Chris Hodgetts
Chris Hodgetts (born 6 December 1950 in Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire) is a British former racing driver. He began his racing career in 1979, driving in the Clubman Class A championship. [1]
BTCC career
Hodgetts debuted in the British Touring Car Championship in 1980. His first overall podium place came in 1981 when he came second. He was consistent in the top five after that, mostly driving for the works Toyota team. He came fourth in 1983, fifth in 1984, second in 1985, before winning the series in 1986 and 1987 at the wheel of a Group C Toyota Corolla.[2] The 1988 season was not a success. The new Group A Toyota Supra needed a lot of development, and only a handful of good results were gained.[3] His last race in the BTCC was in 1990. That season he drove for the works Vauxhall team, helping to fettle the new Vauxhall Cavalier. Towards the end of the year he switched to a Ford Sierra, before calling time on his BTCC career. During the 1989 season, Hodgetts was driving for Brooklyns in an iconic red Ford Sierra RS500.
After the BTCC
Besides racing in touring cars, Hodgetts also found success in sports car racing. He shared the BRDC C2 Championship with Tim Harvey in 1989 before retiring and won the TVR Tuscan Challenge in 1990.[4] The 1994 season saw Chris in the Rover Turbo Challenge.[5] He also drove in the World Sportscar Championship on occasion and had seven starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, representing team such as Mazdaspeed, Courage Compétition and Spice Engineering. He had a best finish of 7th place overall in the classie 24 hour race.[6] In 1995 he won the GT2 title in the British GT Championship, driving a Marcos LM600. He retired after 1998, when he drove a Lola in the ISRS.[7]
Hodgetts now works for Racing Team & Drivers as a driver instructor. His son Stefan raced in the BTCC in 2004.[8]
Racing record
Complete British Saloon / Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1980–1990 in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded ?–1989 in class)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | DC | Pts | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Hughes of Beaconsfield | Toyota Celica GT | B | MAL 3† |
OUL 1† |
THR ? |
SIL 9 |
SIL 7 |
BRH DSQ |
MAL | BRH | THR Ret |
SIL ? |
6th | 45 | 1st | |||
| 1981 | Hughes of Beaconsfield | Toyota Celica GT | B | MAL Ret† |
SIL Ret |
OUL 1† |
THR 11 |
BRH 8† |
SIL 12 |
SIL ? |
DON 1† |
BRH 8 |
THR ? |
SIL 7 |
2nd | 74 | 1st | ||
| 1982 | Chris Hodgetts | Toyota Corolla GT | C | SIL | MAL | OUL | THR | THR | SIL | DON Ret |
BRH Ret |
DON | BRH | SIL | NC | 0 | NC | ||
| 1983 | Brooklyn Motorsport | Ford Escort RS1600i | C | SIL 13 |
OUL 14 |
THR 13 |
BRH Ret |
THR 12 |
SIL 7 |
DON Ret |
SIL 13 |
DON 9 |
BRH 11 |
SIL 10 |
3rd | 43 | 2nd | ||
| 1984 | Brooklyn Motorsport | Ford Escort RS1600i | C | DON 10 |
SIL 11 |
OUL 11 |
THR Ret |
THR Ret |
SIL ? |
SNE 13 |
BRH 11 |
BRH Ret |
DON 16 |
SIL Ret |
5th | 45 | 2nd | ||
| 1985 | Brooklyn Motorsport/ECS | Ford Escort RS1600i | C | SIL 10 |
OUL 9 |
THR 9 |
DON 10 |
THR 7 |
SIL 13 |
DON 14 |
SIL 13 |
SNE 10 |
BRH 13 |
BRH 10 |
SIL DNS |
2nd | 77 | 1st | |
| 1986 | Team Toyota GB/Duckhams | Toyota Corolla GT | C | SIL 9 |
THR 4 |
SIL 7 |
DON 4 |
BRH 12 |
SNE 7 |
BRH 5 |
DON 7 |
SIL 8 |
1st | 85 | 1st | ||||
| 1987 | Chris Hodgetts Motor Sport | Toyota Corolla | D | SIL 8 |
OUL 8 |
THR 5 |
THR 11 |
SIL 9 |
SIL 12 |
BRH 7 |
SNE 7 |
DON 9 |
OUL 3/5‡ |
DON 8 |
SIL | 1st | 84 | 1st | |
| 1988 | MIL Motorsport | Toyota Supra Turbo | A | SIL 8 |
OUL Ret |
THR | DON Ret |
THR 12 |
SIL Ret |
SIL | BRH | 33rd | 7 | 13th | |||||
| Brooklyn Motorsport | Ford Sierra RS500 | BRH 7 |
BIR C |
DON 3 |
SIL Ret | ||||||||||||||
| Demon Tweeks | BMW M3 | B | SNE Ret |
NC | 0 | NC | |||||||||||||
| 1989 | Brooklyn Motorsport | Ford Sierra RS500 | A | OUL 8 |
SIL 6 |
THR Ret |
DON DNQ |
THR Ret |
SIL 7 |
SIL 8 |
BRH | SNE | BRH | BIR 4 |
DON 11 |
SIL 5 |
40th | 6 | 14th |
| 1990 | Vauxhall Motorsport | Vauxhall Cavalier | B | OUL | DON Ret‡ |
THR | SIL | OUL 15 |
SIL 12 |
BRH Ret |
SNE 11 |
BRH | BIR 8 |
DON | 16th | 46 | 9th | ||
| Hawaiian Tropic | Ford Sierra Sapphire | THR 7 |
SIL 13 |
‡ – Endurance driver
References
- ↑ http://www.historicracing.com/driver_az.cfm?type=drivers_alpha&tStartRow=1&AlphaIndex=H&driverID=1694
- ↑ http://www.speedhunters.com/2008/09/car_spotlight_gt_gt_chms_toyota_corolla_ae86_touring_car/
- ↑ https://www.flickr.com/photos/trackside/8350773376
- ↑ http://www.historicracing.com/driver_az.cfm?type=drivers_alpha&tStartRow=1&AlphaIndex=H&driverID=1694
- ↑ http://www.dlg.speedfreaks.org/archive/1994/1994.html
- ↑ http://www.historicracing.com/driver_az.cfm?type=drivers_alpha&tStartRow=1&AlphaIndex=H&driverID=1694
- ↑ http://blog.toyota.co.uk/team-toyota-gb-driver-profile-chris-hodgetts
- ↑ http://media.toyota.co.uk/2012/08/chris-hodgetts-and-son-stefan-to-race-toyota-gt86/
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Andy Rouse |
British Touring Car Champion 1986–1987 |
Succeeded by Frank Sytner |