Astra tests

[touringlegend]

Jason Plato has been the first to test the new Astra according to autosport.com.
Said Plato, "A good little race car. It really was just a shakedown, but once I started stringing a couple of laps together, I was having fun."

Hopefully fun driving will convert to fun racing for everybody.

[RIKB]

Yup

The Astra is ythe first of the new cars to hit the track, it shows that Vauxhall are serious about winning!

[Les]

that or scared they will be shown up by the Pugs (or Lexus)

[Craig]

Vauxhall Motorsport completed a successful shakedown of its 2001 British
Touring Car challenger, the Astra Coupe, at the Albacete circuit in
central Spain this week. This was the first time that a car built to
the new BTC Touring rules was seen in action and paves the way for the
rejuvenated 26-race series that has an Easter start at Brands Hatch
circuit in Kent. Vauxhall's drivers Yvan Muller and Jason Plato both
took part in the tests and proclaimed the Astra Coupe a sure-fire hit
all round.

The shakedown was not only significant for Triple Eight Race
Engineering, the Brackley based company which has developed and built
the new Vauxhall touring car, but also for the new technical regulations
which have been brought in by BTC organisers, British Motorsport
Promoters Ltd (BMP).

"Overall a moderately productive few days," said Ian Harrison, Triple
Eight's Team Director who was in Spain overseeing this first run for
the Astra Coupe. "We have put miles on the car, despite being hampered
by rain and strong winds which constantly changed the track conditions
during our planned four days of tests. As with all shakedowns we have
had some minor teething troubles and we've proved the regulation
championship parts worked reasonably well."

In a pioneering move to control costs, BMP has stipulated the use of .
compulsory standardised components for all cars, which includes the .
gearbox, brakes, fuel system, axles, pedals, engine management/data .
logging system, plus the use of a new BF Goodrich control tyre. Power .
output from the 2.0-litre engines has also been restricted in a move .
to provide the race fans with the traditional touring car close and .
exciting racing Continued/ .

"It has given our drivers the first taste of how these new-for-2001
cars will perform," said Mike Nicholson, Vauxhall's Motorsport
Manager. "Bearing in mind this was their first time in the cars, they
were both pleased with the results and enthusiastic about all of the new
changes."

Jason Plato was the first to sample the Astra Coupe, when he climbed
behind the wheel for its racetrack debut on Thursday.

"The car came through the shakedown OK," said Plato after his two-day
stint. "We had a few teething pains but that's what shakedowns are for
after all. The Astra Coupe is a serious piece of kit."

French ace Yvan Muller took over from Jason on Monday for his two
days, hot from his success in the weekend's ice racing event at Serre
Chevalier where he maintained his lead of the Andros Trophy series in
which he drives a prototype four-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steer Astra.

The next appearance of the Astra Coupe will be in Italy, at the official
BTC tyre testing sessions at Vallelunga circuit near Rome next month,
when it will be joined by some of the other cars which will take part
in the country's premiere motor racing series, the British Touring Car
Championship.

Any idea when we're gonna get some piccies of the thing in action ?

[hunttheshunt]

There are some at Nigel's site and also at Autosport.com