Friday 14th August 2009

Johnny Herbert To Race Civic In BTCC

Former F1 star brings a touch of glamour back to the BTCC grid

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Former F1 driver and British Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert has been signed to drive the Team Dynamics Honda Civic in the BTCC for the final three rounds of the season.

The three-time GP winner will take over the seat from James Thompson for the races at Silverstone, Rockingham and Brands Hatch.

Although Herbert has tested the S2000-spec Civic during summer testing, the meeting at Silverstone at the end of August will mark his BTCC race debut.

"I'm really excited to be racing in the Civic," said Herbert. "It's very different to what I was used to in Formula One but no less of an adrenaline rush. I can't wait to get behind the wheel at Silverstone and build on the great result the team has had already this season."

With Vauxhall - the only full factory team in the BTCC - withdrawing from the series at the end of the year, the announcement from Team Dynamics is a welcome boost for the championship's profile.

The deal also harks back to the BTCC's glory days of the 1990s, when former F1 drivers such as Derek Warwick, Gabriele Tarquini were series regulars, and Nigel Mansell made occasional appearances.

James Thompson, whose other racing commitments prior to signing with Team Dynamics mean he cannot complete the season, will race the S2000 Civic for the final time at Knockhill this weekend.

[Not Ideal]

Good to see him back behind the wheel - always liked him as a person and racer.

[patmahe]

Always liked his irreverance, he was pretty handy in F1 too, just unfortunate that his team-mate was Schumacher and the team were 100% focussed on him really. He should go well in BTCC, good luck to him.

[pagani1]

Hooray for Johnny Herbert a great guy and would have been an F1 world Champ but for his awful accident at Brand which wasn't his fault either.Good to see some stars in BTTC.

[LukeBird]

Not Ideal said:

Good to see him back behind the wheel - always liked him as a person and racer.

+1
He always came across as a pretty decent bloke.

[Dodgey_Rog]

Excellent, Johnny's a great guy, always a laugh and the F1 paddock is a boring place without him. There's a clip somewhere of him grabbing Louise Goodmans breasts as he walked by, it was quite funny.

[emicen]

F1 drivers and touring cars are really hit and miss. Tarquini and Brabham in the 90s were good. Warwick in the same period was dire. Be interesting to see what way he goes. I'm hoping good.

[Lancs Jag Boy]

What a top bloke. I met him a few years ago on our camp-site at Le Mans, he visiting some of his friends who were camping opposite us and when we gave him a shout, he came over for half and hour and chatted about our cars and the Legends race he'd won earlier in the day.

Glad to see him in BTCC, hope he does well.

[timbo48]

I remember seeing Johnny in that D Type at Le Mans. For a few laps it looked like the other D Type was pushing him but then Herbert just drove off into the distance. A class act and also a great sense of humour. Also one of the few top drivers to be in the pits on Friday happily signing autographs for ages. Why didn't he have a regular Audi drive? Great to see him back, good luck to him, he was always one of my favourite drivers (I should say that he still is).

[JJ78]

excellent news, wish more old hands would try out in the btcc to raise the profile... get hill involved, mansell back, brundle, blundell and even the newer ones hamilton and button and DC, would be an excellent spectical!

Also bring back the TOCA shootout at donington... best race of the year every time!!

[Steve_bullockuk]

Good for the series but i fear for btcc in 2010 due to the demise of VXR.

Roll on Rockingham

[GW65]

pagani1 said:

Hooray for Johnny Herbert a great guy and would have been an F1 world Champ but for his awful accident at Brand which wasn't his fault either.Good to see some stars in BTTC.

+1
It's a shame we never got to see his true potential in F1. Not only is he talented, he seems to be universally liked and respected.

[Lost my mojo]

timbo48 said:

I remember seeing Johnny in that D Type at Le Mans. For a few laps it looked like the other D Type was pushing him but then Herbert just drove off into the distance. A class act and also a great sense of humour. Also one of the few top drivers to be in the pits on Friday happily signing autographs for ages. Why didn't he have a regular Audi drive? Great to see him back, good luck to him, he was always one of my favourite drivers (I should say that he still is).

I was there to.

[Mark-C]

Lost my mojo said:

timbo48 said:

I remember seeing Johnny in that D Type at Le Mans. For a few laps it looked like the other D Type was pushing him but then Herbert just drove off into the distance. A class act and also a great sense of humour. Also one of the few top drivers to be in the pits on Friday happily signing autographs for ages. Why didn't he have a regular Audi drive? Great to see him back, good luck to him, he was always one of my favourite drivers (I should say that he still is).

I was there to.

Yep - absolutely cracking in the D Type. He really doesn't appear to know how to drive slowly

[RedexR]

GW65 said:

pagani1 said:

Hooray for Johnny Herbert a great guy and would have been an F1 world Champ but for his awful accident at Brand which wasn't his fault either.Good to see some stars in BTTC.

+1
It's a shame we never got to see his true potential in F1. Not only is he talented, he seems to be universally liked and respected.

+2
It was no coincidence that when his Lotus finally got a decent engine he was straight to the front of the grid at Monza , shame F1 became so much about left foot braking as he was always under a handicap after his F3000 accident , all the same we will never forget his victories at Siverstone and later in the Stewart F1 , always good value for a post race comment as well.

[sprinter1050]

Yep-another fan of the little fella here.

Quite a character with none of the "PC" that so many current F1 & other categories of drivers seem to have.

[joz8968]

RedexR said:

...we will never forget his victories at Siverstone...

My first ever (only!) F1 race viewed live was that 1995 Silverstone race. My mate's work had a spare ticket going... and they also held a sweepstake and I picked JH out the hat! I remember thinking that he only really had a chance if Schumacher, Hill, and Coulthard screw up and/or crash out...... And what happened...?!

Spooky stuff.

Annoyingly though, I'm convinced to this day that I didn't receive all of the money from the sweepstake pot. I'm sure my mate's work colleagues were hacked off and reluctant to give all of it to a 'stranger'. Cliquey tw@ts. lol

Edited by joz8968 on Sunday 16th August 11:50

[Johnspex]

I had a day at Rockingham courtesy of a Lotus affilited company a few years ago. (they sold spectacles under the Lotus brand). We drove Elise and Exiges. There were the usual "Ferrari day" drivers there and someone lapping all and sundry in a small Seat. He was carrying members of the public who were exiting the car barely able to walk. I was caning an Exige as hard as I thought was humanly possible when the Seat passed me. It was like a Road Runner cartoon. I thought I was stuck in reverse. It was quite something to see as he cut his way through everything on the track. When he'd finished he was guided back into the pits, ( a racing seat means you can't turn your head to reverse) he climbed out and we realised it was JH. He's tiny!
He stripped off his racing suit down to his boxers, pulled on chinos and a polo shirt and as he walked away the sweat was turning his trousers from biscuit coloured to sweaty biscuit coloured! Always seemed like a good bloke to me, he just had more than his share of bad luck. I hope he kicks some established butt in BTCC.

[Asterix]

Nice bloke.

Very open and always willing to have a chat. Met him in Dubai while him and Sarkozy, sorry... Alesi where punting around in the Speed Cars.