SPEAKER_01 0:00

Good to see you back for uh another season, twenty twenty-six British Touring Car Championship. Coming back with a renewed vigour, I think. When I w saw you walk in this morning, you got that that uh little trip in your step and a look in your eye. You're looking forward to this season.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Yeah, it's um obviously last year didn't didn't go to plan in many ways, and um so yeah, to be back is is brilliant. It's ever since that last round I did at the end of last year was uh or halfway through last year was the only focus was I need to be back on the grid and um you know with some machinery that I can I can have a good go with and hopefully be here to stay.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

So yeah, all good. So you've joined uh Chris Smiley at Restart Racing in in the high-end eye. Um Chris is focused, the team is focused. You're joining, you know, uh at an interesting developmental stage for Restart Racing. That must be exciting in itself as well.

SPEAKER_00 0:48

Yeah, it is. Um, and that's why I think it's a nice fit. You know, they yes, they've been in Tury Cars now for two years and already had had a lot of success, but um that's kind of the the tip of the iceberg for for everyone in the team, you know, they've got a real good trajectory going forwards, like you say, everybody's super focused on it, and um hopefully I can I can help push that forward even quicker and um yeah, help to add to that. So yeah, it's really exciting. And so far, obviously we've only done Croft, but the car feels really good, and um, so yeah, I'm really really happy.

SPEAKER_01 1:18

Uh you you say it felt really good. Were you were you pleased with your performance as well as what you you sort of got out of the car and how the car was performing? Did you did you learn enough? I guess is what I'm asking from Croft to now come to Brands Hatch and say, right, we're making steps forward.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Yeah, I mean the nice thing is we didn't have to do a lot to the car, so we changed a few little bits to to make it more suited to to what I wanted from it, but that shows we've the baseline of the car is pretty good, so um, which I knew anyway, but you know, to to experience it myself. Last year's car was the only touring car I've ever driven and did very little testing beforehand anyway. So I was coming into this still pretty green to touring cars, and um, yeah, the the performance was was good um you know compared to the rest of the field in testing, you never can truly know um you know what anybody's doing. And so the idea was just focus on ourselves, focus on what I feel from the car and what more I want. And um, yeah, we found a nice balance with it. We finished a couple of hours early on on the second day and you know was happy with with what we'd done. So um yeah, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, trying it now at another circuit. But yeah, compared to to coming into last year with my you know being in my first season, I feel way better prepared and and um really excited.

SPEAKER_01 2:30

Uh what was your your biggest learning point from your first season in in the British Touring Car Championship?

SPEAKER_00 2:36

I think for me, going going back to front-wheel drive, because I've not driven front wheel drive for for many many years, and also a front-wheel drive car with the type of power that that a touring car has and and all the differences in setup that that comes with it, and um that for me was the biggest thing. Yes, the racing is is what it is and what we all love, but um you know it takes a little bit of getting used to having come from endurance racing, but at the same point, as a driver, you know, you just get stuck in and and and do the best you can. But yeah, I think you know a couple of top fives in quality last year were evidence that I kind of got to grips with the car fairly quickly, but I also didn't have a reference point in terms of the car as to what it should feel like, so it was always a bit of a make it up as we go along to a degree and just do the best we can. And um, it was then frustrating to not you know always have the the ability to um to finish the races and and uh you know you know Truxton was the worst for me, for example. You know, qualifying was great, and then race three, we started on pole looking like we've got a you know decent pace, and then two laps in the car breaks down. So um it was difficult, but then at the same point, I've I've you know I now know how the races work, I understand you know, all that side of it and what the car should feel like. And so coming into this year, I yeah, I feel I'm not the newbie on the block anymore, you know. So um, yeah, I'm I'm really looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

On that basis, therefore, what sort of expectation have you made of yourself for let's say the first half of the season? We've got four, I think it's four weekends until we go uh on the break. Um so where do you want to be? What what are you expecting of of your own performance?

SPEAKER_00 4:15

I think it's difficult to have expectations. I believe in in my own ability and I know we've got a good car and a good team around us, so um there's no reason at all why we can't be battling for overall podiums and and and race wins. Likewise, we're entering one of the most competitive, if not the most competitive championship in in the UK, and um and so it's never gonna be easy for anybody. And so realistically, I I always enter any championship with no expectation but just a desire to go to you know win everything I enter. So um obviously Jack C has been he's he's number one. Um I I have to try and you know um clinch, but then at the same point, the team won the independence last year, we need to win that. Um and I want to start the season really strong, you know. After what happened last year, having to drop out, um it's important for me personally and you know to to make a statement coming back. So yeah, I'm focused on good results from the off, but um expectations are a difficult one.

SPEAKER_01 5:19

Now, new qualifying format for this year with uh the one free practice session and then into a qualifying race on the Saturday. Uh, you've hopefully had time to sort of digest how this is gonna work. What are your thoughts?

SPEAKER_00 5:34

Um I'm a bit torn really. I think I think it's gonna be good. I think certainly for the spectators and everybody else, it's gonna be exciting. For us drivers, it's gonna be exciting. Um, you know, that risk versus reward in that qualifying race is is gonna be important, but and ultimately I love racing, so um, yeah, it it's gonna be good no matter what. But at the same point, I think the qualifying format was pretty good last year in that you know there was a lot of pressure to do a lap on you know when it mattered, um, which I like and was pretty you know okay at last year, um, in the most part. So you know I'm open-minded to it. We'll see how it goes. I think um it's certainly gonna be even more interesting as we get later in the year to see how people judge that risk versus reward, like I said, but um I think it'd be good.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

I am amongst the uh the other unknowns, there's some new cars coming on to uh the grid and development, and we've we've seen a sort of move towards saloon away from uh the sort of fast back and the hatchback, haven't we? Which is which is interesting. Does it feel like there's there's significant change coming in the in the championship now? I mean it's it's been going for a long time, it's always been innovative, but this year feels like there's an excitement about the change. Would you agree?

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Yeah, I think so. I think like you say, touring cars is always changing and and and uh and developing, but I think it became quite clear during recent years that um the saloon shape is is or has been the one to have. Um but likewise, you know, the hatchback, everybody went from saloons to hatchback, and now it's it's doing full circle. So frankly, I think it it's just everything in motorsport is an accumulation of you know, all aspects have to come together, the chassis, the engine, the driver, the team, everything. So um, yeah, I mean, so far my experience in in driving the the hatchback, uh, sorry, the hatchback last year to uh to more of a saloon this year is um it certainly feels feels nicer. Um but at the same time won't you know you never know it. And I think it'll be circuit circuit dependent as well. You know, the tight twisty stuff always suits a shorter wheelbase. Um but then the you know truckstones, for example, will will probably benefit the the more aero-friendly saloon. So we'll see. I think we in our car we've got a nice mix of both. So um fingers crossed we should we should be alright.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Two weeks until we uh look for lights out at Donnington Park, uh where traditionally we've had all four seasons in about the space of a couple of hour hours, haven't we? Uh let's hope the weather's kind to us. Uh, but do you like Donington?

SPEAKER_00 8:04

Yeah, I do. It's one of my locals. Um, and if the weather's gonna be up and down, that that's even better. Um, it always adds another element of excitement. So yeah, it should be good. It's like I say it's my my local, so um, yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 8:18

Really good to see you back this season, uh Jamie. I'm really pleased for you. And uh it's gonna be an exciting year for sure, isn't it? Which is brilliant. Just before you go, um, as you know, I think you might be a member from last year. We have a bit of fun at this time of the year with with a couple of off-the-wall questions that have nothing to do with driving in the British touring car championship. Uh, this year it's the Highway Code. Oh god. Highway code strikes fear into BTCC drivers. Um pick a number one, two, or three. One. Forty miles per hour. What is the stopping distance in either metres, feet, or car lengths?

SPEAKER_00 8:57

I ain't got a clue. The national the highway code is built for I think a 58 Ford Anglia, isn't it? So uh probably about 150 metres, probably. It's not quite that bad.

SPEAKER_01 9:09

It's 36 metres, uh 118 feet, nine car lengths, uh, but uh you're not the first one to raise the issue of the highway code being out of date. Yeah. Uh if you want to have a good chat and lose a couple of hands, go and talk to Ricky Collard because he's got a thing in his head about the 70 mile an hour speed limit. Um we'll do one more. So number two and number three. Two. Two. Uh what is the shape of a stop sign? Hexagonal. You're right. Well done. 50%. One out of two, we'll settle for that. Jamie, have a great season. Thank you.