Matt Allison (born 13 June 1983 in Norwich) is a British racing driver. He is most well known for winning the 2006 British GT Championship and for racing in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). He progressed through the ranks of British Karting, winning two championships and two runner-up trophies before moving to Formula Ford in the 2000.
In his first year of car racing, Allison won the BRDC Formula Ford 1600 single seater championship. He progressed to the senior Ford 1800 category for 2001–2003 with numerous podium finishes and a championship best finish of 5th in 2002. Funding issues preventing a move to Formula Renault/F3 saw him switch to front wheel drive saloon racing in the form of the Renault Clio Cup. A 3rd place in only his third ever saloon car race meant that Allison was again at the front of a respected British championship and pushing for the title. Finishing 3rd overall with an impressive 12 podiums, he went on to win the highly prestigious Renault Clio Winter Cup Series in 2005.[1]
In 2006 Allison saw his career take a big step forwards when he was given the opportunity to enter the world of sportscar racing in the British GT Championship. He drove his Porsches 911 GT3 to four wins, nine podiums and six pole positions to clinch his third British Championship in six years. Racing across Europe, Allison won the highly prestigious Pau Grand Prix Street Race in France in July 2006[2] beating over 60 entries from across Europe.
In late 2006 Allison participated in the last rounds of the FIA GT3 European Championship at Mugello in Italy, racing an Ascari KZ1. In torrential conditions he proved his talent in a car he barely knew by finishing second in both the two-hour races, Ascari's best results of the season.[3]
In 2007 Allison entered the British Touring Car Championship racing for Motorbase Performance in their SEAT Toledo Cupras. He finished a very credible 6th in the Independents Trophy and 12th overall. His performance over the season won him widespread recognition as a touring car driver and he was rated in the Top 10 of the BTCC 2007 Season by Autosport in his first season.[4]
In early 2008 Allison signed to drive a Chevrolet Lacetti for Robertshaw Racing in the 2008 British Touring Car Championship season. With little opportunity to test the car before the Media Day at Rockingham Motor Speedway, he finished 7th for the day on his first drive in the car justifying his high expectations for the season. He put in some good performances in the first 9 rounds of the series, picking up some good points, but the car was weighted down by the organisers, making it uncompetitive and Allison had to pull out after the Donington Park rounds due to financial problems.[5] Despite this, Allison was still 17th in the championship.
Unable to secure a satisfactory full-time seat for 2009, Allison decided to take some time out to concentrate on his family business, for which he is the majority shareholder, and analyse opportunities from there.
It was not until 2011 that Allison made his racing return, in the highly competitive Renault Clio Cup. After three seasons away he showed no signs of slowing down, finishing 4th on his debut, and went on to score two popular wins at Croft.
2012 was a big year for Allison as he became a father for the first time with his wife Elise, and was also accepted as a full member of the British Racing Drivers Club (BRDC), a personal ambition of Allison's of which he is very proud.
Personal life
As well as being a keen golfer, Allison is a Director of numerous companies in his home town of Norwich. He is also an experienced race instructor having worked at many of England's racing schools, and has undertaken corporate work for, amongst others, Mazda, Renault and Volvo.
In more recent years he has been the Driver Performance Coach for R Racing Ltd in the Ginetta Junior Championship which supports the BTCC & British GT Championship. In 2022 & 2023 he coached the overall drivers champion, Josh Rowledge & Freddie Slater respectively.
Racing record
2014 - Selected races in Michelin Clio Cup Series. Pole position at first round at Thruxton after 3yrs sabbatical. Numeorus podiums including double win at Croft.
2012 - Accepted as Full Member to the BRDC - British Racing Drivers Club
2011 – Part season in Elf Renault Clio Cup – 2 pole positions & 2 wins (Croft) + x6 top
6 finishes with new team, leading the team on setup & best practise.
2010 – 1 Year sabbatical to concentrate on family business. Selected GT testing &
2009 – Selected races Elf Renault Clio Cup – 2nd place and new lap record, Snetterton.
Selected Ginetta G50 Supercup – Front row start on first outing. X4 top 6 finishes.
2008 - Hi-Q MSA British Touring Car championship, Chevrolet Lacetti entered by RML engineering customer team Robertshaw Racing. Best result 5th.
2007 – Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, Seat Toledo Cupra, 6th BTCC Independents Championship (top rookie), Rated in Autosport’s BTCC top ten drivers.
2006 - Avon Tyres British GTC Champion ( Porsche 911 GT3) with 4 wins and 9 podiums. 2006 - Winner ‘Grand Prix De Pau’ Porsche GT3
2006 – Selected rounds of the FIA GT3 Championship in an Ascari KZ1R V8, 2 X second places.
2005 - ELF Renault Clio Cup Winter Series Champion (£10,000 prize fund)
2005 - Full season ELF Renault Clio Cup with Boulevard Team Racing. Finished 3rd in British Championship with 12 Podiums, 1 Win, 2 Pole Positions & 2 Fastest Laps. Clio Lap Records at Oulton Park and Donington Park.
2004 - Full season of ELF Renault Clio Cup - Finished 6th in British Championship with Five podiums and Two pole positions.
2003 - Last four races in ELF Renault Clio Cup, podium finish in third ever Saloon Car race.
2003 - Slick 50 Formula Ford - Lying 6th in Championship with three rounds to go but forced to pull out due to lack of funds.
2001/2002 Avon Jnr Formula Ford Championship, 5th in UK Championship
2000 - 1600 BRDC Formula Ford Champion with Six Wins
1999 - Runner Up TV Kart Masters.
1995-1998 - All Norfolk and Suffolk Junior & Senior Kart Champion. Kimbolton club champ.
Complete British Touring Car Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap- 1 point awarded all races) (* signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap – 1 point awarded all races)
Steven Colin Kane is a British racing driver who currently competes in the Blancpain Endurance Series and Avon Tyres British GT Championship for M-Sport Bentley driving a Bentley Continental GT3.
Robert John Collard is a British auto racing driver from Hampshire, best known for racing in the British Touring Car Championship, winning two races in a West Surrey Racing MG, and claiming the Independent's Cup title in 2003. In 2008, he returned to running the series full-time, driving for the Motorbase Performance team, where he remained for 2009, before returning to West Surrey Racing. Collard also owns his own demolition firm, R Collard Ltd.
Thomas Michael Onslow-Cole is a former British racing driver. He won the International GT Open in Pro-Am category in 2018 and in 2019 and the 24H Series in 2015.
Nathan Freke is a racing driver. He was the 2006 British Formula Ford Champion. Freke has held four British Kart Racing Championship Titles and in 2005 became the only driver ever to win an FIA/CIK Superkart Race in a Division 2 Kart against Division 1 Karts,.
Jonathan Robert "Jonny" Adam is a British racing driver and a factory driver for Aston Martin Racing. He was the champion of the SEAT Cupra Championship in two of its six seasons – winning in 2007 and in 2008. He also won the 2005 Elf Renault Clio Cup. He competed in the British Touring Car Championship in 2009 and currently competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship, British GT Championship, winning the 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 championships. He also won the LMGTE Pro class at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Duncan Tappy is a professional racing driver from the United Kingdom.
Michael Bentwood is a British auto racing driver. After starting racing in Karting, he entered the 1994 Formula First Winter Series, finishing the season in tenth. In 1995 he finished fifth in the Formula Vauxhall Junior Winter Series. He then spent four years between 1997 and 2000 in the British Formula 3 Class A Championship where he finished the highest placed British driver in the year 2000; winning the Raymond Mays Trophy and the BRDC Spencer Charrington Trophy. He was also awarded BRDC membership. He was proposed by Johnny Herbert and second by John Cardwell. The years of ultra competitive Formula 3 were followed in 2001 with a drive in the Euro Formula 3000 Series where he finished the season in twelfth place with a handful of top six finishes.
Stefan Hodgetts is a British auto racing driver, best known for driving a part season in the British Touring Car Championship. His father Chris was twice champion of the BTCC.
Thomas "Tommy" Erdos is a Brazilian auto racing driver. A two-time Le Mans Series champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner in LMP2, he has raced for most of his career in Great Britain and Europe, where he currently resides in Buckinghamshire, England.
Nigel Smith is a British businessman and retired auto racing driver.
Philip James Glew is a British racing driver. He has previously competed in the British Touring Car Championship and British GT Championship. He is currently a commentator for ITV Sport's coverage support races on the TOCA Tour.
Samuel Lewis Tordoff is a British racing driver best known for his appearances in the British Touring Car Championship. He is the grandson of rally driver and car dealer Jack Tordoff. Tordoff finished second overall in the 2016 British Touring Car Championship, 2 points behind Gordon Shedden. Tordoff supports his racing career with his day-to-day job as an accountant.
Martin Byford is a British racing driver from Colchester. He competed in the BTCC in 2011 for AmD Milltek. He is currently driving for BPM Motorsport in the 2019 Dunlop Endurance Championship with Ashley Woodman.
Tom Ingram is a British racing driver, currently racing in the British Touring Car Championship. Having won the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2010 and the G50 class of the Ginetta GT Supercup in 2011, Ingram was named a British Racing Drivers' Club Rising Star in 2011. He won his first BTCC race at the first round of the 2016 season at Brands Hatch. Ingram is the 2022 British Touring Car champion.
Sebastian "Seb" Morris is a professional racing driver from Marford, who lives in Chester, Cheshire. He won the 2017 British GT Championship. He also won the 2017 Sunoco Challenge which gave him the prize drive in the Number 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi at the Rolex 24 hours at Daytona. He led the race for three hours in his stint. Earlier in his career, Morris was a member of the Caterham F1 Academy and was selected by Jack Wills as a Young Brit for their 2013/14 Autumn / Winter campaign.
Hunter Abbott is a British racing driver and businessman. He has raced sportscars, GT cars and Touring Cars. He was 2017 Blancpain GT Series Asia Champion and won the RAC Trophy after victory in the 2021 Silverstone 500 race.
Andrew James "Andy" Meyrick is a British racing driver currently competing in the European Le Mans Series and GT World Challenge Europe.
Ricky Collard is a British racing driver currently competing in the British GT Championship. He is the son of former BTCC driver Rob Collard and the grandson of Hot Rod racer Mick Collard.
Ashley John Sutton is a British racing driver, and four time British Touring Car Champion, who currently competes in the British Touring Car Championship with NAPA Racing UK.
James 'Jiggy' Gornall is a British racing driver, who has competed in the British Touring Car Championship, last for Bristol Street Motors with Excelr8 TradePriceCars.com in 2022. He won the 2019 Mini Challenge UK, and the 2008 British GT Championship.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
