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HistoryRobert Collard - Racing Driver A born racer, Robert Collard has already raced - and won - in more different disciplines than most racing drivers achieve in an entire career. From being a dominant force in Hot Rod racing, taking the British and European titles in the hectic world of the short ovals, via winning races in single seaters, to now be an accomplished saloon racer, Rob has shown he has the pace, skill, and determination to win. 2008 : British Touring Car Championship
2007 : British Touring Car Championship - Final rounds only
2006 : British Touring Car Championship
2005 : British Touring Car Championship
2004 : British Touring Car Championship
2003 : British Touring Car Championship
2002 : British Touring Car Championship Production class
2001 : British Touring Car Championship Production class
2000 : British Touring Car Championship Class B
The creation for the 2000 championship of a new Class B provided a route into that series; Rob joined the Bintcliffe Sport Racing team to compete in a Nissan Primera. The 24 round series, with BBC TV exposure and large crowds, was the perfect stage for Rob to display his talents. Class B, for cars less highly developed than the exotic Super Touring Cars, was just as hardfought as the main category and the team worked hard across the season to make the Primera competitive and reliable. Despite missing the opening races as the cars were developed, Rob was able to race hard - and showed his ability with a dominant victory in the Feature Race at Snetterton this summer - winning the night race despite a treacherously slippery circuit. 1999 : Vauxhall Vectra SRi V6 Championship
A campaign in the Vectra series for 1999 beckoned, Rob and his small team taking on the challenge of competing with some of the most experienced teams - and racers - in British motorsport. They rose to the challenge and stunned their rivals with victory in the opening round of the 14-race series - then a support act to the British Touring Car Championship - Rob won four races and took pole position six times in one of the most tightly fought seasons of the championship. The title battle went down to the final race of the season, with Rob taking third place in the points. His performance was such that Rob was invited to test a Vauxhall Vectra Super Touring Car with the Triple Eight team at Pembrey circuit at the end of the season. The taste of Touring Car action only further whetted Rob's ambition to compete in the BTCC. 1998 : Vauxhall Vectra SRi V6 Winter Series
Having left the hugely competitive world of oval racing for single seaters, Rob had always declared an ambition to race in the British Touring Car Championship. As a step on this path, Rob entered the 1998 Vauxhall Vectra SRi V6 Winter Series at Croft circuit. Quickest driver at the meeting, Rob took pole for all three races in the powerful front-wheel drive saloons, and had a huge lead in the final when gearbox failure saw him retire from the race. Formula Ford Widely known as a hard and competitive racer, Rob has also won praise as an insightful test driver. In a variety of machinery with several different manufacturers, Rob's skills have been utilised on many occasions, even for back-to-back testing of new tyre compounds, one of the most difficult testing jobs and requiring extreme sensitivity and consistency from the driver. "I've always been a very competitive person," says Rob. "I like to win at anything I do. Motorsport is an incredibly competitive environment, it takes a lot of concentration and dedication to win and be successful and that's a challenge 1 like to take on." Hot Rod |
