BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch
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| Category | BTCC | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructor | Triple 8 Race Engineering | ||||||||
| Technical specifications | |||||||||
| Chassis | Vauxhall Astra Mk V | ||||||||
| Engine | 2,000 cc (122.0 cu in) In-line 4 NA front-mounted, FWD | ||||||||
| Transmission | 6-speed Sequential | ||||||||
| Tyres | Dunlop | ||||||||
| Competition history | |||||||||
| Notable entrants | VXRacing Arkas Racing | ||||||||
| Debut | 2005 BTCC at Donington Park | ||||||||
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| Teams' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
| Constructors' Championships | 1 (2005) | ||||||||
| Drivers' Championships | 0 | ||||||||
The BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch is a BTC-Touring class racing car that was built for the 2005 British Touring Car Championship season by Triple 8 Race Engineering, who ran Vauxhall's official works program.
After campaigning the BTC-T Vauxhall Astra Coupe for 4 years, VX Racing took the decision to replace the car with the brand-new Astra SportHatch for the 2005 BTCC season.[1][2] An experimental BTC-T spec Vectra had been built in 2003, but the experiment was not continued due to the weight of the car.[3] Replacing such a successful car proved difficult, however; and the car only won ten out of the sixty races it contested as a works entry, in the hands of Yvan Muller, Colin Turkington and Fabrizio Giovanardi. The emergence of the BTC-T Honda Integra Type R proved to be a challenge too far for Vauxhall, despite a successful debut victory,[4] and Vauxhall's 100th BTCC win at Knockhill in 2006.[5] Despite the dominance of Matt Neal's Integra, however, the car did deliver the 2005 Manufacturer's championship to Vauxhall, as Team Dynamics were not competing in this championship.[6]