The two new A-Tech team Alfa Romeo 156s, which will be raced by Dave Pinkney and Richard Marsh have recently arrived in the UK ahead of the Italian race cars marking their debut in the opening round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch on 1 April.

The two cars, plus a show model, were put on display at Silverstone last week where driver Richard Marsh was keeping his hand in at the wheel of his 2006 Peugeot during a general test session. The distinctive red cars have been prepared by N-technology in Italy, the team that run the world championship effort. Although not an official Alfa Romeo team, A-Tech’s cars, which have been built to 2007 S2000 specification, come with full sanctioning from the Italian manufacturer. A-Tech hopes to carry out Initial testing of its Alfa 156s this week at an as-yet undisclosed venue.

Pinkney and Marsh, both series regulars, will be going up against a whole host of star drivers in the British Touring Car Championship this year. Big names like Matt Neal, Jason Plato, Colin Turkington, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Tom Chilton will all be hoping to kick-start their championship challenges with a winning start at Brands Hatch next month. This year there will be a grid of some 26 drivers.

Matt Neal, in his new Team Halfords Honda Civic, is looking to win a third BTCC title in a row, and stars as favourite, although Jason Plato is many people’s tip for glory in the first race after his SEAT Leon won three times on the Brands Indy track last year.
 

Team RAC driver Turkington will be hoping his Team RAC squad’s BMW can emulate the title-winning form the German make’s cars showed in last year’s FIA World Touring Car series, but then again it has been Vauxhall driver Giovanardi who has come out on top of the lap times in initial pre-season testing. Plus, there are a number of up-and-coming stars all eager to get in on the act: Neal’s and Plato’s team-mates Gordon Shedden and Darren Turner are serious title contenders in their second BTCC seasons; aged just 19, reigning Renault Clio champion Tom Onslow-Cole (RAC BMW) and last year’s SEAT Cupra title winner Mat Jackson (Jacksons Msport BMW) are also ones to watch. There will be plenty for the local crowds to cheer as Wrotham-based team Motorbase Performance fields its potent pair of SEATs for Gareth Howell (Beckenham), a proven race-winner in the BTCC, and Matt Allison.

In total there will be eleven races for the crowds to savour at Brands Hatch on 1st April. The opening three rounds of the new BTCC season, will be joined by eight further events on the supporting bill, including: Formula BMWs, Porsche Carreras, Renault Clios, Formula Renaults and SEAT Cupras.