BTCC debut for new Ford Focus... http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/87886
BTCC debut for new Ford Focus
By Jamie O'Leary Wednesday, November 3rd 2010, 12:07 GMT
The new Ford Focus ST is likely to run for the first time in the British Touring Car Championship next year.
At the SEMA show in Las Vegas, Ford announced that the Focus would be the base for a 'global' touring car, which would be adaptable to race in all major tin-top series worldwide.
Privateer teams are helping the US manufacturer to develop a base technical specification for the car.
Although the initial machine will be built to FIA Super 2000 regulations, Ford said that the car would have the potential to adapt to all major sets of technical regulations. Included in this is the NGTC concept that the BTCC is adopting in 2011.
"There has been tremendous interest from the racing world about the new Focus, and it's the perfect fit for a global touring car," said Jost Capito, Ford's director of global performance vehicles and motorsports business development.
"Even more, by working with private race teams, we're ensuring Focus has the support it needs to compete and win."
Ford plans to support its race teams by providing data and production parts to their development programmes.
Arena Motorsport, which won both the independent teams' and independent drivers' (through Tom Chilton) championships in the BTCC this year with LPG-powered Focuses, is highly likely to continue running the cars next year, although with petrol engines.
