Alan Gow on:

Thu 19th March 2009 Alan Gow talks about increased TV coverage, CO2 restrictions, an F1-style points system and much more.

Alan Gow on...

Extended ITV coverage

"We’ve announced today that ITV have extended their highlights programme and also their live coverage, which I think takes us to well over 1000 hours of ITV broadcast, which is a magnificent number and swings right against the tide of what is happening in British Motorsport. There is very little British motorsport on domestic television any more. For us to get this extended coverage is fantastic for the championship and a great testimony to the value ITV place in the championship.

"The highlights programme on ITV1 is increasing from 60 minutes to 90 minutes and they’re also increasing the live coverage as well as the number of repeats. All in all it’s just a fantastic package. It’s certainly the biggest coverage that this championship has ever got."

Championship sponsor HiQ

"This is their second year. They went through some changes last year, turning it from a company-owned business into a franchise-owned business and this year their plans they’ve shared with us are just fantastic. You’ll see much more visibility of the BTCC in their retail outlets."

CO2 restrictions

"We announced our plan at the end of 2007 that we would limit the amount of CO2 emissions coming out of our cars to roughly equal those of the road car equivalent. Last year we spent the whole year doing a development programme on it. This year, two weeks ago we showed people how it would work and it’s a significant milestone. A lot of people sort of poo-pooed me when I first thought about it and to use an Australian saying, ‘explorers get lost and pioneers get eaten by the natives. Somebody has to do it. Somebody has to start the journey and we’ve started the journey. It will be a very interesting year, but it’s all going according to plan and it’s a milestone in the championship."

The extended Manufacturers/Constructors championship

"It’s an extension of the current manufacturers’ championship, so it includes constructors. Constructors are those teams that have designed, built and raced their own cars. This year it will include Vauxhall, through VX Racing, Team Aon with the Ford Focus and Team Dynamics with the Honda Civic."

The 2009 BTCC entry list

"We’ve got 21 entries, which I think you’ll find is about two down on our average grid last year. Given the current economic situation, I think it’s a fantastic achievement to only be a couple down on last year. 21 cars – no doubt we’ll see some movement on numbers during the year – we’ll inevitably pick up a car or two or three and we might lose a car or two or three. It’s a fantastic number and there’s not a team out there that didn’t go through a lot more effort and heartache to get where they are and that’s a fantastic achievement."

The Team Aon Ford Focus and the season ahead

"It’s not a factory programme at the moment, we all know that, but who knows what will happen in the future. To have another marque out there, and that gives us six marques on the grid, the variety is fantastic. Tell me a year when we haven’t had a great championship and there’s no reason to think that this year won’t be the same."

Plans to adopt an F1-style ‘wins are king’ championship system

"It might be suitable for Formula 1, but it’s certainly not something I’d look at. Again, show me a time when the championship hasn’t been won by the right person. The way that our points system goes, show me a championship when it hasn’t been close."