Rob Austin

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Rob Austin

| image = Rob Austin, Brands Hatch, Apr 2012.jpg

| imagesize = 200px

| caption = Austin at the Brands Hatch Indy round of the 2012 British Touring Car Championship season.

| nationality = {{flagicon|GBR}} British

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1981|02|01}}

| birth_place = Evesham, Worcestershire, England, UK

| current series = British Touring Car Championship

| first year = 2011

| current team = Power Maxed Car Care Racing

| car number = 11

| former teams = Rob Austin Racing, DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing

| starts = 229

| wins = 3

| poles = 2

| fastest laps = 4

| best finish = 11th

| year = 2013, 2017

| prev series = VW Cup
Grand Prix Masters
Ginetta G50 Cup
British GT
SEAT Cupra Championship
Formula Three Euroseries
British Formula 3

| prev series years = 2012
2010
2008–2009
2008
2007
2005
2000–2004

| titles =

| title years =

| awards =

| award years =

}}

Robert Christopher Austin (born 1 February 1981) is a British racing driver who formerly competed in the British Touring Car Championship. He was born in Evesham, Worcestershire.

Racing career

=Formula 3=

His career started in British Formula Renault in 1998, where he raced until 1999. An accident put him out of racing for the 2000 season, but he returned in British Formula 3 for Alain Menu's team in 2001, where he raced until 2004. He also has Japanese Formula Three experience (2003).

=British GT Championship=

Austin entered the British GT Championship in 2008 with a brand new Ginetta G50 GT4 under the Rob Austin Racing banner.{{cite web|title=AUSTIN POWERS BRITISH GT ASSAULT|url=http://www.gtgateway.com/generalfull.php?pageNum_gennews=49&totalRows_gennews=296&articleId=69|work=GTGateway.com|access-date=16 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811010206/http://gtgateway.com/generalfull.php?pageNum_gennews=49&totalRows_gennews=296&articleId=69|archive-date=11 August 2014|df=dmy-all}} He drove alongside Hunter Abbott although they missed the first event at Oulton Park when Abbott crashed and destroyed the car. They took the first of three GT4 victories in the third race of the season at Knockhill having taken delivery of a new car.{{cite web|title=Hunter Abbott Returns to Take British GT Win after Nightmare Crash|url=http://www.britishgt.com/newsitem.php?key=756|work=British GT Championship|access-date=16 October 2012}} The pair finished the season joint third in the GT4 standings after finishing on the podium at every race they finished, except for their disqualification at Thruxton.

=British Touring Car Championship=

In 2011, Austin took over the driving duties from David Pinkney in the British Touring Car Championship due to Pinkney's departure from the team after the first round. He competed in a NGTC specification Audi A4 for his own team.{{cite news|url=http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2340&month=4&year=2011&form=browse&searchterm=|title=Austin to race at Donington|work=btcc.net|publisher=British Touring Car Championship|date=8 April 2011|access-date=8 April 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318012526/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2340&month=4&year=2011&form=browse&searchterm=|archive-date=18 March 2012|df=dmy-all}} Austin qualified a career best fourth at Knockhill but retired in the first race.{{cite web|last=Turner|first=Kevin|title=Chilton gives Global Ford Focus first BTCC pole at Knockhill|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/94222|work=Autosport|date=3 September 2011 |publisher=Haymarket Publishing|access-date=16 October 2012}} He took his maiden podium finish in the third race at Rockingham, ending up second behind James Nash.{{cite web|last=Turner|first=Kevin|title=James Nash holds off Rob Austin to take maiden British Touring Car win at Rockingham|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/94658/|work=Autosport|date=18 September 2011 |publisher=Haymarket Publishing|access-date=16 October 2012}} He completed the season in 16th place with one podium finish and one fastest lap.

File:BTCC Round 5 @ Oulton Park 2013 (9051780586).jpg.]]

Rob Austin Racing signed Mark Hazell to drive the team's Audi A4 for the start of the 2012 season, but Austin was the only entry for the season opener at Brands Hatch Indy.{{cite web|last=Hudson|first=Neil|title=Rob Austin to race the team's second Audi A4 at Brands|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7360|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130205004920/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7360|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 February 2013|work=TouringCarTimes|access-date=16 October 2012}} He finished eighth in the first race of the season and finished fifth in the following two races. Hazell left the team after Brands Hatch, leaving Austin as the team's only driver for Donington Park and Thruxton. Austin sat out the meeting at Oulton Park while series debutant and 2009 Euroseries 3000 champion Will Bratt was the team's sole entrant at the Cheshire venue.{{cite web|last=Hudson|first=Neil|title=Will Bratt to race for Rob Austin Racing at Oulton Park|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7731|work=TouringCarTimes|access-date=16 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802030543/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=7731|archive-date=2 August 2012|df=dmy-all}} He returned to the car for the next race at Croft, taking his second podium finish in race two.{{cite web|title=Victory number six for Shedden|url=http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3046&month=6&year=2012&form=browse&searchterm=|work=BTCC.net|access-date=16 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130221101753/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3046&month=6&year=2012&form=browse&searchterm=|archive-date=21 February 2013|df=dmy-all}} He was unable to find the budget to race at Knockhill, forcing him to miss the event but he returned to the car at Rockingham.{{cite web|title=Trio to miss Knockhill|url=http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3113&month=0&year=2012&form=search&searchterm=Rob%20Austin|work=BTCC.net|access-date=16 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211102111/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3113&month=0&year=2012&form=search&searchterm=Rob%20Austin|archive-date=11 December 2013|df=dmy-all}} He was disqualified from the third race at Silverstone after colliding with Daniel Welch on lap three while fighting for second place.{{cite web|last=Hudson|first=Neil|title=Penalties handed out for Wood, Wrathall & Austin|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=8245|work=TouringCarTimes|access-date=16 October 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124001111/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=8245|archive-date=24 November 2012|df=dmy-all}} Austin secured a title sponsor for the season finale at Brands Hatch, his car would carry a special NASCAR inspired livery for Wix Filters.{{cite web|title=New livery for Rob Austin at Brands Hatch|url=http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=8271|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204230555/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=8271|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 February 2013|work=TouringCarTimes|access-date=16 October 2012}}

Austin confirmed his return in 2013 with the team running under the WIX Filters banner.{{cite news|title=RAR confirms Wix, Bratt|url=http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3294|work=British Touring Car Championship|publisher=TOCA|access-date=1 April 2013|date=10 January 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130413175850/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3294|archive-date=13 April 2013|df=dmy-all}} Austin led early on in the first race of the season at Brands Hatch, he was then passed by Jason Plato and eventually finished third behind Andrew Jordan. He retired from the following two races, in race three he was collected by Dave Newsham who had spun and Austin had a high speed collision with the barriers before coming to a rest in the middle of the track.{{cite news|last=Mitchell|first=Scott|title=Brands Hatch BTCC: Neal Heads Remarkable Honda 1–2|url=http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2013/03/brands-hatch-btcc-neal-heads-remarkable-honda-1-2/|work=The Checkered Flag|publisher=BlackEagleMedia Network|access-date=1 April 2013|date=31 March 2013}} He took his first pole position in the BTCC at the Knockhill round.{{cite news|title=Austin takes maiden pole|url=http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3523|work=British Touring Car Championship|publisher=TOCA|access-date=24 August 2013|date=24 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030084050/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=3523|archive-date=30 October 2013|df=dmy-all}} He took his first outright win at the next event at Rockingham; he took victory in race two ahead of Gordon Shedden.{{cite news|last=Anderson|first=Ben|title=Rockingham BTCC: Rob Austin secures maiden victory|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109893/|work=Autosport|publisher=Haymarket Publications|access-date=29 January 2014|date=15 September 2013}} After that he only scored 11 more points for the rest of the year, finishing 11th in the standings.

File:BTCC Finale, 2014, Brands Hatch (16276368340).jpg at Brands Hatch during the 2014 British Touring Car Championship season.]]

Austin returned for the 2014 season. Exocet took over title sponsorship after the departure of WIX Filters. WIX then continued their BTCC tenure with Adam Morgan and his family run team 'Ciceley Racing'.{{cite news|last=Mason|first=Dan|title=Austin to Run Under Exocet Racing Banner in 2014|url=http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2014/01/austin-run-exocet-racing-banner-2014/|publisher=The Checkered Flag|access-date=29 January 2014|date=9 January 2014}}

In March 2014 Hunter Abbott signed for Rob Austin Racing to run in a second Audi A4 in the 2014 season under the AlcoSense Racing Banner.{{Cite web|url=http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112871|title = Hunter Abbott joins Rob Austin Racing for 2014 BTCC}}

=Other activities=

Austin appeared in the Ron Howard film Rush (2013), portraying Brett Lunger and driving his Surtees TS19, which is owned by his father for racing in historic events.{{cite web|title=Rob Austin: Movie Star!|url=http://www.robaustin.com/rob-austin-movie-star/|work=Rob Austin Racing|publisher=Rob Austin Motorsport Ltd|access-date=16 July 2013|date=30 March 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002082359/http://www.robaustin.com/rob-austin-movie-star/|archive-date=2 October 2013|df=dmy-all}}

Racing record

File:Rob Austin - 2017 BTCC Knockhill (Saturday, FP2).jpg round of the 2017 British Touring Car Championship.]]

File:BTCC Race1 (44035817751).jpg during the 2018 British Touring Car Championship season.]]

=Career summary=

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center" ! Season ! Series ! Team ! Races ! Wins ! Poles ! F/Laps ! Podiums ! Points ! Position
2000 \|align=left\| British Formula 3 Championship \|align=left\| Carlin Motorsport \| 1 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| NC
2001 \|align=left\| British Formula 3 Championship \|align=left\| Alain Menu Racing \| 25 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 8 \| 19th
2002 \|align=left\| British Formula 3 Championship \|align=left\| Menu F3 Motorsport \| 26 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 94 \| 9th
2003 \|align=left\| British Formula 3 Championship \|align=left\| Menu F3 Motorsport \| 16 \| 1 \| 2 \| 0 \| 5 \| 110 \| 7th
2004 \|align=left\| British Formula 3 Championship \|align=left\| Menu F3 Motorsport \| 8 \| 0 \| 0 \| 2 \| 1 \| 32 \| 16th
2005 \|align=left\| Formula 3 Euro Series \|align=left\| Team Midland Euroseries \| 4 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| NC
rowspan=2\| 2007 \|align=left\| SEAT Cupra Great Britain R class \|align=left\| Startline Services \| 11 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 1 \| 60 \| 8th
align=left\| Ginetta Championship \|align=left\| Rob Austin Racing \| 11 \| 1 \| 0 \| 2 \| 5 \| 168 \| 11th
rowspan=2\| 2008 \|align=left\| British GT Championship - GT4 \|align=left rowspan=2\| Rob Austin Racing \| 14 \| 3 \| 2 \| 4 \| 10 \| 80 \|style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| 2nd
align=left\| Ginetta G50 Cup \| 4 \| 2 \| 1 \| 1 \| 4 \| 132 \| 14th
2009 \|align=left\| Ginetta G50 Cup \|align=left\| Rob Austin Racing \| 6 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 2 \| 51 \| 19th
2010 \|align=left\| Grand Prix Masters \| \| 7 \| 1 \| 1 \| 1 \| 3 \| N/A \| N/A
2011 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| Rob Austin Racing \| 25 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 1 \| 26 \| 16th
rowspan="2" \| 2012 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| Rob Austin Racing \| 22 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 122 \| 13th
align=left\| Historic Grand Prix of Monaco - Series F \|align=left\| Surtees \|1 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|0 \|N/A \|9th
2013 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| WIX Racing \| 29 \| 1 \| 1 \| 2 \| 5 \| 154 \| 11th
2014 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| Exocet Racing \| 30 \| 1 \| 0 \| 1 \| 4 \| 147 \| 12th
2015 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| Exocet AlcoSense Racing \| 30 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 120 \| 14th
2016 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| Handy Motorsport \| 30 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 3 \| 129 \| 16th
2017 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| Handy Motorsport \| 30 \| 1 \| 1 \| 0 \| 2 \| 174 \| 11th
2018 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing \| 30 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 2 \| 126 \| 14th
2020 \|align=left\| British Touring Car Championship \|align=left\| Power Maxed Car Care Racing \| 3 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 13 \| 22nd

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center"

! Season

! Series

! Team

! Races

! Wins

! Poles

! F/Laps

! Podiums

! Points

! Position

2000

|align=left| British Formula 3 Championship

|align=left| Carlin Motorsport

| 1

| 0

| NC

2001

|align=left| British Formula 3 Championship

|align=left| Alain Menu Racing

| 25

| 0

| 8

| 19th

2002

|align=left| British Formula 3 Championship

|align=left| Menu F3 Motorsport

| 26

| 0

| 1

| 94

| 9th

2003

|align=left| British Formula 3 Championship

|align=left| Menu F3 Motorsport

| 16

| 1

| 2

| 0

| 5

| 110

| 7th

2004

|align=left| British Formula 3 Championship

|align=left| Menu F3 Motorsport

| 8

| 0

| 2

| 1

| 32

| 16th

2005

|align=left| Formula 3 Euro Series

|align=left| Team Midland Euroseries

| 4

| 0

| NC

rowspan=2| 2007

|align=left| SEAT Cupra Great Britain R class

|align=left| Startline Services

| 11

| 0

| 1

| 60

| 8th

align=left| Ginetta Championship

|align=left| Rob Austin Racing

| 11

| 1

| 0

| 2

| 5

| 168

| 11th

rowspan=2| 2008

|align=left| British GT Championship - GT4

|align=left rowspan=2| Rob Austin Racing

| 14

| 3

| 2

| 4

| 10

| 80

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd

align=left| Ginetta G50 Cup

| 4

| 2

| 1

| 4

| 132

| 14th

2009

|align=left| Ginetta G50 Cup

|align=left| Rob Austin Racing

| 6

| 0

| 2

| 51

| 19th

2010

|align=left| Grand Prix Masters

| 7

| 1

| 3

| N/A

2011

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| Rob Austin Racing

| 25

| 0

| 1

| 26

| 16th

rowspan="2" | 2012

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| Rob Austin Racing

| 22

| 0

| 1

| 122

| 13th

align=left| Historic Grand Prix of Monaco - Series F

|align=left| Surtees

|N/A

|9th

2013

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| WIX Racing

| 29

| 1

| 2

| 5

| 154

| 11th

2014

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| Exocet Racing

| 30

| 1

| 0

| 1

| 4

| 147

| 12th

2015

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| Exocet AlcoSense Racing

| 30

| 0

| 120

| 14th

2016

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| Handy Motorsport

| 30

| 0

| 3

| 129

| 16th

2017

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| Handy Motorsport

| 30

| 1

| 0

| 2

| 174

| 11th

2018

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing

| 30

| 0

| 2

| 126

| 14th

2020

|align=left| British Touring Car Championship

|align=left| Power Maxed Car Care Racing

| 3

| 0

| 13

| 22nd

=Complete Formula 3 Euro Series results=

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

! Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! DC

! Points

2005

! nowrap| Team Midland Euroseries

! nowrap| Dallara F305/001

! Toyota

| HOC
1

| HOC
2

| PAU
1

| PAU
2

| SPA
1

| SPA
2

| MON
1

| MON
2

| OSC
1

| OSC
2

| NOR
1

| NOR
2

| NÜR
1

| NÜR
2

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ZAN
1
{{small|12}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ZAN
2
{{small|Ret}}

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| LAU
1
{{small|21}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LAU
2
{{small|Ret}}

| HOC
1

| HOC
2

! NC

! 0

=Complete British GT Championship results=

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position in class) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap in class)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

! Year

! Entrant

! Car

! Class

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! DC

! Points

2008

! nowrap| Rob Austin Racing

! nowrap| Ginetta G50

! GT4

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| OUL
1
{{small|DNS}}

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| OUL
2
{{small|DNS}}

|style="background:#ffffbf;"| KNO
1
{{small|9}}

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| KNO
2
{{small|Ret}}

|style="background:#dfdfdf;"| ROC
1
{{small|14}}

|style="background:#ffffbf;"| ROC
2
{{small|10}}

|style="background:#ffffbf;"| SNE
1
{{small|16}}

|style="background:#dfdfdf;"| SNE
2
{{small|15}}

|style="background:#ffdf9f;"| THR
1
{{small|14}}

|style="background:#000000; color:white"| THR
2
{{small|DSQ}}

|style="background:#dfdfdf;"| BRH
1
{{small|12}}

|style="background:#ffdf9f;"| BRH
2
{{small|11}}

|style="background:#ffdf9f;"| SIL
1
{{small|7}}

|style="background:#dfdfdf;"| DON
1
{{small|11}}

|style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd

|style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 80

=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 given)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

! Year

! Team

! Car

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9