Dave Pinkney

I met up with Dave Pinkney in Silverstone Paddock Café the snow had settled on a very cold and wet March test day. In fact it was so wet and cold the test session was abandoned without a wheel being turned which turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the Alfa 147 is not yet ready. So as we sat in the warm prior to a long trip home I asked Dave his thoughts on the up and coming season.

What do you think about the new look BTCC? It's awesome. The championship is exactly what we've all been looking for. German Touring Car / Thunder Saloon looks with tight technical reg's, they really are eye-catching. The reg's don't allow continual development so you can run a competitive car for a tenth of the costs at around £500,000. The racing is going to be a lot closer and will attract a lot of good drivers as well as the chosen few.

So seeing as there are quite a few new faces coming up the ranks from Vectra's, Fiesta's Clios etc - do you agree with the popular belief that the BTCC is dying a death. NO WAY! The BTCC has just been reborn, wait till next year, most of the manufacturers will be back. Most of the class B teams will want to join Class A.

What do you think of the super sprint idea? Pathetic! People come to watch races. The works teams will be ok as they can afford all the new body panels unlike us. If it has to be, it would be better if it were run after the feature race. One good thing is the fans will enjoy the extra time for the pit lane walkabout.

What do you know of your teammate Darren Malkin and are there any team orders? He is extremely quick in Formula Cars with masses of experience. We should complement each other. There are no team orders.

Who do you think are your main rivals? All of them!

Who was your toughest opponent ever? Most of your opponents are tough, although I believe your toughest opponent is your team-mate in a long distance race and to use lap times rather than someone in a different car. I have driven with a host of BTCC Drivers: - Anthony Reid, Tim Harvey, James Weaver, Robb Gravett, Matt Neal, Mark Hales etc etc in long distance events and been very happy with the results. Nigel Mansell was tough at Donington in 1993 but he's GOD anyway.

Did you always plan on coming back to the BTCC or was it more by chance? Yes I did but it was fraught. The fact is BTCC was a closed book, I came so close to a works drive on a number of occasions. This year I nearly drove for Peugeot, then for Lexus. Tim heard that I'd lost my drive in the last hour and offered me the 147 seat the day before the deadline. It's great to be in a team that's so committed and so friendly, the cars are not finished yet so the first few races are going to be a little harder than the rest. I've been given car number 15. I have always had a 5 in the number. And now the number 1....

How did you get into motor sport? I was driving an Audi Quattro at Goodwood on a 96 Club track day and was overtaken by 2 racing Porsches. I followed them round for a few laps then overtook them, I didn't know who Bill Taylor was at the time but he was one of the drivers. I was offered a test drive and was quicker than their driver and was given his drive.

What is the best car you have ever driven? Difficult one to answer but eventually a Lamborghini came to mind much to Andy, his mate's dismay! Another car that came to mind was the BTCC BMW in 1993. It was a handful and a year out of date, but when you got it right it was very rewarding.

If you had the choice to race in any car - what would it be and why? There followed lots of talk and discussion on the merits of F1, Lamborghini's, Ferraris and being Schumacher's team mate or a Nissan two years ago but he eventually decided on Dick Johnson's Ford Cosworth RS500 in 1988. The car was awesome in its time with 650bhp and took Robb Gravett to his BTCC title in 1989.

Which is your favourite and least favourite track? Are any of them new to you? I love them all, they're all challenging, and I think I've won races on all of them. I am pleased to hear that Knockhill is having work done on the chicane and pits.

There's been a lot of talk of you have problems with the left hand drive car. How are you going to get over this and will it affect the way you drive? I have yet to drive the car, I have driven left hand drive cars many times before and successfully. It will only slow me down around 1 second a lap, so we should be OK.

What implications will smaller wheels and brakes have on overtaking? The cars will be slightly less stable than before and therefore have slightly longer braking distances. Actually the tyre footprint and brakes are huge. This will increase the overtaking opportunities.

Are there any plans for a Dave Pinkney web site or anything for the fans? Yes there are plans a foot, you'll just have to wait and see.

Will there be pink on the car? Definitely! BLACK & PINK look great together, although the racing overalls are black I will have a PINK Helmet. I may have a Special Suit made yet.

What is your ultimate ambition? Ultimate is probably the wrong word. In motor sport it would be to win the BTCC championship.

Are there any rules or regulations you would remove or add? Ummm! There should be a PINK FLAG and when it's waved everyone should pull over & stop for a lap (except for me of course!).

Thanks a lot Dave and Good Luck for the Season.

PERSONAL DETAILS

D.O.B: 5-7-57

Lives: Harpenden, Hertfordshire

Height: 184 cm

Weight: 87kgs

Eye Colour: Green

Hobbies: Motor Racing, Motor Cycling, Skiing, Boats, Antiques, Holidays, Golf

Favourite Drink: Caffreys, Michelob

Favourite Films: Spartacus, Toy Story II (Buzz Lightyear had to get a mention somewhere)

Often Seen: Billy's Wine Bar (Harpenden), St Anton & Lech (Skiing) and Puerto Banus

Which cars do you drive: Mercedes CL600, BMW B12 Alpina, Lamborghini Countach, Mercedes CLK, Aston Martin Vanquish

Which Motor Bikes do you ride: Ducati 916 Senna, Ducati 996 SPS, Suzuki GSX R 1000 & Yamaha RD500LC (2 stroke).

Racing Career to date:

1987 Uniroyal Production Saloon Championship in a Rover SD1 Vitesse.

1988 Uniroyal Production Saloon Championship in a 3 door Ford Cosworth Monroe Shock Absorbers Production Saloon Championship. Wilhire 24 hour race with Rob Gravet and Lawrence Bristow.

1989 BTCC Ford Cosworth RS500

1990 Esso Saloon Championship in a Ford Sapphire Cosworth

1991 Esso Saloon Championship in a Ford Sapphire Cosworth

1992 BTCC Ford Sapphire Cosworth shell and Ford V6 engine development Various Product Saloon races in old Sapphire

1993 BTCC in a BMW 218is coupe

1994 VW Vento VR6 Challenge

1996 VW Vento VR6 Challenge

1997 VW Vento VR6 Challenge Vectra Sri V6 Challenge Winter series (won)

1998 Vectra Sri V6 Challenge

1999 Vectra Sri V6 Challenge (won)

2001 BCTC in an Alfa 147