BTCC: Exocet Racing Audi for Jake Hill at Brands Hatch

Rob Austin Racing Press Release

Here’s a sneak preview of Rob Austin Racing’s sensational new-looking Exocet liveried Audi A4 that rising star Jake Hill (Tunbridge Wells) will race for the team in the BTCC finale at his home circuit of Brands Hatch this coming weekend.

Team principal Rob Austin will line up on the grid in his regular WIX Racing Audi ‘Sherman’ with Hill joining the squad in its second A4 in full flaming Exocet colours (see artist's impression).

Shropshire-based Exocet, among the UK’s premier fuel additive manufacturers, is one of the WIX Racing outfit’s most valued team partners and has been a prime mover behind Hill’s first outing in one of the BTCC’s latest-spec NGTC machines for the championship’s big Finals Day fixture.

Hill’s Audi, race number 9, will be entered under the Exocet Racing banner.

Exocet Managing Director Neil Ryding comments: “We’re very keen to increase brand recognition among the general public and being part of Rob’s set-up and WIX Racing has enabled to us to do that but the opportunity to livery a whole car for the biggest event on the BTCC calendar was too good to miss.

“Our product range and business is growing rapidly and we’ve spent the past few years concentrating on our domestic and agricultural offerings. Now we want to go back to the origins of what we do – a lot of young people, probably the same age as Jake which makes this a great fit, like to take the road cars that they’ve spent time and money on for a spin at track days and what we offer is something that takes their car’s performance to the next level.”

Hill, aged 19, is forging a reputation as one of British motor sport’s most exciting emerging talents. He adds: “This is undoubtedly the biggest break of my career – the chance to drive a race-winning NGTC car in Britain’s premier motor racing championship and at its biggest event of the year. It’s a one-off for now – it’s the finale, after all – so it’s important to grab it with both hands and make the most of it. Exocet as well as Rob and WIX Racing are also putting a lot of faith in me so I want to repay that. I’ve visited the workshop and seen what the atmosphere in the team with Exocet and WIX on board is like – it’s just a great place for a driver to be.”

Rob Austin says: “Exocet is the sort of partner that teams and fans of the BTCC dream of – they are a rapidly emerging company helping a rapidly emerging talent like Jake and it should make for a very exciting combination for people to follow and get behind this weekend. Plus along with WIX, Exocet’s colours also make for one of the sexiest racing car liveries anywhere at the moment. The car looks absolutely stunning and I very much look forward to seeing Exocet and Jake taking some very good results together this weekend.”

Photo credit: Rob Austin Racing

BTCC: Rob Austin Audi first ever British Touring Cars pole at Knockhill

By Tarek Ramchani

The British Touring Car Championship moved up north to Scotland this weekend, for the seventh meeting of the season. History was made today at the popular Knockhill circuit.

Rob Austin, the team owner and driver of the WIX Racing backed #13 Audi A4 NGTC, won his first ever pole position in the demanding BTCC. The Audi was very fast all day long, starting in the two practice sessions where he finished first and tenth respectively. The magic moment finally came for Rob Austin Racing. A very close qualifying session saw "Sherman" as the fastest car ahead of the BTCC superstars, and a field of works drivers and factory supported teams. A very fast lap time was enough to secure pole position. Rob Austin also broke the Knockhill lap record with his pole lap.

And the story doesn't end there. Rob Austin's performance gave Audi their first BTCC pole position in over 16 long years. The last time that the Ingolstadt brand was on pole was at Brands Hatch with Frank Biela, all the way back in 1997.

With a very balanced car and with Rob Austin more motivated than ever, we are expecting strong performances for the three races tomorrow. Rob has promised his fans that he will fight for the win. He has said this on various social media streams, and in some interviews given to touring car specialist websites.

Rob's teammate, Will Bratt, will unfortunately be starting last on the gird for race one tomorrow.

Best of luck to Rob Austin, Will Bratt and the entire Rob Austin Racing team for the BTCC races tomorrow.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin Racing Audi eager to bounce back at Snetterton

By Tarek Ramchani

After the annual summer break, the British Touring Car Championship resumes at Snetterton this weekend. Rob Austin Racing, the only Audi team in the field, will be present with their two A4 NGTC cars.

The BTCC has already reached the halfway mark with ups and downs so far for Rob Austin Racing. The car performed very well in some rounds, but suffered a lot in others. The Audi A4 NGTC proved to be a very competitive car, battling with front running rivals on many occasions. Unfortunately the car is suffering from an obvious lack of top speed, as seen in some other races this season.

At Snetterton the team will be eager to bounce back and perform well. The two cars will be driven by Rob Austin with the #13 Audi and the sister #14 A4 will be in the hands of Will Bratt. The track layout has changed since last year. The two long straights have remained, but there are also some slow corners and hard breaking zones which could be help the Audis.

In the championship points standings, Rob Austin is fourteenth overall with 52 points, whilst Will Bratt is eighteenth with 22 points.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Ups and downs for Rob Austin Racing Audi at halfway mark

By Tarek Ramchani

The halfway mark in the 2013 British Touring Car Championship has been reached, with five rounds out of ten having already been run. Rob Austin Racing is the only Audi team in the field with their two Audi A4 NGTC cars. The team's two drivers are Rob Austin with the #13 Audi along with his teammate Will Bratt in the sister #14 machine. It has been a case of ups and downs so far for the WIX Racing backed team. Some good performances in various events, where the Audi A4 NGTC battled really well in a very demanding field. However the team has had some mixed and disappointing results at some venues as well. The obvious lack of top speed is really penalizing the team, when compared to the rival cars and brands.

In the overall driver's standing Rob Austin is fourteenth with 52 points and Will Bratt is eighteenth with 22 points. In the independent driver's standings Rob Austin is eleventh with 76 points and Will Bratt is fifteenth with 47 points.

Here is a complete round-up of Rob Austin Racing's season so far in the demanding BTCC.

Round 1: Brands Hatch

The 2013 BTCC got underway at Brands Hatch. The pair of Audi A4 NGTC cars from WIX Racing (Rob Austin Racing) showed good pace during testing, and Rob Austin continued this good form by qualifying in the top ten. Austin chose to use his soft tires for the first race and he rocketed from seventh to second after the first sequence of corners. He then took the lead and led the first lap of the new BTCC season. Ultimately the soft tires gave in and Austin finished in third. Race two and three saw DNF finishes for Austin with race three seeing a large crash for him. The driver was unharmed and the car was reported as repairable. Rob’s teammate Will Bratt fought hard and achieved a twelfth and fourteenth.

Round 2: Donington Park

Round two of the British Touring Car Championship was held at Donington Park. Rob Austin Racing completed a brilliant repair job, as they successfully repaired the #13 Audi A4 after a massive crash at Brands Hatch last time out. The Audi team expected to perform well at round two, however issues with their straight-line speed hampered them all weekend long. Ultimately they qualified and finished outside of the top ten in all of the races.

Round 3: Thruxton

Thruxton is the fastest circuit in Britain, and hosted the third round of the British Touring Car Championship. Rob Austin Racing have been plagued by low top speed performance this year. It was evident at Donginton, but even more so at Thruxton. The team struggled for pace and qualified in the lower half of the field. The three races on the day yielded similar results for the team and their Audi A4s, as they were confined to the rear of the grid.

Round 4: Oulton Park

The fourth round of the British Touring Car Championship was held at Oulton Park. It looked like another tough outing for Rob Austin Racing and their two Audi A4 NGTC race cars. They qualified well down the order with the highest placed RAR Audi in eighteenth. The first race saw both Audis recovering, but they finished outside of the top ten. Rob Austin put in a great drive to grab a top ten in race two, finishing in eighth. The third and final race of the day saw Austin starting third on the reverse grid. He rocketed into the lead and lead half of the race, before being punted out of the lead, he ultimately finished in fifth. His teammate, Will Bratt, came from much further behind and stormed into the top ten finishing in sixth place.

Round 5: Croft

Croft hosted the fifth meeting of the British Touring Car Championship. Rob Austin Racing and their two Audi A4 NGTC cars were at the event and showed good initial pace during practice. However they qualified in the lower half of the top twenty. The first race saw both Audis improving as Austin got up to thirteenth and Bratt fifteenth. Race two yielded similar results as Austin finished in fourteenth and Bratt eighteenth. During the third and final race of the day Rob Austin was able to finish in eleventh.


The sixth meeting of the season will be at Snetterton after the long summer break, taking place on August 3rd and 4th.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

Rounds 1-5 text based on our weekly Audi Motorsport Blog Weekend Round Up posts. The WRU series of posts can be seen HERE.

Gallery: Rob Austin Racing Audi A4 at Oulton Park BTCC

By Tarek Ramchani

Rob Austin Racing had a great weekend at Oulton Park in the British Touring Car Championship. The privateer Audi team bounced back after two difficult rounds at Donington Park and Thruxton. The car was improving all day long after a difficult qualifying session. Race 3 turned out to be a magical round for both Rob Austin and Will Bratt. The two drivers finished in fifth and sixth with their WIX backed Audi A4 NGTC cars. Here is a selection of great photos from our friend Phill Laughton.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Rob Austin Racing Audi performed well at Oulton Park

By Tarek Ramchani

Oulton Park hosted the fourth meeting of the British Touring Car Championship this weekend. After a difficult qualifying session on Saturday, there were some fears that Rob Austin Racing and their Audi A4 NGTC cars will struggle in the races on Sunday. On race day it was a completely different story.

Rob Austin with the #13 Audi qualified in eighteenth for race 1, and his teammate Will Bratt with the sister #14 A4 further back in twenty-third. The two drivers struggled a lot on Saturday but they were able to bounce back in the races.

In race 1 Rob Austin battled hard and was able to finish in thirteenth position, whilst Will Bratt gained some positions up to seventeenth. Race 2 was even better for the RAR drivers as Rob Austin, with an improving Audi, was charging hard against the privateer Toyotas and BMWs, a fine eighth position in the end. Will Bratt also improved up to thirteenth place in the end. Not bad after very disappointing performances the day before, and it was not over yet.

Race 3 turned out to be the best of the day for the privateer Audi team. The WIX backed A4 cars were flying on track. Rob Austin started from third on the reverse grid and immediately went into race lead. He kept that position for several laps before being passed by some of the drivers. Rob Austin managed to finish in a strong fifth in the end. Will Bratt had the race of his life. Bratt started from thirteenth on the grid and had impressive pace. The driver of the #14 Audi challenged big names and front runners from MG, BMW and Ford. Will Bratt finished in a very strong sixth position, his best result ever in the demanding British Touring Car Championship.

We at the Audi Motorsport Blog have said it before, and we will say it again, the RAR Audi A4 NGTC is one of the finest cars in the BTCC field. Rob Austin Racing faced two dark meetings at Donington Park and worse at Thruxton, with a very obvious lack of top speed. Now the team is back and eager to do well in the remaining rounds. In the championship points standings Rob Austin is thirteenth with 42 points and Will Bratt is eighteenth with 21 points. In the team's standings Rob Austin Racing is tenth with 38 points.

The next round of the BTCC will be at Croft, where the Audi performed very well last year with Rob Austin.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: Disappointing qualifying for Rob Austin Racing Audi at Oulton Park

By Tarek Ramchani

The British Touring Car Championship is at Oulton Park this weekend, round 4 of the season. Rob Austin Racing the only Audi team in the BTCC, again with their two WIX backed A4 NGTC cars.

After a very difficult Thruxton meeting last time out, Rob Austin Racing was aiming high for this weekend at Oulton Park. However, the qualifying session turned out to be another difficult one for RAR. Rob Austin only managed to qualify in eighteenth place with his #13 Audi A4. The team owner and driver set a time of 1:27.936, 1.806s behind the pole setting car. His teammate Will Bratt, with the #14 Audi, was far behind as he qualified in twenty-third position. Rob Austin is known for his fighting spirit and never giving up, he will fight hard to bounce back. The BTCC field is more competitive than ever, even privateer cars are doing very well, like the Toyota Avenis.

Pole position went to Jason Plato in his factory MG6. Sam Tordoff is second for an all MG front row. In third was Gordon Shedden with the works Honda Civic from Yuasa Honda Racing. The qualifying session results can be seen here.

The three races are set for tomorrow. We wish the best of luck to Rob Austin and Will Bratt.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography

BTCC: A weekend to forget for Rob Austin Racing Audi at Thruxton

By Tarek Ramchani

As expected Rob Austin Racing faced a very hard weekend at Thruxton, for the third meeting of the British Touring Car Championship. The two Audi A4 NGTC cars struggled a lot on a very penalizing track.

It all started with a very disappointing qualifying session yesterday, Will Bratt qualified his #14 Audi A4 in eighteenth place and Rob Austin with the #13 car was twenty-fifth. In race 1 Will Bratt again finished in eighteenth place, right ahead of the other Audi with Rob Austin in nineteenth. In race 2 Rob Austin improved one position finishing eighteenth, whilst Will Bratt ended twenty-second. Race 3 was clearly the hardest of the day for RAR. Rob Austin did not finish the race, retiring after eight laps. Will Bratt was seventeenth.

Thruxton race saw a case of Honda domination, the works Honda Yuasa Racing Team won all three races. Matt Neal with the #2 Honda Civic victorious in the first two races of the day. The race three victory went to the 2012 champion, Gordon Shedden, with the #1 Honda Civic.

Rob Austin Racing may have struggled a lot at Thruxton, with a very obvious lack of top speed, however the car is very well balanced, as seen at the previous two rounds at Brands Hatch and Donington Park. Outlon Park is the next stop for the BTCC, a track which could be favorable for the Audi A4s.

Photo credit: Phil Laughton Photography