Bsimracing Sim Racing Resources and News for the racing enthousiast.
Out of the blue, Studio 397 has released new content adding the Vauxhall Astra BTCC to the existing rFactor 2 British Touring Car Championship field.
The new Vauxhall Astra will be joining the already available BMW 330e M Sport, the Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance, Toyota Corolla GR, Infiniti Q50, and Ford Focus ST.
The Vauxhall Astra BTCC will be available as part of the rFactor 2 Christmas content drop.
Official Webpage – www.studio-397.com – The rFactor 2 Racing Simulator is available via Steam for €29,99.
Studio 397 Quote:
rFactor 2 BTCC | Steam Store: Click Here
The Vauxhall Astra made its debut under the current NGTC regulations all the way back in 2017, marking the much-heralded return of the British brand following an incredible run of success in the early 1990s through to the mid-2000s, however as per the NGTC rule set, the return of the Astra wouldn’t be a fully works attempt as previous years, with Power Maxed Racing, forming the new adventure with support from the main dealer, but predominantly going it alone following a toe in the water exercise with car sponsorship in previous seasons.
Run by Team Principal Adam Weaver and Race Director Martin Broadhurst, Power Maxed and Vauxhall achieved instant success with a podium on the car’s very first attempt at Brands Hatch, with 2017 seeing further glory with numerous top 10 finishes throughout the year, including season-best second-place finish at Silverstone. It wouldn’t be long until Vauxhall found themselves back in the winner’s circle once again, with sophomore driver Senna Proctor and new recruit Josh Cook securing three victories from the opening three rounds of the 2018 season.
2019 would mark the final occasion the little Vauxhall took a chequered flag in the BTCC, with former double champion and tin top legend Jason Plato taking the final of his 97 victories in the series – a nice synergy of history between the two, as Plato also secured his first BTCC championship racing under Vauxhall colors back in 2001.
Since returning full-time to the BTCC following a truncated, Covid affected season in 2020, Power Maxed Racing has run a number of fan favorites and rookie drivers in the team, occasionally showing flashes of pace despite the car clearly starting to show its age against some of the newer machinery that has arrived in the series within recent seasons.
The car remains a firm top 10 possibility in the right hands, and given a good turn of luck and things falling in the right way could still be a victory contender – but regardless of results, one thing is for sure, the car looks great, and is a beautifully well-balanced and nice handling machine that should be a great introductory experience for players new to front-wheel drive machinery.
So there we have it, folks, the first of a few surprises coming your way, and not long left to go now, so stay tuned and hold tight, we are nearly ready to go…
