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Are you ready? Tintop Tuesday. Powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_09 0:07

Unless I'm very much mistaken, it's Tuesday. And it's Tin Top, so it must be Tin Top Tuesday. Wow, it's Tin Top Tuesday!

SPEAKER_07 0:35

Welcome back. Uh welcome back to power to Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed. And welcome to coverage of a brand new season of the QuickFit British Touring Car Championship. Great to have your company. And also great to have your emails. Let me get that address in straight away, studio at tintoptuwsday.com. Studio at tintoptuesday.com. We are celebrating what was just the most phenomenal opener in the East Midlands at Donington Park at the weekend. Not only did we have beautiful weather, always helps, but we also had the very first ever race to pole on Saturday. And for everyone that thought maybe that was going to be a little bit sedate, wrong. We'll dissect everything to do with the weekend tonight here on Tint Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. And welcome to our brand new title sponsors. Welcome along to PowerMax. Thank you so much for allowing us to do this for an amazing 19th series. You're all more than welcome. To new listeners, if you don't know what happens tonight, uh we talk to people around the touring car paddock that may have a story from the weekend. Um, in fact, there were more people that had stories about the weekend than we have time for tonight. Because we try and keep roughly to two hours between now and 10 o'clock UK time. But we tell a few stories on the show tonight. Uh we play a bit of music, we get through your emails, which I hope will include um some fantastic pictures. If you took some great pictures at the event at the weekend at Torrington Park, why don't you pick out your favourite and send it in? Um we will then judge, just before we do our next edition, which is in two weeks' time, no it's not, it's in three weeks' time following Brand Tatch, um, we will judge who we think is image of the week. A power maxed image of the we actually they don't know about that yet. I suppose I ought to ask them, can you give a surprise? I'm sure we will. But if you send it off to studio at tintoptuesday.com, it will uh entertain us while the show is live on air. And then even if you're listening to the podcast after we broadcast, you can still send in your images of the week because we will have a look at them, and the one that just makes us go, wow, or ah, or oh, that's cool. It doesn't have to be photographically the best image, it just has to be the image that stands out head and shoulders above all the others. And you could be the winner of the PowerMaxed image of the week. How does that sound? Studio at TintopTuesday.com is our email address. Um, so what happened? Well, it's probably easier to dissect what didn't happen over the course of the weekend. The net result is that Ash Sutton leads the championship, the four-time champion, having started on Sunday, race one at the back of the grid, powered all the way through, ultimately ended up in second place, and then took two wins as well. What a weekend it was for Ash Sutton. Who do you think might be second in the championship? Charles Rainford in the BMW, second in the championship, Aidan Moffitt third, Dan Kamish on the podium twice at the weekend, in fourth place, Gordon Sheddon, Dexter Patterson. So many stories. And of course, the Saturday. Yes, the Saturday, and the race to pole, the return of Jason Plato to the BTCC paddock, and of course, the very first meeting ever for uh Cataclum Plato Racing. And what did they do? They only went and won the race to pole. Uh, you couldn't make these things up, could you? So we'll be covering a few of the stories, including a race one win in its debut for the Audi from Power Max Racing, a brand new car, a brand new car and a win for Mikey Doble. So we're gonna be having a chat about Power Max Racing, that's for sure. And your emails as well. Let me just get through uh one of them because it came in quite a few weeks before now. Um, Archie. Archie is a splendid young man because he's been brought up beautifully by his parents, um, and uh his original uh email, I'll read it out, says Hi Alan, I'm a big uh fan of the show. I'm about to start a new sim racing series. I wondered if I could put the Tin Top Tuesday logo on my car. It's just a bit of fun, and I think it would look really cool. I'm 15 years old, absolutely love motorsport, and the series I'm competing in is called BVTCC, a virtual touring car championship on simulator R Factor 2. Um, any questions, please ask away. Many thanks from Archie Jardine. Well, the fact that he didn't just use the image was enough for me. Uh of course you can put it on your sim car. Um, the only thing is send me a picture of the car. And Archie did that, and uh I have seen a picture of the car, and it looks absolutely superb. So if you are on R Factor 2, any race on BVTCC, um uh look out for for young Archie. Uh 15 years old, absolutely superb rendering uh of the car uh going around Panakhill Bend um in a beautiful green. I wonder what colour that green is. It's really nice, absolutely superb. And the Tint Top Tuesday logo, um loud and proud on the side of the car. So uh Archie, thank you very much indeed. Thank you for the pictures, and uh that is in the pot to be image of the week. It was uh sent in a few weeks ago, but uh it's it's going in, it's gonna be judged with everything else, that's for sure. Um so Archie, thank you very much indeed for sending that in to studio at TinTopTuesday.com, studio at tinttoptuesday.com. Um and uh quite a few messages came in yesterday after the weekend and uh this morning as well. So keep them coming in throughout the show. Uh this one says it is from uh Matthew. Uh thanks, Matthew. This is really cool. It says lovely to chat as always, and thanks for keeping us updated throughout the weekend via commentary on Tok Alive. Please find some TTT hat images from Donington and uh Ricky Collard's car enjoying some post-race three sunshine. Uh PS, any news on the two mini drivers from the incident on Sunday happened right in front of us, and it was quite scary. But the marshals, the doctors, the medical team, and the track team all sprang into action to provide all the assistance required, as well as getting us racing again as soon as possible, uh as soon as as it was possible to do safely. Um so I was told uh a couple of hours after the incident um by mini challenge. Um the the two drivers were fine. Uh they were taken off. I think one of them had a sprained ankle, uh, but apart from that, and and that was very possibly the reason why um you saw the quite dramatic fall onto the ground. Um, but it was uh an ankle, and uh I I'm sure um we've all had a sprained angle in in good time. So that's good news that we can report that those uh too many drivers in what was yeah, it did, it looked really horrible, really nasty. So, Matthew, thank you for asking. And um yes, the word that I had from the uh championship was they were absolutely fine. And thank you for the pictures. You know I like a sunset picture or a sunrise picture, and that is a beautiful picture from Donington, and I rather like the uh Tintop Tuesday hat as well on the circuit. I've got news about the hat, I've got news about everything sort of merch-wise. Um we have a partner on Tintok Tuesday powered by PowerMax um that takes care of all of our uh merch and things like that. Um and it is puretrapracing.co.uk. PureTrackracing.co.uk. Sarah does an amazing job. If it was all delay, you see the key to success in this sort of thing, I've only just realized after 18 series I've realized this is to delegate to people that understand. And I've never really got around to doing merch. And now I know Sarah does merch and she understands it. We have a range of merch on sale already uh to coincide with our very first uh episode powered by PowerMax. So if you go to PewTrackracing.co.uk, um you can see a TTTT. That is a Tintop Tuesday Teddy, t-shirts, hoodies, beanies, there's there's all sorts Sarah has been her imagination has run away with her. Uh there are all sorts of bits and pieces uh with the new logo, the Tintop Tuesday Powered by Parmax logo. So uh head over to PewTrackracing.co.uk and by the way, Sarah, thank you. You're much better than I could ever be. Right, we do a number of things. We talk to drivers, we talk to team bosses, and we play a bit of music. So um yeah, something happened since we did our last show. Uh we very sadly uh lost someone that uh many, many years ago said to Alan Gao, um because he competed in a race called the Tokus Shootout at Donington Park, um, he said that Alan Gao could use this song forever uh in connection with the BTCC. So we have to open with it tonight, and we have to say um it's very, very, very, very, very, very sad that we no longer have Chris Rear, a huge petrol head, a wonderful musician, um, and we open this show with Let's Start.

SPEAKER_04 11:26

When you say of the joy on the brain It's in my heart, I'm a soul on the chance of chance, and you know let's dance dance on the one I say I will never let go home.

SPEAKER_07 14:52

So many stories came out from the first meeting of the year at Donington Park for the Quick Foot British Touring Car Championship, and uh arguably the biggest story is this amazing journey, the fairy tale story following heartbreak last year for PowerMax Racing. So I've got the boss man on the line, Adam Weaver is here. Uh Adam, yeah, I in your wildest dreams did you imagine that the first race of the championship year would go quite the way it did?

SPEAKER_10 15:24

Uh yes.

SPEAKER_07 15:26

You have the supreme confidence in everyone that works with you, don't you?

SPEAKER_10 15:30

Yeah, I mean, ultimately I see the work that's going in behind the scenes. I see the the early mornings, the late nights, the weekends, I see how much effort everybody puts in, I see how much everybody cares, and you know, I I've said to quite a few people going into the weekend, all I want is what we deserve. And I know it might sound arrogant to say that, but winning the first races is is exactly what the team deserved.

SPEAKER_07 15:53

Um at what point in in the uh design and the putting together of the of the uh of the Audi did you think this is going to be a beauty out of the box? This is this is gonna be something really quite special.

SPEAKER_10 16:07

Well, again, going back to my previous comment, uh, you know, I saw how much time and effort went into the design of it before we even cut a single piece of metal. Um, you know, the research that was done, the the the variations of the plan for the for the actual car. And you know, we've designed and made absolutely everything that can be made on that car. You know, there are a lot of things that you could go out and buy, you know, brackets and standard parts of, I don't know, angle iron and angle brackets and things like that. But you know, they've they've designed every single bracket and component that can be designed and made on the on the car to make it stronger, better, lighter, or a combination of them all. And um, you know, when you go into the workshop and you see, you know, a table that is big enough to build a car on and it is is filled several times over of components that are going to be bolted onto these outers, it just you know gives you a lot of confidence that you know we really haven't left any stones unturned when it comes to you know extracting performance out of the car.

SPEAKER_07 17:08

Okay, you lost three Astras last year. Um was this sort of in your plan for the future anyway, or or was your hand forced? In what way? Building the new new cars, building three Audis.

SPEAKER_10 17:24

Yeah, I mean I don't think um I've certainly never hidden away from the fact that it's incredibly difficult to be in the BTCC. You know, we don't have queues of people wanting to pay us tremendous amounts of money to build race cars. So, you know, building new cars would have been very, very tough for us because you know we'd invested heavily already. Um and you know, yes, effectively we we would write those cars down over a period of time as any business would do, but you know, you don't you don't run a British touring car team for profit, you you know, you you you run it because you're you're passionate about racing and you're passionate about BTCC. So um we haven't you know haven't built up major cash reserves, so it would have been very difficult to go out and and build new cars um without kind of it sounds morbid really, but without what happened happening happening.

SPEAKER_07 18:14

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I I I I totally get that. I mean I mean it really is the the the story of going from the the very lows, the the just about the lowest that you can get in the in in in in the sport that we've all got this passion for. Um, yeah, well, well life does throw you a few curveballs, that's for Blooming Shaw. Um but but then to be winning the the first race of the year against uh goodness me, the tried and trusted and tested cars that are out there, um, the champion drivers that are that that are out there, and and and Mikey Doble uh doing the business, um having had his first win in the championship last year, everything just came together, didn't it?

SPEAKER_10 18:57

It did, but we'd kind of set ourselves a pretty high bar, and you know, when we built the Astrob, we actually finished third in the last race with with Tom Chiltern um on our first weekend. So, you know, sarcastically, we'd kind of set ourselves that that bar that we need to beat that. And then, you know, a lot of my guys, Martin, Charlie, Gaz, yeah, they're all kind of X triple eight, and but the car that they built before that was an MG. Um, and that actually won its third race um on its first uh race weekend. So, you know, we we had that also in mind that we needed to kind of keep that run going. So, you know, we needed to have our first race win in race one or race two to better it. And um, I did have a little look this morning. The last time that it was actually done was in 2001 with an Astra Coupe. Um, and there was only eight people on the grid, so potentially a little easier to win a race.

SPEAKER_07 19:53

It was a lean year that year. It was quite a lean year, that's uh uh fair to say. Um where does your passion for motorsport come from? Because it's it's evident. You're you you you don't just have a uh a team in the BTCC, Power Max Racing. Um you don't just sponsor uh other championships, many challenges uh uh uh sponsored by PowerMax. You've got um you're running cars in other championships, uh and I will come to the sponsorship of this radio show in just a couple of minutes' time. Where does your where does your passion for motor racing come from? When did it start?

SPEAKER_10 20:30

Well, without a doubt, it's my dad. Um and you know, I grew up at the side of a kart track with my dad actually raced in in uh gearbox carts and um you know we traveled the length and breadth of the country with him racing in the national gearbox championship and and doing very, very well at that. And you know, he he raced to uh a you know a a reasonable age and was still very, very competitive in doing that. So, you know, I grew up at the side of a car track watching him race, and you know, then when when he wasn't racing, it would be a case of you know watching Formula One on the telly or maybe going to uh a BTCC event or even autographs, which was a kind of a grassroots thing that we pop along to on a Sunday. So, you know, then I my my first racing experience was actually in Autograss myself, and I raced in that, um, and then went on to uh race in some rally cross events and I'd done raced in mini challenge VW Cup myself in the past. Um certainly nowhere near as competitive as the boys and girls that we run, but um it but you know it's it's in the blood, I suppose.

SPEAKER_07 21:27

And and do you ever get the the sort of itch to get getting one of these cars yourself? I mean you're watching them being born, if you like, being designed and and and born and winning a race. Do you never get sort of get that get that itch? I'd quite like to drive one of these myself.

SPEAKER_10 21:42

Um I'd I'd like to drive them. To have a go. Yeah. Yeah, I don't I'm not too bothered about the race side of things. You know, I kind of regret that I've n I'd I've been a passenger in the Astra, um, never ever got round to driving it, and now quite sadly won't get that chance. So um I would like at some point. point to drive one of the Audi. But I think I don't know. I know it sounds there's a lot more people out there with the ability to race a car and to um and and to do well at racing a car. And again may sound arrogant, but it's much more difficult to build and run a team. And I see that almost weirdly as a as a greater challenge. It's a smaller club, it's harder to do. And yeah I think I kind of thrive on not only it being difficult to do but also being able to be in that club and do it well.

SPEAKER_07 22:33

So you know what one of your former drivers Jason Plato has has been going through over the last few months. That's a that's an interesting story for you for somebody that knows Jason as a driver within your team then setting things up and and and and being a team boss himself.

SPEAKER_10 22:52

To a certain degree I mean Jason's done it very very kind of differently to to us. I mean you know I I don't want to kind of talk down what he's doing um at all in fact but you know he has gone to a very very proven organisation and basically taken part of their building and um their their trucks and their staff and had a car built um as opposed to kind of managed it internally as such. So um what he has done in some ways is a little easier than the way we're doing it but we don't have those level of resources so we have to we have to kind of use our our skills and knowledge and and kind of do it ourselves rather than kind of contracting it out to be done by somebody else.

SPEAKER_07 23:33

But what you do know is the highs and lows of uh being a a a team boss and um I mean you can describe those highs and lows probably better than anyone from last year to um getting back on the track at at Nock Hill and and then the whole road to to winning the opening round of the championship this year. They've already experienced the the the the highs and lows haven't they the the amazing story on Saturday of winning the uh the race to poll and then uh a slightly more tricky Sunday I think it's fair to say yeah I mean the yeah the it's it's some of the um the other things that kind of made me smile I bumped into Jason I think it was on uh Saturday morning and his biggest stress at that point was they hadn't got the right TV connectors in hospitality.

SPEAKER_10 24:20

These are real world problems and and couldn't get the TVs to work and and you know that was off the back of me just having finished fixing the coffee machine in hospitality. So you know it's it's it's these things that you end up doing that nobody has any idea about that goes on behind the scenes real world problems. Well it might sound trivial but when when a hundred guests when a hundred guests rock up and they can't have a coffee when they get there at half eight in the morning it it becomes a very big deal.

SPEAKER_07 24:46

Two things they definitely need in hospitality coffee and TV they are fundament fundamentals. Yes very much so now um so so tell me about the the uh the huge coverage that I just touched on in in in motorsport so uh title sponsors of Mini Challenge obviously on the toker package this year and also running cars in other championships uh I mean you know how how much support um are are you giving to UK motorsport at the moment?

SPEAKER_10 25:20

So it's you know going back to my previous comments it's a difficult place to be so you know we want to give as much support as we possibly can and you know the the Paramax brand and and also SteelSeal to a certain extent has been built off the back of sort of advertising in motorsport and motorsport sponsorship. So you know we want to try and still give back in those areas I know that now it's very difficult because I'm trying to raise enough money to run a BTCC team ourselves successfully. So you know sometimes it makes it very difficult to support other championships and other races because quite frankly we need that money ourselves to go racing. So you know if I get the opportunity and you know we're doing well enough to be able to do that I I want to give back and you know we support stuff right down to you know autographs grassroots racing at is it's purest level and then and lots of people in carton civic cup TCR and and and now title sponsor to the mini challenge.

SPEAKER_07 26:13

So it's just I suppose that's our way and my way of of giving back a little bit and also you know the amount of support that we got from fans and people from from other paddocks um when when the fire struck yeah and and helping us build back you know we can't go out and help everybody but you know there's what 25 people 26 people taking part in mini challenge and becoming title sponsor to that which is also on the the BTCC sort of program um it was a no-brainer for us really and also Adam um and uh I said I'd get to this um in 2026 Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMax for our 19th season of this radio show um I have to offer you a huge thank you because you've kept the show going uh obviously without without um uh a a sponsor we we can't make this radio show and uh I was beginning to uh to what to wonder what to do as we got into the uh start of this year and um it was a a very simple process talking to you and and and um you become the title sponsors with PowerMax so so th thank you so much that is putting a bit back into the into the sport and um and keeping this radio show on air so so thank you for that.

SPEAKER_10 27:28

My pleasure Alan it's um you know you had a fantastic sponsor in a a a similar category yes um previous previously and you know that's a a brand that I grew up uh along with shall we say and then to basically and be able to kind of take over take on that mantle from from them it's um it's something that I'm very proud to do.

SPEAKER_07 27:46

Now the uh the other thing that I'm I'm gonna be very cheeky and ask you to do um we always uh have on uh on Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax um we always have image of the week where we judge a winner um would it be possible to be cheeky enough to ask you and I did this in exactly the same way with my previous sponsor Ask them on air um would you be able to offer a prize for our image of the week um on the uh uh the 10 editions of this show this year I'm quite happy to provide a Parmax ballatin bucket for uh competition on to run what a what a star you are absolutely absolutely brilliant Adam um can we just talk very quickly about the products because people that come along to to the BTCC know that you are a racing team that you do products but uh what I didn't realise until I dug down a little bit deeper when we uh uh got this association together just how many different types of products you do.

SPEAKER_10 28:46

Yes yeah it's a it's a quite a vast range now so you know we we we we manufacture and supply a whole range of valatin detailing polishes waxes basically anything to really look after most vehicles so um you know it's all UK ingredients manufactured in the UK by ourselves filled by ourselves and and and supplied into various various good quality motor factors for people to pop along and buy or or available online. Additives adhesives lubricants aerosols valeting detailing um you make all these products yourself do you yes shall I say generally I mean I say that loosely now because obviously the fire there's only certain elements that we've managed to kind of get back up and running so the vast majority of products are now again being filled by ourselves we've got three dedicated production lines um that are filling filling the products some of the product lines um you know we're not able to sort of mix and blend ourselves at the moment so um our sort of chemical providers are having to mix and blend those products for us and supply them in tanks for us to to to then fill but you know um once we get properly back up and running you know we will we'll be mixing and blending these products ourselves yes wow um please may I have a visit at some stage because I I I love to see that sort of thing that sort of manufacturing process.

SPEAKER_07 30:08

Yeah absolutely very welcome that that's a that that's good that's a box ticked um do you still own a pub?

SPEAKER_10 30:16

Yes yes we've got a a pub called the Piston Club which is based just outside Stratford upon Avon which is a a very very large automotive themed pub um two and a half acres of grounds outside and we hold a vast array of car and bike uh meetings and events and things there it's um and we've got 15 hotel rooms so if people are a little further afield and want to stay over that's possible also.

SPEAKER_07 30:40

Wow um and and and if that wasn't enough you are also the company that are responsible for the Toka Junior car which we'll see out on circuit next year. I mean that that is a big project in itself isn't it?

SPEAKER_10 30:56

It is yeah but you know like all of these things they they only run so well and so successfully because of the quality of the people we've got in these businesses so you know and I certainly can't do it all on my own. I again regularly say that I'm just the one that's stupid enough to say these ideas out loud and then the people around me believe enough in me and my ideas to kind of go out there and make it happen.

SPEAKER_07 31:18

Well it's it it's it it it is phenomenal do you ever get time for yourself? Yeah you do because you're a football fan you go to the football as well don't you?

SPEAKER_10 31:25

I I mean that's about the only time off I have is it really yeah with with my son and uh a couple of customers more often than not and people that have become you know their friends and customers now that I go to the most home games unfortunately have to miss a home game on on Sunday but uh it was worth it because we won the first race so I I don't mind missing that makes up for it doesn't it yeah I was really happy when I actually got home and and and strangely on BBC Midlands news they actually announced the um the the football result of Aston Villa and then right after it um they had PowerMax racing return to winning ways oh how cool on that as well shoulder to shoulder with your team on the news report that's superb absolutely brilliant have you always been a football fan as well uh I went to football when I was about eight with my granddad to the first game my granddad was very much a sports fan everything boxing football cricket rugby you know you name it he was navy and then police force and kind of supported that side of stuff so everything motorsport was very much my dad and any other sport was my granddad really so yeah became a villa fan about eight years eight years of age just purely and simply because it was the closest top tier team because my grandad didn't want to drive any further than that so um so yeah and then I a fan for life as well um so I I'm a a Charlton athletic sort of longtime supporter since when I was a a kid um but I now don't live too near to Charlton Athletics so although I continue to follow what they're doing I want the best for them um I now go to see um uh Southampton if I get a chance to go and see a football team I'll go to see Southampton. Um we're having a really good run of this like this time last year I wasn't so keen on going to see Southampton but uh at the moment absolutely brilliant I've definitely been through that a little bit as a villa fan but I think for me like as much as I wouldn't necessarily say I was a football fan as in for the football on the pitch but I just love the it's the atmosphere side of things that for me you know Villa Park 40 42 thousand people in the day out isn't it singing songs chanting yeah and that that for me is also the the massive appeal for for BTCC you can go to lots of other race events and whilst the racing's great you know it doesn't have the fan numbers it doesn't have you know the the the BTCC for me is as close as you're gonna get to a kind of a football experience in motorsport um and I think that's what fills the passion seeing so many people passionate about something and enjoying something I just think you know for me that's the the key to life you need to be passionate about something. It doesn't really matter what it is um hopefully it it's legal and it's safe but other than that I think I just encourage people to go out there and find something that you are passionate about.

SPEAKER_07 34:13

Wise words Adam thank you very much indeed and and thank you so much for uh making uh Tintop Tuesday um enter its 19th year uh powered by PowerMaxed I I really really appreciate it thank you for saying that you'll give a little prize out for our image of the week uh our PowerMaxed image of the week will get a uh a PowerMaxed detailing bucket are there things in the bucket as well Adam yeah of course yeah in there you'll find you'll you'll find our kind of top sellers our regular users you know the shampoo and ultra wax a glass cleaner and there'll be you the sponges and various different things you need to you know give your your your daily a a decent quality clean. Superb thank you so much Adam and uh over the course of the year uh you will be appearing uh maybe you don't know this by now uh before now um but you'll be appearing on the show um uh not very least giving us uh updates on the team over the course of the season but also updates on the on the Toge Junior cars as well because I know that's a huge project that you've undertaken and we'll uh we'll mark the progress as the as the year goes on.

SPEAKER_10 35:21

Brilliant I'll look forward to it.

SPEAKER_07 35:22

Thank you Adam Adam Weaver everybody the boss of PowerMaxed here on Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMaxed a bit of a six uh a seventies and eighties evening tonight not sixties from the seventies and the eighties this evening I do apologise about that I can't pretend the rest of the year is going to be any different too late it's what you like isn't it just loads of emails coming in thank you very much indeed for those uh good evening Mr Hyde uh well that was a topsy turvy weekend wasn't it um high and low parts for almost all the drivers almost like uh the last few races rather than the start of the season couldn't agree more Dave uh bring on brands for more carnage PS couple of photos attached uh Sherio from Dave and Dave always sends in some really good pictures that's a lovely one with the Armco uh all blurred out in front of Tingram heading the field through and uh Tom Chilton going side by side with a PowerMax dowdy um and uh yeah some some moments as well all caught on camera absolutely super pictures as ever Dave including the the Ash Sutton rather sideways uh picture going into uh Redgate Corner so um super pictures as ever Dave thank you very much indeed for writing in and uh good evening to Devan and good evening to his mum as well who once again did a huge amount of baking for us uh and uh we we we have uh the remnants of the baking left um so thank you very much indeed as ever to Devan's mum and and nice to have a chat to you as well Devan uh good evening Mr. Hyde first off what glorious weather we had at Brown's actual media day two weeks ago and it was good to be back trackside for the first time of the season and seeing the new cars in their new liveries and hearing the sound of the engines roar what what a way to kick off the new campaign at Donnington over the weekend in dry sunny conditions with action aplenty in the race to pole for both champions with Ash ending up in the gravel trap at Redgate to Tingram getting a five second penalty and Robo nabbing pole in the brand new Mercedes to show the potential the car has race day brought more drama with a couple of drivers being penalised or disqualified for overboosting but a great drive by Ash in race one starting from flat last to finish third on the road which then became second and two fantastic races two and three to get a double win congratulations also to PowerMax Racing building three great looking Audi A3s to win on the first weekend out with Mikey being just phenomenal and they'll be uh front running pace all year and it showed uh with both Aidan and Dexter both having a decent race day with top three tens a piece three brand new cars to the grid this year have done very well and it goes to show how good engineers and mechanics these teams have to produce three such great looking cars. Felt sorry for Tingram with his disqualification and a non-start but what a drive in race three to finish second. Hopefully all the treats have gone down well they really have they very much have thank you very much indeed and we were going to make a joke on you as I gave these goodies. I was going to say that I didn't bring goodies this time and we hope that you wouldn't see the back but unfortunately the joke backfired because you saw the bag. Certainly did got a sort of little radar if the action we saw over the weekend in both qualifying on race day has anything to go by then the thing the the fans will be in for a right treat for the rest of the year. Unfortunately I'm not going to brand's upclashing engagement on race day so either Sneterton or Alton Park will be our next round. See you there. Devan we most certainly will thank you so much for uh the goodies and for your message as well and Ollie Jennings uh who is a regular listener to the show uh hi Al. I'll catch tonight's show on the pod as I'm working. However I I want to get my email he actually says I want to eat my email early I want to get my email in early as if the uh number of people by Donington is anything to go by then tonight's show he's gonna be busy. It really is. So great to see the cars out on track after the long winter break. Both race one and three really showed us how quick fortunes can change in this championship and how great this season is sure to be. Thought the uh qualifying race to poll was a nice uh uh dynamic and uh if anything the gap between qualifying and the race uh was slightly too long. Uh a great support package uh petition for legends at every race weekend here here we love the legends we've got Scottish legends in uh uh Nockhill and Alton Park as well I think and some glorious weather made for some great sights and the plains overhead as well great to hear your voice back on the airwaves too your show brings joy to many including myself thank you Ollie that's very kind of you to say so thank you uh all the best Alan and I hope to catch you soon uh see some attached photos for potentially image of the week and uh Ollie Jennings is a a nursing educator down in uh down in Southampton at the children's hospital and some super pictures including one of a plane and a huge crowd and beautiful blue skies and just great stuff and evening sunshine as well I do like evening sunshine pictures super stuff Ollie thank you very much indeed and Andy it was a great weekend at Donington my wife and Caroline and I enjoyed it very much all very exciting with great weather down at the air the old hairpin I just wanted to know is a few dri drivers were penalised for over boosting how this comes about really and how the organisers find out certain cars ah this is a technical question Andy isn't it I yeah I'm not gonna I'm not gonna attempt to answer a um a a technical question um but before the end of the show Andy rest assured we will find out the answer to your question don't you worry about that

SPEAKER_13 45:11

What is it this is when you have to do it?

SPEAKER_07 47:46

Well, we do like a bit of history writing in the BTCC, and we also like it when it comes at the very first round of the championship year. Um the story is incredible. The building of three cars at PowerMax Racing. Uh Mikey Doble, already a waste wit race winner in the BTCC, uh, then goes and wins race number one of the championship year. Uh, Mikey, uh do you know what? You must be in the headlines quite a bit in this championship because I added everybody up, and I think we had you on the show last year more than anybody else. You are becoming a default guest. Good evening.

SPEAKER_00 48:25

Good evening to you. Uh yeah, I know I'm becoming a bit of a Tin Top Tuesday veteran over here, aren't I? You are.

SPEAKER_07 48:32

You are. It's it's Dobel time, and it and if it carries on like this this year as well, I think we'll get you a little jingle. A little Doble time little time jingle. Um Well done. Uh I I just in your wildest dreams, could you have imagined a debut for a car and for you in the car could have gone any better than it went at the weekend? Let's just talk about race one, eh?

SPEAKER_00 48:57

Yeah, yeah, we'll talk about race one. Um yeah, no, for sure. I mean, um I think when whenever you're bringing a new car to the championship, obviously we haven't really seen any new cars in in recent times in the championship, but everyone gives you a little bit of slack and uh gives you the benefit of the doubt if the car isn't quite as good as it could be um in the first few rounds of the season. Normally you hear the common phrase that I reckon second half of the year we'll start challenging for podiums and maybe wins, but try race one of the season, eh?

SPEAKER_07 49:29

Yeah, well, yeah, yeah. So so so did you have that predic I know drivers so often tell me, as soon as I got in the car, I knew this one is gonna be a beauty. Okay, you need to find the the sweet spot in the car, and that takes um a little bit of time, but uh you get a feel for it instantly, the shape, the the the the weight, the the balance of the car. Did you think when you when you drove the car for the first time at Croft, oh hang on, we might be sitting on something here.

SPEAKER_00 49:55

Well, I mean, when I first drove the car, I th I I felt like the car definitely had a lot of potential. Whether we unlocked it this early on in the year was another matter, but I knew that I was uh confident in knowing that the car will be a quick car and that we were going to extract a lot more from it than perhaps we did uh the voxel in in recent years. Um and then to be honest, like our our pre-season testing has been so limited um due to obviously the lateness of these builds that we obviously, yes, we had a good uh starting block with the car, they've done an incredible job in designing a proper, proper touring car that's had no stone unturned. You know, it's a there's a lot of thought, it didn't just happen by accident and luck that it was a quick car, you know. There's a lot of thought and RD that went into this. Um, but we hadn't actually done any race runs or anything, and the the race won on the Sunday um is the longest by far the longest run that we had done in the car, and the second longest run was the qualifying race the day before. So it was just so great that the cars not only got a quick car on one lap, but seemed to hold on to its pace, hold uh look after its tyres better than some of the the sort of cars that have been in the championship for many years. So um it was just an incredible race. And to to win, I know it wasn't a win on the road, but we'll uh we'll take it as it as it was, even the podium to be fair. Yeah. To be that successful in the car's first ever race, there's not many chances you get to to drive a car on debut and then to win it. I mean, I'd like to see the odds of that.

SPEAKER_07 51:28

Yeah, I mean the w the one and only opportunity, and you you only went and did it. I I really liked your um your your answer when I uh interviewed you afterwards or or on the on the on the grid before the uh second race. Right, my my regret is that we didn't actually know about um Tingram's penalty until after the podium, so you didn't get that moment to stand as you did at Snetterton last year, actually on the top step of the podium. And you didn't seem too bothered, you said, you know what, I'll I'll I'll take it, it's a win, so it's absolutely fine.

SPEAKER_00 52:01

Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think the main thing is that I did get to go on the podium and nonetheless that I was over the moon with second, and so was everyone else at the team. So that moment of being on the uh on the on the podium for the first race of the season, and as I was explaining to people, um, for for all you BTCC nerds out there, um race one of the year is theoretically the most difficult race to score well in because it's the only race where everyone has equal opportunity in terms of the championship um boost allocation. Yeah, every the other 29 races um it will never be a level level playing for the game.

SPEAKER_07 52:38

You're gonna be penalized for being good, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 52:40

So yeah, to to win race one of the year is just a super special achievement for uh for me and obviously everyone uh at the team.

SPEAKER_07 52:48

Um I I I'm sure it wasn't lost on you, Mikey. Um you're quite popular uh with the fans in the BTCC, aren't you? Um big roar as you were called up onto the podium. I uh I mean I'm standing on the podium, so I hear it. I I I hear the roars growing over the years for uh for drivers. But that was a a very popular welcome onto the onto the second step of the podium.

SPEAKER_00 53:11

Yeah, I mean I think I was caught up in the moment really. It just all the the noise and everything all sort of is a bit of a a blur to me. Um but uh but yeah, no, the um the fans are great, and I think that the fans are now starting to actually realise that I am just one of them that's lucky enough to be the other side of the fence and in and in the seat, you know. As I've said on numerous occasions, I love the championship. It's it's always been the the my sort of pinnacle of of motorsport in my in my world of racing. Um so yeah, I mean any moment I can get to to share with share with the fans and kind of give back a little bit, you know, I'll always take that opportunity.

SPEAKER_07 53:49

And yeah, you've you've you've relaxed into the role really nicely. I've I've I've seen the change occur uh over the uh over the years that you've now been with us competing in the BTCC, and you're right. You've said on a number of occasions, I'm a fan, you know, I was standing on the on the grass banks and watching these races just a few years ago, and now you're on the grid, you're you're you're doing it and you're winning races. Um but uh but I see you in the paddock over the course of a race weekend. Um can I just say that since we've had the first test, I have never seen you smiling so much in the paddock. You're just happy, you're chatting to people, you it feels like you've you've got to a comfy place in being in the BTCC paddock. Maybe it's maybe it's finally sunk in that you're yeah, you're not a fan, you're actually driving, but you can talk to the fans from their point of view.

SPEAKER_00 54:43

Yeah, for sure. I mean, like, you know, I've never I always take pride in saying that I've never had a a dull moment in in the BTCC right from the first day I ever drove the car till now. Um I think what happens is is when you become more established in the championship, you feel a little bit more relaxed about your position and belonging in the championship. So initially you feel a bit, obviously it it's uh the excitement is cancelled out by lots of nerves and kind of you feel like a little bit of a a small fish in an ocean when you first join the BTCC. With with time and you know, obviously we see a lot of drivers come and go in touring cars, but I feel like once you've done a couple of years in it and uh you know you've managed to work hard and and and uh get the right um foundations around your career and stay in the championship, you feel more and more established and part of the furniture, and then you feel like a proper BTCC driver. And then as time goes on, and you know, now I'm in a probably arguably the the best car I've had, um the best opportunity I've had in in touring cars, you just feel more chilled out about your about your position, so you there's less to kind of be nervous about. And I gotta say, those races over the weekend from my perspective is the the least nervous I've ever been, not just in touring cars, but for any race I think I've ever had, you know, because I only really get nervous um if I feel like I'm in a position of um vulnerability on the grid, where perhaps like last year for the last four rounds, where I knew that I didn't have the chance I needed to go out and compete where I wanted to. So you get a bit nervous about the vulnerability of your position on the grid. But now I know that I'm in a car that's that's properly capable of doing some serious results. Um there's nothing to be nervous about, you know? So you should be nervous of me.

SPEAKER_07 56:38

So so my observation of seeing you happy and smiling and talking to people, that that is correct then. Um it it's it's not just on the outside you're uh you're happy and you're smiling. You are in a comfortable place now. You feel like you know uh and in Fennace, I when you were just saying that, I remember back uh and it's never lost for me. I walk around the paddock and I think, goodness me, you know, 30 years ago when I first came into this paddock and I'm interviewing the the drivers that I've been watching on TV, and I feel slightly I think the modern day um phrase is slightly imposter syndrome that should I really be here, should I be doing this? And and you know, I I was you know very nervy when I first started doing it. And then you do, don't you? The uh the confidence grows and you just settle into the position that you're in. Um and now I walk around and and and every everybody is happy and friendly and and and and I feel part of it's taken me 30 years, Mikey. I mean you've done pretty well in three.

SPEAKER_00 57:39

Yeah, I I think that uh you know, from from where we're both coming from here, if you feel like that um when you when you first enter the championship, whether it's whether it's as a journalist or a commentator or a driver or a team member, it's because you've got a great level of appreciation for how big the championship is and how the the grandeur of of BTCC, you know. So you feel like you've you've you've watched it for so many years, or or you just understand how um you know how how much of a being involved in it is. So you it's natural to think, you know, should I am I one of those am I worthy of being one of those people that I've watched for the last ten years or uh that you see on your TV screens at home? And then only in time, you know, only time can kind of um help you to kind of um understand and and um get used to the fact that you are now one of those people. So you're there. I think if you don't feel like that, then perhaps you just haven't got the appreciation for for the BTCC and what it is.

SPEAKER_07 58:42

Something's uh something's a little bit wrong, yeah. Um i it it's um it's interesting. We had so many uh uh big, big stories. Uh of course, Ash Sutton uh from the back of the grid being on the uh uh second step of the podium, and then two race wins as well. Um what a recovery, uh what a recovery we had. The story on Saturday of the Plato racing car, Dan Robottom at the wheel of it, uh taking a win in its debut. There were so many stories over the course of the weekend. Were you uh sort of quite happy to be diligently getting on and quietly confident that I think we've got our own story here, but I'll just let everything else happen and and just press on with what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_00 59:23

Yeah, I mean, like, you know, Ash and Tom, we we come to expect their excellence, don't we? I mean we've seen it for many years now, that they're two of the best drivers that have ever raced in in British touring cars. Um, you know, and my respect for for the for them two as drivers is sky high.

SPEAKER_06 59:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:40

Um it's great to see that um the racing is as good as ever, and that cars can come from the back to the front when you've got the the bit between your teeth and you and you want to sort of go all out, and I think that's what the fans love to see. Um I think from our perspective, obviously we've kind of gone a little bit under the radar because um let's face it, the the Jason Plato team has definitely stolen all the headlines over the winter. And I think had they have not, you know, had they have done that a year earlier or whatever, and we were the only ones building new cars, and we probably would have had a little bit more attention. Yes, you're right. Yeah. No, we're we're fine with that, and you know, we're sort of happy to let the talking be done on the track. And um, you know, Adam jokingly said to to Jason after the qualifying race that that's fine, we've already uh arranged to to win the first proper race of the season.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:25

There you go.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:26

I didn't actually believe it was gonna happen though.

SPEAKER_07 1:00:29

Now there's a there's a confidence in a team boss, isn't there? Goodness me. Um I I I I have a few more questions to ask of you, Mikey. How much were you involved in the in the process? Were you popping along and uh at various points over the winter and and and seeing what the team were doing as far as the the um uh the manufacture of these uh three cars, uh which is a a huge effort following everything that happened last year, the fire in the workshop and on and everything. Um or did you just let them get on with it? Did you just say, okay, well I'll stay away from this, just let them get their heads down and crack on?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:07

Um well I mean as people would have seen from the announcements, um it was a fairly late deal for this year, so I wasn't really involved in the in the program until uh I'm gonna say sort of March time, really, because there the the deal sort of wasn't done before before that point. So I guess it wasn't really any any of my business. Obviously, I wanted to be back in with the team and it's a very good thing. Well, yeah, of course. Um but then by the time I'd signed the deal and that the cars were sort of already designed and everything, and they were away being being built and and painted and whatnot. So listen, I mean, I'm not I'm not an engineer, I'm not, I'm not a mechanic, uh a bit of a layman when it comes to that sort of thing. So there's if if I if I sort of go up there or take any of their time up over the phone, it's probably just ten minutes they could be spending uh putting it to better use on the car. So rather like Adam would say as the team principal, you know, the our work is done in finding the uh uh the commercials and the partners and everything to to be able to pay for it all, and we'll let the professionals deal with the the car itself. And I don't think it's worked out too badly for us.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:13

No, it's worked out very very nicely indeed. So uh the follow-up to that question is so what do you do over the winter? Do you play lots of golf? Uh do you just work very hard at Doble Motorcycles, the the family business? Um uh what what does what do the winter months feel like for you? And are you sort of by by the end of February thinking, oh come on, we need to be back out now.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:38

Well, I mean, if I lived in warmer climates, then I'd definitely we'd be playing a lot more golf. But to be honest, from November through to about March, it's pretty pointless playing golf in this country because uh the conditions are very subpartiful, um, and it's very cold. Um yeah, I mean, my life kind of returns back to a very sort of modest lifestyle, I guess, once the once the race season is over. I mean, obviously, I'm working to make to try and make sure I'm back out on the grid for the following year, but most of my time is is working obviously at the family business, Doble Motorcycles. Um if it you know, if we haven't got any commitments, then it's a six-day week for me, um, on top of obviously trying to trying to sort out the touring car business. Um and then uh yeah, just uh getting drunk too many times trying to work out how to lose a few kilos uh before the season. Well hasn't really happened yet.

SPEAKER_07 1:03:34

That's a that's a worry for everyone after the after the uh winter. I'm sure once we get to uh the warmer months, in fact it was pretty warm inside the cars at the weekend, wasn't it? But as we get to the warmer months, you'll be um you'll be sweating off enough pounds, that's for sure. Um we've got all of that to to look forward to as the year goes on. And so too have we got look for uh to look forward to some other dobles in four-wheeled machinery this year.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:00

Yeah, glad you mentioned it. I mean um as as uh as we get uh later on in the season, uh we get to Snetterton, I believe, will be the first time that I won't just be the only uh Dobel on the track on the toka packet. So my younger uh my youngest brother, I've got two younger brothers, uh Isaac, he'll be competing in the mini challenge trophy um at Snetterton, and then we'll see uh see him at uh Truxton, Donington GP, and Croft as well this year. So he's made the jump up from Fiesta Junior um after winning the championship last year on his debut. Um and yeah, he's a very exciting young driver that hopefully we'll see we'll be seeing more of um on the toker weekends as as time goes on. Um I've also got a um also got a cousin in Chris Christopher Dobel, who um who will also be alongside Isaac in the in the mini challenge trophy, who's um followed a similar career path coming from Fiesta Jr. So um very much a Doble takeover, I'm afraid, at some of the meetings this year.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:03

Are there any more Dobles waiting in the wings? Just so we know, just so we can prepare ourselves.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:08

Well, I'd probably say I'd probably say my old man's a little bit past it in terms of being featuring on the toker package, um, unless they unless they do an all-comers uh race or something. Um but yeah, I've got also got a middle brother, uh Joe Doble, who's um been racing for a few years now, is very quick, and um we might have something rather exciting in the pipeline for uh either later this year or perhaps 2027. So keep your eyes peeled on that as well.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:38

That was a personal question, and I'm I'm I'm glad I asked it. Goodness me.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:43

Yeah, absolutely. So um yeah, they'll hopefully we'll have some more exciting news to share as we go on through the year.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:50

Super stuff. Uh Mikey, thank you so much for joining us. Um and uh uh very happy that um uh you are uh now officially a a friend of the show.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:00

veteran of Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMaxed and uh I'm sure it's not the last time that we'll have you on the show uh this year but for now let's celebrate in uh a debut for the car uh a first win for the car and doing it on the debut championship round so uh many congratulations oh by the way one more question uh did you enjoy the race on Saturday um yes yes I did and I tell you what um I'd tell tell all of your listeners tonight the race on the Saturday was the most um I'd say that was the the most physical race of all the races that we did all weekend wow um by the way that was my chair squeaking squeaking um yeah um because it was like 13 qualifying laps so having the boost every lap and where everyone's on the same tire the same level of boost pretty much it was like a a a full-on 13 laps of qualifying whereas the other races you kind of have to think a little bit more tactfully about where you're gonna deploy your boost looking after the tyres a bit more you know that race was a proper proper sprint race um I was knackered at the end of that yeah I'm sure I did enjoy it and I think that it definitely surprised a few people um as to how exciting that race was so I think it's gonna be nice that we see obviously the traditional races on the Sunday but a race in a different style on the Saturday which is a bit more fast and frenetic. I mean when we get to brands hatch that is going to be a really really fast race high high intense race. I mean trying to use a 20 seconds of boost around the indie circuit at brands is difficult in itself and we're gonna see some really really fast race cars in action there on that race.

SPEAKER_07 1:07:49

Well I I I absolutely loved it um uh we were all wondering if people were going to be sort of looking after the cars and not taking any risk a bit a bit like when Formula One uh uh first introduced the uh uh the sprint race into their um into their program we we all wondered how they were going to play out but uh I I think I think it was a proper heads down race wasn't it and and thoroughly entertaining to watch um Mikey thank you very much indeed really really appreciate your uh um you being uh a a guest here on uh Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMaxed and I am sure we'll see you on this show or hear you again on this show this year. Thanks Mikey Yeah no thank you for having me cheers Mikey Doble everybody winner of round one of the 2026 Quickfoot British Touring Car Championship here on Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMaxed Tuesday simply wouldn't be the same without it Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMaxed additives adhesives aerosols lubricants valeting and detailing so thank you so much for all the emails that are coming in loads of them came in and in some of them came in yesterday and this morning as well um and uh this one comes in from Andy Ferrugia hi Andy uh thanks for your thanks for your message um says hi Al it was a great weekend at Donnington my wife Caroline and I enjoyed it very much all very exciting uh with great weather down at the old hairpin uh I just wanted to know as a few drivers were penalised for inverted commas over boosting how does this come about really and how the organisers find out that certain cars are doing this I don't quite understand. Is it that the turbo is providing more boost than it should and the setup is wrong or are the drivers pressing the button more than they should? So there's quite a few questions in there. Very technical I know but I'm just curious I can't remember this happening last season. And that comes in from Andy. Andy thank you for your uh message obviously um you've sent it in hoping for an answer um those regular listeners to uh Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMax will know I'm probably not the right person to ask a very technical question of um so we sort of scratched our heads um and there's only one thing to do isn't it uh you have to call for the technical team and that's exactly what we've done Andy technical director of the championship Sam Riches is on the line evening Sam even Alan have you have you've got your own jingle to introduce you because I I think this might be a feature you know call the technical team um and then we'll play the Imperial march for you that will go down very well I thought it might um did you hear the question Sam from from Andy because there's a a few questions in it he doesn't quite understand is the turbo providing more boost than it should and set up wrong or are the drivers pressing the button more than they should I did and I think where we start with this is to understand that what we're trying to achieve.

SPEAKER_08 1:11:19

So every car um sorry every engine type has a prescribed maximum boost limit to give them the ability to achieve the same horsepower.

SPEAKER_06 1:11:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_08 1:11:32

It is reliant on the team and the engine builder to maximize that um because it's you know we're not just going to equalize it for the sake of doing it they have to earn it and they have to to to work for it. To get to get the same brake horsepower output yeah yeah so we we've created through a series of testing before the engine is homologated we we come up with a a boost figure that allows them to to theoretically achieve the same figure. Yes yeah um and it's up to them to maximize that through engine design and then car installation. Yes yeah understood that bit what's different for 2026 is that we've uh introduced uh with our colleagues at Cosworth a live boost monitoring system uh so prior to this year we used to gather all the data and look at it after each race and it was done on done purely on the amount of time they were over a prescribed amount that they could be. Right okay we always give them a little leeway a level of tolerance yeah exactly we always give them a little bit to help with curb strikes and downshifting and mechanical things that are difficult to um account for. Yes yeah um but that was always a post-race thing um and ultimately if they breach those thresholds we had no other tools uh at our disposal other than uh to write a report that would result in uh disqualification from that session slash race being painted we've had it a few times over the years yeah um but it was black or white it was either in or out right yep gotcha and obviously that's quite extreme and like like all your listeners and our fans none of us really want to affect the uh the result post event yeah of course we like to reward who crosses the line what you see is what you get yep exactly yep but for 2026 we've obvious we've done this live thing that I mentioned yes what what we're doing is we're monitoring the time that they are that each driver is above that limit that I talked about a minute above the th the the threshold to allow for what other things that happen yeah yeah so we count that up and when they breach the threshold the tolerance we are automatically applying a penalty by a reduction of that boost level and then it's for the team and the engine builder to get uh to drop their uh target boost to stay below that for a prescribed period of time and and this moves throughout this is a lot this is very technical this is electronic wizardry isn't it that's going on in in a live situation it it it's in line with some of the stuff that um the FIA are doing with with fuel flow meters and fuel flow monitoring up at up at the top end of motorsport so we've worked very closely with Cosworth to develop it throughout last year and the engine builders and teams have had access to it um all winter to do it. So it's it's solely on the them to achieve this. I see um we just prescribe the limits and they have to stay within that. Yes yeah but what it has allowed us to do is have a sliding scale so we've now got a minor penalty of of five seconds um a medium penalty of ten seconds and um the ultimate penalty still has to remain disqualification. Disqualification yeah yeah but they only apply yeah if you if they f finish the race in what we're calling the penalty state. So if they're still if they've if they've still got time remaining on the counter when they cross the line effectively they've used more boost than they were allowed they haven't paid it back yes so there has to be a consequence. Yes yeah but they get the entire race and they all have the tools each driver has the tools in car to um tweak the amount of boost uh they're using by just reducing or increasing the target of how close they want to get to the line. I see so the good engineers and the good teams are pushing that limit you know they are they are trying to get within taking it to the max yeah exactly they're trying to do their job that is maximise what we give them and we're just trying to keep them under that under that so it's fair for everybody.

SPEAKER_07 1:16:38

I see um it's separate to the T T B side of things yes which is which is all the time which I I I need to explain is the uh toka turbo boost which uh took over um from from the hybrid way of getting this boost during a race to to overtake correct yeah so that's the championship um balancing uh uh uh side of things but uh we call it CLBS closed loop boost scrutineering is is this thing and uh as your uh listener uh highlights there was a couple of instant in instances over the weekend yes yeah um but I'll tell you that for race two and three that everybody was perfect. Uh-huh um so hopefully it will just do its job and sit in the background and it doesn't need to come to to anybody's attention because they've got the opportunity to to correct it themselves during the race.

SPEAKER_08 1:17:40

Yeah and so the only other difference is that in qualifying they can't finish a lap. So in that in the two 15 minute sessions they can't finish a lap in penalty either. I see so that lap will automatically get deleted. I think there was four or five laps deleted in qualifying due to the generic term we called over we were calling over boost. Right yeah um but that's because they've uh they've overmaximised during the course of one lap the allowance that we give them above uh their target or their maximum value sorry and they haven't paid that back before the before they finish the lap. Again it's all about making it fair for everybody so that somebody doesn't come out the last corner of a lap excessively over boost gain either lap time in qualifying or positions in a race and then doesn't have a consequence to it. So in a normal race during the race they would overtake say two cars because they were over the maximum target but then they'd have to pay that back for a period of time on the next lap so that the drivers who had been overtaken should get back past.

SPEAKER_07 1:19:04

So you've got someone from your technical team Sam in a live situation monitoring this all the time yeah so we we uh using some technology that um we have with our timing partner TSL we have a live status uh back in back in uh in race control and and the technical centre that is being monitored um by Cosworth wow giving me an update of who's doing what when so at the end of race one I was alerted to two instances of it yes with cars finishing the race in penalty state.

SPEAKER_08 1:19:45

Right.

SPEAKER_07 1:19:46

We then investigated that and subsequently I wrote the reports to uh the clerk of the course and they um they actioned it appropriately based on the um the level of infringement yeah that was witness witnessed yeah so so so Andy's question is is a really pertinent one I I don't remember this from from last season and and was curious to know the uh to know the answer and um uh if I may say so Sam very well explained because even somebody that's not very technical about these sort of things like me I fully understand now so I am I'm I'm I'm indebted to Andy for asking the question.

SPEAKER_08 1:20:27

Yeah hope hopefully that clears it up for everybody does yeah we've tried we've tried to go away from the the the sledgehammer approach of having um all or nothing because there's there's always this window between all or nothing as much as it's black and white there's always this uh there's always a reason there's always there there's always uh circumstances that apply to it yes so like doing it live my desire is politely never to have to have this conversation again yeah yeah exactly um it should just operate in the background be fair to all of them it's within their control to manage their amount of how much they're uh they're using the allowance yes the allowance will climb up to a certain point and then they'll repay and then they the allowance starts again so they they have the ability to to to work within that allowance and and either be below it or need to go above it to repay to then have the allowance back again. So fingers crossed it will uh mean we don't have to talk about the word boost again.

SPEAKER_07 1:21:47

But there may well be another occasion during the season that I have another technical question that I have to ask uh ask you over the course of the year Sam and we now know exactly what to do. All you have to do is to uh is to call the tech team that's all you have to do. Sam thank you ever so much for joining us technical director uh for the championship and uh beautifully explained Sam if you don't mind me saying so thank you Alan Such as twelve to want something solid one thing leads to another hello was of time once you think I'd like to sit on the skull bit some bill bit some change your place in the swim you changed change to your place in the swimmers another couple install levels and such shots and follow single bit of this in this world you change your place in this world so many stories at the opening meeting of the year for the QuickFit British Touring Car Championship and um well arguably the biggest um was the return of Jason Plato to the paddock we talked to Jason at Silverstone when he announced that he was uh going to start Plato racing and boy what a journey it's been between then and now and Saturday the debut of the team and the cars and how do you celebrate having a debut in the BTCC?

SPEAKER_11 1:26:02

Well I suppose the best way would be to win a race and by jove JP it happened well uh firstly you you know you said in your little preamble hi Alan it's good to see you and you you know you said in your little pre preamble arguably the biggest story just get rid of argument yes you might say that there's no arguing about it but I mean what a weekend we've had um and how do you celebrate well it's fair to say right which is not conventional but then again I never am uh as soon as uh you know Saturday uh you know it happened and stuff and we're all milling around I've call I've I've called uh head of hospitality Amelia um and said right get get get some champagne up here now and we're all having it we're all having a little glass of drink and we've still got loads of work to do and she went what what now I said now bring six bottles of fizz and a load of ice and and some and we literally we all had a little everyone because it was a very special moment you know history was made that day and we we literally that's how we celebrated it i i then went a little bit further because I shot down hospitality with still some guests around and you know some sponsors and partners and I I got stuck in a little bit but I I did I did I did pay for it on Sunday morning when when you know woke up at like 6 30 thinking oh shit oh my god I've got a breathalyzer you have a breathalyser on Sunday morning yeah but and literally everyone who saw me bouncing around on Saturday evening were were they literally there was almost like there was almost like a gallery of people going right here he is look he's gonna do the breathalyzer watch this go red wow 0.00 was it really yeah well only because I started early yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I started early and finished early but what a weekend I mean do you know what we didn't get the results we wanted to on on Sunday but But the the you know the takeout was you know we Rice, we only we only gone and pulled it off. We did it.

SPEAKER_06 1:28:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:28:07

And we did we've done done it in in less than well in six months, basically.

SPEAKER_07 1:28:13

I was determined. I w I was absolutely determined that I was going to be the first person to put a microphone under and and I was stalking you, I was right there as you were on the pit wall. Because it was poignant for me. Um I've I've been there throughout your your touring car racing career from when you very s first started at Donington Park to this moment in time. It was a it was a landmark moment, and I was blooming well gonna find out what you were feeling about it, and uh, it was just so special.

SPEAKER_11 1:28:46

Well, do you know what I did get told off from ITV.

SPEAKER_07 1:28:49

I'm sure you did.

SPEAKER_11 1:28:50

But for swearing a bit. I'm sure you did, but it was just an enormous release of emotion and and energy and fear and worry and uh and worry for uh for all of my team. And and do you know what? Uh genuinely I've never experienced a race uh like that that qualification race on you know the race for pole.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:19

Race to pole.

SPEAKER_11 1:29:20

Never experienced a race like it in my life.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:22

No.

SPEAKER_11 1:29:23

I was I was jumping, shouting, uh, doing sorts of weird movements, like I was some sort of weird dancer from out of space. And and it was it was genuinely, it was it was I mean, genuinely, I I it was the proudest moment of my life, actually, from where from what's happened, you know, with over the last four and a half years of my personal life. Um and it was so different because when when you're in the car, and you know, I've done I've done a fair bit of winning over my over the years.

SPEAKER_14 1:29:56

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:29:57

Right. Ever since as a kid carting, I learned that emotion is the enemy. And that's partly to do with my dad's kind of my dad installed that in me, and and I I truly believe actually, as a racing driver, or any any and we were a little having a little chat off-air, but any elite sportsman Yeah, that's you, right? Any elite sportsman, it doesn't matter what who you are, right? Whether you're playing football or you're golfing or or what or you you're uh my mate uh Sir Chris Hoy, are you on a push bike? I honestly think emotion is is the enemy, and you learn, you learn how to deal with that, and you end you end up becoming you end up I think I think you actually change the way your brain works and you know your heart, your brain connection. You you somehow manage over the years, or at least I did, to turn that off. And I'm and I'm not just talking when I'm in the car, but out of the car, because I'm I'm working, you know. That's that's you know, the race circuit is is my place of work. Yes, and it's not it's not jolly, it's not fun, it's not it's not, it's not it's not a jolly, and it's not there just for fun to enjoy, it's a place of work. And do you know what? Uh in in a bit that I've had quite a lot of therapy over the last three years. Um uh whilst you have to do that, and whilst you have to turn off emotion, um I I I went too far and turned it off completely. And do you know what I was I spoke to uh you know some people who've helped help me out and said, mate, just make sure, just let yourself enjoy it and and feel it. And do you know what? I wasn't just feeling from my perspective, I was feeling that for everyone that's been that's that's been part of the team, whether they be, you know, full-time staff, you know, the engineers, the mechanics and the technicians, whether they be marketing people, which you know, branding people will work who who work with us, or even down to you know, hospitality crew, uh everybody was it was everyone's so invested. And it was the most amazing moment ever. It was truly was. I mean, you know, there was uh quite a few grown men with um that had multiple wasp strikes in their eyes. That that that you know straight after. Uh and it was it it was joyous, and and I was you know, the at the onset of this, I was slightly worried that uh you know, can I get behind another driver? I've never supported any other driver in history apart from myself. Yeah, I've done it. But now, but now I'm um it's all it's the weirdest feeling ever. It's lovely. And the nice thing is I've got no stress uh of being a racing driver, but but the weirdest thing is I woke up on Saturday morning all of a tears, like I normally would do, and go, right, right, I've got my kit ready, I've got that, right? I've got I've got all my all my thermal, all me, fireproofs, and then I was thinking, no, I'm not why do I need to do that anymore? Don't need any of that. No, yeah. So it was wonderful, and it was lovely that, like you said, you've been there since the start of my career. Yeah. Um, and very poignant in that, you know, when I arrived at with Williams Renault in 1997, you know, with with an illustrious teammate, uh uh Alan Menu, who at that time was the finest uh the finest touring car driver in the world, full stock.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:24

For sure.

SPEAKER_11 1:33:25

Capital letters.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:26

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:33:27

And um mate, I fired on pole on my debut, not once. I remember it well, not once, but twice. In fact, not not twice at Donovan and once at Silverstone. Anyway, we'll ignore the Silverstone thing because I stalled on the line from pole. But anyway, um, so I did it as a driver. Now we've only gone and done it as a team. So it was really very emotional.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:49

And it was Donnington. It was Donington, I know, I know, amazing. It was the whole story, wasn't it? It was the whole story. You know, when we were walking up the pit lane to to Park Fermay on Saturday, um, I I realised that the bit of tarmac that we were walking on was when where your car came to a stop at Donnington Park and you got out and we had our first interview. Um it's serendipitous, isn't it? Uh isn't it?

SPEAKER_11 1:34:16

Well, I d I can't spell don't ask me to spell that.

SPEAKER_07 1:34:19

I can't spell it, mate. No, I I don't think I've ever said it before, to be perfectly honest. Um but but it it it was made all the more special that that it it was at Donington Park and all the more special that that you had shared with us something very, very personal back in September, um, that you've had your struggles um getting to this point. And I think a lot of people w would have s seen your joy and elation on Saturday and realised that it that that that sort of thing, that sort of feeling, being involved in this sport, is a very, very hard thing to give up. And to have yeah, exactly that.

SPEAKER_11 1:35:01

Honestly, I I I you know I under completely underestimated the impact it would have on me.

SPEAKER_06 1:35:10

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 1:35:11

I really I really did. And it was only some time afterwards did I really truly understand it. And do you know what? And this applies to well, this applies to everybody in life, but particularly, you know, middle-aged men who have been sportsmen, but to everyone. You know, I was uh uh it was normal for me the intensity of being a professional racing driver and being an intensely competitive person, but working and competing in arguably the most competitive tour and car series in the world at full stop. Yeah, right, for most of my adult life. In fact, in fact, the majority of my adult life.

SPEAKER_07 1:35:54

All your adult life, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:35:56

All my adult life.

SPEAKER_07 1:35:57

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:35:57

And also, well, you know, I started racing carts when I was 11. So from 11, I've been you know intensely competitive and and and totally dedicated to my sport, you know, motor racing. And and like I said, about the emotion thing, you become really very good at just turning off that emotional receptor in your brain or in your heart or wherever it is. So you just don't allow emotion to come in. But the problem is you'll then you'll then which I now understand, because obviously I've been through some really dreadful, embarrassing to say, actually, but but not at all. You know, some terrible, terrible, terrible mental health. And and I'll tell you what, okay, I mean, I had four things which hit me at the same time, you know, with the motor racing. Yes, I'd planned it for the best part of eight months. Yes. Uh I'd announced it early that I was going to retire. I thought I'd had that boxed off and sorted. Um, you know, then a lot of my investments, the TV work dried up, my vest went wrong, and then and then, you know, mate, you know, my wife Sophie decided she wanted to end the marriage. And all that came in the space of well, six weeks, actually. And it just blew it blew me up. And I thought I was immune. I thought I was immune to any emotional turmoil. Because, you know, you you know, because you know, Alan, being a pro-race driver in the last 10 years, 10, 15, 10, 10 years probably in Brixton Castle is very different to when I got involved. In that the the level of uncertainty and stress about getting deals together has has gone exponential. Yes. Yeah, but back in the day, you know, I signed a big contract with Wick Williams, and then with Vauxhall, and then with Sayat. And then it started to change because the manufacturers, you know, drifted away uh for you know for the for what for the right reasons. I mean, 2008 financial crisis screwed everything.

SPEAKER_06 1:38:04

It did, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:38:05

And that was when that was when my Sayat deal uh came to an abrupt end, even though I just signed a new three-year deal.

SPEAKER_14 1:38:11

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 1:38:12

Do you know what? We just signed a bit of paper, uh, the checks arrived every month, and they were big checks, and you know, life was pretty easy and stuff, and then and then and then we go through this next phase of being a pro where everyone you've got to work your nuts off, and you don't know how long it's gonna keep going on for. So it's really stressful, but then of course, it it's good to not have emotion during that period. So I thought I was bomb-proof. Well, guess what? I wasn't, and it just literally took the legs from under me, and um uh yeah, and it was a real I didn't I didn't know who I was anymore. I you know, I'd lost that intensity, and then so the point I'm making is the there was some some other triggers and they all came in one go, almost like a perfect storm. But then what I didn't realize was that losing that intensity, that comp competition, that that drive to win or to be better or whatever was so ingrained in my psyche, that was the bit which literally ticked me over the edge, not having that. Yeah, do you know what I mean? Yeah, I do, yeah. Um so uh and I and and that's why I said earlier, you know, this is the my proudest moment of my life because you know I tried to kill myself twice. But I mean I can't even believe those words go across my lips. But I was at a very bad place, and in a short space of time, having spoken to some very dear friends who got me out, you know, Ross Braun and a few others, Adrian Newey, you know, they all rallied around and said, come on, come on, mate. Um, come on, what can we do? How can we help? And and that was the first time I'd really let it out and spoken and and and told everyone, you know, just the and let my guard down and let everyone in. Because again, in most cases, you don't show any chink, any chink in your armor at all.

SPEAKER_15 1:40:06

No.

SPEAKER_11 1:40:07

Because in our wolf, it's yeah, yeah, it's a weakness. And the moment I did, the moment I just went, Oh God, I'm a f I'm I need some help. I need you know, and then everyone came pouring in. But I'd I'd ignored calls for months and months and months, and that was a big lesson to me. So, you know, anyone that's listening, you know, uh well, here's the thing, right? Most people, because they only know my public persona, yes, no one knows what I'm like at home. No, of course. No one knows that I'm actually a big softy and I I cry at cartoons and well you can't show people that when you're an elite sportsman, can you? Well, then of course you can't. And and everyone couldn't believe what what you've had, you've had problems, mental health problems. I'm like, and you know, and what's more is you don't know who I am because I've projected this professional image outwards. And once I came to terms with that, I said, I'm done with projecting. I just, yeah, I need some help. Then things started to get better. So, you know, I basically say, look, it doesn't matter who you are, what you do, we all at some points in our life will have a crisis. And what's really has helped me is is is putting my trust in in dear friends. And you know, if you end up with five friends, real true friends, at my stage in life, at my age in life, but you've done rather well, actually. Yes. And I and you know what? I've got more than five, and I put my trust in them, and I I I revealed my weaknesses, and and then things started to get better. And so anyone that's listening, girls, boys, men, women, um, if you ever, you know, if you're ever really low and down, and everyone will be, probably at multiple times in their life, please just speak to people you trust. And it because that that that's what really helped me. And it actually turned my focus around, said, come on, JP, let's uh let come on, let's get going. Do you know what I mean? So that's why it's my proudest moment, because not that long ago I was in a real bad way.

SPEAKER_07 1:42:21

When you when you set um Plato Racing up back in September, um how were you to know how many things you would be dealing with, how many day-to-day challenges there were going to be to being a team team manager?

SPEAKER_11 1:42:37

Let me tell you a secret, right? I've worked with some brilliant teams, the best in the business, uh, and lots of different sorts of teams. I thought, I genuinely thought I knew what goes on behind the scenes wrong.

SPEAKER_07 1:42:52

Now you do know.

SPEAKER_11 1:42:53

I didn't have honestly, I didn't have a Scooby Deal. No, I really didn't. No. The amount of stuff which goes on behind the scenes, the amount of invoices which come in, honest to God. Last week, right? Last week, uh, I have this, I've got this brilliant, he's he's been a supporter of mine for a long time, guy called Matt Beaven, who runs um MBOffice. And again, this is all part of my ethos, which has been with me forever. What whatever, whatever stuff we have, I want the best. If I want a printer, right? An office printer, or two or three, or whatever it may be, I want the best. Oh, and the best is Conec and Minolta. Best, the best. Well, they're bloody fortunes, right? So anyway, two weeks ago, I uh so so we've got this thing where you use zero accounts. Uh Xerox. Which which I guess a lot of people do.

SPEAKER_14 1:43:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:43:52

There's a couple of little add-ons you can do with your subscription where you just literally scan and send an invoice to a to an email address which is linked to you and zero, and it just scanned them in. And with AI, it puts them in.

SPEAKER_06 1:44:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:44:10

Honestly, I had nearly an inch thick of invoices. Wow. To scan in two weeks ago. Wow. And these weren't invoices which have accrued over uh weeks and weeks and weeks. No, no, that was a week's worth of invoices.

SPEAKER_07 1:44:24

Yeah, wow.

SPEAKER_11 1:44:25

Uh honestly go, what, what, what, what's that for?

SPEAKER_06 1:44:28

Yes.

SPEAKER_11 1:44:28

And you go, well, well, well, well, that that's for these nuts and bolts. What what? Yeah, hold on. Why why is that nut 20 quid? A nut. I'm talking one nut 20 quid. Yeah, and we've ordered like 50 of them. I said, Well, the what what what's going on? We only order the very finest of everything. So everything's K nuts and in August last year, we we opened the bank account. We had nothing. We didn't have even one tie wrap, a nut, a bolt, a clip, any tools. We had nothing. And here we are, right? On the Tuesday, live with you on the radio, after our first event, April 26th, and we've only gone and won a race and put the thing on pole. Well, here's an here's another insight, right? Today was the first time. Obviously, everyone had had a day off yesterday. They kept obviously they got back late on Sunday night, they unpacked the trucks, put the cars in, and and literally I said, just just um just get the cars out, put them in the workshop, that's it. Go home. Yeah, day off. So I got there first thing this morning, and each I've walked in, and the cars are in their bays in our workshop, and I'm looking at them going, uh Jesus, Jesus Christ, they look smashed to bits, right? And they are, yeah, and I'm just looking at them going, God, that's that's two grand gone, that's another two grand gone. Jesus. And I'm looking at the the the the detritus and and and witness marks and grazes. Yeah, I've never even seen that in my life. And I was driving for 20 odd years. Yes, and now as a bloke behind there who is who's looking at the budget and going, what have they been doing? Yeah, because it's mental.

SPEAKER_07 1:46:15

But this is because you got out of the car and you thought, right, closed the door, job, job done. Um, exactly. And then that was it.

SPEAKER_11 1:46:24

But now I see I see all the stuff, even though over the years, many, many times I've been to the teams on a Monday or Tuesday morning and seeing the cars, but it didn't register. But it registers now because we've got pay for the I had work with Dan. Well, we had a great we had a proper team meeting performance, uh uh kind of debrief for the weekend with everyone. And uh literally I've turned around to Dan Landbuster, what's wrong with you? Why'd you have to do that for the front of the car? I kid you not.

SPEAKER_07 1:46:58

And this comes from you, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:47:00

Yeah, somebody that knows what it's like, yeah. Uh honestly, Alan, it's um oh, it's so nice to be back to see. I bet, even though you you wait me, you know, right. I've got lots of uh what what how do I say how do I say I've got lots of colleagues uh in the public but actually I now know because I've treated them like colleagues, actually I've got lots of really good friends and stuff, and do you know what? Because of the way I've been teamed up to mate, they're the enemy. And do you know what I go from one team to another? Well, the team I've been, which have been my family, they're now the enemy.

SPEAKER_06 1:47:40

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_11 1:47:41

And do you know what? When I go to racing, I don't I don't for I don't socialise with anyone.

SPEAKER_06 1:47:45

No.

SPEAKER_11 1:47:45

Uh as a racer driver, you just do your job, you go back into the hotel, you share in a shave bed. Yeah, that's it. Uh and and and and what's more, you've got no time to speak to anyone. Uh, but so therefore you just treat them as as colleagues, as uh but but basically the enemy. And actually, I've had near everyone in the had such a brilliant reception of everybody after we'd done what we did on Saturday. Oh man, it's such a lovely family, is the BCCC. I mean, it truly is. It truly, truly, truly is.

SPEAKER_07 1:48:18

It is it's helped a lot of people through some um some troublesome times, I tell you. Yeah, it's the it's the constant, it's always there. The people are always there. It's it's really weird when people walk away from the championship, they go off to do other things, and maybe maybe they come back uh after, I don't know, 10 years, 15 years. Rob Huff is a is an example that comes to mind.

SPEAKER_11 1:48:39

He's a great example, right?

SPEAKER_07 1:48:40

He he is. He comes back and he you're still here, you're still doing that, and you're still doing that, and you're still doing that. It feels like I've never been away.

SPEAKER_11 1:48:48

Right. Can I tell this story, right? Come on. We're having a little chit-chat on the blower before we got on air, and I would say, he said, So how was your weekend? I said, Oh, yeah, it's good. I said, I'll tell you what, mate, I'm out of condition because when I got back on Sunday night, I was like full of aches and pains and stuff, and I compared it move. And you turned around to me and said, mate, and and I said, I ran it's because I've just been walking and standing. I've barely sat down, and you said, How many miles do you do over uh over a race or kilometers over race weekend?

SPEAKER_07 1:49:21

So so when I was doing all the support races and all the touring car races, I only do touring cars now. So when I was doing everything in a day, around about 12 miles per day on the race weekend.

SPEAKER_11 1:49:35

Right. So my response to that was uh can I can I swear? No. Okay, my response to that was right. There's no way, there's no way you're doing 12 miles, which is the best part of uh come on, ladies and gentlemen, everyone help me out. 12 miles is what? Uh let's call it 18 kilometers, something like that. I send it away. So I went, oh, hold on, hold on. I'll check my iPhone, right? And obviously, those that know me know that I'm not I don't really do the gym and stuff, so I don't look at all that stuff. But I thought I'll have a look, so I tried to find the app and found it. Guess what? Yeah, it's mental dunny. I did I did on Saturday uh Donington and repeated on Sunday. Well one was like 13.9 something kilometers, right? And the Sunday was 14.01 kilometers. So basically identical. But guess what? I'm only walking from the trucks to the the garages back the truck here to there and back again and here to there onto the grid, over across pit lane, yeah, maybe to the hospitality a couple of times. 14 kilometers. I've never walked that far in my life. Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 1:50:47

Well, you'll be you'll be fitter than you've ever been by the end of this season.

SPEAKER_11 1:50:53

Yesterday we gave everyone a day off work and stuff and said, look, just just just get the cars out, trucks, go home, have a beer, do whatever you want, uh, but have a day off. I was nagged. Like, do you know what comfy kids are?

SPEAKER_07 1:51:12

No.

SPEAKER_11 1:51:13

Oh what comfy kids are like, they're like really like soft, gentle, kind of like pyjama-y bottoms and a top. Oh, nice. Well, I I've only just been introduced to comfy kids uh with my the new love my life, uh Louise, and um obviously David Gandhi, because we know the Gandhi. I literally lay there all day be comfy kids, watch, watch, watch the replays, looked at some social media, did some emails, and I was knackered. I mean, literally knackered, yeah, and that's just from walking. Yes, yeah, yeah. I don't think I'm gonna get to the end of the year. I don't know. I think I might need some sort of contraction. I don't know what you thought. What what do you think about our um our team our team game? Do you like our colours?

SPEAKER_07 1:52:00

Uh uh so it is um uh dark cherry. I've done a lot of research. Well no, that's not what it's called. Well, uh the so that's the closest I can find in colour charts to describe it.

SPEAKER_11 1:52:13

Right, dark cherry, I'm gonna mention that because my my Mark McClintock, who's who's um my my branding expert, I've known him since Williams Tury car, and we became friends then and we done the we stayed in contact and done some work together. Well, uh so our official and our brand guidelines, our purple is called Plato Purple.

SPEAKER_07 1:52:31

Yeah, Plato Purple. That's what we've got.

SPEAKER_11 1:52:34

We've also got burnt rubber, right? Which which looks black, but it's not, it's just a very dark purple. And then we've got flowies yellow. We like that, don't we? And then we've got sexy pink. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's that, and then we've got like a white colour, which isn't, and we've just called it off-white. That doesn't mean you reckon it's like a cherry, I think. Dark cherry. Dark cherry. That was so a bit like a black forest ghetto.

SPEAKER_07 1:53:06

Yeah, that kind of thing. Yeah. So I I was looking through loads of of colour palettes online to get the the closest I could get to the colour of the car. Right. Um, and and that was what I could come up with. Dark cherry.

SPEAKER_11 1:53:20

Dark cherry, I like it. So anyway, so you're what what do you think? Do you think our colours look great?

SPEAKER_07 1:53:26

So the cars look exceptional. I mean, they they they do look exceptional. If if they didn't, I would probably decline to answer your question. But uh particularly in the sunshine.

SPEAKER_11 1:53:40

I want to know the truth.

SPEAKER_07 1:53:41

In the sunshine on Saturday at Donnington Park, they look spectacular. Yeah, they do.

SPEAKER_11 1:53:46

And what and what about what about all the mechanics with that us and our purple gear? We look great, don't we?

SPEAKER_07 1:53:52

At um uh where was it we were chatting? Was it Croft or was it uh Brand's Action, the pre-season test days? You were everyone was everyone was all in black, and you said, No, no, the gear will all turn up in time, trust me on this, and lo and behold, you were all turned out immaculate. I was impressed.

SPEAKER_11 1:54:08

Bingo, bingo.

SPEAKER_07 1:54:09

Not only that, I was impressed by the umbrellas. Oh they've got one colour on one side and one on the other.

SPEAKER_11 1:54:17

One on the well, mate, I've got four of my in the back of my car because you never know you might need them. Honestly, I might I don't know if you noticed, but what one of the we might be in race two. It started to rain a bit. I thought I might get the umbrella right, but it wasn't raining, there was a spit.

SPEAKER_07 1:54:34

JP, well done at the weekend. Uh thanks, mate. I'm thank you. I am sure we're going to be speaking again before the end of the year. Um, I think we will be. I think we probably will be. Um, but a remarkable landmark in your career. So uh well done and thank you.

SPEAKER_11 1:54:49

Oh, well, well, do you know what? It's not it's not it's not it's now not my career. It's it's it's the career of everyone, which is which is I hate this word because you hear on social, you hear on like all these shows on TV, like oh I'm on the journey. But when it's used correctly, which I'm happy to do now, it is a journey. Everyone that's come on the journey with with us, you know, w when we when we have to convince you know engineers, mechanics to look, just take a risk, come with us. What well what is that? Well, it's nothing at the moment. Everyone which is invested and come along, it's it's it's their story. Yes. And I'm just a minor cog, believe it or not. Uh I just happen to be in the office upstairs and I try and find the money. Uh, you know, there's so many people. So many people which without them we wouldn't be where we are. So it's for them, really.

SPEAKER_07 1:55:45

Well done, Mike. Uh and and thank you for coming on the show. And we will speak again in around about two and a half weeks' time.

SPEAKER_11 1:55:52

Well, so anyway, everyone, I'm just off down the gym to do some squat. And to try and keep my weight at a minimum. Uh and then after that, I'm gonna go and get a manicure, a pedicure. I'd rather it I'd rather eat my own waters than that. Anyway, I'm gonna I'm off down the pub now for a I'm gonna take I'm gonna take Erin Dalles down. We're gonna have a pump meal through pizza.

SPEAKER_07 1:56:17

Pizza and a pint. Very nice too. JP, thank you so much. And see you in a couple of weeks' time. Uh Jason Plato, everybody, on Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed, the winners lose it.

SPEAKER_03 1:58:29

Um, we're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_07 2:00:08

I did tell you that we had a lot to get through on the show tonight. I've got a lot of emails to catch up with uh as well. That's propaganda, a former green flag song for the BCCC. Ian Marshall. Hi Ian, uh hi Al. Just a quick note to wish you all the best with new PowerMax Tint Top Tuesday. Thought it might be all over when you were looking for a new sponsor, but I'm so glad you're back. Pleased to be back in. Uh thank you. Uh Donnington was a cracker with so many unpredictable outcomes. New cars, new team with Cash Clean Play-Though Racing, uh, new qualifying race on Saturday, driver changes and all of the other things. Great to see Dan Robottam take the first race to pole in the Mercedes. I'm sure we'll see lots more from him this season. I think you're absolutely right. I tried to get uh Robo on the show tonight, but he's um very, very busy today. He'll um he'll realise that he didn't get back to me tomorrow. And he'll send me a text message saying, Really sorry. That's fine. Got another nine scheduled shows for uh Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax. So um I'm sure we'll be having Robo on more than on one occasion, so don't worry about that, Ian. Uh well done to Mikey Doble for such a strong result in race one uh to give the Audi A3 its first win. Uh but you really have to hand it to Ash Sutton, uh, who once again demonstrated his ability to scythe through the field to take the win in both races two and three. And a big shout out to Ricky Collard for adapting to the Hyundai so quickly to make the most of the reverse grid pole and finish on the podium in his first weekend back in the series. Uh I was there trackside on Sunday to witness the action and will be coming to the May Brands Hatch meeting for the first time, which I'm really looking forward to. Uh Ian, thank you for your kind words and uh see you soon. Uh, thanks very much indeed to Ian Marshall. Aaron! Hi Aaron, uh hello Alan. The highs of the BTCC season officially start uh uh officially starting have not decreased one bit. What a weekend! Once again, me and my tra uh my dad travelled from Sunderland to Donington Park for what was my first ever season opener, and one I'll remember for a very long time. Attached is my entry uh for the uh image of the week in the uh PowerMaxed uh image of the week photo competition, Dan Robottom's brand new Mercedes A-class. Thanks so much uh for a great evening show. Aaron Scott, who is 19 years old from Sunderland and has taken an absolutely super picture of the uh Plato purple cataclone Play-to-racing car with Dan Robottom at the wheel. Uh great, great picture. Thank you very much indeed, Aaron, and thanks for your kind words as well. Uh, Simon uh Sid from Three Amigos Auto Sports says, Good evening, Mr. Hyde. First of all, can I please say well done on securing your new sponsor for PowerMax Tin Top Tuesday, and thank you to PowerMax for coming on board. Uh, as for the opening weekend of racing, well, uh what a great first and mixed-up weekend that was disqualifications, time penalties, punctured tyres, and that's uh all away from the great action on track and some mighty moves being done and completed. I did like the new qualifying format, and it'd be interesting to see how tactics now play out for it as well. Now the boost reduction will be in place. Absolutely right. Uh well done to Mikey Doble on the race win in the new Audi and to Ash Sutton as well as both himself and Tingers showcasing the great recovery drives that they can do when it's required. But it would be uh uh uh amiss of me not to mention separately the achievements that the Cataclean Play-Though racing team made with their first pole and first race-to-pole win as well, uh as an engine change in between races. A great weekend, and uh at last an opening weekend where we didn't get soaps. Uh, for image of the week, I've decided to focus on you this week with images of what you do best for us all. Uh, we've got one of Charles Rainford. Oh, me poking my head into Ash Sutton's car. Uh oh, and another one of me just going up to poke my head into Ash Sutton's car, and another one of me. Very good, thank you, Simon. Absolutely brilliant, thank you very much indeed. Uh, Sam and Katie, hi guys, um, hi Alan, hope you're well. Great to hear you've secured PowerMax as title sponsor for this season after the long winter break. It was fantastic to be trackside again, uh, especially with the cars glistening in the Donnington sunshine. We should be in for a brilliant season, and we're already looking forward to the next round. We're still getting our heads around the new Saturday qualifying format, and I suspect we're not alone, but fingers crossed it will all click into place quickly. Attached for a few snaps from the weekend for interest. We were particularly in awe of the Crouch Recovery lorry. All the best from uh Sam and Katie. You know how to make me happy, don't you? That evening sky picture is superb, and a podium picture as well. That makes me happy. Oh, uh great pictures. Uh and the uh the inflatable uh tank down at uh uh the army stand as well. A few people sent me pictures of that. That's uh that's really cool. Thank you very much indeed to Sam and Katie. I've got a few more to get through, you know. Uh Archie. We mentioned Archie earlier on and uh says good evening, Alan. What an opening round that was. Sorry I didn't catch you during the weekend to give you the little present to say thank you for letting me use the Tin Top Tuesday logo on my sim car. Uh the coverage from Tokalive was great all weekend and made the listening experience thoroughly enjoyable. I've got my first round of my sim season this Friday, so I'll be sure to update you on how it goes. Yes, you must. Uh, could I please get a shout out to JCW driver Will Crooks, who's done so much for me recently, has given me lots of help with my photography, he's such a great guy, and a credit to the mini grid. I've attached some photos for Image of the Week, if that's still going. It is. I hope you like them. Thanks very much for what you do from Archie Jardine. Thank you very much, Archie. And uh yes, yeah, good picture of Robo's car. Does look gorgeous, that colour, doesn't it, in the sunshine. Absolutely super, absolutely brilliant pictures. Thank you very much indeed, Archie. Harry says, uh, evening Al. Oh, it's good to be back with the BTCC. Hope you enjoyed the cake.

unknown 2:06:34

I did.

SPEAKER_07 2:06:35

It's been so long between seeing BTCC people with Auto Sport International and not in January. Uh glad uh we get to listen to the best radio show, thanks to PowerMaxed. Uh agreed, Harry. Thank you very much indeed to you and to them as well. Hope everyone is well. Tonight's Lego set was chosen by you. Yes, I did, and it's the Schumacher Formula One car, the F 2004. All the best as always. That comes from Harry. Harry, thank you very much indeed. Uh, we need to so we can see the box there. We need to see the finished article, Harry, if you please. Uh, Margaret says, Good evening, Alan. Hope you're well. Great to have you back. What a weekend uh it was. The 2026 season is going to be uh like well, bring it on. Thank you, Margaret. Great to have you listening, and uh and hopefully see you uh over the course of the year at a circuit. Maybe Silverstone, maybe Silverstone. Nobody go along to Silverstone. Um, and Will says, Hi Al, we're back, and what a race weekend it was. Shame um I didn't go down, but was shouting at the TV to make up for it. I was wondering if I could put a music request in for propaganda for the classic BTCC formation lap song. One of my favourites. Thanks, Will. I think, Will, we might have ticked that box. Uh Josh, Josh and Alice. Hi guys, uh good evening, Al. Hope you're well as always. The last time I mailed you, uh I told you Motone was written off. Well, I'm glad to say we've got a replacement. I'm looking down to see if there's a picture. Yes, there is, of course there is. That looks very smart. Um, I've said this time and time again. Uh, when I put my radio on and hear you and the rest of the toker team on a race weekend, I know I'm in for a good time. Bless you. Uh now to get to the racing. What a result for Robo on the race to pole. How nice does the plum Mercedes look? Yeah, I thought about plum as well. Plato plum. Plum toe. Uh, that was a moment that made me uh giggle, and I'll attach the photo as I'm sure uh will make you as well. Uh hope you enjoy the rest. Uh, best wishes from Josh and Alice. Guys, thank you very much indeed. And that really does look very smart, indeed. Very smart little camper. That uh Deborah, um no, it's not Deborah, it's from Jensen, H10. Uh hi, we had the most amazing weekend at the BTCC. It was only my second race weekend, but I always watch on tell and listen to your commentary. Oh, thank you. Thank you, Jensen. Uh, I was lucky enough to get to meet all the drivers who were all so friendly. I've attached my favourite photo. Um, I met this absolute legend and Adam Morgan. Thanks for doing the best commentary. Can't wait for the rest of the season. Absolutely super. Oh, Jensen, how happy you look to meet the Morganator. That's a brilliant picture. Absolutely superb. And I think uh thanks also to to Mum. Thank you, Deborah. Uh Barbara and Stewart, hi Alan. Uh great news that you're still on air. Thanks to PowerMaxed. I agree. Uh, we found your Chris Rea tribute at the start of the show very appropriate. Thank you. Uh, we met Chris a couple of times at race meetings. He was very down to earth, just another racing fan, quite enthused about his cars too. Look forward to seeing you at Brands. Um, couldn't make it to Times and cheers from Barbara and Stuart. Thank you very much indeed. I'm going to try and get through all of your messages. I've got a couple left to get through. Um, hi Alan. Well, despite sticking it in my diary, I arrived an hour late. Brackets, blame the dog. What an excuse. Um, anyway, what a start to the season. I missed the race to pole due to being at work all day, but it sounds like an epic start to the season. I was gutted for Tingram being disqualified through a technical issue, but he certainly brought it back during race three and plenty of the season left to regain points. My drive of the day had to be Charles Rainford. I think he is definitely one to watch throughout this season. Also, watching Ricky Collard back on track uh was thoroughly exciting. He really got his elbows out, didn't he? Uh I'm hoping to watch the next rounds as I'll be in the Scottish Highlands, so may have to send my friend out for the day or park her in an armchair with a good book while I'm glued to RTB4. Hopefully she will understand or maybe become a convert. Uh so looking forward to an exciting season with the new rules, front runners starting at the back, and of course, Jason Plato as well. All the best from Fiona and Flossy the dog. And this one says, um, I'm from Andy, Andy Farugia. Um, hi Alan. Wow, thanks for the answer to my questions. I understand it more now. It's mind-blowing. You don't realise what goes on in these cars and the technicalities. They have to so so they have so much to look at. Uh, and thanks to Sam for his time. It's nice to get a bit more background uh to things like this. I find it so interesting. Hey, you're more than welcome. Um and Sam's the m the man. Um the uh technical questions I can't really answer. Um, I've I've got a a broad idea, but I have to say, after speaking to technical director Sam Riches today, I understand uh that particular aspect an awful lot better. He explained it really, really well. So uh yeah, thanks Andy, thank you for the questions, and um uh thank you to Sam Riches. Um if you have technical questions following weekends, do please send your messages in and and we'll get we'll get Sam from the tech team back on Tintop Tuesday. Power by Power Max. If for no other reason than I have edited Darth Vader's Imperial March and I intend to use it again. Quite a few of you writing in and saying how much they enjoyed it. And Martin from the Toker safety team he sent in a great video of him testing it. So they have uh a range of uh Bosch professional tools to use on board this year, and uh they were showing the the power of the leaf blower by firing a tennis ball up. Uh I hasten to add, not when there was racing taking place, but a very, very amusing uh uh picture with Stubsy with the tennis ball and oh goodness me. We are blessed with the most amazing safety and medical team at uh BCCC events. And you know what else? They are really fantastic people, a very, very lovely bunch of uh people. Uh Martin, thank you for sending that in. Right, there you go. We are up to date. Thank you very much indeed for listening to the first edition of series 19 of Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. Thank you to all of our guests this evening, to Adam Weaver from PowerMax, to Mikey Doble, race winner, to Sam Riches, technical director, and to Jason Plato, team owner and double champion in the drivers' championship in the BTCC. And thank you to all of you for emailing in studio at tintoptuesday.com. If you're listening to the podcast, it could be on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of your favourite podcast channels. Uh you can still send an email in, particularly for PowerMaxed Image of the Week. And we will judge it just before we go on air in three weeks' time. Thank you everyone for your uh company tonight, and uh such a great championship to be following, isn't it? Uh and uh we shall do it all again in three weeks after Brand Satch, the second meeting of the year for the 2026 QuickFit British Touring Car Championship. Thank you for your company. Have a safe time, everybody. Enjoy whatever motorsport uh you're about to enjoy over the next couple of weeks, and we'll see you again when we reconvene at Brands Hatch uh for the second meeting, rounds uh four, five, and six. And we'll be here on the Tuesday afterwards at btcc.net slash live dash audio and we'll be there to dissect everything that happened.

SPEAKER_03 2:14:29

In the meantime, none people stay just a little bit longer We won't play just a little bit longer and the promoter don't mind and the union don't buy it take a little time and the leader of the high soul choose just a little bit, please, please say you're gonna be a little bit more than a lot of people.

SPEAKER_15 2:15:50

Oh, please stay touched by the little big one I don't know, no man is told man take a little time to leave us all behind one.