British Touring Cars to Hit the Streets of Newcastle

27 June 2005

Cars from the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will take to NewcastleGateshead’s Quayside for the championship’s first ever live city street demonstration on Thursday 14 July – just two days before the series bursts into action at the nearby Croft circuit.

The cars will give demonstration runs along the city’s hugely popular Quayside in front of the famous Gateshead Millennium Bridge and The Sage Gateshead, starting from 6pm. The event will inevitably draw great attention to the Croft race weekend of 16-17 July and generate tremendous exposure for NewcastleGateshead and the BTCC. The crowds will also get to meet the BTCC’s star drivers during a special autograph session that will include plenty of give-aways.

ITV will film the event and include coverage in its live BTCC broadcast from Croft on Sunday 17 July.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: "We are delighted to announce this fantastic event which has required a considerable amount of work behind the scenes. Newcastle City Council and destination marketing agency NewcastleGateshead Initiative have been terrific to work with and their determination to make this event happen should not be underestimated. NewcastleGateshead is clearly a venue with great forward thinking and vision. We cannot thank them enough.

"The event, starring at least five cars and drivers, will make for a terrific spectacle and enable the BTCC to demonstrate to a new audience of thousands just why it continues to stand out as Britain’s biggest motor sport attraction."

David Faulkner, Newcastle’s Lead Councillor for Culture and Sport commented: "This will be a tremendous appetiser before the arrival of the Tall Ships event the following week and provides a different event for an alternative audience."

Carol Bell, Head of Programme Development at NewcastleGateshead Initiative added: "Sport is at the very heart of North East culture and this is a great opportunity for local people to learn more about one of the fastest growing sports in the UK. National television exposure for the iconic landscape of NewcastleGateshead is also a great advantage of staging the event here.

"The BTCC event marks the start of a very busy time for the city. It will be followed by the only UK visit this year of the magnificent Tall Ships from 25-28 July – the highlight of NewcastleGateshead’s International Festival of Rivers & The Sea."

Jason Plato, who races for the SEAT Sport UK team, is one of the drivers who will star in the BTCC event. With his NewcastleGateshead roots, 2001 BTCC champion Plato will very much be the local hero at the Croft BTCC meeting.

"This is the perfect event for the people of NewcastleGateshead," enthused Plato. "The city and the people in it know how to have fun and enjoy life. I am very passionate about this event. I grew up in NewcastleGateshead and love the city and the North East. I can’t wait to appear before the crowds."

BTCC.net

See series calendar for British Touring Car Championship 2005

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