SPEAKER_07 0:00

All the team all the time on Tin Top Tuesday.

SPEAKER_00 0:05

It's Tuesday, it's 8 o'clock. It must be time for Tin Top Tuesday. Powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_06 0:13

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

SPEAKER_05 0:42

It most certainly is on a sculpture of a Tuesday. After a sculpture of a weekend at Sneterton. And what a weekend that was. Just every now and then, the most amazing thing in the history of the BTCC happens. And it happened. We have a lot to discuss. In fact, it wasn't just one thing that happened over the weekend, a lot of amazing things happened. So between now and about 10 o'clock this evening, we'll be chewing over all of that here on Tint Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed. First time at the weekend as well that uh on Tokalive, the live broadcast uh track side, um, that we did our our PowerMax giveaway uh just before the uh the race to pole. And that was an overwhelming success. Um, and uh we uh gave two lucky people a garage tour of the PowerMax racing garage because they were the closest of about 300 entries in the space of 10 minutes to work out the top three in the race to pole. They weren't right, but they were closest, so they got second place and third place the wrong way around. Josh Cook, Tom Ingram, Tom Ingram, Josh Cook. But we declared they were the closest to the pin, so they deserved to win. And I spoke to Adam Weaver uh from PowerMax and said, Well, that was a bit of a success. Can we do it again? Yes, he said. Of course we can. So those of you that go track side, that's gonna be a feature this year, the PowerMax giveaway just before the race to poll. But what about uh Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax? Well, we're looking for your pictures from the weekend. We'll have PowerMaxed Image of the Week. Something that we ran a couple of weeks ago after Brand's hatch, and we have a winner. Uh, the winner has been Josh. So it doesn't have to be the best picture for Image of the Week. Um, it just has to be one that makes us go, wow, or giggle, or any one of the above. Um, and this particular one from James Roberts uh just made us all giggle. Uh very, very funny. Uh, me down there on the grid, just uh in front of uh James Dolan's grid board, um, having a chat to Alan Gow and James Cole, the driving standards officer. Um and Alan has said something to me that has made me pull the most extraordinary face, uh, a face I didn't even know I had in my repertoire. But there it is for all to see, but I'm not proud of it. But James should be because he caught it and he is the winner of the image of the week. So, in which case, James, if you could send me your uh your postal address, please, um, then I'll pass it on to those nice people at PowerMax Racing, and they will get out a bucket of goodies for you, a detailing bucket from PowerMax. And we're gonna do all the same thing again tonight. So if you'd like to enter for the PowerMaxed uh image of the week, all you have to do is to send your submission in on email to studio at tintoptuesday.com, studio at tintoptuesday.com. We are on all the socials as well. All you have to do is search for Tintop Tuesday, Facebook, Instagram, Tintop TikTok. Uh we're we're on all of them. We're all over the place. Can't get rid of us. And just a quick reminder, we do have our PowerMaxed um uh Tin Top Tuesday uh merch available. Thanks to Sarah. Thank you, Sarah. Uh available, so it's the TTTT Tin Top Tuesday Teddy. All the T's, T-shirt, tunies, beanies, all you need to do for that is go to puretrackracing.co.uk. And there are already uh Tin Top Tuesday Powered by PowerMaxed uh uh merch items out in the wild. So if you've never listened to Tin Top Tuesday Powered by Power Max before, uh what do we do? Well, we talk to the major players that were in uh action at the weekend, those at the very heart of the stories, and tonight is absolutely no exception. Tonight is gonna be an absolute belter, I guarantee you.

SPEAKER_09 5:35

Sonny. Yesterday my life was filled with rain. You smile at me and release the pain. Now the dark days are gone, the light days are here, my sunny one shine so sincere. Sunny one so true. I love you. Thank you for the sunshine, okay. Sunny Thank you for the love you bought away. You give me all in all now I feel Sun and Won't so true. Someone seems all the walls I love you from a Sunday Sunny Walk so true.

SPEAKER_05 8:40

Sunny Sunny. Uh there are few conversations on Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax that I have looked forward to quite as much as this one. It doesn't really need too much of an introduction other than to say a very good evening to uh not only the Jack Sears Trophy winner, but also the Goodyear Wingfoot Award winner from the weekend at Sneston. Good evening to Nick Hamilton. Hiya, Nick. Hi Alan, how are you doing, mate? I'm really good, thank you. Probably not anywhere near as good as you are. Um have you come down off Cloud9 as as yet?

SPEAKER_03 9:22

Um just just about, Alan. Just about. It's been uh been a pretty surreal couple of days, I'm not gonna lie.

SPEAKER_05 9:29

Um can I ask at what point you realized um that you were gonna be standing on the podium? Were uh were the were were they telling you on the radio? We were we were doing mathematics, you see.

SPEAKER_03 9:41

We were working it all out. I knew I knew nothing until the back straight of my in lap. So that's when it was. That's when they told me, and I couldn't believe it, screaming like crazy inside the helmet, and then it was trying to understand the procedure. I knew nothing about how the hell or where you go after.

SPEAKER_05 10:02

Yeah, of course, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:04

I had to go to the Weybridge, yeah and then go down to Park Ferme, and I didn't even know where that was. Um so it was all a new experience.

SPEAKER_05 10:13

Well, it it was quite peculiar because um we we normally when we before we do the the final podium, we have the Teams Award and we have the Jax's Trophy Winner Award, where all the points have to be added up for all three races until we find out what the winner is. So uh previously I would do this with with Dan Mayo and now I do it with Stuart. Uh and our after the race we were checking and double checking to make sure we got it all right, um, and uh and then checking with uh the timing people to make sure we'd got it all right. Because the last thing you want to do is to pull in the wrong car into the check area and then say, actually, it wasn't you, we need that car over there. So we were we were checking and double checking, and then I don't want to announce the wrong name to the spectators, to the crowd, until we're absolutely sure. So I waited, I peered around the corner from Park Fairme until I could see your car coming down pit lane. So I said, right, okay, I can let everyone know now. Now is the time to do it. Uh we wanted to be absolutely sure of this because Nick, we have waited to get you onto the podium. I would say, since Donnington Park, when you were so close to being on the podium and and and just not quite the independent winner. Um and of course, you've been waiting forever for this moment. It's what I said it as we got you on the podium. This is what you've worked for.

SPEAKER_03 11:43

Absolutely, Alan. Absolutely. It's it's it's um it's a moment that I never thought would ever happen. Um you know, just thinking about the younger version of me at school in my in my wheelchair, really, just trying to understand where I take my life and where my place is within society. And um, you know, I'd I'd never thought I would ever be able to get to a point where I'm I'm you know walking up a you know podium stairs and and holding a trophy aloft um in in not just in not just some some championship, you know, it's the it's it's the British turn cars, it's it's the pinnacle of British motorsport, it's the toughest domestic championship we have in the UK. And um, you know, I I managed to to achieve it. So it's it's not just the driving side, it's the financial side, it's the support side, it's the it's the the mental side, then the physical side of the the disability, and and then just how competitive that championship is. You know, it's it's rough. Um but I I I'm in this championship because I I I truly believe in it and and I want to race against the best.

SPEAKER_05 12:59

Um you haven't made life easy for yourself, have you? I mean, i it you you could have picked uh really any uh car racing championship to to to get better and better and better and maybe a little bit easier to achieve that moment where you get a a podium, but you you shot for the top, didn't you?

SPEAKER_03 13:19

Of course, yeah. I mean I always I always take the hardest route um because I always believe the hardest route is what leads to to most growth or personal growth, even though it it might be uh you know a a long and tough rocky road. Um you know, if you if you if you continue to persevere, um you never know what's gonna happen at the end of it. And I think you know, if I was if I was succeeding and getting podiums in in championships that were less prestigious, um, yeah, it would still feel you know nice that maybe I'm getting a outright podium or this or that. But um, you know, nothing nothing will will top you know being in in the BTCC and and and actually you know racing the the pinnacle of of what the UK has to offer and and not just what the UK has has to offer, you know, the drivers within the championship, you know, can go can go to Europe, can go to world touring cars and and do great. Um you know, so so that's who I wanted to race against. That's why I've put myself there. And yeah, obviously I've got my disability, but I I ignore that as much as I can and and and do what I can with it.

SPEAKER_05 14:27

One of the things uh that we spoke about here on this show when we were talking uh just after I'd I'd read your your book, which uh I implore anybody who hasn't already read it to read because it is um an amazing uh emotional journey and uh and a real insight into it into what you've been through, not just in racing but throughout your life. Um and we were all emotional when you got onto the podium, of course, uh you because you know what's gone on before this uh to get to this point. Um but for all of us, because we've shared your journey um and and you've been so honest and and clear about what that journey has involved, even more so for those of us that have that have had the insight via your book. I got emotional when you were on the podium. I knew I would be. I cry at Lassie films, um so I'm sorry, I'm I'm right on the edge most of the time, to be honest, Nick. Um but uh but uh but the the the thing that got me um uh was in your book you said uh despite you know the fact that you've got a disability and that you've worked to overcome it, you also talked about how mean people can be and how mean people were to you at school. And then when we heard that roar from the crowd as you came up onto the podium, I've never heard a roar at a BTCC meeting like it. And I've been doing these podiums since 1997. Do you now believe that you are so loved within this paddock after everything you've been through?

SPEAKER_03 16:03

Yeah, yeah. I mean, to be honest, Alan, it was it was it was that reception from from the paddock, from the BTCC community basically that that um that got you that really hit me. Yeah. I mean, you know, the whole the whole the whole procedure, the whole process of getting up onto the podium. I've I've dreamed I've dreamed of this this day of what would it be like, you know, how will I get up there? Um you know, how hard is it going to be? You know, I'm I'm used to seeing Lewis, you know, get on the podium so easily, you know, physically, um but also you know, also through talent as well. So I I I never thought it would be me. Um and then I I I got this humongous roar when I when my name my name was announced, and you know, I I got up, you know, with the help of um Mickey Butler and and then when I got to the top step, you know, they were allowing me on to the top step, which is incredible, and and just the just just the cheer and the love and and respect that people showed me um is is literally what what tipped me and I was I was living I was living my dream in that moment. Um you know because I've always been honest on um on our interviews, Alan. And you know, people people there are you know as much as I have so much support and so much love uh and care out there, there are people that you know try to to pull me down um and try and you know tell people that I'm not good enough or that I'm this or that I'm that and you know I I I carry a lot of pressure, a lot of emotion on my shoulders, and and you know, even when you prove people wrong, there's always someone that's gonna uh still try and figure out ways of of pulling you down and still to this point, Nick, I don't understand it.

SPEAKER_05 17:57

So people have got all the facts, they know what you've uh what you've gone through physically to be able to do. They couldn't do it, nobody else can do this kind of thing. Yes, still they they they say mean things, and I just don't understand what's in the human psyche that can do this. Why can't everybody just be so happy for this guy who has worked his little socks off to get to this point?

SPEAKER_03 18:22

Yeah, no, I mean look, we're we're we're talking about the minority at the end of the day, and you know, I'm really appreciative of all the support that I have out there, all the people saying positive things, and and even those that that that say negative things, it only just fires me up to do better and work harder and and to to to to you know hug my trophy like I did, you know. I the cuddle of the trophy was something special. Yeah, you know, I that's all I wanted, Alan. You know, and I know I knew there was only two ways I could get it through the Jackseas or um you know an outright podium, and and obviously this year with being with uh Draper Tools and Team Virtue and Accelerate, um I I'm not in the independence anymore. So it had to be within those um you know two possibilities, and obviously with the Jackseas, you've got to have a consistent Sunday where you're you're you're scoring the most points within the Jack Seas in all three races. So um you know it's it's actually I I'd say harder to to win um thanks for the case.

SPEAKER_05 19:28

Because it is the amalgamation, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:30

Yeah, it's harder to win than than the independent, I would say, yes, from my point of view, because you can obviously win the independent every every race, can't you?

SPEAKER_05 19:37

Sandra, the assistant team manager, said just at the uh uh bottom of the podium steps uh and and and uh Sandra looks after all of us, not just team people for everyone. She is just the loveliest person. And she said, This is what I've wanted, this is what I've wanted. And uh what it wasn't just Sandra, so many people have been willing you on to do this after Brand Hatch. I I thought after Brandt Hatch, um Nick's just had a really good result, he got an 11th place. Um I wonder if I'll I've if I'll ask him to come on the show. And then I sort of tempered my enthusiasm and I thought no, because he's gonna do better than that this year. There's gonna be a more appropriate time to I I didn't realise it was gonna come quite so soon, but you you really have you've settled in, haven't you, to this team? And and and you are you are driving better than you've ever driven before.

SPEAKER_03 20:34

Absolutely, yeah. I mean, look, I'm I'm I've always been honest about myself. Um you know, I'm not the I'm not the the fastest of drivers, but also um I'm the only driver on the on the grid with the physical limitations that I have.

SPEAKER_08 20:47

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 20:47

And and so coming into coming into this year with with Accelerate, I knew it was gonna be a bit of a deer in the headlights type of year because you're gonna be teammates to Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton, Ricky Collard, you know, who are all super super super strong and um super fast drivers. And so I knew it was gonna be exposing where it would have been like, right, these guys are on the podium, and then Nick is down in you know P16 or or whatever. Um but I took the challenge because I need to be in good equipment. I believe I haven't been in in good equipment before in my in my career, and I wanted to see how good how good I am and where I could actually take it. Um and it's taken me yeah a while, and I'm still not you know fully up to speed and and comfortable um with everything at the moment. That's because it's just a new environment. Um so every weekend that goes by I just develop more and um you know my legs are stronger than they have been before. I'm fitter than I've ever been before, and we've we've adapted and changed things in the car that helps me with you know braking trace, um braking trace trace trace trace trace trace. Brake performance, peak performance on the brakes. And it's those types of things that when you're when you're you know what what does upset me is that is the negativity, right? And and people always like, oh Nick's so far away, or whatever sometimes. But when you're when you're trying to find so it's at at Brands Hatch, for example, I was three and a half tenths behind Tom Chilton in the race on race pace, and in the quality race for uh Sletterton, I was only seven tenths behind um Tom Ingram. So so when you're looking for three tenths, seven tenths per second, whatever it is, or within a second, that's when I realized my disability really does give me a disadvantage mainly on the brakes and how the car um you know manipulated in the braking zone. So we've really worked on that hard, and and that's where we've really made strides forward that allows me to continue to stay consistent every every race or you know throughout the weekend. Yes. Um and we're we're reaping the woolboards of that.

SPEAKER_05 23:04

Um I I I watched the uh the BTCC podcast that you did uh a couple of meetings ago, one meeting ago, I can't I I can't remember. Um but giving a bit of insight into into how this drive, this particular drive of this year, uh happened, and uh and I I I I I was uh not surprised to find out that it was Tom Ingram, that it was Tingram that was really sort of pushing you. Come on, uh this this is the this is the one for you. So so how cool is it when and this is unprecedented, I've never seen this before, when the three drivers that are on the overall podium, Ash Sun, Gordon Sheddon, Tom Ingram, hang on, let me add up how many championship titles they've got between them. Nine nine titles all come round the front of the podium to show their respect for you. That's that's something special, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 23:56

Yeah, I mean to to be honest, um it was it was Tom it was Tom Chilton that that was the the reason why I got into into the seat. He's the one that called me up. Was it it was, and then since I've arrived, um, you know, the support from from Tom Chilton and Tom Ingram has been has been absolutely incredible. Um and I don't know, it it really meant a lot when I I got to the podium stairs and I said to to all of the drivers, you know, I was like, how does this like what do I do? I've never done this before. Tell me, tell me about it, you know. And I was like, you guys might need to help me up, I don't know, whatever. And and um, you know, they were they were all just so supportive, um, you know, and and they went around and and went to the front of the podium and I could see them, you know, welling up themselves. Um just great. And and you know, Ash Ash helped me a lot onto the podium, off the podium. He helped me with my champagne bottle, you know, just just just simple stuff, spraying the champagne is is tough, you know, pulls me off balance and all that sort of stuff. And and and hopefully it puts it into perspective with people because it's like I can't even walk up the podium stairs, but I can drive a touring car pretty fast. Um, and so I'm really proud of that. And to to have to have been standing and sharing the podium with the likes of, you know, Ash Sutton, Tom Ingram, and Gordon Shedden um is is a moment I never thought would ever happen. So I'm I'm really, really grateful for for their support. Um, and then yeah, as I said, just the the whole paddock, the whole community, teams, team managers, team owners. I've had everyone message me up and it's it's just been it's just been amazing. It really has.

SPEAKER_05 25:50

It has. Uh um uh the season is far from over. There are other opportunities as this season goes on to uh to see your uh uh achievements, Nick. And um I I just wanted to share this uh hugely special moment with you. Um uh you mentioned your brother, um uh Lewis. Um and I when we had these conversations, I generally uh uh try to avoid talking about your brother. Um uh because I t I talk about you in your own right. Uh and I I've I've said uh many times that I find you um the most inspirational uh uh racing driver that I talk to, and that includes your brother, because I've uh interviewed your brother on a on a number of occasions over the years, but I think you surpass even what he has achieved because of what you had to overcome to do it. Um however, however, um for the two of you to have achieved something very special uh last weekend, that almost makes it more poetic, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_03 26:52

Absolutely. I I um I I honestly I can't believe that I I I personally believe everything happens for a reason. Me too. Um, you know, there was a reason that um I got my first podium and and Lewis um you know got his podium and and and it was two Hamilton that that got some silverware um that weekend. And I it just takes me, yeah, as I said at the start of the interview, it takes me back to to little Nick. You know, I never thought that would that would be me picking up a trophy on on the podium of of any race. Um I didn't think I'd ever be a racing driver just watching Lewis do it, and and now we're we're doing it together and having having success together and and picking up a trophy and being on the podium on the same day, just uh different parts of the world.

SPEAKER_05 27:41

He wrote he wrote some lovely words, didn't he? Uh very, very soon after the after the race. And uh yeah, uh just yeah all of this is so emotional, Nick.

SPEAKER_03 27:53

Yeah, it honestly, Alan, it's it's been um it's been it's been it's been so emotional that it's been it's been difficult to to really comprehend it because you know Lewis Lewis called me um straight after the race, uh after his race in in Canada, um, because he he realized you know I got a podium and um I had to I had to explain to him what the Jack Sears you know trophy was. Yes, yeah. Um you know I think a lot of people don't really understand what the Jack Sears trophy is.

SPEAKER_11 28:21

No, no.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

Um so that's totally fair enough. Um but then he called me yesterday and we had a we had a you know a uh a FaceTime video and nice you know he was just he was just telling me how proud of of me he he is and um you know he could he could really see how how much it meant to me to to get onto that podium and and the emotion that it had um and the impact that it had on me. Um, you know, he he was just so so so proud. Um and you know, to to to have even though he is my brother, you know, he is a um a very highly respected racing driver and to absolutely to have to have just him, you know, say nice words about my driving and how I'm developing and how I am, you know, means means the world.

SPEAKER_05 29:08

So I think that I think my take home from what Lewis said uh was um how proud of you he was as this and that and the man he has become. That was the bit that sort of got me. The words were really carefully worked out, weren't they?

SPEAKER_03 29:24

Absolutely. Yeah, and you know, it's it's it's been a it's been a surreal couple of days, Alan, honestly. It's gonna it's gonna be a uh it's gonna take me a while to to really, really, you know, get over it. Um but you know, we've got Alton Park next, and I'm just uh gonna continue being as strong as I can, work on uh, you know, my weaknesses still. I've got things to to to to develop and improve on. Um, you know, but to to have this to have this experience that I've had as has been you know a one in a million opportunity.

SPEAKER_05 29:55

I'm I'm not sure I'm I'm not sure how far you can go with developing your upper body strength, because when I give you a pat on the back or a or a little cuddle, you're like a rock. I mean, yeah, the the work you're doing is is absolutely exceptional.

SPEAKER_03 30:10

Yeah, I mean look, we you know, I'm I'm the only driver, you know, in the paddock that that has this disability where my legs are dangling in the air and I don't have I I don't have use of my ankles and I have to brake and accelerate in different ways and my body is affected in different ways. You know, and so when you're when you're driving in the BTCC with with 30 degrees and or 33 degrees ambient temperature and it's it's 60 degrees in the car, you know, that's when it can get really, really tough. And so I've tried to make sure I I was ready for for a weekend like Snetherton where it's super, super hot um because it's important to to stay as as fit as you can. Um my upper body's never been a problem because I constantly use my upper body um to just get up to get off a chair or to to walk upstairs or whatever. You know, I I've always used my upper body. It's my legs that have have always let me down since I was born. So um, you know, when you when you're as I said trying to find those those tenths of a second, it's it's now working on uh how we continue to develop the legs or develop the technique so that I can get faster, because at the end of the day, that's what I'm here to do. And and yeah, the the disability is a is a disadvantage the faster you become. Um, you know, but I'm I'm I'm working away at it and I'm the strongest and fittest I've ever been. And I feel like it's it's really showing in my driving. I feel like the weekend Sunday, well, Saturday and Sunday was the the most consistent weekend I've had in the BTCC. You know, I got points on uh qualifying race and and yeah, struggled, struggled at the start of the races in all three races, but then came through and made some great moves, worked really hard, and was super competitive. So um, you know, it's all progress.

SPEAKER_05 31:59

Um uh Alan Gao uh and I were uh watching, I think qualifying it was, uh during Saturday uh in one of the garages. And uh I I use the word inspirational and um and uh he said are there other words that we can use for inspirational? I said, I know I know because uh I I use the word all the time for uh for Nick. I I also use the the the word in relation to Alex and Ardy, uh because for for uh a good few years I did some uh I did a lot of work with with Alex. And um by the way, uh we failed to come up with another word for inspirational. There are there are other words that are uh similar, but they're they're none of them quite the same. And I'm I I just want to pick up on something because uh I was very sad uh like we all were to to hear that Alex had passed away. Very very sad news on um a pretty poignant motorsport day on May the 1st. Um but uh he said something to me once uh on a on a stage in an interview uh as at an awards dinner. Um and Nick, I I I I I just want your your thoughts on this really. Um he broke me with what he said because he had been able to turn obviously the most monumental negative losing his legs into a positive. And he said to me, um and this is what made me sort of um uh well up and and have uh no real words for a minute, uh a moment or so. Um he said, I'm really glad that I lost my legs because if I hadn't have done, I would never have discovered the joy that I have from riding my handbike. Yeah. How does that work? How do you turn that positivity in your brain?

SPEAKER_03 34:00

Yeah, that's a I I can understand how that that doesn't seem conceivable for you. No, yeah, I can see that. Um, I mean look, I I can't talk, I can't talk for for non-disabled or able-bodied people that then become disabled. Um, of course. That is a that's a completely different, you know, situation that you find yourself in. One minute everything's all great, next minute you might not have legs and you've got to completely retrain your whole life and turn your whole you know, whole body around. Um, you know, speaking speaking for myself, I understand exactly where where Alex is coming from, um, because for me, I know no different. I only know my disability, and I only know um that I have two choices. I can um continue to to stay in the same place, which was where I was in my wheelchair, or I can at least give it a go to overcome and and work harder to to potentially get out of the wheelchair or do something um that I've always wanted to do, which was motorsport. And you know, when I was when I was eight years old and and at school and being bullied and questioned and you know, kids not understanding what I was about or who I was or why I walked that way. Um, you know, I I I actually hated the fact that I was a disabled person because I I wanted to be like everyone else. Yes, of course you do, you know, because because you you want to be accepted, and I I wasn't being accepted as a as an eight-year-old and not even as a as a 15-year-old. Um but but now uh and and and I guess I was I was questioning why me, you know, why why can't I be like everyone else? What have I done so wrong to to be given these these legs was basically what I was feeling at eight years old. Um and you know, and it doesn't mean that every disabled person is feeling the way I felt, you know, some of them maybe feeling more empowered than I was. Um but um you know now I I am so glad that I am a disabled person. I wouldn't want it any other way. Um done it to me as well now. Yeah, no, I would I wouldn't want it anyway any other way. And if you said Alan, if you said Nick, I will I'll give you I'll give you I'll swap legs with you for the rest of for the rest of your life, I'd say absolutely not, but I'll have them for one day.

SPEAKER_05 36:23

I'd have one day.

SPEAKER_03 36:24

I'd have one day and I'd do everything. I'd I'd what if I had if I had um if I had legs that worked properly, um I'd go for a I'd go for a run. I would I would I'd no try and climb, I'd climb, I'd go climbing somewhere and see how the legs work climbing and then I would drive a touring car and see if if if I was any faster. Um and then and then you can have them back because because my disability hasn't defined me. Um but if I but it it's pushed me to to to limits that I I never would have pushed or been able to have pushed, or any goals that I had if I was an able-bodied person. I re I I really don't believe so. So um yeah, I'm so glad. And I really feel like I'm I'm now living my purpose as a as a disabled person. I initially I didn't know what the purpose was, and I realize now it's the purpose is to live with the disability as a disabled person, learn as you go along and bring people along the journey with you, um, help other disabled people, inspire other disabled people, but also able-bodied people too, non-disaced non-disabled people. And and there's a reason I've been put on this planet, and and the reason to be put on this planet was to be a a person that people not necessarily have to have to look up to, um, but if you can if I can give anyone hope with with what I do, um, and there's a lot of people that are a lot worse situations than me, so it's not all about me. Um, but I'm here to to make an impact, a positive impact, um, and a and a real impact, um, and just stay authentic. Um that that that podium moment was I think the whole reason of why I've been given this disability in the first place.

SPEAKER_05 38:20

Wow. Um, you're some guy, Nicholas Hamilton. You really are. Um it was an absolute uh uh privilege uh and an honour to uh to uh call your name out onto that podium because that was a standout moment in um well since the early 1990s I've been doing podiums at touring cars and I've never known anything like it. Just everybody um so uh not just the achievement for yourself uh and not just to inspire people as as you were just saying, to inspire potentially people that have got challenges in their own life, um but also the joy that you brought all of those people and it's gone around the world, hasn't it? The the the pictures, the videos have been shared around the world, um and and and you're just bringing so much joy to people. You are a very, very special human being, Nicholas Hamilton. We're all very lucky to have you, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_03 39:17

No, I appreciate it. Look, at the end of the day, I'm not I'm not I'm not trying to be look at me, look at what I'm doing, try and be like me. I'm I'm just I'm just living my life in the best way that I can, and I'm trying to bring as many people along on the journey with me as possible. And if eventually I can continue doing what I'm doing, and then eventually step back and and and provide more opportunities for other people to to potentially do the same or get into motorsport or feel inspired to get in motorsport with a with a disability, whether that's driving, whether that's being a part of a team, being a race engineer, being part of the hospitality or whatever, you know, that's that's the purpose, that's the goal as well. Um, you know, at the end of the day, it's not all about me. I'm just I'm just trying to do what I can and I'm grateful to have had that moment on the podium and to get some recognition, you know, from the world, literally in the last couple of days has been incredible. Um, because really I'm just a I was just a young kid in a wheelchair with a dream. That's all I needed.

SPEAKER_05 40:24

Oh wow. Um that sounds like a title for a second book somewhere along the line because you've just written a second chapter, that's for sure. Um uh Nicholas, thank you so much uh for joining us on the show. Thank you for always being uh happy to come and chat to us on on this uh uh little chat show. And um uh absolutely from the bottom of my heart, and not just me, but from uh everybody that supports touring cars, supports you, supports motorsport. Um, thank you for that very special and unique moment that we had on on Sunday. Uh it is I'll say the same phrase that I said on Sunday, this is what you've worked for, and you've blooming well done it.

SPEAKER_03 41:04

Thank you, Alan. Thank you so much. And and for anyone that's listening to this um this episode, thank you for the the the amazing comments, the support, and the love over over the weekend. Um it really, really meant a lot. And and Alan, you do you do such a great job at the track, in your commentary. You're such a lovely man.

SPEAKER_05 41:25

I just I I love it like you do. I absolutely love it. I'm a pe I'm a people person, Nick. Good for you. And and I and I love to watch people achieving things like you achieved at the weekend.

SPEAKER_03 41:37

So well, you're a you're an absolute asset to to the industry. So thank you for everything you do.

SPEAKER_05 41:43

Thank you, mate. Um, goodness me. Um we couldn't say any nicer things if we tried, could we? Right. I I need to I need to have a break here on uh Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax. So all I'll do is enjoy uh the week and a half that we've got before Alton Park. Let it all sink in, Nick, and uh and then reset and try and do it all again, eh?

SPEAKER_03 42:03

Thank you, mate. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_10 42:05

Nick Hamilton, everybody here on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed, and the bigger one.

SPEAKER_05 45:12

Quite a guy, isn't he? Nick Hamilton. Wow. We are so grateful to Nick for uh spending what essentially is just over half an hour on Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax. Um he has always, always, always uh said uh yeah, I'll come on the show. I'm quite enjoying it, having a chat, and we are so grateful uh for the fact that uh he always does that. Thank you, Nick, and uh and well done for the weekend. Uh for those of you that were there, that was a very, very special podium. I know uh um uh Tin Top Tuesday's very own Laura uh did a uh a video uh of that uh uh podium on Sunday, um and it went online and uh so far has over a million views. So it really has gone absolutely global. It's uh quite incredible. Um uh BTCC uh just um um uh is responsible for so many amazing cherished memories, isn't it? It really is. Uh right, um your emails have been coming in not just uh uh this evening but uh yesterday and today as well. Uh Joseph, uh evening Joseph, Joseph Bryce says, uh hi Alan, big fan of the show, and Gordon Sheddon. We all gonna be happy. Uh love the racing on Sunday. Uh great to have the Mini Coopers on the card as well, uh uh rather than just the uh JCWs. Hope the uh FORs go well at Silverstone GP next weekend, and Flash is becoming very partial to rever a reverse grid win with a textbook defensive drive. Cannot wait for Auton Park P. S. Alan, what do you think of your beloved Southampton being disqualified from the playoffs? Well, the first thing I'll say, I would use the word beloved about Charlton Athletic because they've been my team all my life. Southampton adopted only in the last few years, quite like them. Um being disqualified from the playoffs. Absolutely gutted. What a story that was, goodness me. Um uh Joseph, thank you very much indeed for your email. Keep them coming. Uh Harry, evening, Harry. Um good evening, Alan. Hope you and everyone is well. What a scorcher of a weekend. Uh, I got through a lot of ice cream and drinks, sat on my sofa at home. I dread to think how burnt some people at Snetton may have been. Um what is your go-to ice cream or ice lolly? That's a good question. Good question. I'll have a little think about uh just uh a huge congratulations to Nick Hamilton for his Jack Sears win. Um he's definitely showing what he can do with the right car after uh points in that tricky race to at Brands Hatcher. Uh haven't really uh got a Lego set for tonight. Oh Harry, you've let us down. So maybe I need to get through my pile of shame of unpainted tabletop models. I think you do, Harry. And you need to send a picture to prove it. All the best. Hopefully, see you soon, likewise, Harry. Uh Harry Adams. Thank you, Harry. Uh, this one's uh from Ian Marshall. Hi, Ian. Um Hi, what a sensational weekend we had at Sneston. I predicted that Charles Rainford would win the race to pole on Saturday. I didn't expect him to follow it up with a lights to flag victory in race one on Sunday. So well done, Charles. Uh disaster struck for Tingraw in race two with another alternator failure. And Ash Sutton fought through from tenth on the grid to win by a whisker following a five-second penalty. Race three was an absolute classic, with Gordon Shen resisting the attentions of both Catagleen, Plato, uh Mercedes and uh Tingram and Ash to win. Nick Hamilton stole the show by winning the Jacksers trophy for the weekend and was overcome with emotion on the podium. Uh there was hardly a dry eye in the house. And finally, Chris Smiley achieved his best result for a long time, a fifth, uh, converted to fourth following Tingram's 10-second penalty for track limits. The result for Chris uh went completely uncelebrated as Gordon was top independent driver. Oh, and there were uh and and the weather was scorchio, what a weekend. I took loads of photos uh of the uh final podium, but this one is my favourite. All the best from Ian. Oh yeah, that was uh that was the national anthem. Great picture, absolutely super picture, Ian. Um there were so many moments for I don't I don't know how the po how long the podium lasts. What was it? Three minutes or three and a half minutes, but uh the most uh emotionally charged three and a half minutes of our of our lives. I've got a feeling we're gonna get a few of these pictures tonight. Um evening to Dave. Uh good evening, Mr. Hyde. Well, that was a bit warmer up than brands, wasn't it? Uh thank you to the Orange Army for uh dealing with uh all of that at the weekend. A true credit uh to the Marshals and please thank them uh for having a photo with Ro uh Rosie from Rosie Kes, who does some uh incredible work supporting Andy's man club. Agreed. Uh the only uh the racing uh has only one topic, and I think almost all the other messages will be the same. Well done to Nick Hamilton, such a well-deserved and received podium for the Jack Sears win. Um it wasn't even hay fever, and uh now uh with all of us fans uh we have uh an uh maybe another trophy to pick up at Alton Park. A couple of shaky picks attached. See you at Alton. Dave, thank you very much indeed. Uh your photos are always beautiful, and uh these capture so many beautiful moments um from Nick getting out of the car to being on the podium and uh cuddling that trophy. Uh well, Dave, super, super pictures. Thank you very much indeed. If you want to uh uh to get to get to get involved, all you have to do is to send us an email, studio at tintoptuesday.com. Um it was half an hour with Nick tonight, so uh and we're and we've got plenty of other guests on the show tonight, so um so bear with me. We might play slightly less music tonight. Um we've got we've got so much to do.

SPEAKER_00 51:13

Streamed live every Tuesday after BTCC race weekend. This is Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_05 51:23

In race three at Sneterton at the weekend, uh we were dealt a masterclass, an absolute masterclass, um, in defence and maintaining a lead position. And three-time champion Gordon Sheddon gave us that masterclass. Boy, oh boy, Flash, that that was quite that was quite a race.

SPEAKER_01 51:47

Yeah, I don't I don't think there was many people who were putting a lot of money on me to win that one.

SPEAKER_05 51:54

You you absolutely had to work in every trick in the book you had to use, didn't you?

SPEAKER_01 51:59

Uh yeah, uh you know, it's uh I mean apart from the temperatures and things, just the way, you know, the way the weekend had been running, uh uh and you know, obviously, um you know, you you you knew that it was going to be coming thick and fast, you know, Ash had loads of pace. You know, you knew he was gonna get there at some stage. But then yeah, it was just I knew kind of early doors what my game plan was to try and maintain as many laps of uh of the T T B as I possibly could. So go almost go as slow as possible to start with, to look after the tire and to and and and to save the uh the extra boost to to give myself some uh some weapons to play with later on, really.

SPEAKER_05 52:44

And and and it it worked absolutely perfectly. The the the strategy for the for the race played out well perfectly. You stood on the top step of the podium. Um but uh but uh so how long was that in the planning, that strategy, and and how many people were involved in it, or was it just uh was it just a you thing?

SPEAKER_01 53:04

Yeah, I think it becomes a little bit clearer where people kind of like to kind of use the available boost, but it was obviously you know as soon as the grid's published who's got what tire left. That's the first thing. Yeah, and you know how many laps of deployment you know people have got as well. So you know ultimately there was quite a lot of people on uh or the left-hand side of the grid, I think two, four, six were all on medium tire, one, three, five were on soft, uh, and then a few more on soft behind that. But it was like, okay, I just need to get a clean start, try and you know, try try and maintain position, try and you know not get not get mugged by the mercs, and uh yeah, leave myself with uh you know some some boost when that when the onslaught came later on.

SPEAKER_05 53:48

Uh well it was fascinating to watch, and I I apologize to you in the same way that I apologize to Tingram, who i equally had uh a spectacular race, um albeit he didn't keep the third place, but he drove through from the back of the grid to be third on the podium um uh later made uh eighth because of track limits. Um but I I have to apologise to both you and Tingram because we didn't we weren't able to make enough of uh uh these spectacular drives um uh because something else eclipsed it uh and and that was the fact that we had Nick Hamilton on the podium for the very first time in his BTCC career. So I apologize for that. J sometimes the BTCC gives us too many stories all at once.

SPEAKER_01 54:36

Oh I mean, firstly, there's absolutely no need to apologize. I thought it was uh it was one of those you know, it was one of those very special moments to it was uh to see Nick achieve what uh you know what he achieved with that Jack Sears win because it's you know that's that's accumulated over the course of the whole day, you know. Um and I I I I thought he did a he did an absolutely cracking job all weekend, uh to be fair, and uh th thoroughly deserved. And I think there was uh yeah, th those special emotional moments. We we get them in BTCC, but and we get them for all different reasons, and I thought that was right up there with uh with the with the very best of them.

SPEAKER_05 55:19

And it was awesome that you, that Ash and and and Tingram all went round to the front of the podium and enjoyed that moment. You were just for that brief moment, you were outside the box, you were looking in, you were you were just w one of us, you were spectators, you were fans.

SPEAKER_01 55:35

Yeah, it was something. Uh I don't even yeah, we just kind of like I I think we all just wanted to be part of it and to share in the excitement and the enjoyment because so much of racing is just uh it is just pressure and expectation and more you know uh uh and and more often and not heartache. I mean I mean somebody one once said to me that motorsport is 95% disappointment and five percent elation.

SPEAKER_05 56:03

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 56:04

And it's like that almost it is. So to see that that pure emotion kind of uh you know, everybody being part of next moment we was just real was just like we were we were all we were all just caught up in the moment, enjoying enjoying that moment less rather than anything else.

SPEAKER_05 56:22

It's these unique moments, isn't it? It's these unique moments that bring so so sharp for him.

SPEAKER_01 56:27

So sharp for him.

SPEAKER_05 56:28

Yeah, and and and and and so is everyone. I've i in all the years, Flash, uh and I've just told Nick um this evening, in all the years that I've presided over um over podiums in the BCCC, I've never known anything like it. I I I I have never known a podium like it, the the response, the roar from the crowd. Alan Gow heard the roar from the crowd in his office at the top of the bus with the door shut. And and it it it was just one of those uh standout moments that we could all share in that joy with him, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 57:01

Yeah, absolutely. In the in the sunshine, end of the day. Yeah. And uh yeah, it's uh you know, we're like we're we're we're all competitive buggers, but we're all but we're also humans. And I think uh I think that really kind of uh yeah, uh as as a community, I think I think everybody was just uh was was just super chuffed, you know, the way that that works out for Nick uh at the weekends.

SPEAKER_05 57:26

I'm smiling away while you're talking because uh everybody seems to say the same about that. They were all part of a a little bit of really rather beautiful BTC history at the weekend, and uh we we we all feel incredibly grateful to to have been part of it. It's um he he's a he's a a pretty special guy, is uh is Nick, and uh um and and we love him to bits. We're we're very, very happy for him. Uh what about Flash? Uh what about um back to the day job. When when when were you back behind your desk at Nock Hill?

SPEAKER_01 58:00

Uh back in yesterday morning. Um so uh yeah, back uh back up the road first thing yesterday morning. Um and yeah, we've been out of work at back at 10 or something like that yesterday morning. So yeah, it's good.

SPEAKER_05 58:16

Yeah, well, of course of course life goes on. You've got a big meeting coming up, haven't you? You've got British superbikes coming up. Of course, we've got the the annual visit of the BTCC to look forward to as well. But uh nothing stops. How does everything w work? Because I've I I've noticed that that that uh Gillian is able to come along to to race meetings uh uh with you, but she she also alongside with you runs the Nock Hill Circuit. So so she's being allowed time away from the circuit this year, is she to be able to um come and support you?

SPEAKER_01 58:47

Yeah, I mean I mean she'll always come um you know when you know when it's possible to do. So um I think that it we I mean we're lucky. We've got such a great team up here. Uh you know, passionate people who who love love everything about Nock Hill, love Motorsport, we get it, they understand that, and you know, even though we're away you know and and not not at our desk, if you will, yeah. We're still we're we're still on the phone, we're still on the emails, we're still we're still we're still there, but you know, we trust we we trust the the crew that we've got up here to you know to to to run the events. We we had stock cars at the weekend up here on Saturday, and then there was bike bike track day on Sunday, team drive on Sunday, so 13 to 17 year olds driving on team drive. You know, single seaters were out yesterday, obviously bank holidays, so no day off for us because when there's when there are holidays, people want to come. So yeah, it's just it it just keeps on going. But you know, we're fortunate that um you know it's a it's a it's a cool place to work and a cool place to be part of.

SPEAKER_05 59:44

Uh is it a bit cooler than uh down south uh up there? I I I mean we I I like nice weather, I like the sunshine. Uh for a race weekend, uh may I suggest it was a little bit too warm. If we could have been a couple of degrees cooler, it would have been a bit easier for everybody, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:04

Yeah, and I think like I mean yeah, I I I struggle with the sun clearly, because I go from blue to bright red, there's not really much in between. Same. So um uh you know, snet of him, geez. I mean it was so hot, so hot. Um and I don't know, uh like if you know if you're spoken about it to the other guys, but I mean the temperatures we were seeing inside the car were absolutely ridiculous at the weekend. You know, we were you know, we were just over 60 degrees, and it was so hot that even your feet are sore on the pedals because the pedals are getting so hot as the race goes on.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:39

The pedals get hot. I I hadn't even thought about that.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:43

Just uh just uh yeah, I don't know if it's just you you know, because the teoters are quite small, but the temperature coming through our pedals at the weekend was was becoming a bit of an issue at one stage. Um so yeah, but and then obviously the car's completely sealed, the windows don't open, and it was it was just proper a little uh a little hooker in there, but I I I did feel I've got it I've gotta say for that there's gonna be some burnt people after the weekend that's method. There's not a lot of places to get shade that's method. It's very open, isn't it? And then poor Marshall's out there in their in their orange suits for for nine hours as well. It was like, oh geez, you know. Cool down a lot of people. We've never had that option.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:31

No, I mean it really is quite remote. I remember some some fiercely hot touring car weekends, uh, and and and most of the ones that I do remember have been at Snetterton, in fairness. Um it really does uh enjoy some incredibly good temperatures. Brilliant for the crowd. I mean, so as as far as the crowd is concerned, they were awesome, weren't they?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:54

Crowd were good. Crowd were making me very jealous with all their ice creams and their beers before consuming as the day was going on. But uh really good atmosphere, it was on the weekend. A lot of people camping, uh lots of lots of people in different team kit. I thought that was really cool because there was you know it was very much supporters of one, supporters of another. Uh but actually I thought it really made it. I thought it was uh it was a really passionate crowd at the weekend. So yeah, it was good, it's good to see.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:22

We saw the TV pictures of uh of Pit Lane Walkabout from our uh beautifully air-conditioned studio looking down, and um you couldn't see any tarmac in Pitlane Walkabout. It was absolutely rammed, goodness me.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:37

Yeah, it was busy. It was busy. Um but and lots of people uh I I I think maybe just because Snetteton's that little bit kind of like that little bit east, you know, possibly some of you know it's uh it's the only kind of touring car round maybe that that that a lot of the crowd will visit. So they really kind of treat it w as their you know their cup final, if you will. Yeah, they're coming, they're here to enjoy it, they've got you know posters of years gone by, they've got I mean, I can't can't believe how many squeletrics models I find of the uh of the civic. Oh wow, how cool. It was just people turning up with like different stuff and it's like and old pictures and yeah, and everything's like, Oh, it's like it was just it was just really cool. Just uh it's just all in all a real feel-good weekend.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:21

Uh uh Flash, thank you ever so much for taking time out. I know you're busy. I know you're uh uh really busy pretty much from the moment you leave the race circuit uh to the next time we see you at a race circuit. But uh well done at the weekend. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you for affording us time here on Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. And I'm gonna guess that you're looking forward to a few more of those over the course of the rest of the year. Am I right?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:47

Oh uh yeah, I mean, but that that that's the aim. Uh but we've got work to do. Um some some some fast cars out there. We just got to do everything we can to make uh to get ours in that uh in that kind of league as well. So we'll we'll give it evident.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:01

Well, it's certainly right up there for the way it looks, because that MB Motorsport uh laser tools livery absolutely pops on the tiger, doesn't it?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:08

I tell you, it's bright, isn't it? Yeah, it's uh it's proper, it's uh blindingly obvious uh carrot, but that's that that's everything that we wanted it to be, so it's cool.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:22

Looks gorgeous. Uh Flash, thank you ever so much. And by the way, I just the the final stat, I just love it. That the three guys that came round to the front of the podium to celebrate with Nick Hamilton between them uh had nine championship titles. What a podium that was.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:44

That's cool, isn't it? Yeah, but we're just we're just you know, we're all uh I think you know, even you know, Tom Ash and uh and I, we're just we're just you know fans of motorsport as well, and you know um you know, as uh uh as a lot of us are. So yeah, it's cool.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:00

There we go. Uh Gordon Sheddon here. Thank you ever so much, uh Flash, and we'll speak to you in uh in a week and a half up at Alton Park. Uh Gordon Sheddon, three-time champion in the BTCC here on Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed.

SPEAKER_10 1:05:26

Starting shining in the sky.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:29

Well, I thought it was appropriate to play that tonight. Also appropriate that uh Dr. Trafford, our very own Dr. Trafford, uh, rather likes electric light orchestra. And he happens to be listening because his he's come up with his suggestion of the best ice cream. Celero. Good shout. Or the Toka Mr. Gal Mr. Whippy machine. Do you know? I've never had one out of it. Maybe I should. See, the trouble is I'm a bit allergic to milk, so I have to be a bit careful. I could I can have a spoonful, couldn't I? It always looks very tasty. Good shouts, Traff. Uh, evening to Dave says, evening Al. Firstly, I'd like to apologise for not emailing the first two shows this year. Uh, to put it mildly, my head fell off. Um, had a massive anxiety attack while I was at work two months ago, and I've been on the slow road to recovery ever since. Um, I'm sorry I didn't reach out to people, including your show, um, but uh things are much better now. Had help from some great friends, my great kids, and of course my much better half show. Dave, we're just happy that you're back with us now and you're you're on the road to recovery. That's really good news. Um, he continues uh right now uh to the business in hand. Congratulations to Ting, Ash, and Flash on victories. Um, but to do the email any j any justice at all, it has to be about the nicest, most humble man in the paddock. And at last he's finally had his team and the car to show everyone what he's capable of. Huge congratulations to the great Nicholas Hamilton uh for uh never ever giving up on his dream, for never ever losing faith when everything was falling apart, and for finally winning the Jackson's trophy this weekend on pure pace and pure merit. Driver of the day by a million miles, and by far the loudest podium I've ever seen, even louder than the champions podium. Did anyone else notice hay fever spike on the last podium on Sunday? I know what you're saying. Uh, nothing more uh that I need to add. Hopefully, see everyone at the most beautiful circuit in the country at Alton Park. Much love. Uh from uh Northern Jeff, Dave Santos. Dave, thank you very much indeed. Um and reality is restored in the world when we get your emails. So thank you very much indeed. And uh Simon, uh, Sid, Nick, and Wayne at Three Amigos Auto Sport. Good evening, Mr. Hyde. Uh, what an amazing weekend, uh, an incredible weekend uh that we had at Snetterton. Uh one, uh, I'll not be forgetting for a long while the weather was glorious. Uh, mini Three Amigos Auto Sport Village and great camping, and the racing was great. Well done to Charles Rainford, to Josh Cook, to James uh Dorlin for notable performances, and of course, both uh both Ash and Tingers for their recovery drives uh respectively. Um, but that leads me to the driver who deserves his own mention. Of course, Nick Hamilton in the Jack Sears on the Jack Sears podium. I can't begin to describe what that race three podium was like, uh, other than total respect, elation and not a dry eye there, I don't think. Also, credit to the other drivers for coming around to the front and joining in to applaud Nick and let him have the podium to himself temporarily. Um Mickey Butler was uh was uh very responsible for that and helping Nick onto the top step. That was beautiful. Um uh thank you again for your commentary and a couple of picks attached from the weekend. Best regards Sid, Nick, and Wayne. Oh, you know, you know how to get me, don't you, Simon? A beautiful sunset uh picture, absolutely gorgeous. The three of me guys there they are, Nick on the podium. That's a great picture. And the flags over the campsite and the sun in the these are great. I shall I shall look at these pictures uh uh more fully. Um but uh uh absolutely super pictures. Um and loads more um emails are coming in. Studio at tintopchday.com, studio at uh tintoptuwsday.com and we will get to them, we'll get to as many as we possibly can this evening. Uh we might not get to all of them because uh we are um we've basically got so many people to talk to tonight to squeeze in before 10 o'clock or thereabouts, but we will do our very best. Studio at tintopchuesday.com and don't forget, attach a picture for the weekend. Even if you weren't there, if you're watching on the tell and you took a picture that was particularly good on the tell, uh send it in or what you were doing while you were listening. You might have been doing uh an extreme sport of some description, might have been doing a bit of decorating, or you may have made the trek down to Brighton Beach or Bournemouth Beach or whatever it was. Uh um uh just uh uh send your pictures in uh to be in with a chance of uh uh a very nice prize from PowerMax Studio at Tintoptuesday.com is our email address.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:30

Streamed live on the official British Touring Car Championship website, btcc.net. Every Tuesday after race weekend, this is Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:43

I really don't like to start an interview uh with an apology, but I have to apologise uh to drivers that appeared on the podium for the third race at Sneston at the weekend. Because, however, mega their drive may have been, another event rather eclipsed their achievements, and I don't want to take anything away from Tingram from driving from the back of the grid to finish on the third step of the podium. Or well, at the time we had you on the podium. So, Tingram, I'm so sorry. I asked you one question and that was it, and I moved on. But sometimes other events take over. Do you do you sort of get it?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:27

Yeah. No, I don't think so. I think uh I think Nick was was very selfish taking all the lime out. It was all him, wasn't it? But rightly so. Well, what a moment, Tom. But rightly so. Were you in tears? Yes, I did blubbing.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:43

I know, I know, and I have never ever seen uh and and we've spoken to to um to Nick on the show tonight. Um, I've never seen the top three drivers on the top step of the podium come round to the front of the podium to offer their emotions and support, and it was just everything was overwhelming for the five.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:03

Well it's funny because because Ash, Gordon, and I were stood around the side of the podium, um, and we sort of said to Nick, I said I said to Nick, if you need a lift up, you know, if you need a hand up the stairs, just give me the nod. Yes. So I thought I will go around the front, and then I thought it'll be alright. There was plenty plenty of people around who said, I'll be I'll be fine, I'll be able to get up. I was like, cool. Um, and I said to the lads, this would probably be quite a cool one to watch. Should we just go around the front and watch this? Because it'll be really cool. Um, so yeah, we went went round the side and it was awesome to watch. Actually, we all stood there going, should we yeah, come on then? Yeah, come on then. Let's just let's just go around the front and have a watch. Bloom brilliant. And it was the most awesome thing I've ever seen. It was so so special.

SPEAKER_05 1:15:37

Um the the most special podium I've ever been involved with.

SPEAKER_02 1:15:41

And you know what? It I I I I think it obviously uh seeing Nick get that moment um is amazing, was absolutely amazing. And it was funny because when I'd spoken to Nick, and I'd I've I've I've uh I don't know if he'll mind me saying this. When I spoke to him, you know, uh however long we've we've uh we've we've we've known each other for for I'd try to think how many years, but certainly this year when we were sort of pre-season testing, and I was like, Well, what what's your plan for this year, mate? Like what's your goal?

SPEAKER_05 1:16:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:07

He's like, I just want a trophy, I just want to get a trophy. Um I was like, okay, cool. Like and and like in what capacity? He was like, I just want a trophy. I just want to stand on the BTCC podium. I was like, okay, cool. And then all right, well, let's see what we can do to to to get you there.

SPEAKER_11 1:16:23

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:23

And you know what? He's worked tirelessly, he's worked so hard at it. Um he's he's he's uh and he and he thoroughly deserves it. He really, really deserves it because he's he's been he's been nibbling away over the last couple of weekends. He had a bit of a frustrating one at uh at Donington, he had a bit of frustration at Brands, and and all of a sudden he sort of came to Sneterton and just just did blooming well and just drove really well. Yeah. Um and it's nice, I think, because he's got a good car, he's got um his his teammates are tolerable. Um and I think he's just enjoying himself, which is so so lovely to see.

SPEAKER_05 1:16:56

Um enjoying enjoying driving the car and enjoying the experience. It just it does bash it home, doesn't it? Um what what a community it is around the around the paddock, around the championship, the spectators, the fans, the the drivers, the teams. Everyone in moments like that just comes together and we have what just one purpose, one one goal, and that's what I think.

SPEAKER_02 1:17:20

Exactly, yeah, exactly that. And it was it was so lovely. It's a shame we didn't get more time for um with the ITV interviews um to get a little bit more to get a little bit more from it. Because I think people at uh there might have been people at home who didn't really understand what had uh what had like properly gone on. Um so it was nice that sort of the people who were there were able to appreciate it and see it and and almost uh almost maybe a little bit old school in the sense that you know it wasn't it it kind of wasn't for everybody that moment. It was it was it was almost the special moment was for intended for the people who were there and seeing it. Yes, yeah. It wasn't sort of shared and broadcast to everybody, it was it was quite intimate in that in that sense.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:58

It was, and now it's been shared around the world.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:00

Um Lewis had posted about it. I know, I know, I know which is great, and and and honestly, it's um it's it's so nice to see because um you know that they they're uh they they they they're clearly very close and it and it's and it's lovely to see that um it's not for the cameras, it's not for a bit of show. Um it's genuine that that they support each other so much and it's really really nice to see.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:23

And it's blooming lovely. Uh well there's my apology and uh our our review of something really quite unique and uh uh and historical moment in the BTCC. So we've done that.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:34

Now I'm gonna tell you what's a double what's a double good thing, actually. Uh huh. Nick is also a squashies fan.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:40

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_02 1:18:41

Oh yeah, we we have we have we have uh we have had many a good hour gone past of of uh of discussing various flavours and and uh concepts that could work.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:52

Well, the guy just goes up further and further in our estimations, doesn't he? But now I'm gonna give uh due process and and and and the right kind of uh applaudits to um coming from the back of the grid to third place on the podium. What a race.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:10

Well, thank I mean it was eighth, wasn't it? Because I got I got booted out.

SPEAKER_05 1:19:13

Ultimately, yes, it was. But ultimately, I think you knew that was gonna happen, didn't you?

SPEAKER_02 1:19:18

Yes, I did. Yeah. Um uh it w it was good fun. It was really, really good. I hate I hate that we've had to have it, we've had to do it a few too many times this season, but um uh it it was just good. It was it was nice. And I think sometimes there's an element when you start from the back that you just go, well, I can't really go any further back than I am. So like just the pressure. There's actually less pressure um sometimes, but there's uh also quite a chunk of pressure that because you've done it once or twice before in terms of coming from the back and getting a result, that also creates a level of expectation that you should be able to do it each time, and it's not always a guaranteed. Um so you know, it it was um it had to be fairly, fairly aggressive and and fairly full on to try and make headway. And we did it, you know, we absolutely did it. Granted, people will say, Yeah, but you did it because you were bouncing off every single chat limit sense that the planet has ever created.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:16

Um you said it in the ITV interview, didn't you?

SPEAKER_02 1:20:19

Yeah, and and and honestly, the I went up to the uh we had to go up to the officials afterwards and and and have a chat about it. Um and you know what, there's a the i the the the the chat limit thing is is uh it can be a sort of a call mistress because if you actually look at and you know Ian went through the uh went through the the the the the cameras. We have pressure sensors on the outside of the corners that people will know about. Yes. But what they might not know is that once you run over that pressure sensor as well, there's a photo that's taken off you so you can actually see your um you can see your uh you can see your mistake in four in 4K. Um and uh we went through each one. And the most annoying thing is it they're m they're millimetres over. You know, it's not and and I've sort of said this to Ian. I said that the most annoying thing about that is that my penalty is the same if I've gone a hundred mil over the back edge of the curb, which I had done, or if I'd gone ten foot off the back edge of the curb, effectively the penalty is the same. Um so you look at it sometimes as to say that yeah, it feels harsh because the track limit penalties that I got were uh I I'm I'm always gonna say this. Um they were millimetres off the back edge of the curb. However, rules are rules. Yeah, everyone else sticks to them. This doesn't mean that I have to be an exception to the rule, I have to stick to them as well. Yeah, um, so yeah, my my mess up, my my punishment is um you have to you have to take it. Yes, you can you can cry about it and say, oh well they got the thing, they got it wrong. They don't, they tend to get it right 99% of the time because it's evidence with photos and cameras. So the only time we kind of have that indiscrepancy is sometimes when it's um uh if you have judges of facts, because sometimes I wouldn't want their job of of trying to of trying to police it.

SPEAKER_08 1:21:58

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:59

Um and again, they do a an amazing job for it, but with the cameras, it's fairly evident. So yeah, it w my my my mistake, um I set the punishment, um live and learn. I'm old enough and ugly enough, certainly ugly enough to have uh to have seen it happen to me a few too many times over the years. But um, yeah, even still to have come from from from 21st uh through through through to third, nearly, nearly um getting ash at the end, uh was yeah, was mega fun.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:26

And also um it it it was worth it so that you could be one of the three drivers that shared that unique moment on the podium.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:33

I was I was thinking that, you know, I was absolutely thinking that that it was it was um it wasn't quite worth the punishment or in terms of the uh losing, you know, going back to eighth, but it was certainly worth the uh the drive to come through to to to to experience that with Nick on the podium. Yeah, um and be and be there to to to to be with him and support him as well. So no, it was special.

SPEAKER_05 1:22:51

Yeah, it really was. Uh you mentioned um maybe warm though just a little bit warm.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:57

I'll tell you what, I was I was more knackered after that one than than my eight laps with no power steering, I'll be honest.

SPEAKER_05 1:23:01

Were you really?

SPEAKER_02 1:23:02

Um yeah. Just because you so it's so intense when you come in from the back, yeah, you have to have a real uh level-headed approach where you can't be too impatient, but you can't be too patient. There is a there's a real managed risk element to it of you just have to stick your nose in, you have to get past when you you know where where when and where you can. Um but the intensity of it is is is quite is quite great because you constantly, constantly trying to find an edge over somebody or nick a nick a nick a slipstream off them or try to get you know try to get a run on them or try to use that or try to use that. That it's in it's intense. So it's kind of more tiring. That that final race was more tiring than doing the eight laps without any power steering. Um uh so yeah, it was it I th I felt pretty tired on Sunday night when I was uh when I was pulling into uh uh Cambridge services, remind McDonald's. Right. We were uh yeah, we were fully aware that we'd done quite a lot.

SPEAKER_05 1:24:00

Yeah, I mean it's tiring for for everybody. Um I I I know one of your teammates, uh uh Ricky, uh Ricky Collard uh was um uh pretty active on social media on Sunday morning, um offering some hospitality uh places for some of the marshals, uh, because which I thought he is such a kind guy, um, and that that's that's sort of where his heart is, really. He thinks about other people, and he's a very kind person. Um but uh you know, spare spare a thought for the people that are standing at the side of the track all day in overalls.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:36

And you know the thing I I loved about it most, and I feel terrible because I didn't get their names, um, because I was just in too much of a grump. But um when I stopped when I stopped off at the edge of the track, just coming out of uh or just before the uh bomb hole. Yes, um the you're welcome. Um uh the the the marshals in there were incredibly generous. Um the first thing they did was uh get me a seat when I when I my grumpy face turned up and and stomped into the uh stumped into the marshal's hut. Um I was then greeted with a cold bottle of water. Wow, and after I downed that one and suitably necked it, they went, Would you like another one? And I sort of looked in their cooler and there were three bottles of water left.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:16

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:17

And I said, No, no thanks.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:19

You need these.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:20

I really appreciate it, but no. Yeah. Um thank you very much. But I can't like you know, when you guys are out here from I don't know what time they must go to post, but it's gonna be fairly, fairly uh fairly soon.

SPEAKER_05 1:25:31

Probably out there at eight o'clock in the morning.

SPEAKER_02 1:25:33

I was gonna say it's it's probably fairly early days, yeah. Right the way through until the bitter end of the day with uh you know with no seemingly rest. So I was it's like thank you for giving up some water for me. I really appreciate it. You on this occasion, you're I you know I'm gonna go back to a nice air-conditioned truck with lots of water and um some some food, whereas you guys are out here all the way through. So thank you, but no, no, thank you. And I thought that was a lovely thing, and I've I feel terrible because um I forgot to get their names and I feel terrible for uh I made sure I thanked them and but I didn't get their names when I left and I felt really bad for it. So they know who they are.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:06

They may be listening, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:07

I do hope you are, because uh you were very kind and you were very lovely to me, so thank you.

SPEAKER_05 1:26:11

Oh, that's a that's a cool thing, Tom. Uh a really cool thing. Um okay, the the the year as a whole so far, we're three meetings down now, and and boy, oh boy, they're coming thick and fast.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:23

I was gonna say, how are we how we're already a third of the way through? It's mental, isn't it?

SPEAKER_05 1:26:26

I know, it it is uh a little bit crazy. And and you said when you were talking about the the run through from the from the back of the grid, and and and maybe maybe you're feeling this a little bit, that that that sort of required run in a race is kind of defining your season so far, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 1:26:46

I don't think we've had uh I don't think we've had a weekend without drama as of yet. So it's um yeah, I I don't know what it is. Sometimes you just you get a bit of a run of it and uh I'm hopeful that they go in threes. So we've had three weekends where we've not quite had the rub. Um so maybe, you know, maybe from this from the from from from from here on in we'll we'll have a slightly cleaner run. Yes. Um but what you find you you sort of look into what everyone else is having when you you know you look at yourself and go, well we're having a bit of a good run, and you sort of look at Ash. Um and you go, Yeah, but he's just had a good run. And I think I've I've I've I've maybe been slightly sheltered to it over the last couple of years, or last few years, because actually since well sort of twenty-four, I think. So twenty-four, twenty-five, uh I d I I I I think I had one non-score, and that was that that was down to me being an idiot. Um so we've just not had any problems. So you kind of forget actually that uh you do have you can have some bad runs and you can have some bad weekends, you can clearly have some very good weekends as well. Um but you kind of notice actually that uh they they they you get the bad one. You get the good ones, everyone tends to have an equal amount. I think we've just been quite advantageous with the amount that I've had over the last couple of years to sort of negate me from that. But yeah, I think I think when when I've had a bad one, Ash has sort of been right place, right time to uh to benefit mostly from it, if you know. Yeah, like we've the the two races I didn't score. Um Ash was right at the front and won. And the same again at Snetterton, you know, I didn't finish a race, Ash was there to to to get full points, and yes, it it makes it feel slightly bigger than the gap already is. The incident with Daryl and I at uh at Brands, Ash was the one that benefits. So sometimes you just look at it and go, Oh, you know, it feels like he's been right place, right time. But you know, I've I've certainly been been on that side of it uh uh for i in in the years previous as well. So you uh yeah, you just have to you just have to be uh to be a grown-up and go, that's okay, it's uh it is what it is. Yeah, we don't like being grown up. We don't like it. I don't I um I no, I I try to live like a sort of a like a child with adult's money money. Yeah, like a child with adult's money, a sort of free will. I'd like cornflakes at you know three o'clock on a Tuesday, I'm having cornflakes at three o'clock on a Tuesday.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:09

Yeah, yeah, exactly that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:11

Yeah, exactly. You've got it now on the head. Um uh so we are I think can can I stop can I just stop a second? Yeah, of course you can. This has been the most sensible conversation you and I have ever had.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:21

It's lovely, isn't it?

SPEAKER_02 1:29:24

I know it's a bit grubby. And that's not because it's 47,000 degrees outside.

SPEAKER_05 1:29:31

No, you know what it is. You know what it is.

SPEAKER_02 1:29:34

Can we go back to talking about biscuits?

SPEAKER_05 1:29:37

Well we can, but I see you now as this supreme athlete that doesn't really talk about biscuits. But we can talk about biscuits. Did you get a a a a sort of a a care package from Divan?

SPEAKER_02 1:29:49

Oh my god, that's it. From his mother. I know. I've yet to ask him, and uh he'll probably be listening. Um are yours always supplied in like a massive like old margarine tub?

SPEAKER_05 1:30:00

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:03

My concern is that they're gonna run out? Uh nope, I don't think there's any risk of that. My concern is is there that much margarine in each batch? Because that's a lot of margarine.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:16

That's why they're so tasty.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:17

That's what I mean.

SPEAKER_05 1:30:18

That's my concern. Yeah, yeah. No, no, you're right, you're right to do that. Do you bring the empties back? You see, I feel bad that I don't. Do you return the the target? No.

SPEAKER_02 1:30:29

See, I don't, and uh because a lot of the time there's that many of them that I can't get through them all on my own. So what happens is they go to the workshop in the week. Yes. So what happens, we also get some um Sarah always makes some amazing cookies as well for us. Oh. And um uh there are so many that we eat as many as we can over the race weekend, but a lot of the time, like those cookies, a lot of them go back to the workshop. I'll have as many as I can eat before I'm ready to pop. And uh and then what happens is we uh they they they they live in the in the canteen that we live in the kitchen at the workshop, yeah. And the lads tuck into them and uh in the wake. Um but they are utterly divine, aren't they?

SPEAKER_05 1:31:10

Oh, uh and and so kind, and and uh divan and his brother, um i i you know they c they carry a huge weight of mum cooked uh treats around the paddock until they bump into you or I or whoever.

SPEAKER_02 1:31:26

Please don't stop doing that. No, absolutely not, no key. We appreciate it greatly. We appreciate it massively. We have we have had to pull the parachute on um on the PQCC because that was getting a little carried away, if I'm honest with you. Go on. Um we did have to sort of pull the you know, we just had to put a lid on the PQCC because uh there were so many cakes that were coming through every single weekend that we just said put put you know bits and pieces. I'm absolutely fine with, but honestly, we ended up with I think at the I think at the brand's weekend, the brands finale, I think we ended up with about 15, 16 different cakes. Wow. Wow. Um You can't have that. You're you are a supreme athlete. I is an athlete in it. Yeah, you are looking and honestly, we had to say, but please, please don't let's like the PQCC now has to wind itself up. It can live in our memories and on YouTube for the 24-7 series, but it we i it has to stop because it's getting silly. It's it's got better. So thankfully that we do still get a few, which I'm which I'm secretly quite quite pleased about. But you're not gonna be. Although Alan, I think we messed up.

SPEAKER_05 1:32:30

Go on.

SPEAKER_02 1:32:30

You know, years ago when uh when I used to come on every you know, all the Tuesdays, we always used to talk about all sorts of bits and pieces, yeah. Yeah, rap. People were then incredibly generous. It could seemingly we could say anything, and we could say, I love uh white chocolate and fudge cookies. Somebody would then the following weekend make us white chocolate and fudge cookies. You're right. I think we messed up because the fans are that amazing. I think that anything we asked for would be supplied. I think we messed up. I think we should have been asking for £50 notes in Rolex watches.

SPEAKER_05 1:33:04

I think we might have both been quite disappointed. But it's worth it's worth a go.

SPEAKER_02 1:33:09

But honestly, the amount the amount of stuff that that I know I get over a race weekend, I won't be the only one. I know by the sounds of it, you get a huge amount. Yeah, I do. We also won't be the only ones receiving those, but the amount of stuff that people bring along on a race weekend is so lovely. Um and it all comes back, most of it comes back, some of it gets eaten there and then, some of it comes back to my house. I've got a cupboard at home, I don't you're a lot tidier than I am, Alan. Well, I've got a kitchen cupboard at home um that is so full of stuff that I have to open it and close it really quickly. Yeah, and the door closing holds everything in, the door opening lets everything out. So I have to sort of very, very like a really, really tight amount of door has to be open. I have to sort of just and just grab whatever I can. It's like a lucky dip. Sometimes I end up with some squashies, sometimes some ginger biscuits, and sometimes some dog biscuits that somebody's bought for Yuri. Um Yuri's pleased with dog biscuits. I'm not so much.

SPEAKER_05 1:34:08

Oh dear. I I am um uh terribly impressed. You remember how neat and tidy I try to be. However, what I will say about that is that's what doors on cupboards are for, to give that illusion. I have some similar cupboards to yours.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:22

Do you have a drawer of everything?

SPEAKER_05 1:34:24

Yeah, pretty much. I think we all do.

SPEAKER_02 1:34:26

Um I hate it though. When I think I must have thought I told you this story before, yeah. So when we were having our kitchen done, God knows how long ago, um, Laura spec'd a drawer of everything. She was like, Well, we need a dirty drawer of just batteries, old pens, stamps, chuck stuff in um, yeah, old charging cables, a sharpie, um, a book, you know, like stuff that appears, charity bags that you're never gonna use. Just stuff like that. That you go, what the hell am I gonna do with this? Just goes in the drawer of everything. But we've now extended our draw of everything. It's net there's now three drawers of everything. Wow. And I'll be honest, mate, I I can't deal with it anymore.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:07

You need to do those. You need to sort that out. You can only have one. That I mean, that's the deal.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:12

Um because it's like a reserve and a second reserve overflow drawer. Yeah, now I can't find anything.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:17

No, and that is the beauty, that is the feature of the drawer of everything.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:23

I both can't find anything, but I have everything in there that I ever needed. Everything is there. I reckon, I honestly reckon I could fly a rocket to the moon for the contents of that drawer. I think Elon would come knocking round asking me for the contents of that drawer.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:39

That would that would be an amalgamation. Elon and Elon and Tingram.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:44

Elon and Tingram's drawer of everything.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:46

Just imagine, just imagine the the merch. Just for a moment, think about the merch possibilities.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:53

Sorry, I just had to have a drink out of my fire extinguisher.

SPEAKER_05 1:35:55

Um I know what that is.

SPEAKER_02 1:35:58

Yeah, so to add to add relic to that, I'm a big I'm a big fan of a Yeti product. Yeti's are beautiful. I'm a big Yeti fan. And uh I ordered a um, I think they call it a Rambler, um, which is some form of drinking vessel. And uh it's basically just a big water receptacle, and uh they charge an extortionate amount of money for it. Anyway, um I ordered one that was like a sensible size, I don't know what the sensible size is, maybe something like 0.7 litres or something like that. Like a like a more than a bottle, like a sensible amount. And I ordered it on Amazon, and then a day went past and it wasn't delivered. I was like, that's weird. That usually Amazon are if they say it's gonna be here tomorrow, yeah, it's always here tomorrow. Yeah, and they said, Oh, sorry, we've we've delayed your order. I was like, that's really unusual. Amazon.

SPEAKER_05 1:36:45

And annoying. When that's also it's annoying.

SPEAKER_02 1:36:48

Yeah, anyway, I didn't do anything too much of it. And then a day went past and the same thing happened, and then three days later, a product arrived, which wasn't the one that I purchased, but it is so massive that I think this is like two litres, like one point nine litres. Hold on, it says on the bottom here 64 ounces, 1.89 litres. Wow. Now I'll let you into a secret. What they've basically sent me is a massive inconvenience because I'm now walking around with a with effectively a fire extinguisher size vessel. But you're determined to use it. I am. You're not gonna send it back, are you? No, no, because I looked at how much it was, it was well expensive. Um you did well on the deal.

SPEAKER_05 1:37:29

I won out of it, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:37:30

Now there's two, you know, there's two people, there's two kind of you know, types of people in this situation. There's honest people and there's me. And some people would have gone, oh no, I should send that back. Somebody's made an honest mistake, they've sent me the wrong product, and it cost more. I, however, thought, nah, that's your mess up, mate. I'm having that. Um and so here I am with a Yeti fire extinguisher.

SPEAKER_05 1:37:52

Well, um so I would have sent it back, um, but not for any moral reasons. Um more from the fact that I've got small hands. I'm not sure I'll be able to cope with with drinking out of your thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:04

I d I don't really get um careful with that. I don't really get I don't really get no. I don't know what the use of it is. I'll be honest with you, I don't I don't know why you'd need this big a vessel.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:13

Putting out fires?

SPEAKER_02 1:38:15

That's a that's a about in a city, it would be a whole city. You could put a city out with us. I reckon if I dropped this, it I would flood Coventry.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:24

W was that some people would say that's not a bad thing. But I personally can't say that.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:30

Was that the colour that you chose? Where were uh because I I love some of the the bright colours that they introduce. And they always make them limited edition. So you think well I need that.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:40

Yeah, yeah. I've got a fall into one of their coolers as well, you know, the big boxes.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:45

Yeah. Oh no, no, I don't know the boxes.

SPEAKER_02 1:38:48

I'm never getting back.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:49

Oh really?

SPEAKER_02 1:38:50

Um to keep things cool.

SPEAKER_05 1:38:53

Yeah, yeah. But I guess it works very well. I have a cool box in the back of the car at all times plugged in.

unknown 1:39:00

What?

SPEAKER_02 1:39:01

Yeah. Think of the extra fuel you're using, man.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:03

So um so it's it's it's where the I've got an alarm.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:07

What's my alarm? My phone's my phone, it's it's my barbecue.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:10

Is this what? To turn on the barbecue.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:13

No, my meat's done.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:15

Oh, oh, very good. Oh, do you need yeah do you need me to go?

SPEAKER_02 1:39:19

No, my meat's ready.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:21

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:22

I was gonna lamb's shoulders ready to go.

SPEAKER_05 1:39:25

I was about to tell you about the um about the call box that I always carry in the car. We we we do a lot of that's mental. We do a lot of miles up and down the country and you always need cool drinks. And I'll I'll g I'll give you my tip. And it's uh it uh not now, I'll have to get you back on the show to give you my tip about why I always have a cool box in the back of my car.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:49

You're gonna have to make a note then, because we can't because what usually happens with stuff like this is what this is a typically bloke thing to happen, is we're gonna talk about this and then we'll never talk about it again. It'll be the last thing that's ever been discussed ever, and one of us will go, I swear last time we were talking about what an eye is. Why can't I do this all the time?

SPEAKER_05 1:40:06

I'll make a note. I promise I'll make a note because it's really important that I accidentally found I've got a fridge in my car.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:13

Really? So I'm very lucky, uh, Virtue uh being the awesome people they are. I get a car which is proper cool. Ya be. Um and uh I've I've got a fridge in the in the little glove box, in the little um centre console thing. How cool is that?

SPEAKER_05 1:40:26

Because it has a little um vent for the air conditioning. I think so. Is that what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02 1:40:30

But it gets like frost in it and everything. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:33

How cool is that? Oh, that's proper fancy.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:36

So now I can buy a chocolate bar that's out the out the uh from the supermarché or from the from the petrol station and just stick it in there and actually have cold chocolate, because cold chocolate is more better at.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:47

Uh yeah, some chocolates. Obviously, there are excessive.

SPEAKER_02 1:40:50

Yeah, I'm not gonna go in for like a crunchy or something else with that.

SPEAKER_05 1:40:53

I know I know a crunchy, a crunchy works well in the in the but um if you've got a big slab of dairy milk, which has been in the fridge, that's not good. That's a tooth killer.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:02

That's a tooth that's a tooth snapper. Isn't it? Yeah. That's a tooth snapper. Hey, I smashed out a uh I smashed out a Mars bar ice cream today.

SPEAKER_05 1:41:09

Oh, did you? I find them too sweet. No, I can't do them.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:13

I don't think I've ever had anything in my life that I thought is too sweet. Um it's amazing.

SPEAKER_05 1:41:18

Uh so I will give you the other reason why I always carry a cool box in the car next time we talk. There you go.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:24

Okay, fine. Noted. Is that a deal? Yeah, it sounds like a deal.

SPEAKER_05 1:41:28

Tingram, thank you ever so much for joining us as ever. Um please accept my apology um that I didn't make enough of your um heroic drive from the back of the grid through to third on the podium, um, subsequently became eighth place. I just loved your interview when you said um uh yeah, it was a great run, but I went over every track limit to get there.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:51

I knew I'd done it, and I knew I was getting the penalty, so it made no answer at all. It was really funny because I saw people go, oh my god, look, Tom dubbed himself in. No, no, I know what I did. I know what's going on. Like you know, they have eyeballs and also penalties ready for me, so there's no point me hiding it.

SPEAKER_05 1:42:08

And 8K cameras, yeah, you can't lie really, can you?

SPEAKER_02 1:42:11

No, it doesn't seem to be.

SPEAKER_05 1:42:12

No. Tingram, thank you ever so much. Uh, once again, we have uh run out of time. Um talking about quite a lot of racing and a bit of nonsense as well, because that's what we do. Thank you very much indeed. Tom Ingram, everybody, here on Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed. So nice to get Tingram back on the show. Always a friend of the show, always welcome. Lovely guest we've had on the show tonight. Such a feel-good show. Tint Top Tuesday, powered by Pamela Max. Keep your photos coming in. Evening, Josh. Uh Josh Bridy says, Good evening, good evening, Al and all. Uh, we were not trackside this weekend. Hopefully, we'd be back for autumn. And whilst the weather was nice, I was welding one of my classic cars in the heat and at uh a Land Rover meet called Tea on the Tailgate. I can't imagine how warm it was for the drivers at Snester. Uh, we're listening tonight, uh, whilst out in the garden cleaning the wheels uh for that same classic car. Uh, like everyone has mentioned, uh, what a weekend for Nick. Uh huge well done um uh for such a consistent weekend. Best regards from Josh and Alice. And it is um is it a Rover 200 Cabriet? Is that what it is? In that that Rover Rover green. And then oh, quite a bit of welding actually going on in that in that rover. I had a rover 200 Tomcat. I had two of them, and I absolutely loved them. Um very nice, Josh. We could talk about rovers for for all evening. Um uh this one from Matthew. Hello, Matthew Fletcher. Uh evening, Al. I had planned to come to Sneston, but decided against it as I can't bear the heat. But what a weekend of racing it was. As much as I wanted to see Tingram victories, it was a brilliant weekend, and the Indy 500 and the Formula One race were stunning as well. Looking forward to coming to Alton Park. Hopefully, it won't go above a nice, comfortable 17 to 18 degrees. You see, that would be the dream, Matthew, wouldn't it? But we do live in the UK, so it's uh I'm afraid it's it's rather one thing or the other. Uh, this one from Neil. Uh hello Alan. I'm listening to Tin Top Tuesday in the bath. Thank goodness you didn't send an entry for Image of the Week, Neil, is all I can say. Uh Andy, I'm in pieces again because of the love for Nick Hamilton. He did an amazing job, and I'm so happy for him. And uh, you both are amazing at what you do. That's very sweet of you. Um, it was so nice to see everyone cheer Nick on on the podium. Wow, I've never seen a response like it. So well deserved and brought a tear to my eye. Just amazing. Uh Al, keep doing what you do best. That's very kind of you. Uh, from Neil Cornish from Lower Bromley, otherwise known as Catford. Uh it's uh it's an old joke that the two of us have. Uh, Greg Mark uh Markham is going to be uh listening on uh on catch up, which you can do. Uh you can listen to this as a podcast at btcc.net slash live dash audio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, all of your favourite uh podcast channels. Um, because poor old Greg couldn't tune in. In fact, he sent me an email earlier on saying, Are you online tonight? I can't hear. Um well we are. We checked, and uh we we we we we definitely are. So Greg's um having a a little bit of an issue with the old uh uh internet connection tonight, which is not surprising. Why does it go funny? Why does it go funny when the weather gets warm? What's that all about? Why why should why would the weather affect the internet? Aaron Scott, evening, Aaron. Hello Al, what a scorcher. Even uh up in northern England. I cannot imagine how incredibly hot it was for each and every driver, crew member, and uh member of the the Orange Army during the weekend. Hats off to each and every one of them. Massive congratulations to Nick for the Jack Sears win. I cannot think of a more deserving winner. Uh I was clut clutching my seat at the end of race three. Uh what a uh a tight race. Uh gutted for Adam Morgan, so so close to a first Play-Though win. It will come. Keep up the great work uh that you do for the BTCC community. Below is my entry for the PowerMaxed image of the week and some jolly good pictures as well. Oh, one one jolly good picture of Mikey Doble uh with the background. I d I always think it's clever how photographers do that. That the the car is in focus and the and the background is all um is all blurred out, really nice, always makes it kid look very professional. Um hi Alan, it's not a a 200 but a Rover 100 metro. They only made 1000 of them, and that's from Josh. And judging by the amount of welding you've had to do, Josh, yours is one of the few of the thousand that's still going, I would imagine. The wheels are lovely, the wheels look exceptional, really, really smart. Um, so apologies about that, and uh, it was just an opportunity for me to say that I'd rover Tomcat. Um I'm pleased about that. Uh Amy Al, this is from Fiona and Flossy the Dog. Uh hi Al, what a weekend, Gutty for Ingram with his alternator not alternating. Is that a thing? His epic drive in Ray 3 was sadly short-lived, but rules is rules. The battle for first between Flash and Sutton was such entertaining racing, rather like the old days. Congratulations to all the winners over the weekend, but I think the biggest congratulations have to go to Nick Hamilton. I don't think anyone could watch him on that podium without it bringing a tear to the eye. So happy for we're all reliving it tonight, aren't we? Goodness me, we will be for ages. Nick so deserved both the Jack Sears Trophy and the Wingfoot, uh Goodyear Wingfoot Award. And uh going by all the comments across social media, I don't think many, if any, disagree. Lastly, I want to say kudos to Ricky Collard after seeing him in the Wii video of him seeking out Marshalls to reward them. Uh I it may have been difficult for the drivers and teams in that searing heat, but also we have to remember the the Marshalls, the Orange Army clad in their hot, fireproof PPE, being out there all day melting. Without them, there isn't any racing. Uh totally agree, Fiona. And uh I I tried to get Ricky on the show two weeks ago and tonight as well. And uh we we ran out of time and I I spoke to Ricky at the end of today and said, okay, it's gonna be the next one. We get you what what what a personality and what a driver um and and what an amazing thing to do. Seeking out um some marshals to give them some cold drinks and uh a bit of hospitality as well. It was uh absolutely brilliant. He's uh he's an asset to uh to our community, that's for sure. Uh Fiona finishes uh looking forward to Walton Park and hopefully a fired up Tingram aiming to up those points brackets whilst avoiding track limits. I don't think we should mention that again. I think we should kind of keep that quiet. Um and uh last one for now from Wender. Uh evening, Al. We couldn't have wished for a better finale to the Sneston weekend. Nick Hamilton has been slogging away for years to achieve his dream of winning a BTCC trophy, and I'm so thrilled to have been there to see it. In Park Fairme, dozens of drivers, team managers, officials were all congratulating him at the podium when you announced the winner of the Jack Sears Trophy is Nicholas Hamilton. The reaction of the crowd was incredible. I've never heard such a loud and enthusiastic cheer and applause in all the years I've been following the BTCC. Mickey Butler bowed to him, the other drivers hugged him, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house, me included. Nick looked totally bewildered, bewildered by the situation, and his emotions boiled over. Um, what an amazing achievement by an amazing young man. If you managed to get him on the show tonight, please uh let him know how much joy he bought the BTCC fans on Sunday and that it's justly uh deserved. As the uh the consummate professional, I appreciate you can't show favouritism to one one driver over another, but I bet inside it was one of your most memorable BTCC podiums. I've attached two images, uh not photographically uh very good, but they do rather catch the atmosphere. Wender, I shall look at them. Allow me to be the judge of that if you don't mind. Thank you very much. I'm sure they are superb. And um although, as you as you say, I can't show favouritism, um and I'm a huge Nick Hamilton fan, have been since the moment he got into a race car, and uh and I will continue to be um forever, uh, because I just think he is not only the most amazing uh individual human being, um, but he is also an extremely good racing driver as well. Um he's an amazing guy. Thank you very much indeed, uh Wender for uh your message. And we've got a few more to get through. We've got another interview to get through as well here on uh Tin Top Tuesday, powered by Power Max. So we've got all of that yet to look forward to.

SPEAKER_00 1:53:50

Streamed live on the official British Touring Car Championship website, btcc.net. Every Tuesday after Race Weekends, this is Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_05 1:54:03

So, you know, we say it so often after a BTCC meeting that there are so many stories to unpack uh over uh uh the course of two hours on a Tuesday night. And one of them was the return to the top step of the podium and the pace not only of a BMW driver, but Charles Rainford. Uh Charles, uh well done uh the weekend. Uh firstly, good evening, how are you?

SPEAKER_04 1:54:31

Yes, good evening, sir. How are you? Uh it's fabulous to be back on Tin Top Tuesday. I absolutely love this show and I love being on it because I get to talk to you.

SPEAKER_05 1:54:39

Uh well now this is uh this is one of the things that you do so right. So so when when when you do well, I think oh well, this is a no-brainer. I need to get Charles on the show on Tuesday night because he's such a a jolly chap, always full of positive energy. Um and in fairness, uh the way the championship is, uh it's very difficult to be positive all the time because very often, you know, you uh let me give an example of what I'm trying to say. Last year Brandatch, Indie Circuit, all three BMWs got a win, um, and uh they locked out the podium. This year, uh Brands hatch, it didn't go all according to plan. So it's not always fun and joy, is it?

SPEAKER_04 1:55:26

No, not always. Like as you say, uh the the fun aspect of this championship is you never necessarily know what you're going to get. Obviously, you're gonna have a very fast Tingram, you're gonna have a very fast Ash Sutton, of course you are, but um the rest of us, you know, we all kind of have a bit of a battle amongst our ourselves, and sometimes it goes in the favour of where I found myself on pole position with full allocation of boost, and that was just the dream, really, especially all conditions.

unknown 1:55:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:55:53

I know I kept thinking in the back of my mind, I kept thinking I'm in the pound seat here, but didn't want to say it because I didn't want to use it.

SPEAKER_05 1:56:00

But no, but no, but also it puts the pressure on, doesn't it? Because you know if you don't uh sort of translate that into a win, that that's a massive opportunity missed. And and in this championship, you can't afford to miss those opportunities.

SPEAKER_04 1:56:16

Exactly that. And you never know what's going to happen through the rest of the season, whether you'll get another opportunity to do that again. So um it's one of those. I mean, it's it seems to be that the our rear wheel drive car struggles to kind of battle through the pack a little bit because obviously we're a bit more sensitive to to a bit of contact.

SPEAKER_05 1:56:33

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:56:34

Um, so we don't we can't really make these big fights from 10th to 1st or 21st to third that we saw obviously uh over the weekend. It's it's a lot harder for us. So when you're then on pole position, you think, right, okay, well, uh let's try and not mess this one up.

SPEAKER_05 1:56:50

So what was the secret to to to being a quick sort of straight out of the box at Sneston? Had you had you as a team predicted that it was going to be, oh, this is gonna be the weekend this year?

SPEAKER_04 1:57:03

Um, yeah, I mean it was when we saw that how hot it was going to be, uh I just I immediately just thought to myself, well, surely in that case, the front-wheel drive cars producing that much heat through the front axle uh would struggle. I can't believe how good that soft uh Goodyear tire is on those cars because it hung on way longer than I thought it was going to. Um but if I'm honest, we were very we were all very worried after free practice one. Uh well, free practice now though, isn't it, this year?

SPEAKER_05 1:57:32

Yeah, free practice, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:57:33

Yeah, Darrell and I were both nowhere. So uh we were a little bit out the window. We were a little bit uh a little bit slow down the straight, so we took a bit of arrow off the car. Um didn't help all of our straight line speed through the weekend, but made a few chassis tweaks um and most most bit is bolted on a new set of soft tires across the line on my first push lap in qualifying. I thought, okay, right, no, this is fine now, kind of thing.

SPEAKER_05 1:57:59

Uh which is uh for a driver a very rewarding feeling, isn't it? Because um Sneston 300th Circuit is a very long lap to be struggling around, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 1:58:11

Yes, exactly. And we were sat in the truck going 1.5 seconds, where are we gonna find 1.5 seconds? This is after free practice. And I said to my engineer Dan, we were a bit worried. I said, Well, I think we'll find 1.2 in tyres, going from a whatever it was, 40, 50 kilometers kilometre uh soft tire in practice to then a new, and we thought, it's a little bit wishful, but it was so hot. Say once we got the set a bit more dialed, and there yeah, that 1.5 seconds was we was right there on the first push lap. So um yeah, it was good as well as you managed to manage to get a front row for the start of the qualifying race, um, had a good qualifying race, and that's what led to us having a strong Sunday.

SPEAKER_05 1:58:52

Is it uh a completely different experience for you for you for you personally, coming into the uh the year with a a a full year of experience in the championship under your belt? Do you do you approach the weekends differently? I uh do you feel differently over the course of a weekend?

SPEAKER_04 1:59:09

Yeah, I do. I do. I I was it's no secret, I think if you just looked at me in my first three weekends, I look like a deer in the headlights, didn't I? Really?

SPEAKER_05 1:59:17

It's easy, easy done, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:59:19

Easy done, because you just don't know where you've got to be at any one moment. There's so much going on, you've got to get used to the fan engagement, which is amazing, but you have something to get used to. Um, and then uh the setup make changes you can make on the car, and then there's the whole aspect of the racing as well. So um, yeah, there's always a lot to get to get used to, but the biggest bit that I had, I think, was going into this year's pre-season testing after having a full year of experience. So I know what every setup change does, I know what um like I can I can drive the car and think, oh, do I want this spring or do I want that spring or do I want that role center or do I want that anti-roll bar? What do I want? Versus before versus last year, especially the first part of the year and pre-season testing. I was just having to learn everything on the car. So having that car knowledge as well as being involved in in the development of the car through the winter has just made a big difference because it now is handling like I want it to. Not I'm not trying to drive almost someone else's car, if you know what I mean.

SPEAKER_05 2:00:17

Yes, yeah, no, I t I totally get that. You have to uh whatever job you do, you kind of have to over a period of time and not too quickly, you have to make the job your own, don't you?

SPEAKER_04 2:00:27

Yes, exactly that. It's like starting in a completely new firm in a position you've already done in a different firm.

SPEAKER_05 2:00:32

Exactly that almost. Yeah, and and and and the key, I suppose, is to not require changes to happen too quickly, to ease yourself into it and to and to basically amalgamate what's already been there and achieved and what and what you need. Is is that a is that a reasonable perception of it?

SPEAKER_04 2:00:51

That is that is very, very reasonable indeed, exactly. And the thing is you're you're trying to get used to the car in your first season, and then you get thrown into the races, and it's just there's a lot going on, and then you almost feel reluctant to make a change because you think, well, I know what I've got underneath me, and I don't know what that change really does. Obviously, I've made loads of notes, but it's understanding the exact feel percentage of every change that you want to do. So if I go from one spring to another spring in my head and I can already feel in the muscle memory, I know exactly what it's going to do. So um it just means with all this extra data that we have and the extra notes that I make every weekend, it means we just hopefully have more and more of an understanding of of what to do. Obviously, West Show racing are amazing, um, but at the end of the day, I know how I want to drive the car, and that's and that's the biggest thing. You can put the the theoretical quickest setup on it, and I might not be able to drive it, and therefore, there's always more time in the driver than there is in a car.

SPEAKER_05 2:01:47

Is that unique to you, Charles, making little notes at each meeting so you can carry that over to the next time we come there this year or or next year?

SPEAKER_04 2:01:56

Um I don't know. I've not noticed it too much. I know Daryl does as well. We we both make a lot of notes. Um it's just I guess it's how people learn, isn't it? But how do you do this?

SPEAKER_05 2:02:06

In a in a little notebook, I'd like to think. But what it how how do you do it?

SPEAKER_04 2:02:09

It's it's split between a laptop and a notebook. Yeah, it's like quickfire notes is is is uh is uh just a kind of scribble something down and then write them up. And then I write, I then write something properly afterwards, after the weekend if I get time.

SPEAKER_05 2:02:21

Yeah, yeah, we which um it's ironic, isn't it? We all have a system that works for us, but that's exactly what I do with an event. If it's an event, you know, maybe an awards dinner or something like that. I because this time next year, although I've got all these ideas and thoughts and feedback now, I won't remember those this time next year. Have to get the notes out and then think, oh yeah, no, I remember that. Yeah, that was not a good idea, or this was a good idea. It's interesting to uh to see how you how you go about it as well. Um so Charles, that's it. You've opened the account on the top step of the podium. Um what what are your thoughts going forward for the rest of the year? Because as as we've already said, it is the s second year that you've had a full full bite at this one. Uh I are you feeling pretty confident now for the rest of the year?

SPEAKER_04 2:03:10

Yeah, I am. I am. I'm I am feeling very confident. Obviously, we know that Ash has got a massive lead at the moment, so um that is going to be quite tricky to chase down, especially with it being Ash Sutton. Um I'm very close to Tom in the standings, which is really, really good. And and third, so at least want to try and stay where I am for the next couple of rounds and try and pick up a few more podiums if I can. Um you know, we're going to Alton Park next. I just hope it's the conditions that we have uh we had at um Sneston, obviously, because it would suit us again. We just seems to be we just really struggle in in colder conditions.

SPEAKER_05 2:03:48

Right, yeah, the the chillier conditions. Uh okay, so the car goes well when it's blooming hot like it was at Sneston at the weekend. But that also puts a huge amount of stress on you as a as a human being, as a as a professional athlete. Um how do you deal with that personally? Because I know all drivers have different ways of doing it, jumping in a paddling pool or whatever. How do you deal with it over the course of the weekend? I've talked to drivers about this before. Um and when you do have the the the heat and the sunshine beating down on you and and the you know the cars are uh are up to ridiculous temperatures over over 60 degrees. It's uh for me to deal over a long day in the heat, um uh it's my mind that tends to be become the the most tricky thing. My body can still operate, but but finding the right word immediately becomes more difficult. Um so so is it is it the mental side of things for a driver that you that that you find the most testing and do you have a particular way of dealing with it or or is it the physical?

SPEAKER_04 2:04:54

Yeah, it's very interesting that you you say that. It's um the thing is with with with what I suppose the way that I approach things, and obviously the way each driver approaches things will be will be vastly different, I'm sure. But um I enjoy training anyway, so I do a lot and a lot of physical training to try and drive the car at my best. And you know, I do a lot of running, I do a lot of sprinting for the cardio aspect, and then the weights and all that kind of stuff, but and different sports, which is another whole other new game, anyway. Um but you'll I'll be in the winter and I'll be doing pre-season uh training, which is the the most important time, really, because you're setting up your fundamental fitness for the rest of the season so you can just keep on top of it for the rest of the year. And I'll be pushing, I'll be flat out doing hill sprints or whatever, heart rate like off the scale. And it'll be pouring rain or whatever, freezing cold, and I'll be thinking to myself, I'll do it like, do I actually need to do this? Like, is it really that important? And then we get a we get an event like uh over the weekend where, as you say, it's 60 plus um degrees in the car, it's absolutely properly, properly hot. Um, and if I'm completely honest with you, I loved it. I didn't really feel much fatigue at all. I was very hot when I got out of the car, but whilst doing it, it did not affect me. Like whilst actually racing, from the moment the lights came on to the end of the race, once we saw the checker flag, honestly, if you told me it was 15 degrees, I would like, yeah, sure, no worries. Wow, it just didn't even didn't even register it.

SPEAKER_05 2:06:30

That is a supreme fitness level.

SPEAKER_04 2:06:32

It's not too bad. But saying that, once you stop, once you stop that intensity of focus and everything, you suddenly go, oh wow.

SPEAKER_05 2:06:43

Drivers always say this, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:06:45

Yeah, as soon as I cross the line, it suddenly it was just like it was like I got heat soaked. Wow, wow, and I thought, right, I need to get out right now.

SPEAKER_05 2:06:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I mean it it is as you as you say, all of that work that you do during the winter and question whether it's worth doing it when you get to the season, you realise it is absolutely worth doing. Who came up with your fitness regime, if you like? Um, I do that myself.

SPEAKER_04 2:07:13

Um I have obviously, like we all do, I have uh AI trackers and things that give me a little bit of input. Um but to be fair, obviously, with the dancing beforehand, I've just done it for so long.

SPEAKER_05 2:07:24

I've kind of just always keep fit, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:07:26

Yeah, I've always I've always kept fit, always tried to stay at a good level. If anyone knows their VO2 stuff, mine is sitting at about 63 at the moment with a resting heart rate of about 47. So it's not too bad. That's pretty good. It's fairly fit. Um but uh yeah, so I use I use well, other brands are available, but I like to use a Garmin and a Whoop uh because I find them good tracking. The Garmin's very good for tracking heart rates and running distances and giving you a good kind of spread of sprinting splits and stuff like that. And then the whoop's really good for recovery. So um I use those and uh yeah, that's how I base my training off, really. And then it will give me different suggestions. I'll listen to my body on a go. I'm not having a flat out day today, or I'll have a recovery run, or do something else instead. So um yeah, try and do it. Obviously, it's hard during season, but working at racetracks every day has its benefits of running them in the evenings.

SPEAKER_05 2:08:17

Well, you make a really good point because you are straight back to work. It was a bank holiday Monday. Did you get a day off on Monday of this week or not?

SPEAKER_04 2:08:26

I did not, no. Um I was uh Yeah, so I think we had our debrief on Sunday night. Uh I then jumped in the car, left the circuit about half seven-ish, got back at just after ten o'clock, straight to bed, back up at Goodwood Monday morning, and then I was at Goodwood all day today as well. Um, with then some some some sim coaching um at home before I spoke to love yourself, and then it's brands hatched tomorrow.

SPEAKER_05 2:08:50

Goodness me. I mean you you done off rack up some miles in the in the road car as well, don't you?

SPEAKER_04 2:08:56

Cool, just a bit. Um, yeah, I've my road cars a little bit poorly at the moment. So um we, well, as part of kind of you know sponsorship proposals and um part of a business, we we run a fleet of uh track day caymans, so I'm in one of those at the moment. Definitely racky the mileage up and needing to get my car fixed.

SPEAKER_05 2:09:13

There's a good car to be doing those motorway miles in, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_04 2:09:17

Um hundred percent. However, it has no air conditioning.

SPEAKER_05 2:09:21

What are you what are you talking about, man?

SPEAKER_04 2:09:27

Yeah, no, so it's it's an older one and it has no air conditioning. So on the Friday on the way up to Sl to uh to Seton, I actually um thought I would do a bit of heat training. So two hours in the car with no air con. I did have the blowers on, um, but I must admit the Sunday drive home, I was very hot by the time I went.

SPEAKER_05 2:09:45

Wow. I uh so so I don't remember the last car that I didn't have an air conditioning unit in it. It's kind of my my minimum requirement.

SPEAKER_04 2:09:56

Um yeah, sure. It's definitely my minimum requirement now after this week, I can tell you that.

SPEAKER_05 2:10:00

I should say, goodness me. Um well, well done. Uh I just wonder if it was, as you say, uh a jolly good preparation for the w for the weekend. Um Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 2:10:12

Sweat one out before you even get to the surface.

SPEAKER_05 2:10:13

Yes, exactly. Yeah, you've thrown me with that. I wasn't expecting that at all. Can I uh talk about one final thing? Because there was uh uh a lovely little video that I looked at um after your weekend, um where you where you dedicated your win to to your granddad um who uh who very sadly you you lost recently. Um that was uh very, very, very sweet uh what you did. It's difficult when life um of course continues to happen around uh uh and and about the the ten weekends of the year that we all meet up. We uh maybe sometimes forget that life for everybody does go on um out of sight, if you like.

SPEAKER_04 2:10:54

Yeah, exactly. I mean, I'm very lucky I've still got my exact grandpa, um but um my it's my girlfriend's um uh granddad. Um but he was like a granddad to me as well. So I've been with my girlfriend now for for five, six years, and uh we used to see him a lot, and he used to love the racing as well. So he always said to me, Charles, especially after Brown's hatch, you didn't win by enough. So uh I wanted to delegate that one to him as it was uh as as he he would have loved that race, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_05 2:11:21

Oh that well that's um uh really nice that you could feel yeah, because you said granddad something, and I and in the video I watched it a number of times, I couldn't work out what you said. Was it had a name after grandad?

SPEAKER_04 2:11:34

That's it. Abby is my girlfriend's last name, so it's grandpa Abby. I used to call him anyway.

SPEAKER_05 2:11:40

Understood, Charles. Uh well, thank you very much indeed for uh making time. Do you do you get is it is this a ridiculous question? Do you get a day off before we go to Walton Park somewhere?

SPEAKER_04 2:11:52

Yes, no, we do. So um what is it tomorrow? Brand hatch tomorrow, straight to spa francochamps for the catrum racing on the Weekend. Yeah, I know. It's it's it's bonkers. It's my life's bonkers. The thing is though, is I really like so the way that I work it is obviously, you know, we we we find the money to go do British touring cars, a bit of a bit of hustle, and that's that kind of thing. Yes. Um, and then somehow I've got to pay my mortgage and my bills and all of that.

SPEAKER_05 2:12:19

You also have to be paid, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:12:21

Totally. Um, so what I then do is I work as much as I can the week off. So I call this is like the week off. Um so I then try and work as many days as I possibly can until Sunday, and then from Monday through to Wednesday is just solid prep for British touring cars. So it's data, it's sim, it's starting to get in the right head shape, um, shake down and then straight to uh Alton Park on Thursday afternoon.

SPEAKER_05 2:12:48

So this is cramming week, if you like, as far as we're gonna go.

SPEAKER_04 2:12:52

It's it's right, get everything to try and pay, uh get as close to paying the bills as we can, and then right, forget about everything and again, let's go racing.

SPEAKER_05 2:12:59

It's not easy, is it? This being a driver lark.

SPEAKER_04 2:13:03

It's not, it's not. Um, but you know, I absolutely love it. And if this is what I had to do with the rest of my life, I really wouldn't have it any other way.

SPEAKER_05 2:13:11

Well you're doing it brilliantly. Uh Charles, and and you are a friend of PowMac's Tin Top Tuesday, and I thank you for that. Thank you so much. Um, and uh and uh in in enjoy the prep week, if you like. That's the the time that you you're a little bit more in charge of your own time and uh and and getting yourself ready for Alton Park. Um and for you, let's keep our fingers crossed that it's still gonna be a scorcher, eh?

SPEAKER_04 2:13:35

Thank you. Yes, exactly. I am very much looking to forward to Alton Park. I absolutely love the circuit. Every drive. Yeah, and I've got so many notes from last year, because I remember I started driving the circuit like I was driving a Porsche 9-11, because I've come obviously straight from that. And then I watched Jake's onboard of how much curve he was taking, so I'll be starting there.

SPEAKER_05 2:13:56

Yeah, that's your starting point. Charles, thank you very much indeed. Always an absolute pleasure to uh to speak to you and well done at the weekend. Uh, you've opened the account for 2026 on the top step of the podium.

SPEAKER_04 2:14:10

No, thank you very much as always. I love being on this show, and hopefully I can uh I can do some cool stuff at Alton Park, and I'll be back next time.

SPEAKER_05 2:14:17

What a top man. Uh Charles Rainford, everybody, on uh Tintop Tuesday, powered by Palmaxt. Uh loads of people have uh written in to ask what this uh music is that we're playing for uh the race to pole. Uh it's a live version, Sirius by the Alan Parsons Project. We'll play a bit tonight here on Tin Top Tuesday, Power by PowerMax, as I get through uh a few more of your emails. I'm not sure I'm gonna get through all your emails tonight. I'm really, really sorry about that. I'll try and give you all a shout out at the very least. Sal and Katie. Hi Sam and Katie. They gave me a pipe of Pringles at the weekend, the like of which I have never seen before. Uh, for it was a bacon double cheeseburger, Burger King flavour, limited edition. And it was the weirdest thing. It tastes exactly like what it says it is. In fact, it does what it says on the pipe. It was lunch and dinner, I have to say, Sam and Katie. So uh thank you very much indeed. There were none left by the time we left Snetterton on Sunday evening. Uh, their email says, Imi Al, uh, well, we survived Snetterton. Not sure if it was uh a race weekend or a two-day audition for life on the surface of the sun. Absolutely boiling, uh, but it just made the whole thing better. The sun does, doesn't it? Everyone's smiling. Happy to report the Factor 50 came through, not a hint of sunburn in sight. Well done. It was a genuinely special moment seeing uh Nick Hamilton take the Jack Sears trophy. The crowd reaction absolutely said it all. Um, and you could tell how much it meant to him as well. Definitely one of the highlights of the whole weekend. Some snaps uh from the weekend attached for interest. Roll on Alton Park, but for now, feet up, cold drink in hand, and time to enjoy tonight's show. All the best from Sam and Katie. Sam and Katie, great to hear from you. Thank you very much indeed. And Kay Warren as well, another one of our uh regular listeners to uh Tin Top Tuesday, Powered by PowerMaxed. Uh, good evening, Alan. I do hope that you and Nick uh you have Nick Hamilton on tonight's show. I've ticked that box. Uh what a special podium that last one was. After all the effort Nick puts into his race weekend, he's finally been rewarded with a trophy. I think uh that I remember him saying that one of his goals for this season was to get a trophy. It was. Uh and he uh also has been awarded now with the uh people's vote, the Goodyear Wingford Award. So two trophies in one weekend. I was listening to your commentary online, and I'm sure that I was not the only person crying when Nick went up onto the podium. It was great to hear the other drivers congratulating him too. I've since seen some videos of the third podium on on Facebook, and it definitely looked highly emotional with his brother on the podium too at the weekend. It was a good weekend for the Hamilton brothers. What a lovely thing Ricky Collard and Virtue Racing did to uh four blessed marshals uh by inviting them into hospitality for an hour on Sunday. Uh, this will have uh been greatly appreciated by the Marshalls in the height as it is uh very, very hot in your overalls. I look forward to tonight's show, as always, God bless, from Kay Warren. Uh Kate, uh is it's not only Ricky that's uh uh very kind, you are also very kind and always bring um ask the commentators uh a little gift to the commentary box, and you did so uh uh uh uh brands hatch. Uh extremely kind uh gestures that are always hugely appreciated, Kay. So thank you very much indeed. And uh this one uh says Hi Al. Like many BTCC fans, we're unable to be at the podium after uh race three on Sunday. Uh but your descriptions of the emotions and interactions of the drivers were were first class. Uh uh thank you, Barbara and Stuart. Uh your interviews allow the drivers' emotions to come out, and we loved Nick Hamilton's delight at getting a BTCC trophy at last. You are setting a very high standard for others to follow. Um I d I don't take praise terribly well, Barbara and Stuart, but that's extremely kind, thank you. Uh by the way, you were missed at Truxton the previous weekends. Um that was for the truck meeting, wasn't it? I was watching that online in the evening. Um and uh see you at Alton Park, hopefully with a little bit less heat. Yeah, just down a few degrees. That would be alright, wouldn't it? Uh Barbara and Stewart, as ever, thank you very much, and thank you for your kind words. Um I really appreciate them, thank you. Uh Sharon says, Dear Alan, the season so far is giving some great achievements. Firstly, uh there's a podium finish for Aaron Taylor Smith, which was epic, and now Nick Hamilton. What a great achievement for Nick and well deserved to get up on that podium. He's got to be the driver of the weekend, and I bet there were uh quite a few tears of joy, a few of them tonight as well. I'm gutted not to be there to see it and be part of the crowd in front of the podium. Nick is an inspiration and he's certainly got our attention. Well done, Nick. So proud of you. Uh I hope he's going to be on the show. Sharon, he was. Um and uh Matthew Tomlinson says, uh Hi Al. Sunday mark, my first visit to Noncroft BCCC event, and what an excellent day out it was. Sun shining, engines roaring, and a couple of beers flowing. Happy days. I'm rapidly becoming uh an even bigger fan of Charles Rainford or Twinkletoes, as I heard Josh Cook refer to him in his interview. Uh, a really likable fellow who's showing on track, but he's very much uh becoming the real deal. With a couple of big names departing uh WSR in recent recent seasons. It's uh it's nice to see the new guard really shining through. Congrats to to Charles and to Darrell on the uh race victory and podiums, and Charles is P3 in the overall championship standings. If I'm not mistaken, you're absolutely not mistaken. You're right, Charles is third in the championship. A shout out to all of the key race three protagonists. Firstly, Gordon Sheddon. No one defends that well uh and that long against Ash Sutton these days. Um, a really classy drive and a well-earned uh victory. Next up uh to Mr. Sutton, who who uh uh who else DNFs in the opening race of the weekend, but has extended their championship lead by the end of Sunday. If he uh does go on to win title number five, it will be very well deserved. Finally, to the ever-impressive Tingers, uh his side through the field in the opening laps of race through, uh and and the guy spectating uh shaking our heads in admiration as he made move after move. Uh, from a neutral's perspective, it's just a bit of a shame uh that he gets these technical troubles and and penalties as well. Eliminate those, and the championship battle will be looking even uh feistier than it already is. But uh uh last but certainly not least, apologies, I'm waffling on. Uh what a blooming heat wave! And uh uh end to the day with the race three podium. I I uh spied a sneaky wipe of the eyes from you, Mr. Hyde, after uh the four trophy winners had stepped down. The collective outpouring uh uh for and from Nick Hamilton was simply lovely to steal a phrase from his big brother's rival. Uh the challenges he faces to be competitive are hard to wrap one's head around, uh, and it was such a beautiful moment to witness Nick achieve a dream and to see how much it meant to him. Uh I suppose I better zip it now uh and let you read something else. Um tickle a rhino, perhaps. Yeah, that was the weirdest conversation we've ever had. Uh Matt, thank you very much indeed, and thank you for listening. Uh James Roberts uh wrote in uh James, you were the winner of PowerMaxed Image of the Week for last week. Um so uh please, if you could send me in uh your uh address details, uh we'll get uh uh uh uh a gift from PowerMaxed off to you in the post in due course. Uh Vicky, hi Vicky and Mum as well, uh sent us a picture of uh this is how I listen. Uh this was where I was listening from at the weekend, watching the three uh the race three pictures on ITV, but still listening to Toga Live from Vicky and Mum in France, and a picture of a beautiful blue swimming pool. Well, it's as hot over here. We just don't have the swimming pool. But Vicky and and Mum, thank you very much indeed for listening. And indeed, thank you to all of you for your messages tonight. Uh absolutely super, and uh what a community we've got around the BTCC and around Tim Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax. Uh uh makes me very, very happy uh when we have a show like tonight. And you've all been uh lovely in your comments, and thank you so much for all of them. And guess what? We'll do it all again in two weeks' time. Uh if you are listening on our podcast uh at uh um btcc.net slash live dash audio or on uh Apple Podcasts or Spotify or any of your favourite podcast podcast channels, you can still uh send your uh entries in for our image of the week right the way up until two weeks time. So I'll tell you what the date is because uh two weeks time doesn't mean anything if you listen to the podcast. Um the ninth of June is our next edition of Tint Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. 9th of June. So get your uh emails in with your images of the week and we will judge the one that makes us go, oh wow, or that's good, or have a little giggle. It could be any one of those things, or it might even make us cry. Who knows? Studio at TinTopTuesday.com is the email address, and all you have to do is uh pop your images over to us and we'll have a look at them when we're preparing a show sometime on the afternoon of the ninth of June. In the meantime, thank you so much everyone for your company tonight. Thank you for being uh the most amazing fans that we could possibly ask for uh with our championship here in the UK, the QuickFit British Turing Car Championship. You're all pretty mega, and so too have our guests been. Uh, one final message which came through on Instagram tonight uh was from Deborah Mason. And uh Deborah said, um, can't wait for the show. Witnessing that podium on Sunday was mind-blowing. The love in that crowd was exceptional, a moment none of us will ever forget. Life at that moment felt so good. Well done, Nicholas. And that comes with love from Debbie. Thank you very much uh indeed, Debbie, and to all of you for your messages tonight. Uh and thanks to our guests, to Nick Hamilton, to Gordon Sherden, to Tom Ingram, to Charles Rainford, and to all of you for listening tonight. Um, stay safe in the rather warm weather that we've got, and we'll see you at Autumn Park or in two weeks' time here on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax. Nanai !