Hull Wasps Announce Charity Game In Aid Of Shakespeare

Although the season may have ended, SportTrades favourite basketball team have always got news going on. With the team already holding open trial sessions to attract new players, the team have also announced a Charity Game going ahead this month. The annual event is an opportunity for all Hull basketball fans to get involved and raise money for local charity, Dove House Hospice. Every year the whole city and community of basketball in the UK come together to celebrate the life of a special man - Jason Shakespeare.

To remember him, the Hull Wasps will take on Jason’s former team-mates of the Hull Kingston Icebergs and all profits made from the game are donated to Dove House Hospice, who looked after Jason toward the end of his life. The event will take place on Saturday 24th April 2010, 7:30pm at the Gemtec Arena, Walton Street. Tickets are priced at just £4 Adults, £3 Juniors (15 & under) with commemorative programmes at only £1. So if you're din the area of Hull, please get down to the club and pay tribute to a great man and a great cause.

Outside the Long Room: County Cricket 2010 Preview

SportTrades very own Jimmy Drew gives his thoughts at the start of the Cricket Season. It starts TODAY!. Jimmy will be back throughout the season and we will also feature the progress of his very own club side. So over to you James...

It almost feels like Cricketing weather

I’m in shock…..today is the start of the domestic cricket season and we’re blessed with sun and blue skies a plenty, how very novel indeed…..having said that, what odds do you think you’d get right now for 2010 being the wettest summer “since records began”?!? (That statement always makes me wonder what they did before records did begin?), anyway, I digress….

So, what will the 2010 season bring us you all ask? The intention of this blog is to answer just that, provide you with my not-so-expert predictions on which clubs will achieve what as well as giving you, at times, a different view to the number one quintessential game this country has to offer….

Let’s start off with the factual stuff….The biggest change this year is that the number of competitions has reduced from four to three. The LV= County Championship (4 day matches), remains largely the same as last season, with two leagues of nine counties, each playing the other eight teams in their respective leagues twice, once at home and once away. The bonus points scoring criteria has changed, which is not only designed to encourage teams to score runs and take wickets in the first innings at a swifter pace, though changes to the match points should also encourage teams to push for wins rather than settle for the previous all to often “bore-draw” outcome. Promotion and relegation is decided upon the bottom two teams of division one and top two in division two.

The other two competitions include The Friends Provident Twenty20 and revamped Clydesdale Bank 40 over competition. For the former, instead of three regional divisions with six teams in each, this year, and similar to the county championship, there will be two divisions with nine teams in each, though split geographically (North and South). The top four teams in each league will qualify for the quarter-finals, and then it’s a knock-out competition from there.

The revamped 40 over competition also brings an end to the 50 over version of the game and includes all of the 18 professional counties, as well as Scotland, the Netherlands and the ECB Unicorns (a team made up of players without full county contracts, eager to make a name for themselves no doubt). The format for this competition is three groups of seven teams, with the top team and best overall runner-up from the three groups progressing through to the semi-final stage.

Although there’s one less competition this season, counties will find themselves actually playing more days of cricket (weather permitting), than last season. This is something which continues to be debated on a annual basis, with the burning out of players, fatigue, lack of preparation between matches as well as “nothing to play for” games all fuelling the debate on how the county set-up should be structured.

Tweaks however continue to be made almost each year to the county structure, and hopefully one day we will finally arrive at a happy medium of more competitive and meaningful cricket though slightly less matches.

Young English players wishing to stake a claim in becoming the next big thing on the international stage, for far too long, have largely had to first earn their stripes on the treadmill that is the county circuit, and based on its current set-up, monotony of some matches and the overall tight scheduling throughout the summer calendar makes it extremely tricky indeed for the better players to cut the grain and stand out from the rest. Having said that, the pathway to the England senior squad has never been so good, with much more emphasis placed on the younger national sides, for example the under 19’s, teams below this age group as well as the England Lions (England “A” Team), resulting in the better players being managed and nurtured along the way as they should.

So, what can we expect for the summer ahead, personally, I think Durham will take some beating and retain the title as Division 1 champs in the County Championship, though the likes of Notts and Somerset will once again push them all the way, along with new boys Kent who won the division 2 title last season and will be difficult to beat at this level.

Depending on who’s selected for the summer internationals, I feel that both Yorkshire and Warwickshire may find themselves at the wrong end of division one for much of the season and will be involved in the dog fight to stay out of the two relegation places right down to the wire.

Surrey, Middlesex and Worcestershire, all of whom are in division 2 this year have been pretty busy over the winter in the transfer market, with many players coming and going from all three counties. With regards Surrey, only time will tell whether Chris Adams’ bold move to acquire the services of 22 year old Rory Hamilton-Brown from Sussex and duly appoint him as county captain is the right decision. I do personally feel that all three counties will be pushing for promotion to division 1, and although all three appear pretty strong on paper in the batting department, it’ll be their bowling that will ultimately dictate their success come the end of the season.

I think the surprise package will be Derbyshire, with Chris Rogers carrying on from where he left off last season in skippering the team and leading from the front with his batting at the top of the innings. They have also made a few shrewd signings, such as Robin Peterson and Mark Footitt, both of whom I tip for big things this season and I feel Derbyshire will be pushing all the way this season for promotion to division one.

Aside from the County Championship, when the razzmatazz of Twenty20 kicks off at the start of June, not only will counties see their usual attendances increase from a few hundred to several thousand per game, but we’ll also be blessed with the arrival of some of the best one day players in the world, albeit, for a few weeks whilst this competition runs it course. Players such as Shahid Afridi (Hampshire), Adam Gilchrist (Middlesex), Andrew Symonds (Surrey), Herschelle Gibbs (Yorkshire), Loots Bosman (Derbys) and Albie Morkel (Durham) will don our shores in what promises to be a fast paced and white knuckled adventure for all who watch. My prediction is that Somerset, Notts and Durham will all make the semis, plus one other team of course, which I just can’t decide on just can’t decide on!

Finally, with regards the Clydesdale 40 competition, my virtual money is on either Kent or Essex to go all the way, and although I’d love to see them do well, I feel that the ECB Unicorns will end up bottom of their respective group. That’s enough from me for the time being, so here’s to an exciting summer of cricket, and let’s hope that we’re blessed with one of the warmest we’ve had for a few years.

Team Hoyt: Pure Inspiration

This article is taking in full from the Team Hoyt website, www.teamhoyt.com. Please visit it to find out in full about the team, the foundation and where to support them. You can donate by Paypal via their website, visit and be inspired.

The Early Years

Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life. This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy's quest for Rick's inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.

Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn't walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room. They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick's physical limitations. Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child. After providing concrete evidence of Rick's intellect and ability to learn like everyone else, Dick and Judy needed to find a way to help Rick communicate for himself.

With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick. This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet. Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head piece attached to his wheelchair. When the computer was originally first brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, "Hi, Mom," or "Hi, Dad," Rick's first "spoken" words were: "Go, Bruins!" The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season. It was clear from that moment on, that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else.

In 1975, at the age of 13, Rick was finally admitted into public school. After high school, Rick attended Boston University, and he graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993. Dick retired in 1995 as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard, after serving his country for 37 years.

The Beginning of Team Hoyt

In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."

This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, decathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.
In a triathlon, Dick will pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. For the biking stage, Rick will ride a special two-seater bicycle, and then Dick will push Rick in his custom made running chair (for the running stage).

Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."

The 2009 Boston Marathon was officially Team Hoyt's 1000th race. Rick always says if it comes down to doing one race a year he would like it to be the Boston Marathon: his favourite race. Dick Hoyt hopes that he is able to push Rick in the Boston Marathon when he is 70 years old (2011)! Neither Dick or Rick are ready to retire yet.

Make A Donation

Team Hoyt is forever grateful for the monetary donations that are made to help further the education of people living with disabilities to become active members of their communities. Since the inception of Team Hoyt, Dick and Rick have been working tirelessly to improve the quality of life for those living with disabilities.

Your donation will go towards the many activities Team Hoyt and The Hoyt Foundation participate in to keep this education going.

You can choose between making a donation online through our certified PayPal account, or you may send a cheque to Team Hoyt at the mailing address below:
Donations By Cheque:
Please make cheques payable to "The Hoyt Foundation, Inc." and mail to:
Team Hoyt
ATTN: Kathy Boyer
241 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521

Racing History

234
Triathlons (6 Ironman distances, 7 Half Ironman)
21
Decathlons
67
Marathons (27 Boston Marathons)
8
18.6 Milers
89
Half Marathons
1
20K
35
10 Milers
31
Falmouth 7.1 Milers
8
15K's
212
10K's
151
5 Milers
4
8K's
18
4 Milers
119
5K's
8
20 Milers
2
11K's
1
7K
1009
Total Events (as of September 2009)

Please visit www.teamhoyt.com to find out more and donate.

Kick It Out reveal cash for grass roots scheme

Kick It Out and the Football Foundation have revealed plans to give away up to £2,000 to grass roots football in a bid to increase participation in the game.
In particularly, the scheme will aim to get minority communities involved in all areas of the game, including playing, coaching and refereeing, using football to create more inclusive communities and helping grassroots and amateur teams develop closer links with mainstream football including local county Football Associations.
Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “Accessing this funding is easy, straightforward and will allow groups from under represented communities a chance to celebrate their love and passion for the game in their own way.”
Piara Powar, Director for Kick It Out said: “This money will make a difference to minority communities across the country, empowering those groups that may ordinarily get missed out and developing sustainable projects that can have a longer term life.”
The Football Foundation is the country’s largest sports charity, funded by the Premier League, The FA and Government.
Any group wishing to apply for a grant can do so by visiting www.kickitout.org
The deadline for applications is Monday 25th April 5pm.

Sol y Futbol: Rojillos lose Deep into Injury Time

Ian Lane reports on a last minute winner, that condems Lanzarote to their third defeat in a row. Come on lets get to it, avoid relegation.

ALCALÁ 3 LANZAROTE 2

5th April 2010

A 94th minute winner for fellow relegation strugglers Alcalá condemns Lanzarote to their third consecutive defeat leaving the Rojillos second from bottom and four points from safety.

The Rojillos began the match badly, conceding in the opening minutes and ended the match even worse.

Less than three minutes had ticked by when Lanzarote conceded and began the afternoon with an even more difficult uphill battle. Ayoze Pérez lost the ball in the centre and being the last defender let in striker Roberto Izquierdo. The Alcalá front man did not turn down this generous gift from the Lanzarote defender and chipped the Lanzarote keeper Vilches giving his side confidence and a 1-0 lead.

The home side was looking to kill off the game early with a second goal but credit must be given to the Lanzarote defence who weathered the initial 20 minutes of bombardment and gradually eased into the match.

Juachi who was playing wide on the left wing and striker Jonathon Torres began to give the home sides defence real problems through constant hard work and battling.

The Rojillos drew level four minutes before the break. Inevitably danger man Juachi flew down the left wing and cut inside beating his defender and was eventually brought down by the Alcalá keeper and the Ref immediately pointed to the spot. The ever reliable Rubén Rodriguez converted the penalty and sent his side into half time with the game level at one apiece.

The Madrid side began the second half as they had begun the first half pinning the Lanzarote back four deep into their own territory. This time the Rojillos managed to hold out for eight minutes. Defender Juani crossed the ball on the edge of the area and Sub Moya headed home from close range giving the home side a 2-1 advantage.

Once again Lanzarote began playing better football when they were staring at defeat and not having much else to lose. Prior to the match Alcalá were sitting fifth from bottom occupying the relegation play off spot two points ahead of Lanzarote who were third from bottom. The importance of this match was obvious as both sets of players showed the commitment expected in a fierce relegation battle with no players holding back on challenges.

The tide had turned and the Rojillos were now dominant in possession with wave after wave of attack. The home side defended deeply and only threatened on the counter attack in search of a two goal cushion.

Finally, in the 73rd minute a great strike from the edge of the area by Juachi beat the outstretched Alcalá keeper and sailed into the far corner of the net and Lanzarote were level for the second time in the match with the score poised at 2-2 with a quarter of an hour remaining.

The closing stages of the match were frantic. In the 81st minute the home side had a glorious chance to take the lead for the third time when they were awarded a penalty. Roberto Izquierdo struck the spot kick well but the ball hit the foot of the post and away to safety.

The reprieve for the Rojillos did not last long. Four minutes into added on time and Lanzarote were dealt a crushing blow. Roberto Izquierdo redeemed himself from his penalty miss by controlling the ball inside the area and powered in a shot which beat Vilches and sent the home fans wild with joy as the ball settled into the back of the net with a 3-2 victory imminent.

The Ref blew straight away from the restart and all the Lanzarote heads dropped looking at the natural green grass of Madrid.

Lanzarote are in big trouble. Only a win will do next week if the Rojillos are realistically going to remain in Spain’s third league for a tenth consecutive season.

Next week the visitors will be Leganés. The Madrid side are in 7th place and six points off the promotion play offs. They will desperately be seeking three points as they are in a battle with six other sides for the final Copa Del Rey (F.A. Cup) spot up for grabs.

However Lanzarote do have a good record against the side that has spent 11 seasons in Spain’s Segunda A (Championship). Over the last five seasons Lanzarote have won this fixture three times and Leganés once with last year being a scoreless draw.

Women's Super League Clubs Revealed

A fortnight ago the Football Association announced the eight clubs that were successful with their applications to be part of the new FA Women’s Super League, launching in March 2011.

Arsenal Ladies FC, Birmingham City Ladies FC, Bristol Academy Women's FC, Chelsea Ladies F, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton Ladies, OOH Lincoln Ladies FC and Liverpool Ladies were the eight clubs given licences for the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Congratulations must go to the eight teams who have got into the new league, as it will not just enhance their status as a football club, but provide them a bigger platform to grow commercially and financially. 16 teams from around the country bid to be part of the league with the FA asking clubs to apply by completing a Club Development Plan, which had to comply with four specific pieces of criteria and guidelines.

These were: Finanical and business management, commerical and marketing, facilities, players and support staff.

The review process for the bids submitted was robust and thorough and all of the received bids were reviewed in great detail by an adjudication panel which included independent experts in the related business and football fields.

Looking at the eight clubs in question, via this hi-tech geographical map that i've produced you can see the locations of the clubs, which are represented as red dots. As you can see they are nicely spread around. This is an important point for the FA who will need to ensure that the league is able to build on the new popularity of the sport.

It's good that there Bristol Academy's selection in the league is a positive with football thriving in the city with the men's teams Bristol Rovers and City having success over the last couple of years. Academy are aligned with Bristol Rovers and have got support from the Bristol Academy of Sport, which is the reason why they changed their name to Academy instead of Bristol Rovers Women's FC.

Alarmingly, there are a couple of clubs that should have perhaps warranted an entry. Sunderland Ladies perhaps were derserving of a place in the division, after all they are top of the Women's Premier League at the moment having played a staggering six games more than Arsenal. They also got to the Womens FA Cup final last year.

Their stumbling block probably came due to the fact that although they share the badge and name of the men's team, they are financially independent and do not rely on the men's team for any additional funding. All teams in the league have to match
the £70,000 a year that the FA is prepared to give each team for the first two years of the league's operation.

"We can't afford to pay our players expenses, let alone £30,000 a year," said the Sunderland chairman, Maurice Alderson. "We run our whole club on less than half of that. I love the concept of the league and I'd love be part of it, but it's going to be very difficult."

Although the FA is right to have rules and critieria for league application, perhaps the league's adjudication panel could have looked at the recent success of the team with limited resources and given them a chance. The fact that there is no place for a club in the north west, an area of the country that literally breathes football is quite staggering. The recent success of Sunderland Ladies could sadly count for nothing as with the money coming in next year they will fall further away from the top teams and could decline as a club.

Another club that missed out was Leeds Carnegie, with OOH Lincoln Ladies probably taking their place after Carnegie. Due to missing out on the new league's money and commercial opportunities there should be great doubt cast over the club's future. It's a shame as Carnegie have backing from Leeds Metropolitan University and would have gathered great attention that way. But the University however could not commit to the budget needed to compete in the league and the team looks as if it will fold at the end of the regular season. OOH Lincoln Ladies play in the Northern Premier Division and although they have a good supporters base which is great for any club their selection to neutrals came as a suprise.

The FA believes the Super League will be the key platform to drive the women’s game forward in England. The Super League concept was developed to enable players in this country to earn a good living from the game whilst allowing Super League clubs to develop new revenue streams and support for women’s football.

With participation levels of women’s football at an all time high – currently 1.1 million girls play football in England – the Super League will play a pivotal role in ensuring the player pathway leads to a competitive, elite structure at the very top of the women’s game.

Kelly Simmons, Head of National Game, said of the announcement: “We are delighted with the quality of the bids we received. We are looking forward to working with the eight clubs in the run up to next year’s launch to put in place an exciting, high quality and sustainable new league, taking our women’s game to new heights.”

Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, commented: “It’s fantastic that the Women’s Super League is a step closer to getting off the ground. Women’s football is one of the fastest growing sports in the country but there is still room for further growth. The Super League will shine the spotlight even brighter on the women’s game, encourage more young women to take up the sport and help develop stars that will represent the ever-improving women’s national team.”

The FA will meet with all Super League clubs this month to discuss next steps in the preparation process for the 2011 Super League launch. I hope that the league offers those eight clubs great support and ensures that the league expands to 10 or 12 teams for 2013 when there will probably be additions to the league. Hopefully then Sunderland Ladies will gain their entry, it would be a crying shame if they didn't

Posted by Adam Dennehey, SportTrades Report Manager

British Touring Car Championship 2010 Preview!

We at SportTrades like our Motorsport and not just F1, starting this weekend (tomorrow) is the new British Touring Car Championship season. And if last year was anything to go on when Colin Turkington claimed the drivers title in the last race, this years should be a classic.

Thanks to James Mappin, who runs BTCCCrazy.co.uk, we'll be bringing you the latest news throughout the season to do with the BTCC. Check out his twitter account , for all the latest news on the championship @BTCCCrazy

It's a sports series that is becoming poplular again after going into decline at the start of the millenium, as it hit it's peak in the 1990s. The last two seasons have brought record television viewing figures on ITV and record attendence figures at the race meetings.

Here's Mr Mappin's guide to the season:

2010 will see two manufacturers come to the fold once again with Team Honda returning as a works team along with works debutants Silverline Chevrolet. It's a boost to the series as long time BTCC entrants Vauxhall left the sport last year following in the wake of Seat who pulled out before the season even began.

Both works teams have fielded strong driver line up's with both having past champions with Matt Neal at Team Honda and Jason Plato at Silverline Chevrolet. Gordan Sheddon will be partnering Neal whilst Alex MacDowall will be making his debut in the BTCC alongside Plato in the Chevrolet Cruze after making the step up from the Elf Renault Clio Cup.

Plato will be looking to make it title number two as he looks set to take Andy Rouse’s record for the most all time number of wins of 60, requiring just 8 wins this season but will be pushed all the way by Matt Neal who will be racking up his fair share of race wins himself. Shedden will be given his best chance yet of making an impression on the championship whilst MacDowall will be out to prove himself in the BTCC in what could be the strongest car in the field. So the pressure is on the youngster.

BMW will have six of their cars battling it out this season with three different teams all using the BMW 320si, the car that took Colin Turkington to the title last season. The teams in question are West Surrey Racing, Airwaves BMW and newcomers to the series Forster Motorsport.

West Surrey Racing know what to do to win the BTCC and will be looking to emulate their feat of 2009 again in 2010 with a whole new driver line up. Rob Collard has made the switch over from Airwaves BMW and will partner Andy Neate who will be making his return to racing after his horrific crash earlier in his career. Collard has very much been at the forefront of the majority of the races throughout his BTCC career but has failed to make consistent race wins. His move to the WSR team could give him the break that Collard needs.

Colin Turkington was surprisingly missing off the list with reports suggesting that he has failed to find the funding however WSR were open to announce that they have a third car for Colin if and when he finds the budget. It's a shame that the popular drivers champion from last year has not made it to the grid. With the sport increasing in popularity it's staggering as to why no company has not backed Colin's entry as the sport offers great advertising exposure to any brand. Hopefully Colin will be back one way or another.

Airwaves BMW have also seen a big change in drivers with Mat Jackson and Steven Kane driving for Dave Bartrums Motorbase Performance outfit. Mat Jackson will be returning to the BMW after a short stint with the Chevrolet and will be looking for a strong season. Mat will be partnered by Steven Kane who will be making his return to BTCC after a year out of competitive racing. Kane is familiar with the Airwaves UK setup after spending two seasons with the team in 2007 and 2008 so there will be problem with him gelling with the team.

Forster Motorsport will also be entering two BMW 320si’s into the BTCC after making the step up from the MINI Challenge in which they competed in last season. Forster Motorsport will be using the ex-Mat Jackson BMW’s from the ‘07 and ‘08 season with drivers Arthur Forster and Martin Depper. Forster Motorsport have openly spoke about their chances in the 2010 season and will be just looking to give it their best shot and not expecting any major shocks in their debut season.

One of the big stories of the pre-season is the announcement that Team AON will be using an alternative fuel source to power their Ford Focus this season. After extensive testing in Spain, Mike Earle decided to go ahead with the decision to run the LPG fuel in association with one of their main sponsors, Calor. The team will also be allowed to use a turbocharged engine for the 2010 season due to the LPG providing a lower power output. The team have stayed loyal to their drivers that ended the back end of last season on a high and have signed Tom Chilton and Tom Onslow-Cole for what they hope will be a successful season.

Two drivers have also took up Alan Gows cost-cutting scheme and gone for the TOCA-NGTC engine supplied by Swindon Engines. Gow claims that using the engine, along with the new rules which come into effect in 2011, will help cut the running costs down by over half over the duration of the season. The two drivers in question are Andrew Jordan with Pirtek Racing and David Pinkney driving in his own Pinkney Motorsport team. Both drivers will be driving the ex-VXR Vauxhall Vectra’s both with striking liveries.

Tech Speed will again run under the Sunshine.co.uk banner with Paul O’Neill extended his stay at the team driving the Honda Integra. Paul will be joined by BTCC veteran, John George who will be offering the popular youngster experience as well as trying to match him out on track.

AmD Milltek Racing will bring a smile to all the Volkswagen fans out there as they will be running the VW Golf Mk5 with their driver Shaun Hollamby. This will be the first time that the BTCC has seen a VW since 1989. Shaun Hollamby will be making his debut in the BTCC after winning the Dunlp Sportmaxx driving a SEAT Leon. AmD hope to secure the funding for a second driver but at the moment they are concentrating on just the one.

Another 19 year old will be looking to make his mark on the BTCC this season. Matt Hamilton, who tasted the BTCC at the back end of last season will be driving a BTC-spec Honda Civic prepared by TH Motorsport. Matt was unsure whether he was going to make it onto the grid this year but he was able to confirm his entry a week before the deadline.

In 2008 we saw SEAT at the head of the pack more times than not. This season only one driver will be using the SEAT Leon. Tom Boardman, who has experienced the WTCC will enter the BTCC returning to the series which he first entered back in 2001 when he became the youngest driver in the BTCC at the age of 17.

Martin Johnson and Lea Wood have also been confirmed as official entrants in the BTCC. Martin Johnson will be racing for Boulevard Team Racing in his BTC-spec Vauxhall Astra Coupe whilst Lea Wood will be driving one of the three Honda Integras this season for his Central Racing team.

And last but not least, Triple Eight Engineering have signed up Phil Glew and Fabirizio Giovanardi as their two drivers for the season. Glew, last season's Clio Cup driver's champion was signed last week with Giovanardi signed less than 24 hours before the season begins. Both drivers will be racing Vauxhall Vectra's which 888 have great experience of racing. Giovanardi has been signed on initially for just the season opener at Thruxton, but there is a huge possibility if it goes well he could race the whole year.