On both occasions quick reactions kept him out of trouble but delayed his progress.
On the whole he was slightly disappointed with the outcome but he admitted this was one of his least favourite tracks. Hopefully there will be better chances at the next event.

(Pics to follow)

Jenson09's BTCC Postcards..... a little feature that will be popping up after each race to show life in the BTCC races from the new Halfords drivers POV.

First up: Maple Syrup...


Spent most the first race hounded by DAN... not something I recommend to many. The racing was close (sometimes MOT exam close) but always fair... a great guy to have in our series.


A glimmer of hope as Aid123x ran very wide into Turn 1. Ever the opportunist DAN would follow me through.


This just shows how on the edge both DAN and myself were pushing. Using all of the track and a tad more in our pass of Aid


Typical BTCC!!! AJZero had run wide in the final hairpin and attempted to close me down. DAN had sneaked up the inside of me and I ended up in a touring car sandwich. Sadly DAN spun and AJ bounced wide again.


The view of that from Aid..... it really could be from the real BTCC!!


So that left myself and Aid in the run up to the first turn. I managed to outbrake him and was well up the inside. Perhaps optimistically he stayed steadfast to his line and turned in. Should be interesting....


So on the grass we ended!! Shame but hey, racing incident in my book. Plus managed to practice my Rallycross skills regaining control of the vehicle.


So onward to Race 3 and I was right up there.... until the Stobart boys stormed past then chose to show off their rally driving by simulating this excellent synchronised slide..... I was just behind them,... and pooing myself!


Only the pass didn't last long.. a friendly nudge from one of the Fords was enough to push me out wide and to the back of the pack. Can't help but notice the mele unfolding up ahead.... for a change.

So thats the postcard from Maple Valley. ame away from the meeting feeling we hadn't achieved much but to see where we are in the Teams standings made up for it.
Bring on Suzuka. Hopefully the Honda will get some home grown inspiration for its backyard race!

HAHAHAHA awesome pic of me and Nick didnt think we both got sideways like that great race though. Hopefully it will be as tight in Suzuka

Jenson09 wrote:
Spent most the first race hounded by DAN... not something I recommend to many. The racing was close (sometimes MOT exam close) but always fair... a great guy to have in our series.

Great report there mate. And even better pictures I have to say. Mainly because you can see my team cars right behind you. HA HA HA HA!!!

Thanks as well for the nice comment about me. It's nice to know that I'm welcome in this forum with a bunch of great guys.

Your always gonna be welcome here mate, no matter what some certain people say or do

Well there's not MANY people I race with that I know there is all but no chance of contact. There were points such as passing Aid where I think there was probably mere inches between us. A lesser driver would forget the brake or that your finger CAN infact come off the accellerator! Such is the general quality of the community we have built here.
I mean, I COULD flip off the handle about the contact with Aid, with the Stobart boys and AJ buuuut I understand this is RACING and more to the point TOURING CARS.... aslong as people know I'm liable to dish it out too

Looking forwardto Suzuka now

The whole idea i think with turing cars is that there has to be a little ardgy bardgy otherwise its just not as fun however there is a line and i dont think any of us crossed that on tuesday

Nah. I always live by the rule that the BTCC guys have which is a pass is on if you're bonnet is at the drivers side door. Any further back is a fishtail risk and thats not on.

IMO no one crossed the line in my race. Yes the fact I got nudged to the back was unfortunate but given a longer race distance I mightve been able to catch up.

LOL at the Stobarts sideways!! I did that ith CK in the A Lobby

Seen that pic!! Yeah very good. lol. Looks like you guys have yet to learn you're in BTCC not WRC

great report, i really enjoyed this race and how close it was, sorry about the contact jenson i would have said sorry straight away but my headset was broke

Thats ok bud. Like I said it was a racing incident. No bad feelings
(Now if only MORE people on these forums could behave the same eh?)

so far most people have seemed to be quite fair so i have no complaints atm lol. and when i said a bit of ardgy bardgy i just meen a little bit of rubbin which happens all the time in the BTCC not hitting into people deliberately or something like that lol