Former double British Touring Car Champion Alain Menu will return to the series in 2014, driving a Volkswagen Passat CC for Warren Scott’s Team BMR outfit.
The 50-year-old Swiss touring car star has spent the past decade racing in the World Touring Car Championship until he was dropped by the RML-run Chevrolet team for the 2013 season. He previously raced in the BTCC between 1992 and 2000, making a brief return in 2007, picking up 36 wins and 85 podiums, along with two titles in 1997 and 2000.
“I got a call in early December – the plan all sounded good, so I came over to the UK around Christmas time to meet with Warren and the team,” said Menu. “Their plans and approach to the project are very appealing, we’re all highly motivated and it is our aim to be amongst the teams at the front. I am taking a realistic approach of course, it will take us some time and there are a few unknowns. With Geoff Kingston there as our engineer and Warren’s will to be the best I think we have a good chance.”
Menu added that he is looking forward to returning to the BTCC and reigniting old rivalries from the later years of the Super Touring era.
“I want to have fun too, this is a very important part of racing for me,” added the Swiss. “It will be nice to race against people like Matt Neal again, and Gordon Shedden was trying to break into the BTCC just as I left so I’m looking forward to racing against him. Jason [Plato] has matured since we were team-mates too, so I’m sure we’ll get on well. Plus there is a whole generation of new talented drivers out there, so 2014 should be very exciting.
“I’m also looking forward to racing on the fantastic British circuits again. The tracks are great and the public are always enthusiastic. We’re going to have some test days soon, so I’ll know then what work needs to be done, but I’m sure it’ll all come back to me very quickly.”
Menu will be joined in the team by talented Irishman Árón Smith, who enters his third full season in the BTCC, as well as Jack Goff and Scott himself.
New team owner Scott takes over Tony Gilham’s outfit from 2013 and believes that the changes made during the winter will lead to a successful 2014 campaign. Scott will take the wheel of one of the team’s Vauxhall Insignias in 2014.
“As team owner of BMR, I believe that we now have the correct structure of key personnel and professional people in place to achieve our goals for the 2014 season,” said Scott.
“I am extremely proud to be associated with such an enthusiastic bunch of hardworking people that make up the newly formed Team BMR, from Tony Gilham who is coordinating, Geoff Kingston our newly appointed chief engineer, Alan Cole and Mark Turner who manage the team, through to the so important mechanics and other boys that are working tirelessly, with no effort spared into producing the foundations of what I anticipate to be a very successful team.
“The fundamentals of the team are the legacy of Tony’s team that proved in the 2013 season they could successfully bring 4 newly built, undeveloped cars into the championship, with both marques of cars becoming podium finishers in their first year- the success of the team speaks for itself. It was only through certain unforeseen series of events that Tony’s squad were forced to replace drivers to keep the cars on the grid, and indeed his team employed. In my opinion Tony worked tirelessly to make sure his squad were there at every round, regardless of any down turn in fate he experienced, all credit to him.
There has been major developments to the cars and we have secured an incredible driver line up. Alain brings a wealth of talent, experience and knowledge, Árón and Jack bring there sheer driving ability and me- well, determination! With the enthusiasm and dedication from the team as a whole, we hope to put on a solid, good show at the very least.”