SPEAKER_00 0:45

Very much Mr. Eacon. It's Tuesday, and it's Tin Top, so it must be Tim Top Tuesday.

SPEAKER_09 1:11

It most certainly is after the second meeting for the Quick Fit British Turing Guard Championship of 2026. A brand's hatch. A glorious day on Saturday. Slightly more challenging weather-wise on Sunday. But nevertheless, absolutely thrilling racing. And if you did take some photos, you could be in with a chance of winning our competition. Our PowerMaxed image of the week. Send your pictures in on email studio at tintoptuesday.com, studio at tintoptuesday.com. Even if you are listening online, if you are watching ITV's coverage, we'll have your pictures, please. Thanks very much. Let's see what you were doing. And you could be in with a chance of winning our PowerMaxed Image of the Week. Now it's not necessarily the best picture. It is the picture that makes us go, oh wow, or ah, or any of those things. There is no rhyme nor reason. It just has to be the one that stands out as image of the week. So that's it. Scroll through the phone, screw, scroll through your cameras, and pick out your favourite and send it in studio at tintoptuesday.com. And of course, today we have judged which was the best PowerMaxed image of the week from the last show two weeks ago following the opening meeting of the year at Donnington Park. And we have a winner. It was a close run thing. We have a runner-up spot, which was young Archie Jardine, who is the young man that we told you about who's going sim racing with a Tin Top Tuesday liveried car in a very, very attractive shade of green. We've had an up an update from uh Archie how he's getting on in his uh his um esports championship, sim racing championship, uh, and he sent in some great pictures of the car. And I thought that was going to be the winner because I absolutely love the look of the car. However, it was trumped, it was trumped by Jensen, who is aged 10 years old, or mum, Deborah, Deborah Russell. Uh, for the very simple reason, it was a picture from Donington Park of uh Adam Morgan posing with Steve doing the uh radio interviews for uh the BTCC. Uh both of them smiling away, but the biggest, broadest smile on the planet was Jensen's. It is just a brilliant picture, and it did make us go, oh, and that's our winner. That's our uh a PowerMaxed uh image of the week winner, our first one of 2026. Deborah, can you write to me? Or Jensen, can you write to me with your uh postal address and we'll send it off to those lovely people at PowerMaxed and they will bestow upon you a detailing bucket full of PowerMax goodies. Well done. So get your uh emails in studio at tintoptuesday.com. We've had loads of emails that have come in already yesterday and today, and we will endeavour to get to all of them now. Uh, if you were there or you were listening to the uh live stream or watching on ITV, uh you may well be aware uh that on Sunday uh we were blessed with a rock god, uh Mark Knopfler, uh lead singer, lead guitarist, music producer, music writer, um uh legend of uh the music world, uh, was there. He was a guest of Alan Gows. Um I was lucky enough to uh have a chat to him and get an interview with him. And but those people that have listened to this show for many years uh will know that dire straits, uh probably since I was about 14 years old, have been my musical thing in life. Coming a close second, Phil Liner and Finn Lizzie, but Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler, right up there. So therefore, I make absolutely no apologies that tonight I'm gonna play a few songs by Dire Straits. I understand he had a really nice time and uh thoroughly enjoyed his time at Brand Tap to the weekend, which is uh absolutely brilliant to hear. And uh great that he uh decided to come along and sample the BTCC in real life. Because for those of you that know, those of you that come along to the uh British Touring Car Championship, you know that there is nothing quite like being there. So there you go. I've got my uh my um my request for you to please allow me to play a few dinosaurs great songs and not tell me off. They are my favourite band. Right, we have got a lot of jolly good guests on the show tonight. So we need to press on and remind you that you can get in touch with us on email studio at tintoptuesday.com, uh, on Facebook, Instagram, uh, and our Tintop TikTok as well. All you have to do is search for Tintop Tuesday. And also, if you're listening live uh and don't get to hear the whole show, you can listen to it as a podcast as of tomorrow, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all of your favourite podcast channels. The only thing that I haven't yet mentioned, uh which I will mention a little bit later on, is we do uh have brand new Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMax uh merchandise available. There are already some t-shirts and hoodies and a teddy, I think, out in the wild. And I'll tell you how you get your hands on those as the show goes on. But welcome along, everybody. If you've not listened before, um and touring cars are your thing, uh, you're in for a little bit of a treat tonight. We talk all things BTCC here on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed Here I am again in this middle town so far away from me And where are you?

SPEAKER_03 8:17

When the sun goes down You're so far away from me so far away from me So far I just can't see So far away from me so far and be loving sofa away from me I didn't make it out the table Baby sofa away from me sofa away for me sofa just so far away for me so far I have to be so far away from me See you be the sun in a baby Any so far away from me so far away so far I just can't see sofa away sofa is very good for me.

SPEAKER_09 11:33

That uh the weather on Sunday would be a bit cooler than it was on Saturday, but that it wouldn't rain. And of course, uh I was only relying on weather forecasts that I got on my on my phone, on apps and whatnot. Um, but uh but that of course proved to be a fairly bad prediction uh for the weekend. It was a very changeable conditions throughout Sunday afternoon. Um the one driver that capitalised on it and has started in a typical Ash Sutton kind of way is Ash Sutton leading the championship with a gap of 47 points already after two meetings. First of all, evening Ash, how are you?

SPEAKER_07 12:17

I'm not too bad, how are you?

SPEAKER_09 12:19

I'm I'm well I'm I'm I'm alright. Um, but I I I will never get a job as a weather forecaster.

SPEAKER_07 12:25

Or no, I I was um I was gonna touch on that one. Can you just let me know what weather apps you use because I won't use them. Um I'll make sure we don't rely on them over a course of a weekend.

SPEAKER_09 12:36

It was bad, and I've had emails coming into to the studio today during the course of today saying, yeah, that was good. Yeah, nice one. Um I I used a couple of apps. What what predictions did you have within the team about how things were going to go weather-wise?

SPEAKER_07 12:51

Uh well, if we look back at the start of the week, say the Monday, which I normally do, my little Monday to see what the weekend's looking like. It was meant to be wet from sort of midday Saturday right through to Sunday. We got the same thing. Yeah, and then as the course of the week went on, it got less and less and less. But then it that Saturday was pretty much spot on, but Sunday was just always hovering, and sometimes it was dispersing before it got to the track, and it was just a real unknown and hit and miss. That's what we had. So it wasn't far wrong. Um, we had the we put we sort of saw that the rain was coming heavy for for race two, which it did. So what we use, I'll stick to that, I think, rather than your yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_09 13:28

I've I I advise that. However, I mean when you first came into the championship and you've been in this championship for for quite a few years now, it feels weird to me because it it feels like just yesterday that um we were talking about you at the at the media launch day at Donington Park and doing uh amazing things at your launch day. Um but it is a few years now, and and you've seen um uh quite a few uh different uh seasons and and the the way they start, and the way they start for you has always been a fairly critical way to set yourself up for a championship year. And you've done you've done the thing that you do, you've done an Ash Sutton start. I remember I said to you in Park Fairme on on Sunday, this is incredible, six rounds, and you've been on the podium for for six of them, um six out of six. You picked up the point, a typical racing driver. Um no, not quite, because I haven't I haven't been on the the podium if you like for every qualifying race as well. And and and and and and that does mean something to you, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_07 14:33

Yeah, I mean obviously that all kind of went wrong, should we say, obviously, from the get-go at Donington. But um, yeah, I can say I've uh tested both ends of the qualifying race out, yeah. One being the gravel and one being up front. So um, yeah, we've we seem to have covered a hell of a lot, but like you said, what's that to have uh six podiums out of six races is pretty phenomenal. I mean, I've never for one A, I've never had uh a season start like this, and B, I can't remember last time anybody did. So um yeah, it's a testament to what the guys have been doing back at base with the car, obviously the big development of the car over the winter, um, the big change that we've got, and then yeah, just being able to extract that that devil within me, I guess. So and find that little bit more pace that we that I didn't have last year.

SPEAKER_09 15:22

So uh when I say a typical Ash Sutton start to the year, what I'm sort of referring back to is is when we had hybrid a few years ago, what whatever they seem to chuck at you to uh the the equ equivalency or to or to hinder good results, um you seem to be able to drive around it. And and I'd I'm I was fascinated in the hybrid era and now in the toker turbo boost uh era as well. Um what's the secret? Don't give away trade secrets, but what's the secret?

SPEAKER_07 15:57

I I don't know really. I mean, we've always gone about our shall we say our testing in a manner of whether that's whether we look back many many years ago when we had the weight, then we had hybrid, now we've got TTB. Yeah, we've always done any element of testing with what we class as uh maximum penalty. The worst possible scenario. Yeah, exactly. So whether that's been full ballast, so when we were up at 75 kilos, we were testing with that. When we've been with a hybrid, we don't push the button, and the same with TTB. So um we've just solely focused on extracting every ounce of performance from the car itself, and then at the same time, I have to then go digging deep to find lap time within my driving style. So you piece those two bits together, that's when we then get to a situation like we did at brands when we we are up against it and we haven't got the TTB. We can trust the process that we put in place and we can still extract performance in other areas. And I think that was quite highlighted uh brands in sector one where TTB isn't really relevant to some extent. We get a little bit of it, you sort of carry it on over the start line, you might use it up to turn two. But our sector one was strong from the moment we hit the track, right? And it was strong for every single race. We topped a lot of the sessions, and that was ultimately what sort of kept me out of trouble because essentially what I was gaining through sector one, they were then just clawing back through the last sector and down the main straight on on the button um using T T B, and it was just a cat and mouse a yo-yo effect. So yeah, it it's just little things like that, Alan, that we've sort of focused on the time.

SPEAKER_09 17:30

So I I I I completely understand why sort of doing all your testing and everything with with the the least possible amount of of what is now boost, um but as a racing driver, you want to be running with the maximum possible power that you've got. It's more fun, it's more entertaining. So so it is almost like sort of containing the beast within you, isn't it?

SPEAKER_07 17:54

Yeah, I mean it's we've done it for a fair few years now, and I know the process, and we've I've got to stand by what we believe in in a procedure we do, and you see a few other drivers doing it. Exactly. So um, yeah, as much as you want to push the button, um it's a good opportunity. There was a couple of times where through testing, the team were like, Oh, go on off you go and do and go and enjoy it. So you're literally, it's like someone's just taking your handcuffs off and off you go. So um yeah, and I think ultimately if you look back at any, shall we say, charge through the pack race, so Donington round one, if we look at Silverstone a couple of years ago, you've seen Tom do it. Yeah, uh you look at drivers doing it up and down the grid, suddenly there that that's when you have uh the TTB along with the package that you've developed over winter, suddenly the two together, you can come storming through. So yeah, it's not like we've got uh this magic performance we've just hidden away. The performance comes from pushing a button, essentially.

SPEAKER_09 18:48

But but at the heart of all of this, you're a racing driver and you love racing, and uh you were able to race uh a couple of times over the weekend. Some absolutely fantastic battles with with Ricky Collard and the respect between the two of you in Park Fairme afterwards. Um you've raced together for many, many years. I I love to see that. It it's it's it's wonderful when you have this mutual respect between two drivers.

SPEAKER_07 19:16

Yeah, I I mean I mean Ricky loved the racing of the weekend. It was proper cat and mouse, door to door, a little bit of nudging here and there, but not uh taking a Mickey with one another or doing something that was beyond um what we class not respectful to some extent. So and if there was, there was a time where Ricky got into me at the last corner and he sort of was a bit hesitant out of the corner to sort of give it back to me because it was maybe over the mark, and vice versa, I did it to him, and it it's it's good because when you've got that, you then don't mind getting stuck into each other because if someone feels they've overstepped the mark, it gets resolved on track and not in the bus. So um yeah, I love racing Ricky, like you said, raced in 2014 um in Formula Ford before it went to the F4 um package that it is now. So yeah, just a great character. I've I've said it many a times, it's like racing his old man, his chip off the old block.

SPEAKER_09 20:05

Yeah, he really is.

SPEAKER_07 20:07

I had many bat battles with Rob on track, and honestly, it's like strapping yourself back in for a roller coaster ride with Ricky, so it's it's mega, love it. It's uh what we need.

SPEAKER_09 20:16

And also his joy when he gets out of the car, he loves racing cars, doesn't he? He loves racing.

SPEAKER_07 20:20

He's a racer, he's a racer, and again, a bit like myself, and funnily enough, Tim Harvey touched on this on the on the commentary. I feel like I race myself when I'm with with Ricky. Um and and it's good, it's it's it's healthy, it's good for the championship, makes it entertaining, and like I said, we need a hell of a lot more of it.

SPEAKER_09 20:36

Now I know that you do an awful lot of homework away from from the uh from the race meetings, you know. The the the championships are are uh are won in the time that you're not at the circuit almost as as as much as actually racing, because I remember you saying to me about the pre-season preparation uh uh three or four years ago, and and that that that was what put the team you know on uh out of the blocks at the start of the year uh to an advantage. But you also do your homework, you've just mentioned that you know Tim Harvey mentioned it in the um in the uh commentary at the weekend. So part of your homework, I guess, on a Monday when you get home is to watch back everything that happened on track.

SPEAKER_07 21:16

Exactly that, and that's exactly what I did last night. So uh once once the boys are off to bed and whatnot, I I flip the TV on and just sit there and take a bit of a mental note of everything. And it's not just even the racing, I'll sit and listen to all the interviews with other drivers and and just sort of understand where everyone's at, what everyone's thoughts are, kind of get a true read of the outcome of a weekend um and what we're up against with other people. So um yeah, I did all that last night. That was my homework there, and um, yeah, it's it's something I've always done. Well, I I want to watch racing back full stop. I'm a bit of a fan of touring cars. Firstly, I'll always be a fan. I'm a racing driver and I compete in it, but I'm a fan of British touring cars, so I like watching the battles up and down the paddock, um or up and down the bridge, sorry. So I I I also have the element of it's an entertainment thing for me on a on a Monday night to relive it, watch other people's sort of um on how the weekends have unfolded and also use it as a bit of homework, shall we say.

SPEAKER_09 22:12

You can also see their demeanours, can't you? In in You can, yeah. Yeah. In in in a in a television interview, you can particularly for people that you know, obviously you know the other drivers, so you know what they're normally like, and you can see in an interview whether they're rattled, nervous, anxious, angry, all of those things. It it's um it's there for all of us to see, isn't it? That is a lot of homework, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 22:33

Yeah, and that's all part and parcel of the package at the end of there. That's what I go out and do, and it I might be the only person that does it, there might be other drivers that do it, but it's just the way I go about my business.

SPEAKER_09 22:45

I need to ask about uh Ash uh about the new car, because you said you know the bo uh the team have done the homework over the uh over the winter and they've provided this this amazingly quick car at the start of the year, which is obviously what you all all aspired to do, because uh I remember the amount of times that last year you were talking about the uh accelerate car and that you were all looking at it with with wide eyes and sort of slightly envious of the uh uh of the speed that uh that uh Tom and the others were uh were carrying last year. Um to us looking from the outside, it's a very similar car. The the liber uh the livery is the same, of course, and um and and therefore all we've seen is the addition of a boot, um uh you know, to all intents and purposes. Uh does that shape make the world of difference?

SPEAKER_07 23:35

Uh yeah, I mean it does in all honesty. If we sit back and look at the championship now, you've only got the Toyota's essentially the hatchback car. So there's a reason why there's a reason why we've got a Mercedes saloon, there's a reason why we've got an Audi saloon.

SPEAKER_09 23:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 23:51

And ultimately, if you took away the high-end eye, uh for say that say the high high-end eye didn't exist, yeah, would we have all jumped? Maybe we wouldn't have. Don't get me wrong, there's always a performance advantage, but would it have almost been like we had to jump? Does that make sense? Like there's an element here where the only way we're gonna compete is we've got to do the same sort of thing, and three teams, including ourselves obviously, have gone and done that over winter. So, I mean the Audi looks phenomenal um in terms of its performance. It does, and huge credit to PowerMax. I said that to Brad and Weaver, I said that that's that's uh a weapon you've got there. So they're doing a fantastic job with that. Um and then obviously what you look at what the obviously Cutter Clean Play Play-Though Racing did at um with the Mercedes at at Donington, the pace they had in the car there for a fresh team. Exactly. So and a big chunk of this obviously falls down to the shape of the car. So yeah, um unfortunately it does leave the okay, it leaves the Toyota, the Cooper if it was on the grid, and and the Honda if it was on the grid, but at the minute they aren't, so it does leave the Toyota on its own, and uh and you might start seeing some of that effects.

SPEAKER_09 24:59

Well what what we what we did see as far as the Toyota was concerned was um an uh almost an astronaut Aaron Taylor Smith in those conditions in in race two. The respect from you and from the other drivers in Park Fairmay was astonishing. Where did that come from?

SPEAKER_07 25:17

Honestly, I I mean I think I said it to you, Alan, that the rate he caught me, and I I just literally said off you go, like you deserve this. You're either gonna ITV, I said you're either gonna crash or you're gonna come out and be rewarded. And he he was the latter for for his sake, which was good. So it was great to see it. Obviously, it's been a while since he stood on that top step. So for um and MB and Speedworks and everyone there, it was great for them. Um, but yeah, I mean, it was uh a proper drive for Aaron. They he he had a storming run through the field, and I couldn't compete with him, not in a million years.

SPEAKER_09 25:49

Honestly, I I had to check the timing screen to see if he was on wet tires. I thought I thought he was on wet tires.

SPEAKER_07 25:55

Funny you say that. I actually asked the same question because he caught me that quick over the course of a handful of laps, or handful of corners, I think it was. I actually said on radio, is he on wet? And they said, No, he's on the software line. Jesus, I've got I'm hanging on for dear life here, and he just cruised past me like I'm stationary.

SPEAKER_09 26:12

It was amazing, absolutely. Yeah, it was really good. It was good. But it also brings me on to the next point that I wanted to mention to you, Ash. Uh, and it's it's what we've learnt from uh uh two official tests and now two rounds, two meetings for the championship. Uh we've got a really strong grid. The drivers, the cars, everything. This is uh a proper, proper touring car lineup this year.

SPEAKER_07 26:38

Honestly, I think it's probably one of the most exciting years for rivalry. If you look up and down the paddock and look at the battles that we're seeing on track throughout the race days, they're phenomenal. We're getting some proper touring car style racing, and I think that's awesome. It it's a shame. I'll be I'll I'm an honest guy, it's a shame we haven't got the 32 cars on the grid like we used to have many, many years ago. Because imagine that this style of race in 32 of us.

SPEAKER_09 27:06

Well, it would be stunning, but I'm gonna temper that with the fact that when you have a grid that that that's that big, maybe the the uh the strength of the the quality of the lineup is not quite as good. So we have more interruptions, more safety cars.

SPEAKER_07 27:21

So what we're seeing I hear you I hear you on that one.

SPEAKER_09 27:24

What we're seeing this year is a is is a is a quality field and not too much unnecessary interruption to the racing. So you can actually you can all get into the flow of the race.

SPEAKER_07 27:34

Yeah, that's that's very very true. But I mean, who doesn't lunt love a bunched up touring car restar after?

SPEAKER_09 27:39

Very true. So it's it's a very good point well made. You are a fan, aren't you, Ash? I mean, to to to be um doing your homework after the uh your two boys have gone off to bed on a Monday night. I I I try and avoid racing on the Monday because I need to sort of decompress and not think about racing and then think about it again on Tuesday before I do this show. Um but um I'm also exhausted on a Monday. Uh I mean you you've just been on the podium for three races, tricky conditions, a full-on weekend, all of the media duties that you have and meeting the guests and all of those kind of things. Are you as exhausted as I am on a Monday? I mean, you're half my age or or or more, but um uh i i i i what is a Monday for Ash?

SPEAKER_07 28:28

Well, what is a Monday? I mean, unfortunately, when you've got two young kids, you kind of have to just have two springs under your under your feet and you have to get on with it. So, yeah, straight up, obviously get the boys ready though, go off to nursery and and whatnot. So um, yeah, I then do my normal thing. I go go headfirst back into work because obviously Pure Sims, my sim company. It's very much what keeps me occupied between the races. Um I mean, whether I'm any use on a Monday is is oddly that stands for the point, and they can let me know on that one. But I think yesterday especially I was pretty much useless to about midday, but I was present, I just maybe it wasn't uh efficient. I think is the right way of putting it. But yeah, I mean I always go, it's very rare. I think the only time I sometimes have a Monday morning off is not kill. Um, yeah, that's understandable. At the same time, you've got to be careful you don't burn yourself out. So I'm a bit of a workaholic. I shoot myself in the foot sometimes, and it's just the way I am.

SPEAKER_09 29:23

But your weekends that you're not at the BTCC, do you get do you get to have time off? Do you have family time those weekends?

SPEAKER_07 29:30

I do, yeah. I mean we spent I spend it with the boys and uh yeah, my world at the end of the day. So it's uh any any opportunity I can, whether it's coming home from work or weekends, I'll spend it with them. Um but yeah, it's work is very much uh what keeps me, like I said, occupied between the racing. Um and when I'm not thinking about that, it's thinking about the racing. So a busy, busy, busy, busy life.

SPEAKER_09 29:54

I love the fact that the boys are always there at the podium supporting dad, and presumably you've set yourself up for two young racers. Is there any are there any signs at the moment, Ash?

SPEAKER_07 30:05

Uh Sonny the eldest, he is obsessed, absolutely obsessed, and it's a worry. Um I might have to go and have a chat with time. Well, exactly. I'm gonna have to have a chat with maybe Rob Collard on this one because he's obviously put two boys through, Jordan and Ricky. So I might ask him if it's worth it.

SPEAKER_09 30:22

The pain of it. I think they've got no option, really, and and and Ricky and Jordan, uh Rob's two boys, we're both always gonna end up in in motor racing somehow. Um, what the the unpredictable thing is whether they're gonna inherit that that talent if it runs in the blood. And with motorsport for some reason, I don't know why it is, but it does seem to run in the blood, the natural talent, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_07 30:47

There is an element of that, but at the same time, I'm never gonna force him to do something. Maybe you go and play football, you'll earn it. He could earn a lot more money doing that, and it could be less painful for me. I I've the biggest the biggest problem to be fair, Alan, and you have to start them in carton now at such, I say such a young age, but you have to take them take them carting. But I'm still not done with my career. We've got a bit of a problem then because obviously when I'm off doing what I do, whether that's sticking in touring cars, GTs, whatever it is in the future, yeah, I can't be track side with my boys while they're off karting because I'm essentially there's that clash element of clashing when I'm racing and they are. So that's a tricky one. Um so whether that means they're going to be a bit of a late starter to it, I don't know. Because we'll see what unfolds and how that comes about.

SPEAKER_09 31:35

Well, have a chat to Rob Collard, have a chat to Colleen.

SPEAKER_07 31:38

It might put me off, it might make my decision for me.

SPEAKER_09 31:41

Yes, it may well do. I'll tell you what, not from the amount of time that he was talking to Ricky before he took the start of the races at the weekend. I mean, you know, it's it it's kind of like all I don't know what those conversations are, but that and they always have been since since Ricky started racing. Um, quite an in-depth conversation from Rob before before he starts racing. It's um it's uh quite interesting to watch.

SPEAKER_07 32:05

Yeah, everyone that goes about the business in their own way, don't they? Um they've got everyone's got some people need a support network, and I don't mean that in a negative, of course. Um some people like to just get their head down and do it or deal with it themselves. I'm sort of halfway house, so I've got I sort of more rely on my the team around me, so mainly obviously Antonio Crozer, my engineer, um and both of guys like Tom Power, who's my data engineer. He those two guys there are kind of the ones that feed me the information I need. You've seen the clipboard I get before.

SPEAKER_09 32:35

Yes, yeah, it's vital.

SPEAKER_07 32:37

Yeah, it all those little things is how I prepare myself. I don't essentially need anyone else in my ear prior to that. It's um just me and those two guys, really.

SPEAKER_09 32:46

That was always that was always a Dick Bennett's thing, you know. He always handed the clipboard exactly the same clipboard that you get, he always handed that to Colin just before the start.

SPEAKER_07 32:55

Yeah, and it's just how how we deal with it. I like no media stuff, sort of 20 minutes before a race, just put your head in gear, play a few scenarios through your head, feed me the information I need to know, and let me do my bit.

SPEAKER_09 33:08

Can I ask one final question and then I'll let you go, Ash? Um, in that build-up to the start of a race, you're one of the drivers that is always totally cool to have a chat to me. Um and I don't talk to you for very long, but the the the fans that are track side want to hear from the guy that's on pole position, the guy that won the last race. And unfortunately, when you're on a run like you are at the moment, that's you. So I need to come up and chat to you. You always you like I say, you're always terribly kind with your time and you in you you act as if, you know, no problem, you can come and chat to me. Is it a problem? But d do you sort of think in in in actually consciously think I'd really rather just be quiet and be on my own at the moment and now I've got to now I've got to switch on some thoughts to to talk in front of you know however many thousand people are track side.

SPEAKER_07 33:59

No, it isn't really. I mean, if there was a scenario where I'm obviously bear in mind we've got communications or comms with the team, so sometimes I'm stuck on the radio, things like that. Yeah, um, obviously there's sometimes where I can't talk because we've got you don't know, it could be changeable conditions, you're trying to discuss what you want to do. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. But um, yeah, I mean, for me, it isn't really a problem. It sometimes actually puts your mind at ease. I I still get the nervousness of a race start I get the I'm quite known for my leg twitch that I do where tapping my leg up and down in the car. Yeah, yeah. It almost is a distraction to some extent. But the biggest thing as well, you've got to bear in mind these fans are track side and they are essentially sometimes well, sometimes they're sat there through the thick of it, like the rain cold.

SPEAKER_09 34:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 34:43

So uh two seconds of my time on the grid is just a little payback to them sitting on the sidelines watching watching us go around. So, yeah, I mean it doesn't bother me. It's just sometimes scenarios actually stop me from being able to talk, like I said, when it's shall we say, team related.

SPEAKER_09 35:00

So it well, it it's fascinating. You might be interested in this. Uh, every driver has their radio face, and by that I mean I I get the word to come in and do an interview, and I'm just starting my question, and then something comes over the face, which means they are hearing words in their ear which are not mine. So it's very easy to tell, I can tell you.

SPEAKER_07 35:24

It's almost that look of confusion, isn't it? It is, yeah. I I obviously I've not witnessed it, but I've got a feeling what I look like when I do it, and it's like I'm trying to listen, Alan, but I've got no clue what you're saying. I know I've got both, I've got stuff coming through both my ears. I have completely ignored you by this point. Yeah, of course. What did you say? It's like you're most now sit there cross-eyed at that point, so um, yeah, it it it's a funny one, and even sometimes when Louise comes in and does the ITV interviews, you have the same weird face. Problem is there, is that you are actually visible to the city.

SPEAKER_09 35:57

Everyone can see your face, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 35:59

Exactly that's you just look like this. Um, yeah, I was gonna say a few things, but I'll leave it at that.

SPEAKER_09 36:05

Well, you're a star, you've never you've never turned me down on the grid, and I I really appreciate that, Ash. And uh and well done on the start of the year. What a start to a year. Um, it possible to replicate at Snetterton. Uh it's it's a very different circuit, isn't it?

SPEAKER_07 36:22

Yeah, I mean TTB, uh, and again, everyone's gonna say, Oh, you said that about brands, but um I think we had the car in such a good window at brands. Uh, TTB at brands was what, roughly three and a half, four tenths a total throughout the whole lap. The thing is, you can't use the full 20 seconds at brands either because of it being such a short lap. Yeah, well, flip that on its head, we're going to snap two of the longest breaks on the pad on the calendar. Um, I think it's gonna be around the nine tenths from so someone that's got one second to full deployment of 20, I think it's around nine tenths. I mean, there's a fair few corners that I can try and make that up on, but you're not gonna make up all of that. So that's gonna be a real struggle. Um, especially when it again, when it comes to the racing, they will easily be able to deploy, overtake, pull back in. Yes. Um that at brands on the the length of straight they had there. So it's gonna be a different ball game. We just need to come out with the car in a in a perfect window. I need to be in a good place, and we'll see what we can do. We'll always give it our best job.

SPEAKER_09 37:19

Top man Ash. Thank you so much for joining us on uh Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed. And uh I am sure that over the course of this year uh we will speak again.

SPEAKER_07 37:31

Let's hope so. That means I'm doing something right.

SPEAKER_09 37:33

It means you're doing something very right. Uh Ash Sutton, thank you so much. Four-time champion, everybody, Ashley Sutton here on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed for the stars if it feels right and in for my heart.

SPEAKER_04 38:03

If you feel like a take me away, I make it okay, I swear I'll behave. You wanna control it, put on the show now and make it and stay on the candidate, my ego is bad, I don't know. And go tonight, bit of step and up.

SPEAKER_09 40:54

Four-time champion, championship leader, been on the podium for all six out of six rounds so far this year. Uh so cool that he afforded us all that time here on Tint Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. Good evening, everybody. Uh uh, hopefully, Margaret Hill. Uh, you can hear us loud and clear now. Um, absolutely fine this end. So maybe uh a little drop out from your Wi-Fi or something like that. But Margaret was worried that um we weren't broadcasting quite right tonight. Uh we've done a done a few checks and we're broadcasting okay. So, Margaret, hopefully you can you can hear us and thank you for listening, or thank you for trying to listen, at very least. One of our regular listeners, Margaret. Uh hello, Harry Adams, another one of our regular listeners. Good evening, Alan. Hope you and everybody is well. Uh well, that was an interesting round. And I'm so happy for Aaron Taylor Smith getting his first win in ten years. Oddly enough, uh, I was there, if I remember correctly, at Rockingham. See the attached photo. Yes. That is the photo with the trophies, Harry. Well done. And another well done to the amazing Nick Hamilton here here, getting P11 in a scrappy race two, and James Dallin in race three. Bravo. I'm sure there are many more that I haven't mentioned too. Uh, if you happen to have Aaron on the show, could you ask him if he wants to give rallying a go after those race two conditions? It was stunning, wasn't it? All the best, and as always, looking forward to Sneton in two weeks. Thank you, Harry. And uh your picture of Aaron in that uh VW ten years ago with two trophies on the boot, uh on the uh bonnet. Thank you very much indeed, Harry. Super stuff. And this one, uh Hi Zeus. Uh, this is Dave. Good evening, Mr. Hyde. Uh, well, how do we recap on that? My prediction of Carnage wasn't far off. What a great day of racing and top work by uh the Orange Army for what seemed to be one of their busiest days. And well done to all the winners, all well deserved. Attach some photos and uh see you at Snet and may the action continue. Cheers, Dave. Thank you very much indeed. Uh uh Mikey, your pictures are always superb. Dave. You um if if we were if we were picking the the photographically one of the best pictures that we get every week, then you'd be in with a shout of winning every single week because your pictures are uh just brilliant. Well done. Thank you very much indeed. Uh Ollie, hi Ollie, Ollie Jennings. Um Hey Alan, sending my normal race week message. Wow, what a weekend. Uh didn't think I'd get to see any of it, any of it, as I've started a new part-time job at a local airfield and was meant to be helping at an air show on Sunday. However, the same weather that gave us such great racing cancelled the shift. Oh no. All three races were stellar. Please can we have more changing uh condition races as the season goes on? Uh attached is a pick of how we watched uh with my mum and a lovely uh a lovely team effort roast, accompanied by Ricky Collard's car. Uh looking like it's uh having a look for a toasty. Thanks uh for everything, Alan. Buzzing already for uh upcoming Snester. The only problem, Ollie, I haven't got those pictures. Come through attached. If you can send them through again, that would be gratefully appreciated. I can't wait. Now you've described them. I can't wait to see them. Uh Ian Marshall. Hi, Ian. Uh hi Al just a quick h hello to say what a fantastic weekend I had at Browns watching some outstanding racing in the BTCC and the support races as well, especially the Caterms, our guest championship last weekend. And well done to James Dawlin for recovering from a mechanical failure that denied him time in free practice. And from a five-second uh penalty for overboost in the qualifying race to gain two eighth places uh in races two and three, including a fighting performance from the reverse grid pole on the medium tie where everyone was chasing him on the softs. Uh he now leads the Jack Sears trophy. It was also great to see Aaron Taylor Smith taking a long-awaited victory in race two on Slicks in the wet. Aaron's comment that he didn't know how he'd done it was priceless. Uh good job, you had the Irish national anthem on standby. It always is. Super victories from Ash Sutton and uh Tingram topped off a weekend to remember. Chris Hartley's race commentary and your toker live commentary were much appreciated. You're very kind. Thank you very much, Ian. See you at Sneston. All the best from Ian Marshall. Um yeah, Chris Hartley is um we are very lucky to have it. He is a super, super commentator. And uh having worked with uh Ian Titchmarsh for many, many years on the BTCC, I was uh nervous about uh who we would get to uh replace him, to step into his very, very large shoes. And uh and Chris has just done a brilliant job. And Matt Suckling as well, who was uh giving us support commentary um and uh in the commentary box for the BTCC races. Uh we are blessed on the toker live to have uh a top top talent on the microphones. Uh Matthew Tomlinton, hi Matt. Uh hi Alan. First time I've emailed him for a while, and I missed two-thirds of race day, cursing my freebiew box for not recording on Sunday, especially as it sounds like race two was an absolute humdinger. Even so, uh, weren't the opening laps of race three still a showcase of BTCC racing at its finest? I'm really chuffed for Aaron. It almost goes without saying these days that uh Miss Messrs. Sutton and Ingram will be nothing but excellent. So please may I shout out Mikey Doble, P3 in the championship in a brand new car um on the podium uh in more uh uh uh and more in each of the opening weekends. A top job from a top jet. Well done to the whole PMR team for hitting the ground uh sprinting after the trials and tribulations of 2025. Looking forward to listening to your dulcet tones on this week's TTT and onwards to Snetherson. Cheers from Matt. Matt, thank you very much indeed. I'll do one more of these emails because we we do have lots and lots of guests lined up for for tonight. Uh, this is from Paul, Paul Smith. Hiya, Paul. Great podium show, by the way. That's I like it when you get the bubbles in the air, and that's uh that's uh an absolute beauty. Was that fast shutter speed? I suppose it must be.

unknown 47:08

I don't know.

SPEAKER_09 47:09

I don't really know what I'm talking about. Uh and loads of other pictures as well, Paul. Some super pictures. Thank you very much indeed, including uh the one and only Michael Kreese I see in that collection of pictures. Uh and Paul says, Hi Al, what a weekend of racing we enjoyed at Brand Tchandy. Sadly, I was only there on Sunday, so I didn't get the best of the weather. But that meant I got some uh to see some spectacular car control and to hear the long-awaited Irish national anthem with the win by Aaron. Uh amazing. Great to see Ricky Collard showing his talent as well as seeing Mr. Bartram. David Bartram, yeah, the former boss of Motorbase Performance in the paddock, uh was uh straining my ears to see if he called you Lager. He did. Uh attached. I kept hearing it on Sunday. Lager! Lager! Come here! Lager! Yeah, yes, but a party was there, definitely. You can hear the voice, attached a few snaps from the day. Uh I hope you've dried out that it took took a little while. I wore uh an inappropriate puffer jacket and uh it got very wet indeed in race two. Uh thank you very much indeed, Paul, and uh loads more of your emails to get through tonight as well. Studio at tintoptuesday.com, studio at tintoptuesday.com.

SPEAKER_10 48:28

It's Tuesday, it's eight o'clock, and it must be time for Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_09 48:37

We're very proud here on Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMax, that we are uh powered by PowerMax this year. Um Adam Weaver, who is the boss at PowerMax, I bet he's beginning to regret having said he'd do this now because I seem to always be on the phone. Uh evening Adam, how are you? I'm good, thank you, Alan. How are you? Uh I'm very good indeed. Recovering from the weekends, I'm sure you are as well. Um but I do apologize. I seem to constantly be asking you bits and pieces. I I'm I'm sure as the year goes on it will it will wind down a little bit, but it's just while we're getting everything uh getting everything going this year. I seem to be constantly asking you to do stuff. And the first reason that I've asked you to uh come on the show this evening is just a sort of a an overview of Brand Sachs from PowerMax Racing's point of view.

SPEAKER_08 49:29

Yeah, I think um we had another good weekend on the whole. I think um, you know, putting it across maybe all three drivers, I think we we certainly could have achieved a little more. Um, you know, in race two, both Dexter and uh Aiden started from pretty much the back and managed to work their way up to sort of fourth and on track, fourth, fifth on track, but then with the sort of um rollback with the red flag, it then ended up putting a couple of people back in uh ahead of them as such. Um but I think if we'd have had the full length of the race, I think um Aiden would have been standing on the podium, to be honest. So that was a little kind of disappointing. And then then again, starting from a good position um in race three, and and you know, we we got a little bit more beaten up than we probably expected to. So I I think you know Aiden's probably feeling a little bit frustrated and disappointed because he he knows that both himself and the car are better than the results that were delivered. But you know, I'm very happy with with the results that we got and you know, again, with the with with the guys that are in the team and um and the contribution and the the role they're playing in in the team.

SPEAKER_09 50:43

I think in that car, that new car, new team for Aiden, he seems um rejuvenated, re-energized. He he seems ri really powered up for this.

SPEAKER_08 50:54

Yeah, he does, and and he definitely communicates that very regularly. You know, he's um it's you know, I know that his kind of his his public persona and the the sarcastic comments that he puts onto various BTCC social media pages. He he's got a great personality and it, you know, he's funny in that regard. In the back of the truck, you know, he's very serious with his engineers and and you know, he he he makes some really really good suggestions on things that he wants to try. And um, you know, he's a very, very valued part of the team already.

SPEAKER_09 51:24

Ah, this is brilliant. Um, as far as championship titles are concerned, we always talk uh primarily about the the drivers' championship. Mikey Doble, third in the championship. Um, so that's a a big tick in the box for a brand new car and a new season.

SPEAKER_08 51:40

Yeah, from a team point of view, it's great because we left the first round with a driver third in the championship, and then we leave the second round with a driver third in the championship. They're different drivers, but they're still uh PowerMax racing drivers. So um, yeah, we're we're very happy to be there. And I think you know, realistically, like we spoke about this a lot over the weekend, and I think with the package that both Nappa have got with with Ash Shutton uh and with Virtue with with Tom Ingram, yeah, and the fact that you know they've had the those packages with those drivers and and those engine suppliers and those cars for a number of years, I think, you know, um realistically, I think if if we could actually finish the season third, you know, that's that's a win for us, really, because um, you know, I think to expect, certainly to expect more than that, I think would be unrealistic. I mean it's fine to want more than that, but uh and to try for more than that. But I think um if we could finish with a driver third in the championship behind potentially those two, um, then we've done an incredible job.

SPEAKER_09 52:39

That is uh a very good result. Uh and uh and also uh tonight on the show, um Ash has already said very nice words about the car that you've uh that you've put together for this year. So um when it comes from uh someone of the calibre of of of Ash or Tom to be piling the compliments on you, you know you've done a good job.

SPEAKER_08 52:59

Yeah, that's very kind of him. I did actually um in part Fermi after race uh three when Mikey finished third behind Ash. Um I did uh he overhear um Ash speaking to his engineer Tony and and made a comment on our car, and then Ash looked up and saw that I'd heard, and he kind of smiled at me, he's like, It's true, mate. It's uh and and and was very complimentary about about our car, which you know again coming from somebody like him with the experience and obviously the results that he's had, um yeah, it means a lot.

SPEAKER_09 53:27

Not bad for a four-time champion. Um so that I I I would take that uh yeah very much as uh as a compliment from Ash. Um uh now the other reason that I wanted you to oh no, just before we go on to that, um Snetterton, it's a slightly different prospect, isn't it, Sneterton? We go from from the short circuit, the uh Brand Hatch Indy circuit, um, and uh the longest circuit, uh Sneterton. What are your thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_08 53:53

Yeah, I think for us, uh you know, looking at where we talked about those two cars, the the the Ford and the um Hyundai, yeah, um I think our car seems to be incredibly stable, very stable through all the high speed parts of circuits. Um, you know, and engine-wise, it it's strong. I think um looking at the way both Ash's and Ingram's car come off corners, I think they are managing to do something in you know, with regards to traction, and um you know, they're getting the power down and and managing to apply the power that they've got and getting out of the corners um very well. Um, and that's not what we need to work on. But um, I think of all the circuits that we go to, Sneton probably will be the worst circuit for getting out of the corners as fast as we possibly can. Obviously, once you go to circuits, you know, the circuits that we've been to, and and certainly when we head to Thruxton, you know, once you get up to 70, 80, 90 mile an hour at Thruxton, you don't really come back below that, apart from coming on to the start-finish straight. So um traction isn't really an issue. I think our car, again, like our cars have been in the past, will be incredibly good at Thruxton. But I think um Snetterton will be a real test for us, to be honest.

SPEAKER_09 55:12

So we've got Sneterton, Alton Park, and Truxton. Not long to wait.

SPEAKER_08 55:16

Hey, we all like Thruxton, it's it's like then they're certainly coming thick and fast now, aren't they?

SPEAKER_09 55:20

Yeah, they they they really are. And that's a very good point, isn't it? Because when you've worked so hard over the winter to get three cars um uh bit designed, built, put together, you get them out on the track. And then really there isn't any respite in between the weekends for a little while, is there?

SPEAKER_08 55:36

No, there's certainly no respite, and there's absolutely no chance that you can go testing. I mean, everybody says, Oh, you've got two weeks till the next round, but when you think you know the cars are coming back and they're being unloaded on a Monday, we then need to we then need to load them the following Wednesday to get ready to drive to the circuit on Thursday. Yeah, it's far from two weeks. You know, it's uh very, very, you know, you've probably got what is it, seven seven working days to actually fully strip and prepare a car. I mean, there's no way you could go and do a test in between that and do it all again.

SPEAKER_09 56:06

And the cars never come back looking showroom conditioned, do they? So there is a fair amount to do back at the workshop.

SPEAKER_08 56:12

No, I mean I think if they come back looking showroom conditioned, you've had an engine problem and it hasn't even happened.

SPEAKER_09 56:17

It's a very fair point well made, yeah. There speaks speaks the the the words of experience, that's for sure. Uh now the other reason that I wanted to get you on the show tonight, Adam, because you have very kindly not only um offered to uh support this show this year, uh, but also we've had a little discussion about uh so I have a plan that I I want to do something a little bit different in between the end of qualifying. It's obviously the first time that we've had the qualifying race this year, the race to poll. And there's 15 minutes which I'm sure is absolutely vital for the teams and for the drivers. Um but what I've discovered in the in the uh two meetings that we've had so far this year, there's uh no chance of walking down the pit lane and chatting to drivers because obviously they're straight out of qualifying and straight into a race. So they're into their prep. They're getting themselves in the cars, getting themselves ready for pit lane opening and coming onto the grid. So I was wondering what we can do that's a little bit different um uh to um uh to entertain people during that sort of 10-15 minutes that we have at the circuit. Um and I asked you, and you very kindly said yes, um, that we can have a uh a pair of power maxed um uh garage tours to give away. Um I've yet to work out what the what the means of the competition is gonna be. It will be on WhatsApp, I have no doubt, because the um the the the entries can come straight into the studio. But um is is that something that during Sunday that you uh do throughout the day? Garage tours and and uh obvi obviously you have all of your guests on race day, but uh a garage tour is something that's um particularly popular with your guests?

SPEAKER_08 57:57

Yes, certainly is. We we have probably somewhere in the region of sort of 70, 80, maybe even 90 guests on a certainly on a Sunday. Um and now with the introduction of the race on the Saturday, um, we've got many of our sort of partners and sponsors wanting to come on uh the Saturday as well. So already for Snetterton, I think we we've got down just under 60 guests booked in for the Saturday, which is great because um normally we would struggle to get near to 20, probably. Um, so yes, we um we we do a as part of our sort of VIP package, we we do a garage tour and and we have a chap called Mark that will take you into the garage. He he knows quite a lot about this machinery, so you can test him with your questions, you can get up close to the cars and have a good look round and and and find out a little bit more about what goes into the building and the preparation of a touring car.

SPEAKER_09 58:47

Well, I'm really grateful, Adam, because I uh what I like to try and do is to um give people a kind of a uh uh an experience that if they are regular race goers, they don't get the opportunity, particularly for somewhere like Brands Hatch, because um uh the the paddock is not open in the centre. So uh although we can have reverse garages at Donnington and at Silverstone, you can look inside. It's something else to have somebody with you that you that that knows what they're talking about to actually explain what what everything is, who uh all the personnel are and and what goes where and when.

SPEAKER_08 59:22

Yeah, I think it's great, and you know, I'd I'd like to do anything we possibly can to kind of improve the experience for BTCC fans. I think it's great the the level of access a BTCC fan gets already, um, and anything that we can do to kind of help improve that and and even make the Saturdays a little bit more exciting still to provide that garage tour later on on the Saturday or the Sunday if they're coming, we're more than happy to facilitate that.

SPEAKER_09 59:46

Well, you're an absolute star, Adam. Thank you very much indeed. Um I promise at some stage I will stop texting you and asking you if you could do this or do that or do the other. Um, but that's a really great addition to our uh to our Saturday. Um you know what it's like from being a team boss. That sort of ten minutes after qualifying uh before cars head out onto the onto the circuit. That's not really a time that drivers want to do too much other than get themselves ready, isn't it?

SPEAKER_08 1:00:13

No, exactly. I think if you went and stuck a microphone in in their faces, that you would struggle to get a uh a conversation that you'd want to broadcast anyway.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:21

The o the only one that uh that that I was able to achieve um was Ash right at the start of the 15 minutes. But even that, when I got to the end of it, I thought, I'm holding him up now, and I I feel really embarrassed about it. So um yeah, I think this is the the the very best way to do that in between.

SPEAKER_08 1:00:38

Right he definitely needs slowing down, Alan.

SPEAKER_09 1:00:40

So if you could do that with that's a very good point well made. He's properly on a roll at the moment, isn't he? Goodness me. But uh uh pretty much like um uh what you just said about Snedherson. Um who knows what's gonna happen at Snetherton because it's it's a very, very different circuit, and things like the Tokoturbo Boost, um, but they're gonna really come into play on a longer circuit.

SPEAKER_08 1:01:05

Yes, they they certainly are, but uh at the moment it doesn't seem to make much difference to uh to a couple of cards on the grid, so it'll be very interesting to see how that sort of plays out when we get to Sneterton.

SPEAKER_09 1:01:16

We shall see in a week and a half's time. Adam Weaver from PowerMax, thank you so much once again for uh joining us. And uh I I've no doubt that I'll be asking you to join us uh uh uh again uh this year on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. But for the meantime, thank you very much indeed. Adam Weaver. Thank you. There we go. Adam Weaver, the boss of PowerMaxed here, everybody, on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed. Hopefully forgot the number on. A Delamitri and always the last member. Love this. I think that was their biggest hit. See? Tin Top Tuesday, Powered by PowerMax, is an education in music as well. A Barbara and Stewart. Evening, Barbara and Stewart. Hello, Alan. Uh, another exciting BTCC weekend at Brands. We have only one question. Did you attend the Murray Walker School of Predictions? I don't know what you're saying.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:58

Whoa! Tin Top Tuesday.

SPEAKER_09 1:06:01

The weather app you're using seems slightly away from reality, as thousands of us rely on your boot broadcasts can usually tell. Fortunately, we have suitable clothing for all weathers, but some people turned up on Sunday in shorts. What were they thinking? Wipe clean surface. That's the that's the beauty of wearing shorts. If it's wet and you can deal with the cold, just wipe your legs clean. Don't stay wet all day. I'm looking forward to seeing you at Truxton next weekend for the truck racing. I won't be there. I wish I was, um, but I won't be there. But I don't wish I was, because I'm going somewhere pretty cool anyway. Um I'll be up up at uh Donnington Park with um British superbikes. Um but enjoy Thruxton. It's a joyous meeting uh trucks at uh the fastest circuit in the country. So uh enjoy Barbara and Stuart and thank you for writing as ever. And uh I will try not to predict weather. I try to be optimistic about weather, you see. That's what I do. So if I see one that says it's gonna be dry, I'll go with that one. That's what I do. Uh James, hello, James. Uh James Roberts. Um, Mr. Hyde. Once again, thank you for your trackside cover coverage. It wouldn't be the BTCC without it. You're very kind. Uh I made my first visit to Brownsatch last year in October, and it has instantly become my favourite. Every part of this track is immense, and the undulations make it second to none in terms of spectacle, though Donington and Alton are still right up there. The skill on show this weekend was some of the best, and all the hype about the season is being truly demonstrated. There isn't anyone off the pace throughout the entire field. I couldn't agree more, James. Absolutely spot on. Um it uh pleases me um to say what an amazing start Ash has had. The BTCC is a better championship with the driver of that ilk, uh, though I want to shout out uh Daryl, who is an absolute credit to the championship as well. Every conversation I have with him is so considered, and he is genuinely a lovely young man. Agreed on that as well. We agree on far too much, James. Finally, I've attached a few photos of the racing. Um, it's wonderful to see the Plato name returned to the championship. Jason is the reason I got into the BTCC and the car looks fantastic. We agree on that as well. I've got to ask though, before race three, um, what was the revelation that that Lord Gow let you in on? Yeah, your uh reaction suggests it was a good one. I don't remember. Did he? I don't I don't remember. It's a it's a long weekend. It was two days ago. I look forward to running into you at Alton or Snetdon. If my uh Middlesbrough don't see off Southampton tonight, that's tonight, isn't it? I'm afraid, James, we agreed on everything in your email until we got to the very last line. Because Southampton are my most local football team and I am known to go along there on occasions. Not for a while. Uh what's the score? Is it one all? Oh, how terribly frustrating. Um so, James, great email. We agree on everything, but we do need to keep an eye on the uh on the Middlesbrough Southampton playoff match. I'm sure we can see eye to eye on everything else. Let me have a look at your pictures. Oh no, that is a revelation face. You're right. That's it, yes. What kind of face is that? It looks like it's at the out of the video of thriller. What on earth is going on there? I've no idea. Great great great picture, James. James Cole alongside giggling away as well. Um Divan, evening, Devan. Good evening, Mr. Hyde. Uh the fans were treated to another action-packed weekend of racing in the drizzle and rain in race one and two. Ash had another superb weekend with victory in race to pole, uh, race one uh win, along with two second place finishes and three faster slaps, and uh that storming getaway in race three from seventh to challenging for the lead going into paddock was absolutely phenomenal. It's great to see Ricky Collard up at the front challenging for race honours, and hopefully he can find uh the budget for the full campaign, and his first race win isn't too far away. Aaron Taylor nearly had one at the weekend. Aaron Taylor Smith had a stormer of a race too from 13th on the grid, so his first victory since Rockingham 2016 uh was sublime in the wet and damp conditions. But the wet weather sometimes produces more action in close racing than it does in the dry. Shout out to Nick Hamilton, finishing 11th in race two from the back of the grid, keeping his uh car on track and holding the faster slap for quite a while, and hopefully the results will only get better as the season progresses. And Tingram finally had a pointsy weekend to cap it off with victory in race three. Bit of a disaster of a weekend for Cataclean Plateau racing, but a good drive from Adam in the reverse grid race uh to finish sixth. The team will bounce back at Snetzen in two weeks' time. Devan, thank you very much indeed for your email. Uh, very in-depth as as ever, and a great email. And uh and say hi to your mum, please. Hope everything is is good at home and the cows are a happy cows. Um uh Simon even Simon uh Sid from Three Amigos Auto Sport. Good evening, Mr. Hyde. Well, another great weekend of BTCC action uh with both mixed weather and results across the weekend. Firstly, huge congratulations to the happiest driver on the grid, Aaron Taylor Smith. So happy and delighted for him on his first victory in the BTCC for a long time, which meant you finally got to play the Irish national anthem as well. Well done to Ash on his 50th win in the BTCC, along with a pointsy weekend for Tingers. Some great individual results from Sam Osborne, Mikey Doble, and Ricky Collard. But lastly, well done to Nick Hamilton on his first points finish of the season. Uh, thanks as always for your track side commentary. And I've attached a couple of photos as well for PowerMaxed Image of the Week and super pictures they are as well. A brilliant one of uh of Aaron on the top step of the podium, finally realizing that he had the independent win as well. So he had two trophies to hold up high, and uh Ricky and Ash both finding that terribly amusing. Well done, uh Simon, thank you very much indeed. Uh, this one evening, Alan. Excellent weekend at Brands, which looks superb with its uh century of power uh themed decor. Couldn't agree more. It looks absolutely brilliant, doesn't it? That green and gold, British racing green and gold, and also the Avenue of Legends as well. Superb. I saw a really um humble um uh social media post from Jason Plato as well, saying how humbled he was to drive down there and see his um he was one of the flags down uh Colin Chapman Ways. So uh really, really nice that. Um congrats to Aaron on a well-earned victory in what was uh what were very challenging driving conditions. The level of car control and sideways action on show uh wouldn't have looked out out of place in the World Rally Championship. It was also great to see Tingram bounce back after a difficult weekend to take in the final win in race three, and Ash securing his 50th BTCC win in race one. Uh did we hear correctly that Mark Knopfler was in uh in attendance? Certainly was. If so, what a fantastic guest to have. Uh his guitar work is much admired. Any plans um for dire straits or solo Knopfler on the playlist tonight? Oh yeah, we haven't finished. I mean, we started and we shall finish with, and maybe even some in between. Finally, what was the music on the race three green flak lap, please? It was definitely familiar, uh, but I couldn't quite pinpoint it and uh didn't manage to shazam it whilst track side. All the best. Uh see you at Snettison. Enjoy the next couple of weeks. All the best from Sam and Katie. Uh Sam and Katie, thank you very much. Ah, you took the picture. What a great picture of the the Avenue of Legends. Uh uh on the beautiful that's clearly on Saturday because the uh uh the trees look so vibrant, they absolutely pop. It was a great picture. Blue sky and that the the flags either way down e either side down uh down the Avenue of Legends. Uh that is that is a great picture, absolutely superb. And also with uh Aaron Taylor Smith on the top step of the podium. Uh yeah, really like these pictures. Thank you very much indeed. And the split fire as well. Wow. Um and yes, couldn't agree more. Mike Knopfler is my all-time uh h hero and uh Alan Gao um uh very, very kindly uh because uh uh Mark is a friend of Alan's and that's why he was a guest uh at the weekend. Um Alan knows how much I like Knopfler, so I um was able to sit down with him for five or ten minutes and uh and have a chat and say all the things that I wanted to say all my life. Thank you for this gig in 1982, thank you for this, thank you for this. And and I did, I got through all of them. Um and I I I think I I bored him into submission. And and finally for now, uh from Kay Warren. Uh hi Alan, uh what a great weekend of racing at Brands Hatch. The British weather had a hand in making conditions on Sunday, rather greasy on track, leading some challenging racing, but uh some exciting battles. It was great to see Nick Hamilton scoring points. He is such an inspiration, couldn't agree more. Uh, and I hope that he'll be getting more points as the season progresses. Um I'm sure you've had lots of emails about the uh racing. So I'm going to discuss the music from the weekend. Um oh I didn't say Alan Parsons project, serious. That's the answer. Green flaglight uh for race three and also the race to pole. I'm sure you've had lots of uh and money for nothing, Dire Straits for race two. And he heard it. He heard it and said thank you. I'm sure you've had lots of emails about the racing, I'm gonna discuss discuss music. Did you know that Mark Roffle was going to be at Brands or did you keep Dire Straits music in your back pocket?

unknown 1:16:01

I knew.

SPEAKER_09 1:16:02

Just in case. But I didn't say anything, not until he was there. Uh I didn't manage to hear all of your conversation with him, so I didn't hear uh why he was there. Is uh a friend of Alan's, Alan Gao. Uh I've not heard the music from the Green Flag before. Uh I believe it's called Sirius. You're right. Alan Parsons' project. Is there a story behind its choice? Yes. Alan Gow. All roads lead to Lord Gao. Um and you finally got to play the Irish national anthem for Aaron Taylor Smith's win. Uh such a bubbly, cheerful chap, and he deserved that win. I'm sure that must have been an emotional podium, it was. I believe he said that he's been promising his daughter Oakley a big trophy and he'd be putting it on her bed when he got home. Uh I hope you enjoyed your biscuits. I did. I love them. Thank you very much indeed. In fact, some of them were lunch on Sunday. I have attached a photo of uh a photo of me with Bingram, Tingram's dad, Bruce, uh just before the final podium, uh, with Tingram as the winner. He was such a proud and happy dad. And looking forward to tonight's show, as always, God bless from Kay Warren. Oh, lovely picture. Big smiles from both of you. Absolutely super. And uh and and and Bruce absolutely smashing the Tingram hoodie, which apparently went on sale on Monday. Um time for one more. Yeah, okay. Hello, Mr. Hyde. Uh, this is from Aaron. Hi, Aaron. Uh uh My My, what a s a slow three weeks that was. Uh this uh the more this new qualifying format continues, the more I'm enjoying it. Uh more action, more classic BTCC madness. As Play-Hoh Racing, as a Plato Racing fan, it wasn't a great weekend for us, but a huge congratulations to the happiest man on the grid, Aaron Taylor Smith. Race two was complete madness. Uh, as a uh uh PS, um Sutton is a monster who cannot be stopped. Uh my entries for this week's photo competition are as follows. And they are very good photos as well. Lots of podium pictures coming through. So thank thank you, Aaron. Thank you very much indeed. And uh last one for now, can you please play the boys of back in town by Thin Lizzy for Proud Irishman who is back in the winner's town after a decade? Can we? I suppose we could, couldn't we? Not only was it a thrilling weekend at Brands Hatch, it was also a bit of an historic weekend at Brands Hatch as well. Because for the first time in I'm gonna say it quietly because he's listening, 10 years, we had the Irish national anthem ringing out around the speakers, around the circuit, because Aaron Taylor Smith is a winner once again in the BTCC. Congratulations, Aaron!

SPEAKER_06 1:23:12

Thank you so much. Only when you say the timeline, I'm like, wow, I've been knocking around way too long.

SPEAKER_09 1:23:19

Well, no, but in fairness, it's not, it's it's not an well, it it is an accurate statistic, but it's not a fair statistic because you've had a few years that you weren't competing in the championship anyway.

SPEAKER_06 1:23:30

That does make me feel better. Like, I'm not gonna lie, like when I when I kind of counted back myself, I was like, well, technically, it's not as bad as it sounds. Um, but no, like I feel like A, you got the national anthem right, which was really cool, but even just to like be be in that moment and get to experience it again, is uh it still feels a bit surreal, you know. Not like we're sat here on a Tuesday evening, and I'm like, Oh, does that weekend actually happen? Do you know? Like it kind of is one of those things that when you're wrapped up in the moment, you just never really take it in. It's just crazy. Um, but it was a pretty, pretty good old weekend, to be perfectly honest.

SPEAKER_09 1:24:10

You didn't just win a race, you you won it in a rather exceptional circumstance. The conditions were just awful for slick tires and and the and the and the circuit the way it was. I told you this in Park Fair, mate, and it's not just me that thought it. I've I've spoken this evening to Ash Sutton, and he wondered the same thing, got on the radio and asked the same thing. We thought you might have been on wet tires. Seriously, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:24:40

I honestly it's so it's so funny. Like, like, like when everything is in the window, it becomes easy if that makes sense. And not that's not to belittle how hard it is, but to be perfectly honest, what Craig and everyone at MB gave me on the chassis for those type of conditions is what won that race. Like, that's the truth of it. Like, you drive it the best that you physically can, but they are so good at interpreting conditions, making calls on the grid at the last second. Um, and it it is crazy when everything's going your way and you're watching other people and you're thinking, Do you know? I think I can do this. Yeah, wow. This is starting to flow a little bit. Um, and then it you just you just kind of chip away at it. And like I remember like Craig was on the radio being like, Yeah, like you're um you're four and a half seconds down the road, so just chill out now. Like it was it was so panic, it was so funny. I was like, no, it's I think it's going okay. I think we're gonna, I think we're gonna do this, it's gonna be fine.

SPEAKER_09 1:25:44

Um so to explain to everybody, Craig Pauly, he is uh your engineer, and uh was for uh some years uh Jake Hill's engineer, in fact, engineered him to the title a couple of years ago. So you two have bonded straight out of the straight out of the block bul blocks, clearly.

SPEAKER_06 1:26:03

Without it, and like do you know something? Like I've I've been in this championship a long, long time. I've been around this paddock an awful long time. And one of the things that really stands out about Craig in particular is just how passionate he is about it. But yeah, once we got signs with Embi, and it was yeah, I I almost like it almost took me to surprise. Craig got in touch to be like, Oh, I'm gonna fly over to Dublin. Like, I'd love to spend like a day or two with you, just kind of getting to know you, like away from the racing, yeah, what you like, what you dislike, and just so like we can't force a relationship, but it'd be nice just to spend time together. Just to get to know you, yeah. Yeah, and like a part of me was like, Oh, that's an unusual thing. Like, I just want to go as fast as I can on this car, but I guess that's good. Um, I'm like over the offseason, we spend a hell of a lot of time around each other chatting, either in person, being me flying over, him flying over here. And I actually think that's the key to it because this sport, like, it's not rocket science, it is about surrounding yourself with the best infrastructure in terms of a team, and that's what Craig, Mark, Alex, everyone within there has given me, which I may have lacked in previous years, that it's the support network is exceptional, and then that relationship with Craig in only our second ever weekend to win a race, I think is a really good indicator of what the future holds. And like, to me, like obviously the season you're in matters. You want to win, you want to do as as well as you physically can. But my mind's five years down the road from now is ensuring that we have a championship under our belt, we are still on the grid in the most competitive package possible, and actually aligning with Craig in particular is what enables that. You know what I mean? Yeah, and and I think like that's what I love. And like, like I I'll go off on a tangent here a little bit, but it's it's those type of weekends that like this sport, you operate at such a high level. That you almost be ignorant to think that you don't have bits of self-doubt because every kind of sports person will. And not even just sports people, like people in everyday life, in your office role or whatever it may be, you'll always have that like, oh, I wonder if I'm good enough. I wonder if this or I wonder that. So sometimes it's nice just to have those little moments where your confidence shoots back up and you think, oh, actually.

SPEAKER_09 1:28:23

That's human nature. It's human nature. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:28:26

And you you kind of like, you know, that is probably what keeps me as motivated as anything, because you always feel like you're not doing enough. So you want to do more. You want to make sure you're in the best position possible. And then Sundays, like they've just been, cement that. That you're like, wow, I can I can do this if I put in the time and effort. Um, and it's just, yeah, it's it's a really nice moment. And like, you know, I know this sounds odd, but I'm like, I'll be totally honest. Like, from the outside, like, let's go a spade of spade. What Jake has done with Laser Tools Racing over the last few years is phenomenal. Yes. Like, he won the championship, he was the blue guy. Everyone knew about it. And like, you know, coming in, not to replace him, because you can never replace someone as good as Jake, but to come in and be in that kind of position where you have the opportunities that he has had, there's probably quite a lot of pressure. Let's let's go spade a spade. Um, so it's nice to like show people what we're capable of, and I'm really proud of that because yeah, you can have that inner belief, but also you want to show everybody else what you can actually do.

SPEAKER_09 1:29:31

Of course, yeah. No, it's it was a a wonderful experience. I um I I'm grateful that you uh brought up the subject this evening that uh we played the Irish national anthem, because I I have told you every single time we've ever spoken on this show, yeah, that it's there, it's on the laptop, it's primed and ready, and we've all been just willing it on to happen. So to put this into context, if it is ten years since you were on the top step of the podium, uh uh that anthem has remained unplayed on the laptop for 300 occasions.

SPEAKER_06 1:30:08

Well, yeah, yeah. How cool is that? Like sometimes like I forget that. Yeah, like what we're achieving, like this championship is the cremes of the creme, like the best drivers, best equipment, best tracks. It's hard, it's hard to even get on the grid, let alone win races. I should say. Um, so actually, yeah, to hear that makes me feel really proud.

SPEAKER_09 1:30:30

Like, and I you were emotional, weren't you?

SPEAKER_06 1:30:33

Yeah, like like you know, it's a funny one. Like, I think like I I always find myself quite good at like harnessing in my emotions and not letting them take over, but at the same time, it's that exhale moment that you're like, Oh man, like we've done this, like this is yeah, all those hours of hard work of all those moments of thinking, oh what if this doesn't work out? It uh it's that's what makes you emotional because I never I never really stress about like safety or anything like that. All I ever worry about is I never want to let those around me down. So like everyone that supports me, be it the team, be it Larn, be it all of my sponsors, I never want to let people down. So then when you actually deliver on that, it is quite a nice feeling, and that's what makes me emotional.

SPEAKER_09 1:31:20

And and it's like was it was it right you said on television I've got Oakley her first winner's trophy?

SPEAKER_06 1:31:27

Yeah, and like it's so funny, right? Like, because like like obviously she's only three years old, so she doesn't really care. Let's call us made a state. But like every every weekend I go, I'm always like, one of these weekends, I promise I'm gonna get you a big trophy. She is like, yeah, whatever. To the point where me and Lauren FaceTimed her when I got off the podium, and I was like, Look, I got you your trophy. Look, I'm eating a flapjack. I was like, brilliant. And then, like, and like, do you know what the best part of the whole thing is, right? So we got we got home on Monday, and I was like, Oh my god, Oakley, wait till you see the trophy. Tried to show it to her. She instantly started crying because it was too heavy to carry and she was like, I want to see. I was like, Oh my god, child, like what have you really any idea? Yeah, I was like, This is really heavy. She was like, No, it's too big, I don't want it. I was like, Brilliant. So Nimba's not even in her room. She wants the thing. Oh, that's a great story.

SPEAKER_09 1:32:25

Did you actually book the trophy its own seeds on Ryan? No, no, no.

SPEAKER_06 1:32:31

Oh, God. I saw the picture. I thought you wouldn't have done. No, I was a bit of a ninja, like Ryanair, and you know something. If I ran an airline, I'd be strict on it as well. They are very stringent when it comes to extra baggage allocations. Yes. But there's a loophole, right? And this is where Hunter, our little man, came in when we were traveling with him. Because we bring it, we bring a boogie, you're allowed to bring a boogie bag for anything to go, like the boogie goes in the bag. So what we did was we put the trophy in the boogie bag, but before it went on the plane, we took it back out and no one noticed. Absolutely nailed it. I would say, like, Alec, we saved ourselves a good 50 pound.

SPEAKER_09 1:33:10

Um I mean, I mean, I now feel guilty that you've said it out loud on the radio.

SPEAKER_06 1:33:15

Oh, like if they come after me now, then I'm not so it is what it is. Like, I'll just I just won't answer any unknown numbers from this point on. I should be okay. But if anyone works in right there, cut me a bit of slack. Like, this up on this one occasion.

SPEAKER_09 1:33:32

What what what a what a mega story. I I was um I I came off the podium so that uh um you you guys could uh in in enjoy your moment with the bottles of public yeah and I and I saw uh Lauren straight away who was right there and smiling, beaming from ear to ear, and I said, he's ever so emotional because I'd seen you during the anthem, and and she said, Of course he is. She knows you so well. She does by every little intricacy of how you're gonna be.

SPEAKER_06 1:34:03

Oh yeah, like like do you know, like, while it's me that's in the car, she goes through the emotions of it just as much as I do, if not more, because as I said at the start, like my safety never comes into my mind, but she's worried for that. She's worried for the outcome, she's worried to let people down as well. Where actually I I think it's worse coming along to watch or support. I'd hate it. Yeah, at least, at least if I'm in the car, I can control it. You're in control. Yeah, uh, but it's it's that type of thing where yeah, like it's there's been a few tough years, like with getting this to work to the way it has, like on track, off track, everything that goes into the racing, it is all consuming. And I think to be successful and to win at it, you have to be a little bit gone to the sport, you have to be fully obsessed with it, not just ah, we'll see how it goes. So she's kind of had to ride those waves with me, good, bad, or indifferent over the years. So it's nice when things go your way. Do you know that you're like, oh, I feel like all the hard work has paid off and all the risk and all the worry is worth it. Um, so I think it's yeah, she she goes through the wars of a whip me. And without her, there's no way I'd be doing this. Like that's the truth of it.

SPEAKER_09 1:35:15

You know what? Uh what you can be incredibly proud of, Aaron, is that you didn't just get to the top step of the podium once again after uh uh a a longer than we would have liked wait. Yeah. Um but you got to the top step of the podium in incredible style. And all all of your uh competitors, everyone was just so happy for you, so delight. I saw a couple of comments that came into us uh here at um Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. Um they uh they said um you know the happiest man in the paddock, because we often call you that when we're talking on air, the happiest man in the paddock just got a little bit happier. Uh and you know what the the the the the the there wasn't anyone in the pit lane that wasn't absolutely delighted for you.

SPEAKER_06 1:36:04

Ah, but I love that, like, and it it's really nice to hear that because it means an awful lot to me. Like, you know, I have so much respect for every driver on this grid because everybody has to work their tail off to make it onto this grid in the first place. So it's nice when people in the paddock start to appreciate kind of the work that you've put in as well to make this happen. And it's it's you know, you don't do it for the admiration, like, but it's also nice when people are the amount of text from all drivers up and down the grid to be like, you did really well, like, well done, you absolutely deserve that, and it's that means an awful lot to you because it does. I'm always the first person to say, Well done, someone, like there's enough space for everyone, and you kind of have to respect that people will have their day, um, and it's nice that it was our day, you know. So it's to hear that people were in admiration of what we achieved means an awful lot to me. Um so yeah, people are too kind. That's the problem. You know what I mean? Like, like I've been knocking around for so long that people probably you reap what you sow, Aaron.

SPEAKER_09 1:37:07

You reap what you sow, and if you're a nice guy and you treat people with respect, then uh it's gonna come back at you.

SPEAKER_06 1:37:14

Yeah, and and I think that's nice. Like, and I I think like this paddock is is really our home. Like at the end of the day, like I fly back over like tomorrow, like not tomorrow, like Wednesday morning of every race weekend. So tomorrow week. Did you say that? I think you say that. Tomorrow week. Um, like all of a sudden, it's like you're only home for eight days and then you go again, yeah, and you see the same faces year every weekend, and it's really nice because they all become part of this like huge extended racing family that yeah, everyone appreciates when people do well. Um, and it's nice for it to have been our turn this time.

SPEAKER_09 1:37:51

Uh well it was, and we're all absolutely delighted. But the other thing that I've seen over the years that I've covered motorsport is that once one comes, it kind of opens up the floodgates for more to come. I I mean, presumably this is gonna give you quite a confident feeling about the way the rest of the year might pan out.

SPEAKER_06 1:38:09

Without a doubt, like you know, I think there's a there's an awful lot that goes into any sport or anything where the as I said, like the pressure that's on you at the start of a year, when it doesn't start to come naturally, you start to force the issue, which generally causes more mistakes and more things to go against you. And I only I only say that because I've done that. Like that's like speaking from experience, first hand experience, yeah. Yeah, 100%. So, in some sense, like getting a result this early in the year kind of takes a lot of that pressure off that you could enjoy the process and not worry about the outcome, because then when you're not worried about the outcome, is when success breeds success. Yes, so actually, I feel like it's teed us up really nicely to be able to like have that exhale moment because that that is really what it is. It's you you celebrate it, but not because you don't think you're going to achieve it again. You celebrate it because you're like, oh, that is now we can just relax, we can take a breath and now just focus on doing the best we can each weekend because we know when everything's in the window, we can win. There's no question marks around that, and I feel like that's where Craig and MB Motorsport and Laser Tools Racing makes the difference that they are able to give me the equipment that I've needed to just operate in that window and hopefully continue on this little winning run, to be fair.

SPEAKER_09 1:39:36

And the other thing is blue very much is your colour, you know.

SPEAKER_06 1:39:41

Yeah, it's it's crazy, isn't it? It suits you very well. It it's so some of the times like I see all the like the slick montages that come up on social media, and I still kind of sit back and go, like, how is this my life? Do you know what I mean? Like, I am so I'm such a square. Like, how am I somehow looked into being the blue guy on the grid that I I don't know what's going on? I'm just running the wave of it, doing the best that I can and enjoying them.

SPEAKER_09 1:40:13

Well, you might you only you only get these things when you've worked very, very hard, and you're one of the hardest working drivers there is, you know, putting everything everything together.

SPEAKER_06 1:40:21

I appreciate that. I I think like I've always prided myself on being kind of one of the hardest working drivers on the grid, but also I I think I've been very fortunate in a lot of people trusting in me and giving me great opportunities over the years, and this is one of those where Mark and everyone and Alex and everyone at MB Motorsport they've given me this opportunity, and yes, the hard work has gotten us to be in the position to get the opportunity, but at the same time, I'm sure there are hundreds, if not thousands, of other people that were knocking on their door hoping to get it. Um and they went with me. I don't know, maybe they're fellow sorry for me, but it's nice to have uh have given something back to them this early on in our relationship.

SPEAKER_09 1:41:03

Uh well, it's a brilliant feel-good story. Um absolutely delighted for you. Um, in uh in in in in the other world, um I I saw a post from you as well on on uh Monday morning, sort of back to back to reality on a Monday morning. Most of us are having a lie-in. You were running round the circuit, for goodness sake.

SPEAKER_06 1:41:24

What is wrong with you? It's kind of just my good, bad, or indifferent. I kind of give myself a 24-hour rule. You could either celebrate it or be down the dumbs. 24 afters the moment has happened, I just move on to the next one. Like, and I it's a really weird way. Like, like I I like oddly, I haven't even watched back the races because I I have you know very seldom leave. I always watch them back 12 months later, so I can see, oh, okay, that that move at this particular corner works or doesn't work.

SPEAKER_09 1:41:54

Right.

SPEAKER_06 1:41:54

But I never really live in the moment because it's too easy to be leave your own hype. So yeah, Monday morning I set my alarm for 5 a.m. and I get up and I run a few laps of whatever track we're at. Um because it just Oh, well, brand is a good one then. Very hilly.

SPEAKER_09 1:42:11

Jeez, yeah, no, that's a good point. Yeah, like I'm literally like, this is way too hilly. What am I doing out here? You realize you've done you've done that lap on your hands as well.

SPEAKER_06 1:42:20

Yeah, yeah, I I can. I you know, I could do the whole thing. No, I couldn't. Um, but it's it's my way of just kind of like resetting after the weekend and clearing your head. And that particular run, obviously, it's it's a really nice run because you're in a great mindset and everything like that, but it also is my process to move to the next one that I'm like, right, we just back onto the sim, back into running, back into training. Um, because then you kind of for me, like my whole mantra is like if you never let anyone out prepare you and you do a thousand hours of practice at anything, you're going to be one of the best at it. So I just kind of get on and keep going. Um, and maybe in like I'm gonna do this for another 20 years, much to Lawrence's May. I'm gonna do my my my whole this is this is a whole different tangent. My whole my whole goal is to do more seasons in this championship than anyone has ever done. So actually, you'd know that. How many has Jason and Matt Neal done?

SPEAKER_09 1:43:18

Uh they done into 20s, 20s, I'd I'd I'd have to look back, but so Matt would have been the longer. Um Matt joined 1991, I think. Okay. 1990 or 1901. Okay. Um yeah, you've got a long way to go, but um uh but if I do another 20 years, then I'll then I'll run eclipses.

SPEAKER_06 1:43:42

Yeah, so I have to do more seasons than anyone has ever done, and I have to win the outright championship. Those are two things that are non-negotiables in my. I don't know. I'm gonna break you down eventually. You'd be like, I can't win him. I actually I can't get stuck talking to him about stupid stuff. Um but it's like you know, it's it's that type of thing. That's that's kind of so yeah, circling back to getting up and running the track, that kind of is what motivates me because you just know, right, I'm getting an edge. That's all this is. You want to have an edge on everyone, um, and those are the bits that kind of help me feel like that and make me feel more prepared. So then when I rock up to Sanerton next week, I can kind of enjoy the process of it and go into the weekend light, yeah, not thinking I have to do X or I have to do Y.

SPEAKER_09 1:44:40

Um I love I love that prospect, your your your life plan. Um, Steve Coogan, who plays Alan Partridge, um uh when he got up and did an acceptance speech on Sunday night at the BAFTAs, uh, he said, People always ask me, Um how long will Alan Partridge live? Well, pretty much as long as I will live. So it was his way of saying, you know, I'm gonna be doing this for the rest of my life. It's a character I love, um, and people seem to like it, so I'm gonna be always doing it. And when he said that, I thought, I feel like that about my radio show and about being at touring car meetings. As long as I can do it and as long as I'm I'm um as long as I'm wanted, I I would like to. You'll always be wanted. What are you talking about? Well, I do hope so. Um because I just want to carry on doing it. It's it's what I love, and and I I want to and and from what you've just said, it sounds pretty well, you've given yourself 20 years, but you wait till you get to 20 years, you'll want to carry on anyway.

SPEAKER_06 1:45:39

Oh, I'll keep going. Yeah, of course you will. I kind of just say 20 years because it sounds like I won't do it forever, but sounds like a long way away, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_09 1:45:47

20 years, but it's not. It's not.

SPEAKER_06 1:45:50

And like I think that's where like like I love this. Like, this isn't just something that's in my life, this is my life. Um, so for me, it's like, why would I why would I ever not want to do it? I think then that comes back to that point of oh, like people are always like, Oh, he's the happiest guy on the paddock. Of course I am. Like, look what I'm getting to do. Look, look at look at the people that I get to know over the years, the friends that you meet, the friends that you get to know. Like, this is a dream come true. Yeah, so how about how good or bad or whatever the day is going, still my dream, and I'll never lose sight of that.

SPEAKER_09 1:46:26

I I I I love it, Aaron, because um when Ash came into this championship, and uh probably one of the first times I had him on this show, um uh after he won no, it would have been after he won one title. And I said um something about you know what was the longevity, are we gonna uh keep you in the BTCT or are we gonna lose you to another championship somewhere else in the world? I think he tested uh uh uh an Australian uh supercar. And I I was sort of I was nervy that we were gonna lose this amazing new talent. And so that that was the reason for me asking the question. And he came back to me, he sort of um put his arm around me essentially with his words, sort of uh made me feel a bit more confident about things because he said, No, no, I'm doing this championship until I've won it more than anybody else has.

SPEAKER_06 1:47:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_09 1:47:20

And um fair play, right? That's what he's doing. He's going for his fifth title this year. He started off the season pretty well in his pursuit of that. Um but but now I'm anxious that we're gonna lose him after he uh after he wins the. Now we'd have to stop that happen then.

SPEAKER_06 1:47:36

That's the easiest way.

SPEAKER_09 1:47:38

Exactly. But but the but the thing is, you've just said you want to just keep going. You want to you want to get a record, and your record to be in the championship for longer than anybody else. That's that is comforting to us as fans. It was comforting when comforting when you're saying it.

SPEAKER_06 1:47:54

100%. Like people are gonna have to put up with my shenanigans and ramblings for many, many more years to come. Um, and I think like this is like a dream, like that's all it is, and like getting to chase this dream year in, year out, such a privilege. And I love when people get involved in it and people like fall in love with the sport as much as I do. So I think that's that's what makes Turing car so special. It's not just motorsport, it is like it's a passion, and I feel like that's what separates it from any other championship that I've ever been around or been involved in.

SPEAKER_09 1:48:28

Well, it's fantastic. Um, and it's it's our privilege to be able to enjoy this championship and enjoy drivers like you, drives like you gave us uh in race two. It's just wonderful. Thank you so much, Aaron. Um, so so we kept this fairly sensible. We've been talking about racing for 20 odd minutes.

SPEAKER_06 1:48:49

Yeah, yeah, I know, it's very stunned like us. Like it's I'm very I'm on the money tonight about racing, really. Like, I've I really have no other mad stories. Like, I don't know what I would do, haven't I?

SPEAKER_09 1:49:00

You you don't you you don't need any top-ups. Um, you owned it on the top step of the podium. And we're in fact, I almost thought maybe there'll be a bank holiday in in uh in uh in Ireland on Monday.

SPEAKER_06 1:49:11

Maybe I I would like a national holiday named after me. I can add that to the goal list as well.

SPEAKER_09 1:49:17

Yes, you can. Aaron, uh thank you so much for joining us. Uh love to your family and and and well done at the weekend. It was just um superb to watch. Uh lovely to be part of that moment.

SPEAKER_06 1:49:29

Thank you, and thank you so much for having me on. And thank you to Paramax for getting involved in this and making this possible. So massively appreciate your time. And it's always nice to have a chat. I hope there'll be plenty more of these kind of celebratory catch-ups as the years go on.

SPEAKER_09 1:49:42

Plenty more as the year goes on, Aaron. Thank you so much. Good night, mate. Thank you. Uh, Aaron Taylor Smith, everybody, a winner once again.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:57

Bella donors on the high street.

SPEAKER_09 1:50:02

A breast of only of beat And these stalls are just the side shows Victorian zone clothes And yes that she's a tight now She gotta travel right now She gotta turn up all the woods now She gotta turn up on the boots now She's done She knows me on a bell of Steve The man upon his back escaping from his back Lovely gonna take money Just on the I go B we don't just throw this show together you know Not only a Dino Strait song an education in music Because I'm sure that many of you who are not Dire Straits fans won't have heard that before from their second album Communique and Portabello Bell. Maybe we've got some new listeners tonight, some new fans to Dire Straits, and it's got the Irish connection as well, see what I did there. Jobbing good. And on that subject, a fro. Hi fro, great to have you uh uh messaging in on social media. Um a picture of Steve from Create Media who do all the uh interviews over the course of the uh BTCC race weekend that appear on the live audio section of BTCC.net um and uh do the streaming of this show as well, of course. Um Steve interviewing Mark Knopfler down there on the grid. Um and Fro says, uh, one of my absolute heroes and one of the best guitarists to come out of Scotland. Brackets, he was born in Glasgow. Yeah, yeah. So we're claiming him. He was, and then brought up uh around Newcastle and uh and uh now we're very lucky to have him uh uh by and large down south. And uh and uh we were very pleased to have him down south uh at the weekend at Brands Hatch. So uh super stuff. Thank you, Gordon. Thanks for uh writing in and Stuart as well. Uh hi Alan Stuart here, my photo of the weekend has got to be going uh one better than the 10 kilograms of hash browns on the cob oven. Uh we actually managed a full roast chicken dinner cooked track side just in time to sit down and enjoy roast three. Uh they sent in some great pictures of their little fryer in operation uh at the weekend uh to Toka Life. And now we've got I've got even higher definite. Look at the chicken in there! Look at that! What a feast on a Sunday, track side. That is that is exceptional. There's there's roasties, cauliflower, broccoli, stuffing, carrots. I'm not just identifying foods, I I I do know what they are. I'm trying to tell you what's on their plate. And two Yorkshire puddings and gravy as well. All cooked track side. That is amazing, Stuart. Um, he continues one incredible weekend of racing made even more special by spending quality time with my teenage daughter Jess. Thanks for keeping us entertained, informed, and laughing throughout the whole race weekend. Tin Top Tuesday is the perfect way to relive it all. Kind regards from Stuart. Stuart, thank you very much indeed. Thank you for your contribution at the weekend on uh WhatsApp on Tokalive and tonight on uh on email as well. And that goes in, of course, three photographs of uh uh track side grub. Um, and that goes into the uh into the pot to pick out the uh image of the week powered by PowerMaxed, and uh we will announce that winner in two weeks' time here on Tuesday night after the Sneston meeting. Um and if you're listening to the podcast, uh you can get your entries in all the way up until Tuesday. What is the date? So I can uh be very accurate about this. Uh hang on, just let me open that. Uh okay, don't worry, I'm not opening a weather app. Uh the 26th of May. So get your entries in before the 26th of May, and then we will judge it on that day. So up to the end of the 25th, I think you'll be okay. And uh you could be a winner uh here on Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax. Uh we've uh we're gonna go over, aren't we? Well, there was a lot to discuss. We've had a lot to talk about.

SPEAKER_10 1:57:10

All the teas Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_09 1:57:16

When you've spoken to uh a driver for a good few years, you can kind of read their face. And when you walk into a garage and you see a face that is clearly very disappointed, then it's not nice to see. And that is exactly what I did uh with James Dollin on Saturday morning. So he had uh challenges first thing on Saturday morning. Another thing that we really do like in the BTCC is when we have a comeback. And James Dorlin was capable of doing that on the Sunday and ended up on the podium as the top Jackson's driver of the weekend. So uh uh mixed fortunes is perhaps an understatement, James. Good evening. Good evening. It's uh it was a uh it was a game of two halves, wasn't it, at the weekend?

SPEAKER_01 1:58:07

It really was, it really was. Um yeah, I mean, I after a challenging first round at Donington, um uh a lot of preparation went into the Brand Tatch weekend to really make sure we maximise everything that I'd learnt in this new car, and and with my engineer, um, because he's also new to this car, it was it was a case of right, we've got now a test day at uh at Brands Media Day that we've done, and now we're going into the Brand Tatch weekend. Let's put everything we've learned from Donington, that media day, and Croft and and really try and move move forward. Um and you know, I felt more confident than ever, and uh we went out for for the first lap of free practice, and literally on the outlap, the the engine decided to let go. So couldn't have uh planned that um at all. But um, but yeah, to turn it around and and end up starting the last race on on pole position and um and and on the podium, albeit for the Jack Seers, um, was was was really good.

SPEAKER_09 1:59:06

The disappointment etched in your face on Saturday morning in the garage was just something else. But I I've subs subsequently watched a sort of a time-lapse video of the the team industriously working to get that that engine changed in your car and get you out for qualifying in the afternoon. Um they really did rally round, didn't they?

SPEAKER_01 1:59:28

They did, and and you know, I think with the the the format of the Saturdays now, um that that put the pressure on. Um that's that's why I was so disappointed, was because you know we only have that one practice session and and we changed a lot of things on the setup that I kind of more than ever needed that that free practice to to get everything dialed in. And with how these the the boost-in situation is now as well, the you know the engine guys needed that time to make sure all the mapping was correct and everything else, because that was what caused us a bit of trouble at at Donington. And um yeah, so not getting that was was then uber frustrating because we're you know you have to start in the BTCC in that top 10 really, um, to to um you know to try and maximize your results in the race, especially at Brant's Hatch, where it's you know notoriously hard to overtake and everyone's so close. So that that was disappointing, but at the same time, yeah, the the restart racing crew really knuckled down everybody, even a couple of guys from from Chris's team came over and and helped get get our car back out there. I mean, we were literally still bolting things back in as um as the pit lane went went green uh for qualifying. So it was it was tricky. Um and and in fact then I ended up starting a qualifying race from last place, which I've never ever started a race from last before. But um uh so that's one to tick off and hopefully never do again.

SPEAKER_09 2:00:52

Well, it's a learning curve, isn't it? I mean you're in great company. Ash Sutton did that on uh uh at Donnington Park, yeah, starting from the from the very back.

SPEAKER_01 2:01:01

Um it's uh it's not easy, but it's to be honest, it it then gives you a bit of an opportunity to show what what you're made of and and um you know in that short short sprint race of qualifying I managed to get from 21st to 12th, which and I bet you enjoyed it as well. Loved it, yeah. Exactly. So I'd have loved it more if we were in the the front, but at the same point, yeah, that that enjoyment of coming through and and also you know it just gave everyone a bit of a boost in the team that all their efforts was you know was worthwhile as well. Yeah, it was good, albeit the frustration wasn't over as we we then got the five second penalty for the the over boost on the last corner of the last lap. Um I got a bit of wheel spin and it it spiked unfortunately, which we can't control, but it was it was very, very minuscule, but the rule's the roll, and and and again this is why we needed free practice because you you can't always just go out. You you the engine guys, you know, do all that on their laptops and um people a lot a lot cleverer than I um you know sort all those things. So um yeah, it was it was a bit disappointing, but it was nice to just get out because there was times during that that Saturday morning where as a team we were like, I don't know if we're even gonna be racing this weekend, and you know, we did so um yeah so yeah, it was it was a good turnaround.

SPEAKER_09 2:02:18

I could I could see that anxiety on your face, I could see just how disappointed you were. But you were emulating uh Ashley Sutton um because you started from the back and you also at the weekend started from the very front. And and in Park Fair May, um it was really cool your answer to say, well, it was nice to experience what was you know uh racing against the uh the guys that were at the front.

SPEAKER_01 2:02:43

It was, and and you know, obviously this this realistically is my first full season in in BTCC, and yeah um you know I got some experience of it last year, but um I started pole position at Struxton last year and and unfortunately the car um didn't survive one lap, so um which uh I I must have a little bad luck uh Gremlin got following me around.

SPEAKER_09 2:03:07

But bad luck finishes at some stage.

SPEAKER_01 2:03:10

But but at the same point you've got to have them bad bits of uh misfortune to to to reward yourself. So yeah, it was it was um yeah, it was really good. And and obviously, yes, I had to start in the medium tire rather than the soft, which was the kind of the strategy we went for during the day. But um at the same at the same token, I had to just try and hang on and I managed to stay in front for one full lap at least and um and and actually stay in the top three for for almost half the race. So I was happy with that and um and I felt very comfortable up there. I think I I said to um I think it was one of the ITV guys on the on the Sunday after the race that yeah, it it was it felt very comfortable. You know, I didn't feel in any way out of position, it was that's where I'm I should be.

SPEAKER_09 2:03:55

Because I think it's fair to say that in your racing, in your racing career, that's the end of the grid that you're used to. So so this learning and I remember the same thing when Tom Ingram came into the uh into the BCCC. He'd won every championship that he'd competed in uh the pretty much the first time of asking. So then to come into the BCCC and have to work up to be in that position, it was kind of new territory for him.

SPEAKER_01 2:04:24

Yeah, it's it's very true. I think pretty much all the championships I've ever done, um all except I think GT World Challenge, which I didn't do a full season, but um everything else I've done, I I I have won, and so um yeah, it it is difficult to get used to or not get used to because I'm um I I will never get used to it, but uh you know uh being being in a position of of doing quite a few races where you're not in that top three battle, yeah. Um yeah, it is it it is alien, but uh you know uh the BTCC is uh probably the most competitive championship, um certainly in the UK, and and so you know you you can't just expect to come in and and you know be winning races straight away. And and um, you know, yes, I've had some some misfortune with with mechanical gremlins and whatever else, but at the same point I'm I'm you know still getting used to it and learning all the time. I mean they're they're complicated little machines, these are.

SPEAKER_09 2:05:23

Yeah, they've got technical base now, aren't they?

SPEAKER_01 2:05:26

Yeah, they are, they really are. Um going back to front wheel drive after years of rear-wheel drive and um you know the format of the racing and how the racing is with all the all the uh all the contacts and everything else, you know, it's it's it's a fine art, it's um you know where to position the car, when to you know, uh when to go for a move, when not, when to you know, position the car in a place where you know you're gonna get a little tap up the back, but in a way that you don't get sent off and all these little things that um you know you you you don't really deal with in in other forms of racing. So yeah, it's it's great, and that's you know uh that'll just make it even more rewarding when uh when we are winning races. But um yeah, it's it's it's all good.

SPEAKER_09 2:06:10

It it will come, it will come, James, and uh the the work that's going on and and in in fairness the work that went on on Saturday to allow you to have the Sunday that you had and to get you on the podium top scoring uh Jax's trophy driver. Um that will just continue as the year goes on and uh you'll learn more and more. And uh we expect to see you up at the sharp end of the grid uh uh sooner, probably rather than later. Um you were talking about the intensity of having that one free practice on Saturday and then straight into qualifying and qualifying race on uh in in the afternoon. Um touring car weekends were intense enough already. It's even more so. It's an exhausting weekend, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 2:06:56

It really is, yeah. Um you know, the there's a lot of build-up that people don't see before you even get to the the racetracks. And so um, you know, like I said just now, it uh I've done a lot of work with with my engineer in the in the three weeks between round one and and round two, and um you know some of some of that was Teams calls uh you know, uh it started at eight o'clock in the evening and didn't finish till midnight because we were just going through loads of different things on on the setup that we could try and and analyzing everything, and then the next day when you slept on it, you'd I'd then ring him back up and go, Oh, you know, we talked about this with you know the the rear end. What what about if we tried this? And you know, then there'd be another three-hour conversation about whether that would work or not. And you know, I I enjoy that side of it. You know, the engineering side is is really where you can maximize this because everyone on the on the grid as a driver is very, very good. And so, you know, you've got to look for these tiny little particularly this year, James.

SPEAKER_09 2:07:55

It's a r I mean it's it is a class field this year.

SPEAKER_01 2:07:58

For sure, for sure. Um, you know, even even in the Jack Seers where you know it's kind of almost the the rookies, you know, we've got you know Sam in there who's who's now won a race, and um we've got you know Dexter in you know he's been doing it for a a few years and has got a very good car and now you know it it's it's very competitive and um uh yeah most people on the grid I think have have been have have had podiums now. So um it is competitive and that's where the little incremental gains we can find will help. But um yeah, and then you get into a weekend and it's it's media stuff, it's it's you know on track three times a day. You've got now four races over a weekend. It's it is it's um it's intense, but that's that's part of the excitement. You know, you're not waiting around all uh all day like um like in in in other categories. Sometimes you you know you get to a weekend, you've only got one race.

SPEAKER_09 2:08:54

So no, none of that. No. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 2:08:58

Yeah, it's busy.

SPEAKER_09 2:08:59

But um you know you're a touring car driver, that's for sure. Um I I remember you telling me uh last time you were on uh Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax, um, that you uh uh that you have a day job as well. Does that day job kick in on Monday morning after a an intense weekend like we've just had?

SPEAKER_01 2:09:18

It sure does. Um dear. Yeah, um yeah, so I and and unfortunately I or fortunately I have more than one uh day job as well. So it keeps me it keeps me very busy. So um yeah, I mean, as an example, uh I stayed over Sunday evening at at Brands Hatch to have some dinner with the team. Right, yeah, nice and then was was uh in the car driving back up um early early uh Monday morning, the three and a half hour drive back home, and then uh from there I had to then drive over to to North Wales to pick up a mini digger for the groundworks company that I work for. So yeah, it was straight back to reality. A lot of driving. A lot of driving, yeah. So um, yeah, I yeah, you know, I I work um to pay the bills, but also to make sure we can um you know try and then free up some some time building up to a race weekend to to focus on on what matters in in you know getting some results on track. So you need that, don't you?

SPEAKER_09 2:10:21

You need that, you need to be prepared. You can't go straight from I've I've done it in the past where I've been working all week, uh talking all week, uh, and then driving straight to a race meeting. You feel a little bit jaded before the weekend starts, and you you you cannot, it's not possible to give your absolute best.

SPEAKER_01 2:10:41

No, and I I learned that lesson last year to be honest. So I was uh busy working within my business of of car wrapping and stuff and and wrapping things or the race cars for other teams for for our team as well last year and um various other things, then working for the the construction business that I'm involved in, and some days then I'd be shooting off to a racetrack in b in between to to drive a coach somebody, you know, and and all these other things, and then suddenly you you uh I would arrive at a r a racetrack on a Friday and you know feel like I've not slept all week and it's it's not it's you know it's not um it's not good. So this year was like right that that must stop. So yes, I have to work you know ridiculous hours on on the week after a race weekend, but then then means that the week after when I uh you know, like in this case building up to Snetston, I can then have one day at w at at work and then uh you know go back to just not ready for the race weekend. Yeah. So you know, trying to factor in normal I say normal. It's not it's not nine to five, it's um it it can be twelve thirteen, sometimes eighteen hour days, but um then trying to factor in training physically and you know, eating correct and stuff 'cause again when you're on the road the you know it ends up being a meal deal at a uh petrol station services or something and and stuff like that and it's not what you need when you're trying to perform at this level so no so there's a lot of um things for the for certainly for this year and and um you know that I've changed in in my life outside of of racing to m give myself the best chance and you know there's a lot of a lot of uh people investing in in me and what I'm doing of course a lot of effort from all the team members and the crew you know i the the priority is getting the results on track and that starts away from the track you know so um yeah it's it's it's a busy old life and um but it's uh it's all for for one purpose and that's to to try and get results so um yeah it's it's exciting uh well it sounds like uh an an incredibly busy life that you have but you've you've worked it out you need to be properly prepared for the racing weekends and then that will reflect can I ask you a question while we're on this subject um do you sleep well on race weekends do you sleep like a log? Uh do you know I did this weekend did you because you were because you were worn out from everything else going on but um no yeah I I I tend to to sleep better on a race weekend um than I do building up to a race weekend. Yes I do um just because you're already there it's then you know you've you've thought and and worried about everything and you've you know you've sussed everything out as best you can and it's then you know just do what you can and uh when when you get in the car so it's almost a little bit more relaxing once you actually get there.

SPEAKER_09 2:13:34

It is incredible. I had a very very stressful and busy week last week um and uh I was working at BrandTack on Friday uh working with uh the uh driven by sport the uh taking um local school children round to to meet drivers and teams and learn a little bit more about what we were doing which was a great day very long very uh very tiring actually just really because of the location of everything at Brands that wherever you want to go a lot of walking there's a lot of walking yeah exactly I think I walked something like nine miles on on Friday just on Friday. So I was exhausted going into the weekend but I thought no I'll have a nice meal and then go to bed and and hopefully fingers crossed sleep well. I hadn't slept well all week leading up to the weekend because I knew I've got to do this tomorrow that's got to be done for Friday that's got to be done so it was a stressful week didn't sleep well um and I I honestly I don't remember um the last time that I had such a good sleep on the Friday night to say I woke up early I was I woke I woke up well before the alarm was due to get to get the weekend underway.

SPEAKER_01 2:14:44

Oh they're the best ones I think um I came into the the the garage on Sunday morning and you know I said said hello to all the team and stuff and um I can't remember I think it was Steve my number one mechanic he said uh he said oh you know did you sleep well last night? I said uh do you know what Steve I slept that well when I woke up in the camper I didn't even know where I was now they are good sleeps yeah they are so um so yeah and it's just that emotional roller course that you go on you know there's so much build up and and pressure that you put on yourself and and the same for for you and what you do you you know you want everything to be right for for those that you're working with you put that pressure on and and um you know once it's done it's then a bit of a relief isn't it and and that was the same for us on Saturday even though it weren't the day I wanted after that that comeback to to P12 from the back it was like you know I can just have a good sleep now and and uh go again tomorrow after job yeah yeah yeah exactly um but yeah it's the crazy thing is how important sleep is I think you underestimated people do I certainly used to but um I monitor it a lot now and and working with one of my my partners this year a company called longevity and a lot of that is is uh you know sleep is one element to to health and stuff but it's crazy the difference you feel when you then actually start monitoring not only the hours that you sleep but how well you sleep as well.

SPEAKER_09 2:16:10

And and there's so many ways to do it now with the tech that we've got the wearable tech it's uh it's incredible. I'd I wish I knew how all this stuff worked. You can wear a ring that tells you um if you're starting to feel poorly you could tell the ring you were start at starting to feel poorly but how it knows it I don't I have no idea.

SPEAKER_01 2:16:29

It's bonkers it's bonkers yeah I I have a like a wristband thing that I wear and that's that's very similar very similar thing and it's um it is interesting. I mean it it's um in fact not not last week building up to racing but uh the week before when I was I was flat out it um it notifies you as well when it suggests is a good time to go to bed. Yes and um and you know based on what time you wake up in the morning and stuff and it it uh on one one of the days I think it was Wednesday the week the week before it said uh your suggested bedtime was six thirty and yeah I'll still be at work at that time but uh nice nice try.

SPEAKER_09 2:17:06

Yeah but the tr the trouble with that and on occasions I have been so thoroughly exhausted um that that I have gone to bed sort of I don't know maybe eight thirty nine o'clock and fallen asleep. I was gonna watch telly but I fall asleep.

SPEAKER_01 2:17:20

Nothing wrong with that that's what I am for every day if I'm back in time.

SPEAKER_09 2:17:23

But the problem that I've had with that James is I then wake up at three o'clock in the morning and my sleep I I'm done.

SPEAKER_01 2:17:30

Yeah yeah yeah yeah but at the same time you're you're probably saying to me I'd rather get up early and and get going than correct yeah than go to bed late and wake up late.

SPEAKER_09 2:17:39

Correct yeah in my previous life where I worked in the music business then uh it would it would be uh a sort of to bed at two or three o'clock in the morning and up at ten o'clock in the morning but now it's it really is the other side of the clock now that's for sure.

SPEAKER_01 2:17:54

Oh me too me too.

SPEAKER_09 2:17:56

Oh James thank you so much for joining us here on uh Tin Top Tuesday Power by Power Max and um hopefully we'll get you on again before the end of the year but it looks like you've set yourself up looks like you're on the right trajectory this year. This looks like very good news indeed. Yeah yeah thanks for having me yeah it's um I think I uh I'll say in saying uh I think to you at the weekend if if the first two weekends have been tough weekends for us but we're leading the Jack Sears and yeah and um you know we've got uh some good results quite a few top tens to to go with it then uh if that's our bad weekends then we're gonna have a pretty good year yeah yeah I'm happy and uh hopefully we get some some overall podiums and take it easy I now know never to ring you after nine o'clock in the evening because you'll be fast asleep worn out uh brilliant James thank you so much for joining us uh leader of the Jack Sears uh on the top on the uh top step of the Jack Sears uh trophy podium at the weekend uh after race three uh James Dallin here on Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMaxed what a great guest tonight uh it's uh worth point pointing out as well uh that I I only ask uh our uh our drivers pretty much on the Monday after a race weekend if they're prepared to to give me 10 minutes uh on uh on Tuesday or thereabouts and inevitably I mean uh check it out Ash Sutton um 25 minutes of his time uh tonight he afforded us and uh Aaron Toder Smith the same uh Adam Weaver from PowerMax and James Dolan as well 20 minutes of of their time and they all give it very freely uh to uh to uh this show and I'm absolutely indebted to them thank you so much to all of our guests tonight uh on Tintop Tuesday Powered by PowerMax I uh did tell you at the top of the show that I was going to remind you how you get hold of uh uh Tin Top Tuesday Powered by PowerMax uh brand new fresh merch t-shirts and and hoodies and teddies and and beanies and all sorts of things uh oh yeah we we we have a beanie in the wild as well don't we? Yeah we do. Oh maybe more than one. Uh so all you have to do is to go to uh Sarah's website uh our dear friend Sarah Dennis who runs all of that sort of thing for us because I'm inept uh puretrackracing.co dotuk puretrackracing.co.uk and uh just have a little search for uh Tintop Tuesday and you'll find everything there. There you go in the meantime if you've missed anything tonight you can hear it as a podcast as of tomorrow Apple Podcasts Spotify all of your uh favourite podcast channels including where you are right now listening to the live stream bttcc.net slash live dash audio I was kind of hoping that by the end of the show I would know if I was going to bump into James Roberts at Alton Park or Sneston uh because James will only be going to Alton Park or Sneston if um inverted comments quotation marks uh my Middlesbrough don't see off Southampton tonight. Well we're uh slightly at odds on this because uh I'd rather see you at Alton Park or Sneston if that's all right to you because it would mean that uh Middlesbrough have lost to Southampton and for how many minutes? Into extra time and it's still 1-1. Uh the first leg was nil nil so um yeah they'd be a bit tired by now won't they? So no result to give you oh dear anyway all I'll say to James Roberts is I hope to see you at Alternos next read into that what you will so thank you to all of our guests uh this evening to Ash to uh Adam uh to Aaron and to uh James as well and thank you to all of you for all of your quite brilliant and very thoughtful emails that we get every week here on Tintop Tuesday Powered by PowerMax. Don't forget if you've got photographs to send in you can send them in until Monday the 25th of May we are back on air on the 26th of May following Sneston 300 three rounds of the Quick Fit British steering car championship coming up and we'll dissect all of it and have some of the stars here on Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMax the winner of Image of the Week powered by PowerMax will receive uh one of those uh wonderful PowerMaxed um uh detailing buckets so it's a a bucket of joy from PowerMax full of goodies and we haven't had as yet a reply from Deborah Russell or Jensen uh we need uh your details if you please so send us an email Deborah congratulations you are our winners from the first edition of uh Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMax you are the winners of Image of the Week so send us in your home uh address and uh we'll get that packaged off to you uh thank you for your company tonight everybody um and uh thank you for for bearing with me while I played maybe slightly more than I normally would uh songs by Dire Straits recognizing the fact that we had the legend that is Mark Knopfler at uh Brands Hatch at the weekend thank you for your company thank you for your emails keep listening everybody and we'll see you in two weeks' time after Snetterton uh and in the meantime nanai well I wonder where you are tonight you're probably on the rampage somewhere you have we know to take delight in getting in somebody's hand you always had the neck way to play bet you already made a pass I see a duck in room somewhere you run your finger on the rim of his glass run your fingers through his head's bang well maybe it's all for the best I'd never been less maybe it's some kind of test I've never been able to