Team RAC confirm Onslow-Cole!!!

[Rusty]

Tom Onslow-Cole has been confirmed as the driver of the second RAC bmw, Confirmed on BTCC.net website good news for the young driver...

[Iain]

Just as I suspected. I was told it would be a "big surprise". Good to see a driver being promoted from the Clios into a top team. Something that doesn't happen much anymore.

[VkmSpouge]

Tom Onslow-Cole did well in the Clios hopefully he should be do a good job in the BMW.

[Robinho]

its great to see a new driver making the step up, and straight into a decent team, instead of scrabbling around splashing all their cash on an uncompetitve ride. pity that Rob has been ousted, i hope he finds room on the grid still, i imagine the collard racing MG's rumour to gain a bit of momentum again now.

still, congrats to Tom, i hope he can carry his form in the Clios into BTCC, if so he could be pretty competitive if WSR get the best out of the BMW's

:)

[Iain]

I'm not surprised Rob hasn't been retained. RAC really mean business this year and he just wasn't performing as well as they or the team probably hoped.

[Robinho]

i'm not surprised either, he definatley underperformed when marked against Turkington, but equally i hope to see him back on the grid, he is a driver capable of winning races and a strong character, and apart from anything else, him being there will probably pi55 off Matt Neal and his dad, which is always good entertainment after last years spat between them!

[Allyc85]

wahoo great news!

Ive found my team to support, come on Team RAC!! :D

[bt52b]

Nice one.

btw is there a clio cup dvd?

[taffy]

Great news for TOC.. Anyone know what Rob Collard is planning this year?

[tintin]

Nice one.

btw is there a clio cup dvd?

There usually is one available from Renault Sport.
...but it's usually quite expensive.

[reidy_fan]

well done to Tom, totally deserved he was Mr Consistent in clio 2006 and is not afraid to mix it a bit.

Good luck

[Funks]

I have a feeling that this may be one of the disappointments of the 2007 season. I just wonder if he has the required experience and racecraft to justify filling one of the plum seats on the 2007 grid. I'd be interested to know who else was on the waiting list for this drive.

[MBailey06]

Well considering he won the Clio Championship by a record 116 points I'm sure that he can do something. I'm expecting him to finish where Collard did last year, but it would be more impressive because it would be his first season, hopefully he will do better than that.

[BeansBeansBeans]

I doubt he'll be winning races straight away, but hopefully he'll be given the opportunity to learn this season, before having a decent crack at the title in 2008. He's clearly got something, and he seems a nice lad too, so good luck to him.

[WSRfan82]

has happy as i am that tom is with the team. what will collard do know

[CarlMetro]

Bit of a gamble by WSR but good to see that they're prepared to do it. I would think that the racecraft needed to get a front-wheel drive Clio around the track very fast would be the same, in principle, to that of a rear-wheel drive BMW, with just a few minor adjustments in driving style.

I hope TOC can adapt quickly because he certainly proved he can be fast in a one make and highly competitive series. It will certainly create some interest.

Shame about Collard, he's a nice bloke away from the track, and I'm sure he'll find/do something this year.

[Iain]

It's often said that it's more difficult to switch from RWD to FWD, so both the drivers should adapt to it fairly easily. :up:

[Ed]

well you only have to look at Fabrizo Givanardi to see how hard it is to adapt to RWD, when he when to BMW for one seaon. Did he acutally win a race that year??Although he did mention after the 2003 ETCC season that it was all the car sfault and that the Ravlagi team were struggling with running the car as well.

[Iain]

I wouldn't say that was a similar situation though. That was someone who'd been racing FWD for 12 years at that time, plus the car wasn't as good as the Schnitzer machines.

[MattL]

It's just going to be interesting to see how well a 'fully-funded' BMW can actually do in the BTCC...

[BDunnell]

It's just going to be interesting to see how well a 'fully-funded' BMW can actually do in the BTCC...

Indeed, given comments made in the past to the effect that a BMW would never go well in Britain, for whatever reason.

I think that Onslow-Cole is a brave and excellent choice for that second seat. It's good that people can still make the progression from Clios and the like.

[Loobylou]

Disappointed to see them cut Rob lose but that's hardly the Toms fault. Good luck to him, just hope WSR don't find themselves in a situation where Robs experience would have served them better than Toms enthusiasm.

[BDunnell]

Good luck to him, just hope WSR don't find themselves in a situation where Robs experience would have served them better than Toms enthusiasm.

To be honest, Collard's experience didn't exactly do WSR many favours last year, so I can't see that being a problem.

[Alfa Fan]

After 2006 I don't see why WSR need Rob? Yes, he did OK in 05, when he had the whole team to himself, but the first season he has a teammate in the Touring class, he is comphrensivly blown away by him.

[lilmelvschilton]

looks like i am going to have to start supportin Tom Onslow-Cole aswell as tom chilton

[the rat fan]

it's an interesting choice for team rac who clam to be realy going for the title this year. I wish the boy all the luck in the world tho they clearly think he can do the job, i really had it in my mind that mr eaves would get the drive

[ATF]

I don't know much about TOC therefore my comments shouldn't be seen as disrespecting his ability at all! But if WSR really are aiming for the title(s), wouldn't they have preferred a more experienced campaigner, such as Dan Eaves?