ACTIVE

around, so we have to keep our noses clean, keep finishing races and scoring points. Consistency and reliability are key issues here.'

While Giovanardi is on a high, his 22-year-old team mate, Tom Chilton, has yet to find the same speed. Despite four podium finishes, his first 2007 win still eludes him. But he has plenty of BTCC experience and is well used to the cut and thrust of the touring car arena: "I've just got to get the car hooked up in a way I can drive it at the same pace throughout a whole race." With six BTCC wins already, that surely won't be long coming.

The racing so far has been exciting, unpredictable, and witnessed by huge crowds. The series continues to bill itself as 'The Most Popular Racing Series in Britain' - a claim it's unlikely to relinquish in a hurry. In the final race at Thruxton, five cars abreast arrived at one corner and the collective intake of breath from the crowd was palpable. You just can't see that kind of action anywhere else.

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