Diesel Power enters the Dunlop BTCC

Dunlop has announced that a diesel-powered car will be competing in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship for the first time in the championship’s 49-year history. BMW club series champion Rick Kerry indicates that he plans to enter a turbocharged BMW 1 Series acquired from BMW Motorsport in Germany.

The unique car is making its first public appearance at the Dunlop BTCC Media Day March 13 before its competition debut in the championship’s opening round at Brands Hatch on 1 April. When questioned about the vehicle’s expected performance Kerry replied “We anticipate we’ll have a bit less power than the petrol and bio-ethanol cars but much more torque away from the grid and out of corners.” He added that it “remains to be seen” whether this advantage will be great enough to overcome the diesel car’s power deficiency.

Series Director Alan Gow wished Rick Kerry’s team the best of luck, commenting that “any fan of the Dunlop BTCC should applaud this project and we all very much look forward to seeing the car make its debut in the Dunlop BTCC,”

Summing up his hopes for the season, Kerry said “we’re very much entering uncharted waters here so there are a lot of unknowns and we certainly expect a few tears along the way, but it’s also a very exciting project with which to be involved. We are all very determined to make this work.”