27/04/2003

Reigning BTCC Champion James Thompson attended the Dunlop tyre test at Thruxton in Hampshire on Friday but his session was cut short. It wasn’t due to a mechanical failure or anything else remotely sinister but it was in fact so Thompson could fly from one end of England to the other in Gateshead to participate in the opening round of the Pirelli British Rally Championship.

As well as driving in the BTCC last year, Thompson added a different aspect to his driving career by competing in the majority of the British Rally Championship and will continue to take part in further rounds in 2003. He has stated that he would like to be in the unique position of holding the BTCC and BRC titles at the same time and has stepped up his rally programme this year by driving in the top class of the series.

Thompson’s 2003 campaign got off to a storming start when he finished 6th overall in the rally of Gateshead in his first drive in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 6.5. He could not have asked for a better 29th birthday present, which lived up to his pre-event hopes when he said “I’ll be very happy to finish in the top 10.”

Thompson, the current leader of the BTCC Driver’s Championship after a double win at Mondello Park returns to the wheel of his Vauxhall Astra Coupe next weekend at Brands Hatch to start his 200th race in the BTCC. The series will be supporting Champ Cars, the popular American racing championship which makes two European visits this year.