SPEAKER_08 0:00

All the team, all the team on Tin Top Tuesday.

SPEAKER_06 0:05

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

SPEAKER_01 0:13

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

SPEAKER_07 0:45

So what I did there, my social media timeline has been full over the last few weeks of people saying, Well, this DJ isn't playing live. He's put it all on a USB stick and he's plugged it in and he's just waving his arm around in the air. So I played Murray about half a second later to make it quite clear that I press buttons every week. Well, regular listeners know because normally I press them in the wrong order at the wrong time. I am slightly concerned that it's seven weeks since I've pressed all of these buttons. Evening everybody, it is uh Tint Tuesday powered by PowerMaxed, taking you up to the halfway point of the 2026 season for the BTCC. And we've got a great show lined up for you tonight. Um we have um maybe a usual suspect after Truxton. That's one of our guests, that's a clue. We have uh another suspect who you wouldn't have guessed. We have another suspect that uh you might have guessed, and we have another suspect, no, you wouldn't have guessed. So buckle up everyone, here we go for the next two hours. We bring all the chatter about Truxton at the weekend. Hopefully, you were there. What a mammoth crowd we enjoyed in the sunshine in Hampshire. And if you were there, and if you took photographs, then you need to send photographs in on email. Studio at tintoptuesday.com is the email address. Uh, because we run uh something with PowerMax for image of the week, and the winner of the image of the week, um, it is basically the image that we pick out after this show that makes us go, I like that, or wow, what a picture! Or any one of the above doesn't have to be the best photographic picture. If you're not sure, send it in anyway. And the winner from seven weeks ago, the post-Auton Park show, is a great example of it doesn't have to be photographically brilliant, but it has to be the one that stands out. Um, Rob and Hazel. Rob and Hazel sent in another a number of photographs. Uh Rob and Hazel are Marshalls, so we're uh delighted to have them listening to Tin Top Tuesday powered by PowerMax. Um but they have one line in the email that says uh that we're talking about the weekend uh up at Alton Park, the men said. Uh we also managed to save some wildlife between races. With this little bee friend, uh we helped to get back up to flying fitness with some sugar water. And the coolest thing as you scroll down to look at the picture is that the sugar water has been put on the MS UK, the Motorsport UK Marshall's Pass, and there is a great little picture of the bee at Auton Park having a very tasty meal of sugar water and back to flying fitness. So that is a great example of why it doesn't have to be photographically the best, but it makes us go, wow! And that picture made me go, wow. Uh so uh well, well done to the both of you. Absolutely superb stuff. Um so Robin Hazel, if you're listening, uh send me an email with your postal address, please, and I shall get our friends of at uh PowerMax to send you off um a bucket load of goodies, um, which is exactly what happened to our previous winner from Snetterton, uh, Wender, who said, Hi Alan, just a quick email to confirm that my Snetterton Photo Competition Prize from Power Max arrived today. The contents of this spa for your car, Zu I like, huh? That's really good. Should I make a note of that? Um, as I I will make a note of that, is really impressive and probably equals the value of my 16-year-old car. Um, it's gonna be a real treat for her as she's used to a quick once over with a bucket of soapy washing up liquid. Don't use washing up liquid, no! Don't do that. You've got your your spa for your car now. Um cat Marlowe uh must also uh thank you for the box it came in. A cat can never have enough boxes. A big thank you to you and to PowerMax. So, Wenda, you are uh more than welcome. And P.S. Can you please ask the weather gods and Mr. Gal to turn down the heat for Thruston? There you go. All you have to do is ask him. He's got a direct line to the to the big fella, and uh and I think it was a lot more comfortable, wasn't it, the weekend temperature? It was in the commentary box, it was a comfortable 22 degrees. Um but I think it was alright, it wasn't too hot, was it? It wasn't like powerfully hot like we've uh already had over the last nine weeks, ten weeks, something like that. Anyway, Wenda, thank you very much indeed. I'm glad you've got your uh yes, and don't use washing up liquid. Absolutely not. Um so if you want to be in with a chance of winning uh PowerMax Image of the Week here on Tintop Tuesday, then all you have to do is to send us your images of the weekend. You send them on email studio at tintopchday.com. Studio at tintopchuy.com. You see now I told you I'm out of practice. That's six minutes. That little intro bed is six minutes, and I haven't said half of what I wanted to say, so I guess I'll have to do it in the next one hour and fifty minutes or thereabouts.

SPEAKER_10 7:14

Pretend you're anything just to be a door, and what you need is what you get don't believe Don't believe Don't believe them.

unknown 7:58

Oh yeah, it's dead What drag you want?

SPEAKER_08 8:26

A million lies tell yourself as all you ever had.

SPEAKER_07 11:07

We go into the weekend wondering if it's gonna be another win, another two, who knows, maybe even three wins um for the undisputed He's gonna hate this King of Truxton, Josh Cook. And it was a it was another couple of wins, wasn't it, Josh? Well done.

SPEAKER_04 11:24

Thank you. Yeah, it was a good um a good weekend. To be honest, I I didn't really expect that it was gonna be as uh Did you not? No, no, I didn't. So um yeah, pleasantly, pleasantly surprised, but um yeah, I think uh yeah, we did a good job as a as a team. Um we extracted the most out of the car, so that's all we can really ask for.

SPEAKER_07 11:42

Does that put any pressure on you going into a weekend, knowing that you've got this amazing we'll we'll talk about the actual number in a couple of moments. Um but um does it put pressure on you going into the weekend? I mean, you're one of the coolest characters on the grid, to be fair. I'm sure you don't get particularly stressed by that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_04 12:01

Um not particularly, to be honest, it was more I guess I guess more uh expectation of of returning when we were, you know, in the Honda, because that's where I had a good run of great results. You know, and I said on the weekend, if you were gonna pick a you know a car to have around Thruxton, you'd pick a long wheelbase, something slippery through the air. Yeah. You know, both things which the Corolla aren't. So um, you know, with the shortest wheelbase on the grid by by some margin and the only hatchback. So um, you know, it does have its advantages in some places. Uh but um you know, certainly the high speed section of Truxton circuit is not its most stable uh condition. So you're hanging on. Yes, you are definitely hanging on. So I was uh yeah, like I say, pleasantly surprised that we were able to go there and uh and not only you know compete at the sharp end, but um obviously top time qualifying top the actual race to pole and then one race one.

SPEAKER_07 12:56

So yeah, I have I so I have to ask ask the question, what is the number? So I so I thought going into the weekend it was Josh Cook has won 10 wins at Thruxton and then Addison over breakfast, um uh ITV's Davidson Addison brought up the he said, Well I've done the the mathematics, I think it's 11. I think we I think we've missed one from the from the double visit to to uh thruxton during uh 2020, which was the the COVID year. Do you know? Do you add up or do you just leave it to to Anoraks like um like us to to work it all out for you?

SPEAKER_04 13:35

I don't actually know. I normally wait for for BTCC to post it online and see see what the uh the tally is, but I definitely trust uh I trust David's knowledge in uh on that front. So um yeah, we'll go with whatever he says.

SPEAKER_07 13:49

So so it also now begs the question we're we're talking about wins in the BTCC. So does Saturday count as well?

SPEAKER_04 14:01

I don't know. Do you know what? As a as an actual uh as an actual execution of a race, it feels like it should do.

SPEAKER_07 14:10

Yeah, it does, yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_04 14:11

It's no different uh you know what we do on a Sunday except a couple of laps shorter. So um you know, but uh I d I I don't know if it does or not, but uh yeah, like I say, it's um yeah, you don't get any let off, you know, just because it's a Saturday.

SPEAKER_07 14:26

No, no, well exactly. So so I think it counts. I th I think you count it as um are you superstitious? I'm not, no. Good. Well in which case it counts as um um I reckon thirteen wins. Because if you went into the weekend with eleven as Addis told us, um then a win on Saturday and a win on Sunday, just as well you're not superstitious because I reckon you won thirteen thirteen races there, which is absolutely phenomenal, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 14:56

Yeah, and it it's you know, I don't really know I don't really know why that is. You know, uh I've I've I've had had success at other circuits, obviously. I've had a couple of double wins on on a weekend at other racetracks. Yes, uh you know, I I don't know what it is about Thruxton. I don't have any, you know, extra experience there really to a lot of other people have. So um you know, I've uh I I've not spent a lot of my um you know my upbringing around Thruxton Circuit. It's only sort of you know, did did a couple of races there before I got into the BTCC. Yeah, but it's just it's been kind to me since uh yes, I guess over the last sort of how many years it is now, sort of six, six or seven years.

SPEAKER_07 15:35

I think Thruxton is uh is a bit a state of mind. So some some some drivers that I've spoken to over many years of racing at Thruxton really don't like it. Um and and they don't like it because it is so very, very fast and it's um something where you kind of have to put your common sense uh in the back locker for the for the weekend and and and not really think about the potential consequences if something were to go not according to plan. Um so so is it a mindset thing? Is it is it something about you know flat out round the back of the circuit into church and then the run up to uh to Club Chicane? Is it is it is it is it a question of not really thinking about anything other than getting the the quickest lack you possibly can and putting everything else out of your mind?

SPEAKER_04 16:28

Yeah, I mean there's a there comes a point that uh you know you take church corner for example, you know, where you're you know you're entering it at over 130 mile an hour and you sort of you know uh uh lots of people have got different techniques through there, but uh you know my my choice is uh you know sort of a bleed off the throttle slightly just to just to get the nose in. And everything at that mid-corner point, you know, your of your self-preservation, you know, we're not programmed to be hanging on the edge of a of a machine at at God knows what speed, slightly sideways. And at that point, you know, you have to absolutely nail getting back to full throttle. And if you're if you hesitate for you know a tenth of a second, because you're going so fast, you've covered so much distance. So I think you really do have to be able to remove some of your self-preservation and have total control over the input that that you want uh to to give in that car at any one point. So um yeah, I just think it's yeah, you you do have to disconnect the you know, the what can happen in the event of this going wrong because that you know, as I found out last year, it can go wrong and it and when it does, it it really hurts. You know, but but on the other token, as I always say, you know, it's that's high risk there, but the if also you get it right, you you can get big rewards. So um yeah, I uh I enjoy that sort of style of of driving on that circuit.

SPEAKER_07 17:51

Just occasionally, Josh, I'm I'm a very lucky boy, and uh and I ask um Alan Gao if I can sit in the car when he does the closing lap at the three-minute board um and uh and sit alongside him in the uh in the Porsche KN. And um I haven't done it for a while. Uh I've been sort of busy on the grid and talking to people when he's zoomed off in the distance. But I I wanted to get a go at Thruxton, I wanted to get a go at the weekend because it is the most uh unique experience. He doesn't hang around, you don't see the lap that he does. Um but you know, we're we're into the pit lane well before um you you guys are heading off around on your green flag lap. Well before. Um and I really wanted to have a go around Thraxon because it is in in the right machine, um it flows, it is incredibly quick. As you say, everything comes up to you really rather quickly. It's um that that run-up towards the club chicane is uh when I did it on Sunday with uh with Alan before race three, I I wanted to say break now, break, because the the speed at which you're approaching is is quite phenomenal. And he he he told me that I I could um share the information that the KN has got a display for the passenger as well as for the driver. So he said keep an eye on the on the figures. In a road car on road tyres, we were we were into church at 120 miles an hour. And that that is absolutely breathtaking, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 19:24

Yeah, it is, yeah. It's it's quite quite a circuit, and you know, we we always talk about um we always talk about church as being you know one of the one of the I guess main corners on the circuit. I mean what they did a few years ago is they actually um if you used to run wide at church, what would happen is you'd fall, you know, there was a there was a a steep sort of bank that went down into a wooded wooded area. And if you got it wrong and you went wide there, as we saw uh cars do on a numerous occasions.

SPEAKER_07 19:52

Simon Belcher will attest, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:54

That was it, yeah. You know, you'd end up i in the trees. Whereas now they've they've actually built it up. You know, if you run run wide there, you end up sliding sort of uphill. There's plenty of uh plenty of runoff, which definitely uh takes away some of the um some of the risk on that corner. Uh you know, for me, I think you know Goodwood where where I had that big accident last year, that's the one that that is still, you know, Noble and Goodwood, those two corners together, are very uh very high risk. You know, we've seen lots of crashes there in the past on the left hand side, uh on the exit of Noble. And you know, the problem is you've fully committed through those corners before you know whether or not the car's gonna stick. So um but yeah, it's uh yeah, in in any car that you get to go around Thruxton in, uh you know, you're carrying a an awful lot of speed. So um I think it's definitely one for people that like to sit their cars on track days. I'd I'd definitely get there and uh and do some laps of Truxton.

SPEAKER_07 20:47

Um have you ever seen truck racing at Truxton?

SPEAKER_04 20:51

I I've I've seen it, yeah. I it it looks a bit terrifying to be honest.

SPEAKER_07 20:57

Uh the they had a meeting there a couple of months ago um and uh and I was watching in the evening the sort of highlights on the on the live stream. And David Jenkins, who was a champion, I don't know, 15 years ago and is going really well in the championship this year, it was absolutely saturated. The downpour of rain was phenomenal. A really, really wet weekend. Um and he made a move for the lead, which worked, um, around the outside at Noble in a race truck. And I I I think that that that projects him up to legendary status. And that is some bravery, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 21:35

Yeah, that's um yeah, it's uh I I couldn't imagine what it'd be like to do that in a in a truck, you know, they're such big things and they're so wide. You know, at least when we manage to get round there, we're we're a bit narrow, we can stay closer to the racing line, but yeah, to do that in a truck is some uh yeah, some some uh I don't know what words I can use now that uh do do do you have a desire to to to race something different at some stage like that?

SPEAKER_07 22:00

Would you I'd race anything, yeah. Would you? Would you turn your hand to anything?

SPEAKER_04 22:03

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_07 22:05

So is there is there anything that you'd really like to do?

SPEAKER_04 22:10

Uh you know, of course, there's all the main ones that that that people want to have a go in. You know, everybody wants to drive an Aussie V8 or uh, you know, uh a car at Le Mans, you know, Spar 24, some of those big ones. Obviously NASCAR would be awesome to do, but I tell you what, I do want to have a go in that I think's more realistic at this stage. I want to have a go in a legend. Oh, top work. I think that'd be great fun. Do you? Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 22:36

I have friends in high places in legends racing, you know. Um if you wanted to do it, I I could very probably make that happen for you.

SPEAKER_04 22:45

Let's do it. It sounds fun.

SPEAKER_07 22:47

Would you would you like to? Uh that is such a cool thing.

SPEAKER_04 22:50

Yeah, it would be great. I love watching them uh, you know, when they're supporting us uh as a as a sport championship. I love uh yeah, just just watching those guys. The racing's amazing, you know. The it's um it seems real, uh, you know, nobody wants to go in into the last uh last slap in the leaves.

SPEAKER_13 23:07

Exactly that, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:08

You know, it's it looks great fun, you know. There's um there's some great drivers in there. I'd love to love to see if I can uh yeah, race those guys and um you know, no doubt very difficult cars to drive, but it looks great fun.

SPEAKER_07 23:20

Um well I I I I think you'd be absolutely brilliant in it. I think I think you would love it. Um uh they have a very, very high calibre of driver. I mean the the the the dri driving quality at the front of that field is is incredibly impressive, just because of the way, Josh, that the the grids are worked out, so it's all done on a ball draw and then uh and then they reverse that grid. So if if you are a good driver, you have to overtake. You've got to make your way through the field. And that's why you know, three races in one day, every single one of them is brilliant, and then for the final they take the person that has done the best, put them at the front, and the person uh the the person that has done the worst at the front of the grid, and the person that has done the best at the back of the grid. So every single race guarantees overtaking. You'd love it.

SPEAKER_04 24:11

Yeah, it looks great fun, but it does. Yeah, if uh if I got the opportunity, I'd I'd definitely uh if I could fit in one. I'm not sure if I could yet tall.

SPEAKER_07 24:19

How tall are you? How tall are you?

SPEAKER_04 24:20

Um about six six two.

SPEAKER_07 24:22

Okay, well, the the chap that has just won last weekend uh won the Elite Cup Championship um uh for the second year running, uh Tyler Reed. He's a tall and very slim lad, um, and he can fold himself into one. Um so I I th I think you'll be alright, Josh. I uh uh let me have a let me have a word with people. I'd love to see this happen. This would be so cool. The reason i i this is quite uh quite poetic, actually, the fact that you've mentioned this, because I'm friends with a chap called Will Gibson who has won the championship twice. Um and he has bought the championship. He he now runs the championship from the um uh 30 years it was run by Phil Cooper. Um but f Phil Cooper and Simon Belcher have just sold on the business um to Will Gibson. Will's running it. Will's a mate of mine, and funnily enough, you're quite like this. Um I met up with Will a couple of weeks ago to ask him, you know, one of the things I asked him was how the championship's going. It's his first year looking after it. And we had this conversation in the Pizza Express in Bath because we were about to go to the Bath Forum and watch Jensen Button conversation. And I know you used to live in Bath.

SPEAKER_04 25:38

I did. I did.

SPEAKER_07 25:40

All these things happen for a reason, all the stars are aligning. We'll make this happen, Josh. That would be really cool. Um I shall I shall speak to Will about this. Um the other thing I wanted to know. Um we talk about uh and very often you and I have a uh you know uh jokingly have a conversation about the the fact that you know once in my life I was ginger. Um you still are ginger, so therefore you know we do find heat quite difficult to deal with because we're fair skinned and and it we're we're not designed for it. How hard is it for you to deal with the kind of temperatures that we've had recently? I mean, we've had a break, so you haven't been in a car every weekend, but this rule of thumb that you add 30 degrees to the ambient temperature inside the car and you've got to do with it, i is that a problem?

SPEAKER_04 26:33

Well, I'm lucky in that it's only direct sunlight I have an issue with.

SPEAKER_07 26:37

Right, okay, so not heat per se.

SPEAKER_04 26:40

Yeah, so in the car, obviously I've you've driven race cars since I was 15, so I'm I'm you know lucky enough to have sort of I guess grown up in that environment of uh you know of very hot race cars. Uh and you know, we don't have air conditioning like GT cars have, you know. I know that some are some are very good, some are not great, but yeah, we have we have literally nothing. And and of course, you know, we go to places like Thruxton where it was a it was a warm day.

SPEAKER_07 27:06

Um it wasn't blisteringly hot, was it?

SPEAKER_04 27:09

You know, and we have the option to have a fresh air duct that that will draw fresh air into the car for us. Yeah. But of course, you know, that that adds drag, so could potentially slow us down on the straits. So as ultra competitive racing drivers, we're no close that off. You know, we'll we'll we'll you know, we'll we don't want that extra drag. I want to go faster, but of course, then it is even warmer in the car. So um it you know, it is a it is a tough one. Uh you know, we're lucky that um, you know, the races aren't aren't too long, but you know, we are in the car for a long periods of time, I guess, you know, from from actually getting in the car in the pit lane and making our way around to the grid and then sort of cooking on the on the grid for a while, you know, it does get very warm in there. So um uh it definitely takes it out of you over the course of a race day. Uh staying staying hydrated is actually quite difficult. You know, you you're still very dehydrated by the end of the day. So um yeah, it is tough, but it you know it's the same same for everybody, and uh none of us want to show any ounce of uh to the other. So we n nobody says anything, but it is a but it is a tough um tough part of of driving a BTCC car.

SPEAKER_07 28:21

I do hope you notice, Josh, that um when I ask you a question, I try to make it quite long when you get out of the car in order to allow you to have a drink of water, because uh it you know that that is pretty important, isn't it? The minute you get out of the car, that must be the very first thing you want to do.

SPEAKER_04 28:37

It is, yeah. It's tough. I mean, you I think I got out of the car after um I it was either race one or race two at Truxton, and Louise sort of came straight over, and as I sort of got up from that very hot car and took my helmet off, was a little bit lightheaded. Felt a bit wobbly.

SPEAKER_07 28:51

I'm not surprised.

SPEAKER_04 28:53

Oh, it's had a bit of a stumble there. I'm not surprised.

SPEAKER_07 28:56

I'm not surprised. It is it it is why I always sort of say, no, no, you have a drink of water, first of all, because I I I'm aware. So you mentioned about air conditioning in GT cars. I remember before that was a thing interviewing uh David Brabham uh at Silverstone at uh uh a GT race. And he got out of the Aston Martin, which was notoriously a very, very hot car. He just fell to the ground. You know, and and I uh um he had something to drink and uh was just sort of propped up, and I said, I'll I'll I'll come back here. He said, No, I'm happy to chat to you, but I'll I'll chat to you while sitting down if that's okay. And um and and it was after that. I think that particular Aston Martin drew attention to the fact drivers are human beings. They they need to be able to um you know keep ri reasonably body temperature and have a drink during a race, otherwise it's all gonna go all gonna go horribly wrong, isn't it?

SPEAKER_04 29:57

Yeah, yeah, it is difficult. The other thing which you know I personally am not a big fan of is uh is is drinks bottles with the with the big straws, just because I mean we've seen we've seen a f a few drivers over the years actually have to go to hospital because you know if they're not cleaned properly or you know they're they're left, they they can make you very unwell.

SPEAKER_07 30:17

That's a really good point. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 30:19

So so even you know, I I I'd rather not take that risk. You know, it's um Wow. It's uh you know, some drivers like them, but yeah, just with with how unwell they can make you. I think uh we had it at Truxton a few years ago. I think yeah, Tom Ingram, um Andrew Jordan both been poorly, I think, from from drinks bottles previously. Um but yeah, just uh yeah, for me, I I don't want to take that risk. So it is amazing.

SPEAKER_07 30:45

It is amazing. There are all sorts of e keys that can find their way into uh anywhere that's that's sort of damp. And if I I guess if you if you add warmth to it as well, it's it it's even worse. And and yeah, that's something I hadn't really really considered. But if you if you have a coffee machine and you don't do the regular cleaning that they suggest, that can get all sorts of horrible things um you know growing in it.

SPEAKER_04 31:13

It's funny you should mention it. I had to at the start start of this season, um, when we when we went to uh round one, I ended up uh whilst at the circuit, I'd realised I'd not cleaned the coffee machine or used it um used it since the end of last year that I had in my motorhome. So I threw it in the bin and ordered another one to the circuit on Amazon.

SPEAKER_07 31:33

Yeah, well no, I would do I would do exactly the same. So so so years ago I had a coffee machine um and it sucked up the milk uh and you know, made a latte or or whatever. Um and it it came to pass that I had to take it apart and r replace a a rubber grommet or something. Um and I took it apart. I didn't replace the rubber grommet, I put the whole thing in the bin and then r realised um that because of the fact the rubber grommet uh had perished or whatever, and milk had splattered elsewhere inside the machine, it rendered it something I would never put anywhere near my my human being ever again. It's horrible. People need to be careful.

SPEAKER_04 32:18

This is the information that people are listening to.

SPEAKER_07 32:21

It's vital stuff, mate. It's vital stuff. This is vital stuff. The the other thing that I wanted to ask you, um with the the hot weather, you know, we had a couple of weeks that were incredibly hot, and I thought of you, and I thought, I wonder if Josh has got air conditioning at home.

SPEAKER_04 32:39

I have.

SPEAKER_07 32:40

Yeah, so have I. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 32:42

I I couldn't live without it now.

SPEAKER_07 32:44

Nor could I, no, no, absolutely. So in the bedroom, everyone else is saying, Oh, I can't sleep at the moment. You think, I haven't noticed any difference. It's been absolutely fine. Still the same temperature in my bedroom that it is during the winter. It's 22 degrees, it's perfect. 22? You go for a warm, a warm room. So so I've I've lied actually. The bedroom is 20 and the living and working area 22.

SPEAKER_04 33:10

Yeah, it's better. That was more what I was expecting.

SPEAKER_07 33:12

I like I like quite a cool bedroom. I like to be able to snuggle down even if it's if if it's in the summer.

SPEAKER_04 33:19

Yeah, no, I uh I agree. But still, this is this is the vital information that people are looking for.

SPEAKER_07 33:25

This is the cutting edge thing that people need to know. I've lulled you into a false sense of security to ask my final question, and I know I won't get the answer, and I know you've sort of skirted around the the the the subjects on a number of occasions. Um what is the secret to Truxton for you? What is that golden key?

SPEAKER_04 33:46

Um if you just bribe all the the track limits, Marshall, you can get away with anything.

SPEAKER_07 33:52

Yes, well, I know that doesn't happen. I I mean so my little studio at the weekend, Josh, was right next to the to the room where they monitor uh track basically where they have V A R and they can wind back and look at things and all that kind of stuff. They were flat out. I mean, all weekend. Not just for touring cars, but for for every bit of racing that we have. I mean, that think about that is such an intense job.

SPEAKER_04 34:21

Yeah, yeah, it's not easy.

SPEAKER_07 34:23

It's it's not an easy one, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_04 34:26

Especially with the new, you know, the newer, I should say, or more recent times, track limits make things quite difficult for for them to judge, especially as as drivers, we all want to maximize every every little bit of circuit that we can. But in terms of you know, my my secret of thrucks, I I don't I don't really have anything that I feel like I do differently. You know, I I get asked it quite a few times, but for me it's it's just a you know a circuit where I I feel like I've always had a really good uh feel through the seat of the car on the limit of adhesion, you know, the limit of grip, you know, how it moves around. And I've got a good sense of that, and and especially at Truxton where the corners are so fast, and you're looking for you know, at the back, you're looking for every extra half a kilometre that you can carry through a corner, uh because that equates to lap time. So, you know, just that feeling of of being able to balance the car on the limit of limit of grip is is you know what I feel that I I'm I guess you know quite good at. However, I don't think that that's the case that you know the others aren't, you know, the likes of action, Tom, you know, they're they're incredible drivers and they've got you know a huge amount of experience and can feel the same sorts of things. So I I don't know what it is differently. I just I like the circuit. Um you know, but let's not forget that I've just come off the back of you know, four I think it's three or four years that we went there where I didn't win. So um you know, it's not not an easy circuit. Everything has to has to fall into place and and ultimately you have to have a good car beneath you and you have to have total trust of the of the team that uh that are putting the car together, you know, that every single bolt is tight, that every bolt has been lifed, that there's no, you know, absolutely not a single bit of doubt in your mind that that the car isn't gonna give you what you need when you commit, you know, uh with such high risks uh at stake. So um yeah, there's no one single thing. I just I I love the place. Um and you know, I think uh yeah, I just uh I don't feel any extra pressure, but I um you know, for for for the historical wins or anything, you know, that that I often get asked about. But uh yeah, I just just really enjoy the circuit and the nature of the high speed corners.

SPEAKER_07 36:51

That's brilliant, Josh. Uh you you you are amazing. You are a 13-time winner in a BTCC car. I say that with confidence, you see. The the the confidence you require to deliver news, I I reckon it's 13. 13 wins is exceptional. But it's not just 13 wins, 13 wins and counting. Uh, because uh you're not out yet, that's for sure. Uh we go to uh Nock Hill in uh a week and a half's time. Um thoughts on that very quickly, Josh?

SPEAKER_04 37:20

Uh I like that we've just gone from what's you know the fastest circuit to go to to arguably the you know the the slowest. And it's a completely different way of driving, you know, in terms of what you what you're looking for out of the car. So I I actually you know we had a really good year when I when I raced there last in the Corolla. Uh I'm excited to you know to to go back. I think it's going to be a really good one to to go and spectate at. I love I love the the nature of how the circuit is sort of in its own little stadium. Um and yeah, I'd I'd encourage people to to make the trip up and and come and watch it. I know that often some of the regulars don't want to travel that far, but I would I'd say it's definitely one to to go and uh to go and watch it.

SPEAKER_07 38:02

I keep saying it, I keep saying it in our race weekend commentary. Uh if you've if you've maybe had a thought about going up to Nock Hill, um take the week off work, go up there, have a week. Uh the the weather I'm sure is going to be good. Um we've been blessed with a a really nice summer this year. Um there's so much to do in the week leading up to the racing at uh Nock Hill. Um and then the welcome that we get when we get there is worth every single penny of your of your money and your time. Um I just think it's a brilliant place to go.

SPEAKER_04 38:36

Yeah, I agree. And um, you know, some of the some of the racing that you get there as well is just fantastic.

SPEAKER_07 38:42

So I'm looking forward towards getting stuck in. We've got Scottish legends up there. You might be able to hang on to the fence and look at what this is what you might be doing at some stage. Because I need I need to get you off the phone now because I need to contact Will Gibson. We're gonna we're gonna make this happen for you, Josh. Don't you worry.

SPEAKER_04 38:59

Amazing. I'll be uh I'll definitely be watching the Scottish Legends, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_07 39:03

Yeah. Uh Josh, well done at the weekend and uh thank you so much for joining us on the show. Absolutely brilliant. Thank you. Thanks. Cheers, mate. Josh Cook here on Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed. As Gwen Stefani says when she plays that song live, I love this song, and so do I. No doubt, and it's my life. Be very careful here on TikTok Cheers, Day PowerPoint Power Max, because if I had my way, I would play that song on every show. You'd just play once a season to ration yourself. So many emails coming in. Joseph Rice. Hello Joseph. Uh, can we have a mini sevens every week, please? Uh they were absolutely brilliant, and I'd love to find out how to join the Dave Addison fan club. Well, everyone wants to know that. Everyone wants to know that. Isn't it cool? Dave Addison fan club on the side of the little mini. Uh-huh. Uh well done to Josh Cook on race one victory. Uh, I didn't think the Wii Toyota hatchback would have done as well as it did at the high speed circuit, um, uh, but it did. P.S. Senna Proctor did very well in the qualifying race and race one. Well done to the Yorkshiremen. Yeah, and off the back of that, Senna did do well. He's a a really top-line driver, is Senna. Just jumping in, finds out seven o'clock on Saturday morning, he's going to be in the car and he's ready to go. And equipped himself very well, as we would expect. Um and uh and uh we say off the back of that, um Sam, Sam Osborne. Get well soon. We need you back, um, and you were very much missed. So uh all the best to Sam, who wasn't very well at the weekend, and uh hopefully he'll be feeling uh much better uh very soon indeed. Let's hope so. Um let's get through a few more of your emails, including Divan. Evening, Divan. Uh good evening, Mr. Hyde. Uh what an action packed weekend we had at a very hot thruxton. After a long seven week summer break, the King of Thruxton added to his winning tally to 11. By winning race race. So I've just added up again. So I think 10 was right going into that weekend. And yes, he won the championship race, first race on Sunday. And he won the qualifying race, the race to pole. So 12. So 12. Well, that's uh I've just added it up looking at the table. Um Devane continues, uh, followed up with third in the DNF, uh, a disaster of a weekend for uh WSR, but they'll bounce back at Knock Hill as they tend to go very well around there. And what a weekend for Ash Sutton with three podium finishes, along with his sixth win of the season to extend his championship lead. Ting had a very pointsy day with two fifth places and a win as well. Um Devan then puts in some photographs, um uh one of which is Ollie Bell on ITV um interviewing uh one of our listeners, one of our cherished listeners, Dave Santos, and the whole of the team down there. So I've seen this photograph doing the rounds on social media. What was that all about? I need to know. Uh Devane also took a picture of uh the ITV team with Ollie Bell and Tim Harvey and Jake Edwards uh just in front of the podium, doing their bit on the on the grass there. Um and Devan continues, it's finally good to see uh the Cataclean Play-to-racing Mercedes. Yeah, a podium! Challenging in the top six, and on the uh 30th race, Robo got the team's first podium, and hopefully Thruxton isn't the last time. We see Ricky Collard in the championship. Uh Mam says it was a pleasure to finally meet you after all these years at Thruxton on Sunday um after race one. And lastly, we're unfortunately not doing Knock Hill, but it's in my on my bucket list to visit one day. See you at Donington Park in a month's time. Uh to meet your mum was an absolute pleasure. What a lovely lady. Um and uh made it to Thruxton, which was uh uh amazing news. Um Devan's mum, for uh listeners that don't regularly listen, um is a baker of some repute. And uh we always get goodies from mum. She is so kind and must spend so long producing the the beauties that she produces for us, and the short bread is to just a baby. Um so uh uh to the whole family, in fact Ivan, uh great to see you at the weekend. Thank you for your continued support and thanks mum for the continued baking. Uh James says, uh James Roberts, uh good evening Mr. Hyde. Uh that summer break felt longer than the winter, it didn't it? Uh so glad the BTCC is back. So say all of us. Uh couldn't make another weekend due to a clash of dates, uh, so still yet to experience the new viewing area at Thruxton. You won't be disappointed when you do come. However, the new camera angle into the chicane provides a startling view, uh, one that I really enjoyed from home. What I find remarkable is even before I looked at the Goodyear uh Wingfoot nominees, I had two names in mind, Senna Proctor, what a cameo, uh, and James Dolden, dominant uh Jackson's trophy win. Based on the nominees, no prizes for guessing who I picked. Uh what I find amazing is why Ash wasn't at the forefront of my mind. How is it that a win and two seconds delivers a response? He can't possibly raise the bar any higher, can he? It is exceptional, isn't it? And and I I do know exactly what you mean. A win and two second places, and we go, yeah, well, yeah, that's Ash. Um to those who are suggesting the championship is boring because of Ash's incredible performance, uh performances and the theory that a fifth title is inevitable. I ask, did they go to the cinema and watch Endgame? Spoiler alert. Oh no, I can't read that because I don't want to spoil anything for anybody. But but but but James says this is amazing quality for Ashle. I don't want to spoil anything. Finally, I did get uh at last uh get round to washing the cars, and I don't think uh anything other than Power Max products will ever touch my car again. I even went out and purchased a bottle of the glass cleaner for my dad on Father's Day. Best product of its type that I've ever used. PS uh he gets as excited as me about these things. Uh talking of Power Max, uh really hope the junior car will be at Donington when I attend. Yeah, we unbelled it, didn't we, at Truxton at the weekend. Uh the uh the PM1 junior car. Uh James continues, keep uh well, Mr. Hyde, and thank you again for the coverage on Tokyo Live. James, you are more than welcome. And thank you very much indeed for writing in. And uh Simon says, Good evening, Mr. Hyde. Uh sadly not in attendance at Thruxton, as I was at a gig watching Rick Parfitt Junior and his band instead. Well, your absence was noted, but that's a reasonable excuse, I have to say, Simon. Uh that said, uh, you do get a slightly different perspective on TV. Um it's not the same as the live action night. Uh the weather uh stayed fine, and the new junior uh prototype type gathered interest. It certainly did. Great drives from some of the usual suspect, uh Tingers, Ash, Dan, and notable drives as well from Josh and James Dallin as well. Uh it was also nice to see Catacline Plato racing getting some good results with Robo on his podium as well. Um and can I just mention how much fun the uh classic minis were as well. Take clear and enjoy, not kill. Uh oh, and there's uh there's Lisa Simon and uh and uh Rick Parfitt Jr. Uh is that backstage or front of stage with the rock and race t-shirts as well, and lots of great pictures from uh from the Rick Parfitt Jr. band playing and smiling and making people happy as ever they do. Simon, thank you very much indeed uh for sending that in. We've got loads more emails. We'll get through them, uh hopefully all of them before the end of the show this evening. Good evening, everyone. It is Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed.

SPEAKER_06 50:10

Are you already? Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed.

SPEAKER_07 50:18

So it was quite a long summer break. Um, and the the the problem that I have with saying that is I I feel very inclined to say the winter break, but it wasn't the winter break, it was the summer break. And a lot of announcements were made in the lead up to the resumption of the championship. But I can say it was the winter break for one of our drivers that we're gonna see back on the grid. Because Nick Halstead, it is winter where you are.

SPEAKER_05 50:46

It is, and uh I I literally just went skiing this morning because I'm in Australia and it is winter and it's cold enough to actually go to skiing.

SPEAKER_07 50:55

You went skiing.

SPEAKER_05 50:57

Yep. Um I'm gonna do my best to do my best probably to uh um ruin my chances to be uh back in the BTCC by uh breaking something.

SPEAKER_07 51:07

No, don't do that. Uh uh that's really not a good idea. Um so so so it's properly cold where you are at the moment.

SPEAKER_05 51:15

No, not it it's enough. It's enough to have some snow. Um the the sort of um people uh that to talk about like global warming would probably point to the fact that uh um you know this is um uh probably the worst season they've had. So we're we're about um I think five weeks into the season and there's there's only about 20 centimetres of snow, but uh it's still it's still good enough.

SPEAKER_07 51:43

But so so so you took the decision you were going to to to live in Australia, but I understand from from posts that I've read, but you still are making frequent trips back to the UK, is that right?

SPEAKER_05 51:56

Yeah, it was never that simple just to state um that I was gonna be end up in Australia because I I've got a um new business that I've been working on for the last two and a half years, and it means that I'm travelling. I I do have a home in Australia where I am right now. Yes, but I was I'm also in Dubai and I'm also in the US quite a lot, so it's just it's it's yeah, I'm racking up the air miles a lot. So yeah, and yeah, it's you know, it's the um but yeah, I have been uh already in and out of the UK because obviously one thing I had to do was go see the car and go do some test days. So yeah, I have been travelling in and out already.

SPEAKER_07 52:43

So the news was for those people that uh uh didn't see it, that that you return to the grid, you return with a team that you know, a car that you've just met for the first time. So you're you're you're back with old friends at PMR.

SPEAKER_05 52:58

Yeah, and I yeah, I couldn't be any more excited. Obviously, I had had a year with them and uh you know it's it's quite a long story, but uh, you know, it was there was a certain amount of FOMO going on, but uh a large chunk of it was also um as uh because this decision was made quite a long time ago, it's obviously but there was things in the way of me not doing a whole season. But um when obviously I I I'm good really good friends with Mikey um and we've you know we obviously we stay in touch all the time. Yeah. And I as I as I learnt you know what was going on with the car build, um and I and what you what you would expect out of PMR, you know, these guys really do know how to build the you know, build everything themselves. Absolutely. So when I anyway, when I started to see what they were gonna do with the car and I started to make plans of you know, I I really don't want to miss out on this kind of return.

SPEAKER_07 53:58

I was gonna say, so I'm I'm gonna planning out. I'm gonna join your your um your community's way of speaking. You had F O M O. Did I do that right? Fear of missing out.

unknown 54:13

Right.

SPEAKER_05 54:14

Yes, 100%. Uh well it's I the you you ask any race driver, it's not really FOMO, is it? It's I mean is it's a form of it's the it's the addicted to racing, and and nothing ever replaces it. It's never until no, never goes away, and until until you're literally too old, you know, in incapable of doing it, you want to carry on doing it. And um at the same time, I'd been working so hard, it was like, well, why am I working so hard if there's not some kind of reward out the other end of it as well?

SPEAKER_07 54:48

That's what you do for fun. Yeah, that's what you that's what you do it for.

SPEAKER_05 54:52

Exactly. You can't can't keep um just working, and um so all of those things came came together. And and I guess the the the other I I wrote a little bit of this on the um Facebook group that uh I spent a lot of time on there. Um a large part of it was the what happened the second half of the season as well, and so obviously it was devastating to everyone that we um and obviously the most to um Adam and you know his family and everything else connected to lose losing all of that, and it's uh it's incredible um what they put together to put us back on track. But obviously, it was all you know, me and Mikey couldn't, you know, we couldn't, you know, you're not gonna moan, are you, and say, oh this is this is rubbish.

SPEAKER_07 55:43

Yeah, of course, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 55:44

Like the the team the teams uh got you back on circuit, um and so that was incredible, especially at knockhill to be bat and all the huge amount of support. But the reality is we all want to win, and you know, the um however much work um PMR put into those cars, um, you know, they they just aren't performant cars. I think everyone know knows round the paddock, and especially as the years have gone on, it's been hard got harder and harder to make them compet, you know, be competitive. So for me, it was it was the a large part of uh wanting to come back as well was I was so loving driving the Astra the first half of the season, and you know, if you were if um you know I was so looking forward to the second half of the season. I probably had the best croft I'd had in in the three years of doing it, where croft, as you you know, is like super challenging circuit, it's you know, high speed, scary, it's actually really, really technical. And I think I was like my average per you know lap um over the year before was such a big improvement just because I felt so comfortable with that car. So I was like, right, okay, I'm I'm doing that well on the circuit that I struggle the the most with because it's so difficult.

SPEAKER_13 57:09

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 57:10

It's like right now we get into the second half of the season and then suddenly, oh, we've lost the car.

SPEAKER_07 57:15

Yeah, you have it whipped away from you, yeah. Yeah, so so so this uh so part of this is is unfinished business. It's kind of poetic um that our next round is at Nock Hill.

SPEAKER_05 57:28

Yeah, yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_07 57:30

You're doing the second half of the year that you never got the chance to do.

SPEAKER_05 57:33

Exactly. Is it is very is a hundred percent, it feels like just like I'm restarting the the second half of the season that we missed out.

SPEAKER_07 57:42

Um so that you know, just with a year in between when you went to live on the other side of the world, and not really much has happened in 12 months, actually.

SPEAKER_05 57:52

No, you know, and and it's it's fascinating as well because you know, I jumped in the car, uh, we we went testing for two days at Pembury, and it and it did really feel like that genuine sort of PMR DNA, you know, obviously totally different shape um uh in the Audi. Um, but all the principles that I think that learnt from the Astro have gone into it, and so I got into it um, you know, very, very quickly. And you know, Mike Mikey had obviously explained to me how he felt uh the new car was panning out and how similar it was in sound, you know, not obviously nothing's ever going to be that I you know could be it's uh it was a different wheelbase and different things. But the day the there's a lot of DNA in there that made me feel very, very comfortable with it. So um, you know, I can't I can't wait to uh get going and not heal with it.

SPEAKER_07 58:48

Well it's really it's really cool that you are coming back, Nick. Uh firstly because you can do the second half of the year that you've felt almost a little bit cheated uh uh of not having last year. So I do hope this uh uh these meetings go well for you. Um but I've seen a lot of people on social media saying I'm really glad Nick's back because um his uh commitment to keeping us, the fans, up to date with sort of behind the scenes and uh and I I'll never forget um one of the quite long posts that you did do on Facebook uh maybe a couple of years ago now. The whole process of how to start the car and what you go through before the uh start of the race. I think uh I think people have been missing it, you know.

SPEAKER_05 59:31

Yeah, that's very kind of you to say, and uh the and it was it was lovely to see all the comments when I we did announce um, you know, there was a huge amount of support, and um I'm certainly very committed to um carrying that on. In fact, um for those who are around the paddock, uh remember uh Tom Gray uh who was one of the first um content creators that I invited onto the uh grid. He's actually coming back with me uh for the second half of the season, and one of the things we made a lot of plans uh around was um doing a lot more uh engagement directly with the fans. Right. Because I you know, I I the you know, I I think the a lot of the teams do fantastic uh content creation, obviously for social media and everything that kind of exposes things, but they tend to be focused on the um you know the driver and everything, and that and that's obviously right for them. And what but what I really wanted to try and do this year was go out and actually meet fans and get their questions and do a lot more um so hopefully people will see me wandering around with Tom uh around um not just around the paddock, but actually obviously we we get limited time uh on the uh Sunday between races, but when we do, we're gonna try out and go out there and do a bit more of that rather than it just me being on Facebook doing it. We're actually gonna go out and uh go and uh surprise people and go and actually interview the fans.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:03

Well, if people don't recognise you, they'll certainly recognise Tom because he's a he's a unique looking fellow, isn't he? You can't miss him in the paddock, can you?

SPEAKER_05 1:01:10

No, no, no. No, so that's exciting to have him back again as well. And we the the other mission this year is we um are gonna be bringing back uh hopefully bringing in lots of other creators. Um so we've been talking with Toka um like we did um the you know two years ago, where we're gonna uh invite uh as you know the uh some of the biggest creators along and get them on the grid and all the rest of it because it you know creates great exposure for the fans and and bring in hopefully brings in lots of new fans as well.

SPEAKER_07 1:01:44

Yes, yes, that's uh that's the the way it is now, that's for sure. Um and always good to to get your in insight into it because uh you've got your your finger on the pulse, haven't you? All we see is the is the the final result as we scroll through um uh Twitter or uh X or uh whatever it's called now. Um whatever happened to the idea that um that you invented the retweet button? I can't say that anymore. We don't say re re we say re-post now, don't we?

SPEAKER_05 1:02:14

Re re-ex.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:15

Right, re-ex, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:17

Yeah, yeah, it's uh you know that's that's stood me in good stead for a good 20 years. Yeah, I should say. In fact, uh to some degree, even I'm playing upon it now with uh you've uh have you seen the um uh obviously we put some vendors out for the car, obviously it's blasted with my uh new branding for the new company. Yes, yeah. And so and that's all really related, not related to retweet, but it's all social media again. So you should kind of point everything that uh I get involved in kind of comes back to social media and and the this whole world of uh content creators.

SPEAKER_07 1:02:52

Yes, yeah, yeah. Exactly that. I know a question that a lot of other people have been asking, Nick, and you know what I'm gonna say next. Does it mean the return of a Saturday evening tradition uh when Nick House did races in the BTCC? And that's those crazy carts.

SPEAKER_05 1:03:09

Yeah, we we do love our crazy carts, and and I'm still gonna be very much we've got uh you know always support from Razor and um but the two two things come come into play, which is one is being only halfway through season very hard to uh the the um I know it looks absolutely chaos, uh most of them were chaos. It took a lot of organizationally and and and the uh the the fun on circuit. It did actually still take months of planning to uh put in place. So we we won't be returning this year. And and the other point was it's much trickier with the uh new format. So we actually want to uh I'm I'm pretty sure I'll be back back next year, and therefore we will put our efforts into working out where work with Toka on where can it fit into the overall schedule because we know people are desperate to do it, and we know obviously the drivers love training is is in it as well. So it was a lot of fun. We've got a few things up our sleeves for um um what else will um you know uh other crazy things we might be doing, and we may do a few. If you remember, we did like a trip out to Monaco with robot. Who remember that things like that? So there might be a few of those for us to do some independent filming, um, but until we figure out because the the I think the biggest thing for fans was it when it wasn't at a and you know this well, Alan, because the number of times um you weren't able to join us because of the timing of the racing.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:43

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:44

If things ran on really late in the day, it made it really late for the fans as well. So we need to get it done. I want to do it properly.

SPEAKER_07 1:04:53

Yes, yeah. Oh well that I'd like the fact that you're you're talking about next year. So so maybe your plans in your mind at the moment are not just to finish the year that you didn't do, um, but to to go beyond that, Nick.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:08

Yeah, you know, the the you the uh there is a plan. Uh obviously I can't say too much about it, but I the if the idea is that there was no point in uh coming back just for half a year, but obviously the what that looks like, um, you know, etc. It will to to be revealed. But I I did 100%. I and I think the the the other thing that um two things I'd I'd call out of why I wanted to come back uh that gave me kind of real kind of like uh hope and um desire to do it again was like was two things was Sam uh getting his first podium and well his win, you know, uh Sam Osborne. Yes you know, his two hundred two hundredth race, and I'm like, I've only not I've not even done a hundred yet.

SPEAKER_07 1:05:52

Yeah I've got a way to go, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:05:55

I've got a way to get his and still got a way to go, and then obviously seeing seeing Nick on the podium. was you know for all of us all of the other drivers uh not just me was uh uh I wasn't there but it's still I I I was in tears just watching it on the TV. It was absolutely fantastic. So you know obviously it's uh all still my obviously goal to be on there at some point as well and I think uh hopefully as I say that that was my goal last year was like I could re you know I could see the um improvement enough with the Astra that uh I could uh get there so that's you know really I want to follow their footsteps. Let me have a quick word uh uh about the team um obviously we've talked about the fire the rebuild uh the the the the the amazing story of of building these three uh brand new Audi's for the team over the winter period and now a fourth one as well but couple that with the fact that um PMR are producing the junior car as well which was unveiled at Truxton at the weekend I mean i i it it it is just incessant isn't it the workload yeah the the I don't I honestly I I when I went to I had to do um a seat fit on the Tuesday before we went to Pembury on Thursday and Friday and so I go uh Adam gave me a full um show around the workshop and I just couldn't believe how not only have they done all of that but the fact that they took over an old building that was he showed me the photos of it and so much work had to be done to the building before they even started on all this and then uh as you say to then take on uh this um new junior project as well is in in just uh I think there's a lot of people um that aren't getting much uh sleep and just just shows you the dedication but what we have to remember is that I think like the week before Nock Hill last year I mean that there was engineers that you know they were getting a couple of hours sleep every every night. You know it was it was that kind of level of commitment. So it's just um a testament to the team that and you you don't get you know I've I've been running business for long enough to know that people don't do that for the pay do they? They you know they do it for the for the love of the um of what what they're achieving and uh passion involvement but yeah 100%. And you realise um uh uh of course that Adam agreed at the start of the year that he is the new sponsor of this show so we are powered by PowerMax which is a a really cool thing um and uh and uh the uh the other thing I wanted to mention just off the back of talking about the uh uh the PM1 the the uh uh junior car it looks like a call but a kit I understand it took your eye as well yeah I've already committed to Adam that I will buy one um wow the my my obviously the uh how all this started uh starting with uh Janetas and for those that don't know there was a class back in the day called GT5 which was effectively the um uh junior car but with a bigger engine and you know slicks and there was a few there was a few other variations but it made for some pretty phenomenal racing and uh I still still love that car um and um I said I said I literally when I was at the factory I said to Adam I said if you ever decide to do an adult version of it then I'll buy one and he's like right that's you're in the book but it's I think the the the the industry la you know the the um I I I often uh when I speak to other gentlemen drivers who are thinking getting you know deeper and deeper into it that the the learning curve for a lot of them is they get thrown into really high powered I'm sure you've witnessed this Alan that um they get sold by teams into you know going straight into GC4 and things like that. And and but they don't learn the you know the handling um you know enough whereas you know the the those little cars and that's why we obviously the junior class is such a good thing to have um uh it's not just about the the amazing spectacle that it will be again hopefully um but it's it's also it's just a an incredible you know learning tool for kids you know to have something you know short wheel base uh no power whatsoever and it's just it's just you know it teaches you everything doesn't it?

SPEAKER_07 1:10:32

Yeah yeah absolutely so yeah looking forward I think I think the proof of that is how many drivers we've seen come through the paddock doing doing a junior series in the toker support package um and uh that are now doing uh amazing things on the world stage including being a Formula One world champion so uh I I think that's rather the proof isn't it? Yeah no I I I I've um you know very uh obviously I I'm biased because I'm within the team but I've seen the um I've seen the chassis and I've talked to the engineers and you know I I know that this is going to be loved by the uh the teams when they get get their hands on it because it is really you know it's like it's almost like they've taken everything they learnt from building the uh touring car and gone right what's what's the mini race car for a junior and I think that's you know that that that's the you know he's got real DNA in there's a perfect fit isn't it yeah yeah it is just makes sense yeah 100% I love technology Nick uh you're on the other side of the world it's uh sorry have you ever watched extras the Ricky Gervais thing yes yes right so you know when he's sat on the other side of the desk to Stephen Merchant and they're trying to work out time differences that's me I am Stephen Merchant I I can't work I can't work out time differences but all I do know is that you're currently in winter and our evening is your morning and vice versa so thank you so much for joining us um and it sounds like you're literally just down the road in Hampshire where you where you used to be to me. Absolutely brilliant and and we'll see you north of the border we certainly will yeah looking forward to you I'll she'll see you there Alan you're a top man Nick thank you very much indeed uh here on Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMax Nick Halstead makes a return to the BCC we work well together but after we are heart is makes wake love breaks down love breaks down three I need to be better saying that the music is prefab sprawn and when love breaks down it house did social media I would have forgotten this song were it not for it appearing in a live version on my TikTok feed the other day. Well I hope you liked it as well love that song Ian Marshall evening Ian uh hi Alan just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed Truxton at the weekend well done to Josh on proving he's still worthy of the title King of Thruxton by winning the race to poll and going on to win race one as well. Brilliant drive and that Toyota sounds so smooth. Well done also to James Dollin a ninth place uh followed by two sixth bases aided by the reverse grid draw but a solid performance that sees him at the top of the Jackson's trophy and Tingram did just enough to keep Ash in sight for the championship with a win for each of them. Tom's lead in race three was just enough to negate the five second start penalty as well. Go on Tom. Tom's PR man Zach got me on the grid uh with his spoof interview asking who is the greatest BCC driver of all time. I actually said Jason Plato but that's not what's come out on the socials. Great fun to appear in the same reel as Dan Robottom and Adam Morgan I haven't seen that I'll need to have a have a little search for that. Until next time see you at Knock Hill best wishes from Ian Ian Marshall thank you Ian great to have you listening as thank you very much indeed and Harry Adams a regular listener to the show. Hi Harry. Evening Alan hope you're well oh it's good to have the BTCC back after so long. Apparently there was some um major international sports thing going on I don't know we'll have to ask Matt Jones about that. Although with the return of the BTCC we were back to normal and I think the stewards need this for track limits offenders. There were a fair few weren't there? Yes there were glad we don't have to wait too long to the next few rounds all the best I'm going to see you next month. Harry I look forward to it at Donnington Park and it's this um it's this cartoon which has been going a uh around on social media uh a picture of the outline of a turtle saying many three year olds have trouble staying within the lines uh make sure uh maybe if you practice colouring this turtle it will help with your and then the words track minutes it's very amusing uh Sam and Katie hi Sam and Katie evening Alan hope all is well it's gonna be it was great to be back track side uh getting our much needed fix of BTCC action after the early summer break and with that the second half of the season is officially underway party face emoji uh we forgot to mention uh that during the oh yeah I know many emojis uh we forgot to mention uh during the break we took delivery of some rather smart Tin Top Tuesday PowerMax merchandise which is a very welcome addition to the collection oh well done Sam and Katie so we've been selling a few of these uh all you need to do uh we've got uh uh Tintop Tuesday teddy t-shirts hoodies beanies we've got a lot well maybe you don't need the beanie now but you could store it away for the winter months couldn't you uh or with the Palmax logo and the Tin Top Tuesday logo as well and all you need to do to get that is go to puretrackracing.co.uk and I don't do anything Sarah does all of it and we're very grateful for that. Puretrackracing.co.uk search for Tintop Tuesday in their little shop and then you can get some merch. Sam and Katie continue some photos mainly from the end of the day are attached for interest we hope they capture the feel good uh atmosphere of a summer BTCC Sunday. Uh next up the long trip to Nockhill Beckons it's certainly a trek but absolutely worth the journey and we're keeping our fingers crossed for a repeat of last year's glorious sunshine it will be gorgeous. I've already been to BSB there this year and it was gorgeous. They have a thing that they plant a carrot for good luck. A good luck carrot apparently it's not any normal carrot it's a it's an MS carrot uh and it brought us great weather for the BSB weekend so uh uh Mr Gale said to me well I hope they hope they buried the carrot again well it would be the same one but it would be another one anyway safe travels on your way to Bodyscotland we'll see you there all the best from Sam and Katie thank you Sam and Katie uh and this is amazing this is from Abby Abby Randles uh hi Alan what a warm and sunny weekend even though we had some rain at the start of that Sunday uh made some teams panic and get their wet tyres out I've attached my craft project for this year of embroidery Lego drivers which all of the drivers loved I'm not surprised and signed as well I've also attached some images of the week of my embroidery with Tingram's car and at the end of the day we saw the ice cream vans going through the chicane which was a very funny sight uh now to think of what craft project I'm gonna do next year and think of what circuit to go to as well Abby it is spectacular all the drivers and all of their autographs as well and all of it beautiful embroidery that is absolutely stunning just stunning and yes the ice cream vats going through club chicane Abby I like your pictures and I love your work as well absolutely super um and Kay hi Kay thank you for the goodies at the weekend by the way uh they were very welcome uh hi Alan only a quick email tonight as as I've been rather busy with my parents since the weekend uh and I'm sure that you've received lots of other emails uh as well I've sent a couple of photos from the podiums including Josh Cook's daughter waiting for Daddy to get on the podium with her mum's hair showing just how windy it was uh looking forward to the show as always God bless from Kay Warren Kay thank you very much indeed a great um fight of bubbly between Ash and Ting and uh and then then another one as well with Dan Cam getting involved but the picture of Savannah is stunning Savannah and her mum as well um this Savannah is Joshy's daughter uh and she uh she does she brings light in the paddock she's a lovely lovely little girl and uh that is a superb picture Kay absolutely superb uh keep your emails coming in studio at tintoptuesday.com studio at tintoptuesday.com and uh send in your images from the weekend from Truxton and uh you never know it could be the PowerMexed image of the week streamed live on the official British Touring Car Championship website btcc.net every Tuesday after race weekend this is Tintop Tuesday powered by PowerMax. Now just before we went into the uh extended summer break uh not even at the halfway point of the season uh obviously the reason for the summer break um was uh a great sporting event the World Cup was taking place and just before we went on to the summer break uh we got the editor of Motorsport News who is also uh an aficionado of uh football um uh Matt James came on the show to not only talk about the BTCC but also talk about the World Cup as well and I think it's only right and proper that we get Matt James back on the show to say you do know your stuff don't you Spain will win the World Cup said Matty J.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:17

I said Spain or France so I did well I got the fur the the first and the fourth place teams you hedged your bets and that's quite right too. Did you enjoy it did you enjoy the footy I I certain elements of it I did yes I thought the final was a huge letdown because uh Argentina didn't really turn up for the game no um but uh but yeah no some of the games are brilliant and the third place playoff between England and France 6-4 to England was uh yeah it was a barnstorming game it's a shame it counted for so little but it was a good I know but uh yeah nothing nothing wrong with having a having a an international match with two great teams and not an awful lot at stake.

SPEAKER_07 1:23:54

So throw everyone forward and and have a goal fest.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:58

Yeah no it was uh it was good found good found good to watch and something to take my mind off touring cars for a little while now.

SPEAKER_07 1:24:04

Well you see the thing is um it it was a long break uh and not just me not just you but all all of the fans of the BTCC and the drivers and teams couldn't wait to get back together at Thrux and did you get that sort of feeling in the paddock Matt Well I sort of got the feeling that some of them may have got together on the Saturday night of the British Grand Prix.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:22

Yeah they did yeah but uh well some of us went off to watch National Hot Rod World final at Ipswich so there were there were things to keep us occupied but um people were so desper so desperate to get back and see to see the British During Guard it was fantastic and we had such a good weekend for it as well.

SPEAKER_07 1:24:36

Great circuit to do it at great weather what a crowd Matt apparently that was the biggest they've had yet I'm not surprised I'm not surprised yeah I had a had a couple of photographs sent to me of um of car parks at the end of the day.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:50

Is that something you collect our photos of cars?

SPEAKER_07 1:24:52

No just to show me that for as far as the eye could see there were parked cars. It was just such a good feeling it was lovely. Absolutely it's my local circuit now so I sort of have a vested interest in in Truxton and and the race meetings that they put on and uh and I just thought it was uh brilliant absolutely brilliant right well it's it's always a great place to go isn't it thruxton we we love it there and uh and yeah yeah it's great to see and you can see the sort of the first seeds of its rejuvenation now that Alex Tithlesway it's taken over um and Alex has got some ambitious plans for it and stuff so so yeah it's um it's you know the future looks bright for Thruxton it's a great place to go and as you say it's only five minutes from your front door Al it is uh seven actually on uh Sunday morning I was at seven right yeah I do time it uh you could have run in could certainly have cycled in that's for sure and and in fairness I couldn't have cycled in because even in lockdown when I was riding the circuit at Truxton for my daily exercise um even then I put the bike in the back of the car drove to Thruxton and then did my exercise on the Well this begs the question were were you flat through church on your bike? So so the the the one thing that is only apparent when you actually cycle the circuit at Truxton and you know because you've done it I've got a photograph to prove that you cycled the circuit at Truxton. You don't realise when you go around in a car just what a hill Woodham Hill is. I yeah I know and it's right at the end of the lap and all it's right at the end of the lap um I so I I I remember I never quite understood the phrase when I was at school um get off and milk it. I never really understood that um but it was when you start wobbling going up a hill on a bicycle going uphill um and that's what I had to do. I had to walk it for some of the way first time I tried it.

SPEAKER_03 1:26:39

Yeah you didn't answer my question were you flat through church no the reason why I lost a bicycle race at Thruxton is I could I tried to straight line the complex by going across the grass to sort of cheat a little bit and and gain some mileage because I was in a race with some other journalists. Yeah it was but I unfortunately I hit a bit of a divot and fell off um I'd like to say at high speed but it wasn't because it was me it was me riding a bike and I think it was a child's bike I was on as well. So yeah so I I I can say that I've shunted at thrust and which cost me cost me the win really normally it's a big one.

SPEAKER_07 1:27:13

I've got a picture of you going across the start finish line um waving and uh smoking a cigarette as far as I remember a victory cigarette out. Yeah okay since I finished last celebrate that uh absolutely brilliant how here's my question talking about the BTCC at Thruxton um how does Josh Cook do it? What is his secret? Have you got any closer to working out what it is he does?

SPEAKER_03 1:27:38

No when I've asked him he's never really told no no he doesn't help does he? No but luckily and fortunately enough um I went out to church on Saturday morning for free practice with David Addison from ITV um and we're still on the Marshall's place there right at the apex and it's it's it's interesting uh Josh's car has a slightly different attitude coming into the corner whether that's more rotation On the rear, whether he does something with the brakes to maybe straighten the car up as he hits the apex and goes off upward and pedal. I'm not sure, but his car does look to have a slightly different attitude, even to that of Ash and Tom. And he'd expect you know Ash and Tom are the benchmarks in the series. But he's got a trick there, but I can't quite out work out what it is, whether it's to do with weight transfer, putting more weight on the front of the car, rotating the rear more efficiently than others. But nobody on the grid's stupid, they'd they'd all have spotted that and learnt it. So you think, well, why can't they replicate it? If he can do it, why can no one else do it? And and Josh has done it in the Astra, he's done it in the Honda, he's done it now in the now in the Toyota. So it it is it is something in him, isn't it? But it's it's just a mystery to to unlock exactly what it is.

SPEAKER_07 1:28:43

And and presumably, uh judging by what you just said, you ask him, What is your secret? And he's kind of quite nonchalant, isn't he?

SPEAKER_03 1:28:50

And he just Well, I don't know if he's he's just maybe trying to throw me down a blind alley. Well, I don't know, you know, I'm just quick. You know, I know you're quick, mate. Why are you quick?

SPEAKER_07 1:28:58

Why? I know. Uh in fact, the last couple of years when he hasn't been able to uh to pull out a uh a really, really good result or uh uh uh or a win, um they've kind of been a bit frustrating. I like winding him up with the King of Thruxton mantle.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:14

Well, he doesn't like it.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:15

He hates it.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:16

Yeah Colin Tony could never used to like being called the King of Croft either.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:20

Did he not? No.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:22

See all these people you're upsetting out by calling Who's the King of Nock Hill? That's where we're going next.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:26

Who can we call it well it was always Gordon Sheddon, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_03 1:29:29

Yeah, it's a good thing.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:30

It was absolutely supreme, particularly if it was wet. Um he had a wet line around uh around Nock Hill that was just superlative.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:38

Almost like he lived there.

SPEAKER_07 1:29:39

It almost like he'd done a few laps around there. And and I also always used to enjoy when he used to play down the fact, well, this local knowledge, it really doesn't make any difference. Everyone's at at the top of their game, they all know this uh but it did have the edge, didn't it, year after year.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:55

Absolutely, absolutely. And what's brilliant, he also got the support too. Um the parochial support up there is like nothing else anywhere else, is it? It's brilliant.

SPEAKER_07 1:30:04

Well, we're we're we're looking forward to um to Knock Hill. We'll come on to that in a couple of moments because I know it's one of your absolute highlights. But um let's talk about the uh the championship, the battle between um Ash and Tingram. They both have annoying races, if you like. They both had things happen that that were both of them were investigated over their over their starts at the weekend, um, which uh di didn't sort of come into play as far as points or results were concerned. Um but they both do have annoyances to get over, but they both rise to the top, don't they? It's just incredible to watch.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:40

Yeah, they they seem to it's it's they're just both class acts, aren't they? Yeah. Ash was was slightly m uh miffed with the qualifying sessions. Obviously, they're split into two groups now, and although Ash was pretty quick in his group, um I think he was in the top four. But because because of the way they were split, Tom was quickest in his. And I think he did a similar lap time to to uh Tom and Ash did a similar lap time, but Ash was back on row four and Tom was at the front.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:04

Rules is rules.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:06

Rules is rules, yeah. But it's it's never been more evident that one session was quicker than the other and another driver was penalised for it. So and with only one second of boost in the opening race, Ash had a had a job on his hands, but to fight back to second place, fantastic. Um, you know, that that sort of saved his weekend, really. Um and yeah, and then he had to start penalty hanging over him in race two, where they thought he'd move before the line, but they managed to prove that he hadn't.

SPEAKER_13 1:31:32

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:32

Um and then Tom had his penalty in race three, which he managed to overcome by driving like a complete nutter and pulling out almost a six-second gap.

SPEAKER_07 1:31:41

It was incredible, wasn't it? Yeah, he needed that gap. Um VAR is very helpful, isn't it? So so uh I I know this is the this is the problem. But when but when it comes to investigating the start of a race or uh the reason I know this is that all the the sort of replay equipment was set up in the room next to where I was based at the weekend. Um and you know it's a it's a proper little industry over the course of the weekend, looking at track limits, looking at starts and and all that kind of stuff. It is nice to be able to look at it in such perfect clarity, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 1:32:16

Oh yeah, I mean the the that shows there's nowhere to hide in this championship. You can't you can't you can't argue your way out of it and bamboozle an official with a with some sort of technical jargon. Um everything is there in black and white, it it's in video, it's all captured in video, and there's data telemetry and all this sort of stuff. So, you know, if if there is a penalty, it's a slam dunk penalty because it's been proven, you know, you c you can't hide from it and you can't get away from it. It's good, it's good, and you know, Ash didn't move and therefore he kept the win, which is which is valid, which is exactly what it should be. Whereas Tom Ingram in race uh in uh race three unfortunately did have his issues and and had to take his penalty. So it's you know it's it's great that we're we're so we're so clear on what what is a penalty and what isn't.

SPEAKER_13 1:33:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:00

Although although having said that, you know, what what's also better this year than has been in previous years and making much more effort to try and make these penalties uh apply within race.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:11

So you're not driving out of the circuit thinking someone's won a race and then you find out half an hour later that's not actually the so uh what you see is what you get.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:18

Three drivers on the podium, and that's the result. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:21

It is impossible to do that in all instances because if there's a if there's an overboost, they need to look at the data afterwards and what have you. But but it it's much better this year because uh the decisions are more incident, and it's also much more helpful for the journals because you can write things with a certain amount of confidence after a race is finished.

SPEAKER_07 1:33:37

Yeah, uh so it's been quite interesting because my summer rate was was largely taken up with motorcycle racing. So um either the uh uh British Superbike Championship or the World Superbike Championship. And because um because uh a bike is a lot narrower than a than a car, um obviously when they hand out their penalties during a race, it's instant. You have to do a long lap penalty. Um and and and so so it's so much easier for the crowd to see because they see the bike pull off, take the long route around the outside of the hairpin at Donnington in World Superbikes, and then rejoin, and you can see where the bike rejoins, if you see what I mean. So it is easier for bikes, isn't it? But I'm gonna get you along to one this year, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:23

Is that a threat or a promise now?

SPEAKER_07 1:34:25

No, no, it it y you will thoroughly enjoy it. You know the the thrills that we have for the finale at uh Brands Hatch for BTCC year after year. Um it it it is a very similar feeling when they're battling it out on on motorbikes and it uh it comes either the week before or the week after the BTCC. So Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit is a pretty busy place in October, that's for sure. And uh I I would desperately like you to come along. Well if it fits in around my National Rock Rock commitments out, I shall definitely I didn't realise I I had competition on this one. Fair enough. Uh let's uh very briefly, Matt, to finish up, uh let's talk about Nock Hill because it is your highlight of the year, isn't it?

SPEAKER_03 1:35:08

Oh, it's a fantastic place to go. I love the track. Um I love the staff up there, it's a very friendly place to go. The viewing is immense. Um, you know, you have to sort of choose between the kind of the hairpin end of the track or the doffer's dip end of the track. But wherever you go, there's always, always action. Um because it's such a short lap, the cars stay tightly bunched together. You get to see who's got the who's taking the most brave pills that morning, who's getting the most wheat a bit, because if you go and stand out of the chicane and it's uh it's absolutely terrific. And everyone, you know, as much as it's in Scotland, everyone sort of treats it like an overseas round. Yeah, there's um there's a real party atmosphere, it's a great place to go. And yeah, it's it's my favourite touring car race of the year, as you well know, Al. We used to travel up there together on many, many other.

SPEAKER_07 1:35:52

We did, we've got m many very, very happy memories of uh of a week in Scotland, and uh I I absolutely can't wait for it. And I think the the thing that makes it so special is not just the people that work at the circuit, but also the the local motorsport fans. They make us feel so welcome. They do. We always feel like it like we've really made a difference by by going there, and uh and I I just love it, absolutely love it. Makes it even more special when a Scottish driver does get on the top step of the podium because we play Flower of Scotland as their national anthem. I'll tell you what, they've got a few shouts of it now. Um an increasing number of Scots on the grid, Matt.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:34

There are with Lewis Gilbert joining as well with with West Side Racing. But I'm I'm I'm thinking about um Aidan Moffitt at Knock Hill because I think that Audi's going to be really pliant around there. It's gonna be a good chassis. He's a good driver obviously Shedd's as well, Gordon Sheddon, we know, is brilliant. But I think Aidan's in for a good weekend up there, and we've mentioned it before, but he has seemed kind of rejuvenated a little bit this year.

SPEAKER_07 1:36:56

Yes, very much so.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:57

Um going from a fast track where which necessarily wasn't the Audi's best. It had some solid results, but wasn't its best. I think going to Knock Hill, we're gonna see something special from Aiden and uh the the Sol Tars will be out in force.

SPEAKER_07 1:37:08

Woohoo! Cannot wait, Matty. Uh thank you very much indeed. Just remind people um how they can uh get hold of uh uh a copy of Motorsport News, and I I would imagine uh that the BTCC features fairly heavily in this week's episode. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:37:24

It does. That that that's um that's what I spent most of Sunday night and Monday doing. Um it's it you can go to motorsportnews.co.uk or you can get it from your local news agents or follow us on any of the social media channels to find out how to find the magazine. And uh I'll save a copy for you, Al.

SPEAKER_07 1:37:38

Oh, thank you very much indeed, yes, if you would. And every MSV circuit, and there are quite a lot of dotted around the uh the UK, that's for sure. Matt James, as ever, well done. Um hopefully a few people took your uh suggestion. It's a bit like Terry Wogan doing the breakfast show on on uh uh on Radio 2 all those years ago when he used to give uh horse racing tips every day. If people followed your tip for the top of the uh World Cup, maybe an each way bet, you never know.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:06

Um they could slip me a couple of quid if they did.

SPEAKER_07 1:38:09

It's never gonna happen. Uh Matt James, the editor of Motorsport News, thank you very much indeed.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:14

Cheers, Alfred.

SPEAKER_07 1:38:15

There we go. Uh Matt James, everybody here on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed.

SPEAKER_11 1:39:06

Between the eyes of love and community walls, I used to go up on a stumble wind, that's a run melody takes me back to the place that I'm on the beach down on the beat Let's take it off the stomach outstand the time will blow Mr. Ring Oh you wanna eat that wood Take me back to the playoffs.

SPEAKER_07 1:41:42

What a lovely summer song. Chris Rea on the beach. The only trouble is during the summer break I did have one weekend that we weren't working, so not doing some kind of a motorsport event. Um and I have to say the beach looked like the last place I wanted to go. It looked absolutely rammed, and all the roads going down to the beach as well. Goodness me. Anyway, loads of emails have come in this evening. Uh this one from uh from Zeus, Dave. Hi, thank you very much indeed uh for writing in. Good evening, Mr. Hyde. Uh well that was full drama, wasn't it? Never discount, Mr. Truxton. Also good to see a well-overdue podium for the Play-Though team. Biggest standout for me was Senna Proctor. Ash, please can you have two weekends off, please? Uh well also uh say thank you to uh to Linus for the treats. Uh see what knockhill uh regards from Dave. Please can you play uh some Phoenix? I haven't got it on the on the list for tonight, but let me put it down on the list for uh two weeks' time when we look back at Thruston. Dave, thank you very much, D, for writing in as ever. And Sue, hello Sue Sanderson. Uh Sanderson, uh good evening, Alan. Uh well, what a great start to the second half of the season. The racing was exciting, the penalties had us on the edge of our seats, uh, waiting to see how Ray's results could change. Uh, but it would be a huge disappointment to this year's championship if Ricky Collard cannot continue with the remaining rounds. It was such a pleasure to see race and uh listen to him in interviews, and to know he's been away from the BTCC for a couple of years and to return from wheel-wheel drive to front-wheel drive cars and be fifth in the championship is a testament to his skills and for the fans that the exciting sideways overtaking would be missed. He's a collar right, isn't he? And a lovely bloke as well. Or fingers across that he can continue. Sue and Mark, thank you very much indeed uh for writing in, guys. Uh thank you for that. Um, and totally agree about Ricky. He's um he's mega. Uh, this one from Lawrence. Hello Lawrence, thank you for writing in. Hi Alan, I'm gonna pre-empt the photos from Truxton segment and send in my favourite photo from the weekend, Josh on the podium with his daughter. Um, look at that! With the little glass sunglasses as well. Savannah is uh just a bright beam of light, she is. Um uh this just epitomizes the BTCC for me. A true family experience. We're still recovering from the sunburn, uh, but it was a great weekend as ever. Um, P.S. Can't wait to see all the improvements at Thrux and Keep well from Lawrence, uh Lawrence Smith. Thank you, Lawrence, and that is a spectacular picture, absolutely lovely. A dad with his daughter and a winner's trophy as well. Superb stuff. And uh this one from Archie, this one from George, and this one from Aaron. Uh, we'll get to all of your emails this morning, that's for sure. Um, but we do have one more guest here on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_06 1:45:06

All the tees, Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMax.

SPEAKER_07 1:45:11

Now we've mentioned tonight that uh there have been a few driver announcements uh over the summer break, uh pretty much in the couple of weeks leading up to uh the resumption of the championship at Truxton, which was uh really cool to see. And a particularly interesting one was when a driver gets to uh drive in his debut uh in the BTCC, in one of the front-running teams, in fact, not just any old front-running team, um, but the most successful team in the history of the BTCC uh WSR. So a very good evening. We need to find out a bit more about this story to Lewis Gilbert. Evening, Lewis, how are we? How have we recovered after a uh a debut in the British Touring Car Championship? It's um it's it's something to get over, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 1:45:56

Oh yeah, I've yeah, still still pinching myself on uh what's this Tuesday uh after after this weekend, yeah, it's yeah, it's totally totally blow blown me away how incredible the weekend was. Uh yeah, just the the atmosphere of being there, being with WSR, as as you said, one of the most successful teams, the most successful team. It's yeah, yeah, just just just incredible still, as I said. Still don't quite believe it, but I'm sure I was thinking af after a week.

SPEAKER_07 1:46:27

How did you prepare yourself for the weekend? When did you when did you find out that you were doing it? When was it all sort of confirmed and signed on the dotted line? So how much preparation were you able to give yourself not just driving-wise, but mentally really?

SPEAKER_00 1:46:43

Yeah, yeah, I mean it probably came about I think it was two weeks. Uh we kinda we kinda knew two weeks in advance that we all were all done and signed and sealed that we're gonna go to Truxton. So yeah, that that first week was a bit like, oh right, breathe. You're doing thruxton, you're in the British tone car, you're in the BMW, let's just let's just take this all in slowly. But no, yeah, as I said, that that first week was a little bit kind of shell shocked. Um still still think still thinking back now, it's like wow, can't can't can't believe it.

SPEAKER_07 1:47:20

Can't quite get over it. Yeah, because it it it's not just the the way of racing in the BTCC which is which is unique to the BTCC. And you did you you did have an introduction to that when you uh arrived back with a slightly bent BMW at the weekend. Um uh these things can happen in the BTCC as as as well you know. Um of course but also it's it's all the the the technical challenges that you have to learn as well. For example, the start of a race. There's a lot to do, isn't there?

SPEAKER_00 1:47:54

Oh yeah, of course. Like obviously the racing that I've done before before with uh a lot of carton, uh it's it's always been rolling starts, and then obviously with the the GBC it has been standing starts, but the procedure is totally different. So uh just getting used to getting used to that new procedure, obviously just took a bit of time and just getting the stats nailed is obviously so important because you can actually make up a lot of ground or lose a lot of ground in the on the start, depending how well it went. So, yeah, just that that as you said, just the whole not just driving the car, everything around it, it was just taking it all in, learning a lot about it.

SPEAKER_07 1:48:34

Well, the so w one of the things I was wondering about at the weekend um was uh you are a champion, um, and uh you are a karting champion, multiple British champion, um and and and more besides. And then a step into single seat as in G B three this year. Um but s am I right in saying you're straight into G B three as the move from karting into car racing? Is that is that correct?

SPEAKER_00 1:49:01

Yeah, no, no, yeah, you're right. Yeah, that's that's so what what yeah last year we competed in the British and European Championship. Uh we led the British Championship up until the last round with a slight technical problem which dropped us out of the the the win of the championship. We still finished third, but yeah, it's that year went past. Never really didn't really have much thoughts going into this this year. I'd I'd actually bought myself a a rally car to go, a little bit of kind of local Scottish rallying. Um my family's got a background in that kind of sport, so that's something that I'd wanted to do. We done that, and then we got the message from Addon, which was you've been selected as uh one of ten drivers to come and uh do a Sunday uh talk to the team, possibly test the G B four car to race G B four. I thought, oh this is this is quite an odd opportunity, maybe. Maybe we we should maybe seek uh further. So we went down, done all that stuff, spoke to them, so we thought it it went okay, tried tried to put put myself forward as well as I could. And then long, long and behold, a couple weeks later we were the one of ten chosen, uh the the last one to go and test the car. So we went and tested the G B4 car straight in it, fastest on the first first day in G G B4. So the team were like, well right, okay. So they put me in the formula regional car, which is Frecker, and again, straight into that really good. So the team we all decided, well, I think we should just go straight into GB3. It is quite a big step of course, but I'm I'm I'm I'm quite prepared to to do anything really. Um nothing really phases me, so we said, yeah, let's let's let's go go for it. So then that's what we've been doing for the first half of this this year, and that's how it kind of just spiraled very, very quickly to get into GB3.

SPEAKER_07 1:51:03

That's well that that's incredible. So did did you find the the the sort of move from a single seater, a very a very powerful single seater from um from karting. Did it feel like a logical step? Did it did it just feel like, yeah, this is cool?

SPEAKER_00 1:51:20

Yeah, I mean I th the my my my plans went to this year weren't well there was nothing really planned to go into c cars. Obviously, I'd love to that it was always my goal to do it, but there was nothing really in the works to get myself uh in there. Well the the opportunity's never uh it's not well maybe not quite developed away with what what wanted them to. So when yeah, when we jumped into the G V3 car, I'm thinking, well, this is this is a serious bit of kit, and obviously the the jump from Carlton to that is that that massive is huge. Yeah, yeah, there's those I I think we've we've definitely missed one or two steps to get there.

SPEAKER_09 1:51:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:52:00

But yeah, definitely jump from Carton to G to G V C was massive, and and yeah, there was there was there was a lot of people who thought I was a bit daft, but well, I think I am, but it's uh it's uh no, I I've I'm actually really glad that it's the the way it's gone.

SPEAKER_07 1:52:18

Well yeah I I I I think with hindsight, I think the the the pathway if you like, um maybe karting, f4, f3, f2, uh, and ultimately f1. I think it's been carefully worked out, hasn't it? So to to to to miss out one one chunk of that really does rather I mean it's very flattering to you as a a driver, clearly a very quick driver. But maybe some of the skills that you learn in in F4 are uh make the the the the jump into G B3, G B four, G B three, um uh make it a little bit less of a shock, maybe?

SPEAKER_00 1:52:58

Yeah, of course. Like I'm I've said I had no previous experience of socket racing, like actual car socket racing. So me jumping in in into the G B3 car was like just I like there was so much to take in on. I was saying everything was brand new, just the driving style, how to manage the car, then you've got somebody down your ears, ra radioing talking back and forth, uh adjusting things, like there was there was a lot more to it than just actually driving the car and changing your style to suit the car. Like it's it's it's not just a thing that you can jump in and just rag it round, it's it's very, very delicate p piece of kit, uh I would say lots lots of veil, lots of grip. So it's it requires quite a a different style, which took me a minute to get used to, but once we get kind of gotten a rhythm, it it was you kind of just start building it up, but yeah, certainly I would say you definitely miss a few driving skills or key skills uh missing F4 or GB4 anyway from the city.

SPEAKER_07 1:54:04

So so this Lewis leads me to the next question, and you know you know what's coming next. So, what about the switch from a single seater to a BTCC car? What what was what was that like? Did you instantly feel comfortable and uh and and you know at home in your surroundings or or what was that little jump like?

SPEAKER_00 1:54:26

Yeah, like we'd I'd previous experience in the rally car, which was four-wheel drive fiesta, so I had I kind of knew what a car would be like driving quite fast, but honestly totally total different uh subject of motorsport. But uh I had I sort of had well five percent of a clue what things would feel like, but obviously jumping from the GB3 to the British touring car, that was like wow, like that jumping from something seriously fast, single seat seater, to actually very surprisingly how fast the to drive the British touring car was and just the different the the different feelings the the the different feelings between a GB3 car with lots of aero and lots of grip and a British touring car with slightly less aero and very good grip but lots of power. It's like yeah, again, I've I've just started to get used to the GB3 car and then I'm in into something a lot different. But yeah, I definitely felt I felt more comfortable in the British touring car. I felt ha definitely happier. It was always the step that we'd been looking for and something that we'll that we've been looking to do. So yeah, I've I definitely feel more at home for sure.

SPEAKER_07 1:55:44

I tell you what, for a debut with um uh not a huge amount of experience of of car racing, and to do it at the UK's fastest circuit, um wow, what a debut to do.

SPEAKER_00 1:55:58

I know it's uh yeah, I I think people as I said must think I'm bonkers jumping in a British touring car and especially at Fruxen with only with only well one one day or half a day of really push pushing the car previous to that uh and never been to the circuit beforehand. Uh so yeah, it was a lot to take in, a lot to learn. But yeah, I'm I mean we we've we've we've made that out the weekend fairly unscathed without reasonably unscathed unscathed I think for a British touring car event. So I had from bad, well sort of rough first race to a fairly decent last race. So I I think I I had I had the wide the wide spread of British touring car anyway in the first weekend.

SPEAKER_07 1:56:47

Well, I was really disappointed to see your car getting beaten up because I thought I thought the livery on the car looked fantastic, absolutely fantastic, and more than a more than a nod to your heritage as well, with a bit of tartan on it.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:02

Yes, of course. You know, we thought, you know, let's try and be a little bit different, like it was a bit a bit of more modern colour, of course, but you get old a little bit of old fashioned tartan, a little bit of Scottish in there, so that's that that's what we kind of hope for, and it's actually it's I think been received extremely well. There's been a lot of people that's loved it, and and and I personally love it. I I think it looks great, so yeah, it it certainly looks fast standing still for that.

SPEAKER_07 1:57:31

It's it certainly does. And the really good news is that now you've cut your teeth. I tell you what, you haven't made your life easy, have you? Straight from karting into GB3 and uh straight into a touring car at Thruxton. My goodness, you're up for a challenge, aren't you? Uh but the good news about this is you've done the first weekend, and now in a week and a half, we go to Knock Hill in Scotland as part of a uh uh four Scottish drivers on the grid. That's really cool, isn't it?

SPEAKER_00 1:58:02

As I mean, I was uh Dick Bennett's the owner of WSR. He I think there was a few people saying, Oh, maybe you you should start a knock knock knockhill because you also you might know it a bit better, it's local to you, but I was like, nah, let's just start the tough one, let's go to Fruxton, let's get that one over and done with. Yeah, let's learn, and then that means that when we go to Knock Hill, I feel a bit more prepared. Um knowing who I'm racing, know who I'm about. I get used to guitar, uh so yeah, so I can definitely go into Knockhill with uh a more confident mindset.

SPEAKER_07 1:58:39

Uh all I can say is fair play to you. I mean that that's a that's a brave thing to do. As you say, you've come out of the weekend um a lot the wiser, I would imagine. Uh you you know a lot more about in fact, had you ever driven Truxton before the weekend?

SPEAKER_00 1:58:56

I'd done uh a half a half a day with Charles Rainford in a post 944, just like oh maybe I think it was three or four weeks weeks ago uh just to get to know the rest just to try and get track. But yeah, on honestly, being in the Porsche, the British Tone car, the track is completely different. It's like oh it's like when when you first got there in the post, oh that's quite nice, it's quite fast and flowing and yeah, uh, but then when you get in the tone car, it's well what what an beast of a track. It's certainly it is amazing, it certainly keeps keep keeps your wits about you for sure.

SPEAKER_07 1:59:33

I should say. Um did you manage to get over the course of the weekend, did you get one lap? Did you get one lap that you just thought this is amazing? Did you get that one flowing lap, clear lap, where where everything came together?

SPEAKER_00 1:59:52

I think it I think it was race one. Race one, uh where the car had we had a reasonable balance in race, race one, and I was I was starting to catch the back of the pack. I think Charles was in just just in front of me, and there was one lap where I must have caught them maybe three or four tenths going up to the back of the pack, and I thought, wow, this is this is some something else, this is really coming together. So yeah, those those definitely I I was definitely in race race one where I thought it's actually just starting to piece piece together.

SPEAKER_07 2:00:21

What about the uh the the other side of being a driver in the QuickFit British touring car championship? All the other things that you have to do apart from drive the car, the hospitality uh uh commitments that you have, the um the uh the the signing of autographs, the meeting of fans, the pit lane walkabout. Isn't it for for a young lad how old are you, Lewis?

SPEAKER_00 2:00:45

Uh I've just turned 22.

SPEAKER_07 2:00:47

Uh so you're a you're a young lad thrown in very much at the deep end. Um isn't it all a bit overwhelming?

SPEAKER_00 2:00:55

Kind of, yeah, because I'm I'm gonna say I've I've come from Carton, which is not widely widely uh watched, but obviously got got some very competitive uh teams and race racers in it. So you you you you just go about your business, you go to the track, go to the racing, you go race, then then you go home. There's there's there's not much else that goes goes on. You speak you speak to your team, you speak to your mates, but then when we turned up at Fruxton, there was just people everywhere. Like it was just like not when you come off the track, they're just they're it it's lovely just to see them all being so supportive. Like I'm I've well so far I've I've I'm nobody really knows me. I'm I'm I'm not known yet, but there was people asking for this, asking for photos, asking for photographs. It's it's it's absolutely brilliant and yeah, a lot to take in. Just the off-track uh buzz, uh it's was certainly a lot more to take in than than the on-track stuff.

SPEAKER_07 2:02:01

Hence my uh hence my question. Um have you watched it back on telly yet?

SPEAKER_00 2:02:06

Yes, that's well we uh we we we arrived home at uh because we flew from Heathrow, we arrived home about mid-midnight, and I just sat in the couch and I just watched all the racing back uh straight away, just because I was it's just I'm so used to seeing it on on the other side watching the bit the British touring car from the the house, whereas now it's see myself at the British touring car racing against all on these guys, it was just a bit kind of surreal.

SPEAKER_07 2:02:39

Yeah, I bet it was. And also, after you've done the trip, you've done a race day, you've done a race weekend, you've done the flying, you've got home. You can't go to bed, can you? You're still absolutely buzzing.

SPEAKER_00 2:02:51

Yeah, I I I don't think I I went to sleep till like two o'clock in the morning. My head was just absolutely flat out with just everything that just went on for the last two and a half days, it was just uh incredible. Incredible.

SPEAKER_07 2:03:06

Um and we we mentioned at the start of this to to join a team uh the most successful team as as far as winds are concerned in the BTCC, WSR, and Dick Bennett's with all of his wealth of experience and success and knowledge and passion and uh everything that you could possibly look for in a team owner, uh a mentor if you like. Um what what has that been like uh getting to getting to know Dick?

SPEAKER_00 2:03:38

Yeah, honestly, when the the scare the weird thing was two days before we sat we he even got in torch with W Sarr Arts and watched a documentary on the tele about Dick and about his past with uh Senna and Hack and I thought wow that that guy's seen some people. I I'd like to speak speak to him, and then long behold, here we are. But uh yeah, I mean just learning how Dick works, how he how he communicates with people, and just he's the wealth of knowledge he has just about racing, setting up cars, just the nitty bit of details that go into he loves it, he lives on it. Yeah, he does, he absolutely loves it. Like he's he was telling me his wife's at home watch watching tele, he's reading books about cars and engines, and you know, he's just totally transficed by going quicker and winning and motorsport and everything, and and that's just it's amazing to have the leader of the team who's been in it for a while, and he's still as passionate as he was from what I hear from day one and he he lives and breathes motorsport.

SPEAKER_07 2:04:47

Um I absolutely love the bloke, he's uh he's fascinating and uh you know the most interesting of of people to uh so uh I always give Dick a bit of a test. So yeah, he he'll talk about a race, I don't know, um, in uh British Formula Three at Truxton in the uh late 1980s, um, and he'll recall a race and uh and then you can ask him uh yep uh so what setting were you running on the rear wing, Dick? And he'll know. He'll know he loves it, he knows it.

SPEAKER_00 2:05:20

He was telling us the story about Alamar McNash and changing rear springs and front springs, and honestly, and and this was in yeah, 1989, 9991 or something, you know. So he's he's he remembers everything because he was that much involved in it. He was totally, totally yeah, just trans fact by it, and he yeah, just trying to pick his brain and learn from them is honestly uh it's just yeah, in yeah, crazy incredible. Well incredible.

SPEAKER_07 2:05:51

Lewis, welcome to the championship. I'm sorry I didn't get to speak to you over the course of the race weekend. It's a busy race weekend, but we've we've made up for it now, and you've been a pleasure to talk to. I'm uh absolutely delighted to have you in the championship, and I hope you go from strength to strength, and I hope you have a great weekend at your home circuit at Nock Hill. Bear in mind there's going to be a lot of Scottish fans all cheering you for on over the course of that weekend. So there'll be there'll be even more attention on you in uh in a week and a half's time. Um Lewis, you've been a pleasure to talk to, and uh hopefully we'll get to to chat here on Tintop Tuesday, powered by PowerMed again before the end of the year. But in the meantime, thank you very much indeed, and good luck, and we'll see you in a week and a half.

SPEAKER_00 2:06:36

Thank you very much. Pleasure.

SPEAKER_07 2:06:37

Lewis Gilbert here, a new driver in the BTCC here on Tin Top Tuesday, powered by PowerMaxed. I have to say hello to a couple of people that won't be listening now, but they will be listening to the uh to the podcast. Hello to Vicki and hello to Richard, and I'm really sorry you weren't able to listen live tonight, but that will all be resolved very soon. Uh but um uh I hope you enjoyed the show, even if it was on the podcast. So uh Vicky and Richard, thank you very much indeed for writing in uh this evening. Um and uh for all of your emails, Archie, hello Archie, um who runs uh Sim Racer Carl with the Tin Top Cheesday logo on it, it looks superb. Says uh hi Alan, hope everything is well after that scorcher of a weekend. Commentary all weekend was outstanding. I loved hearing about the Collard Limited stats. Yeah, 150 trucks and a hundred vans. That's why you see so many of the trucks around these here parts. Um thank you, Archie. Someone was listening. Uh I've attached some photos I took over the weekend as an uh as a 15-year-old photographer for uh picture of the week, image of the week. I hope you like them. I've also added uh one of you nabbing a ride with Mr. Gale. It isn't the greatest picture, but it's there. Uh can't wait for tonight's episode. That's from Archie Jardine, and I of course I'm gonna click on all of those and look at them all, Archie, but obviously I'm gonna look at the last one because if that's me in the uh Porsche squealing and wobbly legs after that, Archie. Wobbly legs. Um uh this one from George. Thank you, George. That is a great picture. Two little fans of uh uh James Dorlin's number one and number two fan watching his best weekend yet, and there are two little ones with their ear defenders on, the sunglasses on, and a little James Dorlin flag as well. That is so sweet and very, very cool. Uh and this one from Aaron. Hello Alan, King of the Mike. Maybe I'm beginning to uh understand why Josh doesn't like it. Um I'm joking. Uh well Thruxident was action-packed as ever. Crashes, breakdown, breakdowns, and uh, frankly bizarre moments you can't write. I was absolutely delighted to make it back home with five minutes to spare for race one after a three-hour drive home from a car show at Auton Park. Speed limits were, of course, adhered to. Well, of course they were. Enjoy your night, Alan, and uh thanks for a great show. Uh I'll attach my uh image of the week entry as ever. That's a beauty. That's a beauty of Mike Mikey Doble in the uh LKQ Euro Car Parts uh racing with PMR. It's a long title whole name in uh for Mikey Doble. Super stuff. Thank you very much indeed, uh Aaron. And uh we got this um we got this message on on the social media uh from Neil from the Western Isles. Um I was a first time listener to your June edition. Well, welcome, Neil. I hope that won't be the last. Uh and couldn't help but notice the little aside with Matt James. Was music your first love? Yes, and it will be my last. Good spot. I wonder if you might be able to play uh both Music and Music Man by John Miles in your next show. Please kind sir. Well we can do one. I've got one more slot for a bit of music before the end of the show. Um, music man might have to wait for the next one. I'll have to listen to that, because it has a wonderful closing guitar solo that I'm sure everyone will love. Many thanks, Neil, from the Western Isles. Hey, good to have you listening. All that way away. And um, and yes, we will. We'll close the show with with music. It's a live version, a live version that some years ago um was requested specifically um by David Bartram, uh, the former boss and owner of Motorbase Performance, which ultimately became Naple Racing UK. Thank you so much for listening tonight, everybody, as ever. Um, and uh if if if you are listening on the podcast, it could be on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, all of your uh favourite podcast channels, thanks to Matt and his very, very speedy work. He'll be uploading this uh almost before we've finished tonight. But if you are listening, you can still send your emails, your images of the week in until Tuesday week. So the Tuesday after Nock Hill. Um I suppose it would be more appropriate if I gave you the the uh actual date. So let's just open up the phone. Uh the date of the next Tin Top Tuesday will be the 11th of August. Where is the year going? The 11th of August. So you can get your uh images of the week to enter our PAMAX image of the week competition. Uh don't forget, um if you are the winner uh of uh the Post Autumn Park edition, that's Rob and Hazel Wellen. Uh you need to send me your um uh postal address so we can post off what was it? A spa for your car. Thank you. Thank you. Everybody can find out. We can hurry up. Oh, my God. The amazing hospitality of the Scottish people. And and uh just a brilliant weekend. I'm sure they're gonna bury a carrot. And I'm sure we're gonna have some shot. In the meantime, everyone, thank you so much for listening. Keep emails coming in the studio at TintokTuesday.com. Don't forget to go to peer trackracing.co.uk if you're fancy rid of Tint Top Tuesday powered by PowerMex merch. And the only thing that remains to say is none.

SPEAKER_12 2:14:15

Music was my first love, and it will be my last Music of the future, music of the past without my music would be impossible in this world of travels. My music was me through the body. Music of the future, music of music of musica,