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The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s and 1970s, and then Group A in the 1980s, when in 1987, the series was renamed as its current name. (A lower-key Group N series for production cars ran for most of the 1990s). The championship was initially run with a mix of classes, divided according to engine capacity, racing simultaneously. This often meant that a driver who chose the right class could win the overall championship without any chance of overall race wins, thereby devaluing the title for the spectators – for example, in the 1980s Chris Hodgetts won two overall titles in a small Toyota Corolla prepared by Hughes Of Beaconsfield, at that time a Mercedes-Benz/Toyota main dealer when most of the race wins were going to much larger cars; and while the Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500s were playing at the front of the field, Frank Sytner took a title in a Class B BMW M3 and John Cleland's first title was won in a small Class C Vauxhall Astra. Image File history File links Btcc_logo. ...
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ...
Fabrizio Giovanardi (born December 14, 1966) is a racecar driver. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...
SEAT (IPA: ) is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 and now subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...
Vauxhall is an inner city area of south London in the London Borough of Lambeth. ...
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. ...
The Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile, commonly referred to as the FIA, is a non-profit association established on June 20, 1904 to represent the interest of motoring organisations and motor car users. ...
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. ...
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group N referred to a set of regulations providing a set of rules for standard production vehicles for competition, often referred to as the Showroom Class. This contrasts with the Group A all-out competition production-derived vehicles. ...
Chris Hodgetts (born December 6, 1950 in Tamworth-in-Arden) is a British former racing driver. ...
Frank Sytner (born June 29, 1944 in Liverpool) is a British racing driver, a Life Member of the BRDC, and was the 1988 British Touring Car Champion, driving a BMW M3. ...
The BMW M3 is a high performance version of the popular compact BMW 3-Series automobile, made by BMW M. M3 models have been derived from the E30, E36, E46 and E92 3-series. ...
John Cleland (born July 15, 1952 in Wishaw). ...
Vauxhall Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors (GM), on their small family car ranges since 1979. ...
After the domination (and expense) of the Ford Sierra Cosworth in the late 1980s, the BTCC was the first to introduce a 2.0 L formula, in 1990, which later became the template for the Supertouring class that exploded throughout Europe. The BTCC continued to race with Supertouring until 2000 and has since adopted its own 'BTC Touring' rules. However the S2000 rules will now be observed for the 2007 season for the overall championship. Supertouring, Class 2 or Class II Touring Cars were the rules laid out by the FIA for national touring car racing in 1994, based on the 2. ...
The 2000 theAA.com British Touring Car Championship season was the 43rd British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season and marked the final year for Super Touring specification cars in the championship. ...
Championship protagonists Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi collide at Snetterton. ...
Type of cars
Currently, the cars used are 2.0 L saloons, based on models from a variety of manufacturers, using both "BTC Touring" and Super 2000 regulations (the technical regulations used in the World Touring Car Championship). Cars built to the different regulations are made as equal as possible by the use of weight equivalency formulae. From 2007 BTCC-spec cars will be replaced by cars built to Super 2000 specification, but with a provision for independent teams to continue using their old cars. This move is intended to encourage more manufacturers back into the series, as the same car would be eligible for many national championships as well as the WTCC. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1066 pixel, file size: 244 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1066 pixel, file size: 244 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ...
Brands Hatch is a British motor racing circuit. ...
WTCC redirects here. ...
Championship protagonists Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi collide at Snetterton. ...
Super 2000, also known as S2000, is an FIA specification and classification for production based race cars. ...
BTCC teams are a mixture of "works" teams from manufacturers (currently only Vauxhall and SEAT) and independent teams such as Team RAC, Team Dynamics, Synchro Motorsport and Team Eurotech. In 2005, Team Dynamics became the first independent outfit to win the BTCC drivers and team championships; Matt Neal won the overall and independent drivers contests in his Team Dynamics Honda Integra. He also claimed the extra achievement of finishing all 30 championship races that year. This ended Vauxhall's run of 4 victories in the championships for drivers, teams and manufacturers between 2001 and 2004. Team Dynamics also achieved the first overall independents race win in the 'Supertouring' era when Matt Neal won a round of the 1999 BTCC at Donington park, earning the team prize-money of £250,000. The VXR logo VXR is the branding for the high-performance models in many of Vauxhalls car range. ...
SEAT (IPA: ) is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 and now subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. ...
History WSR Headquarters in Sunbury-on-Thames, England Founded in 1981, West Surrey Racing is run by New Zealander Dick Bennetts. ...
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team, best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship. ...
Jordans Eurotech Honda Integra livery for 2006 Mike Jordan is a British racing driver from Sutton Coldfield, born on February 17, 1958. ...
The 2005 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 48th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. ...
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team, best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship. ...
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team, best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship. ...
There are strict limits to the modifications which can be made to the cars, which are intended to reduce the cost of running a competitive team, which had become prohibitive in the final years of the Supertouring rules. These cost reductions have seen a rise in independent entries – teams or individuals entering cars purchased from the manufacturer teams when they update their chassis. These so called "ex-works" cars have enjoyed some success. To further keep costs in check, the BTCC uses a "control tyre", with Dunlop the current supplier of rubber to all the teams. Dunlop Tyres is an international United Kingdom-based company founded in 1888 by John Boyd Dunlop after he invented the modern pneumatic inflatable tyre. ...
The rules allow for a variety of different fuels in a bid to encourage more efficient cars: in 2004 Mardi Gras Motorsport independently entered a Liquified petroleum gas powered Super 2000 Honda Civic Type-R (which was subsequently replaced by a more competitive BTC-Touring Peugeot 406 Coupé, still LPG powered), and in 2005 Tech-Speed Motorsport converted an ex-works Vauxhall Astra Coupé to run on bio-ethanol fuel. In the middle of 2006, Kartworld's owner-driver Jason Hughes converted his 4 cylinder MG ZS to run on Bio-Ethanol, soon followed by the West Surrey Racing cars of championship contender Colin Turkington and Rob Collard, and for the final event at Silverstone, Richard Marsh converted his Peugeot 307 to run on bio-ethanol fuel. The regulations also permit cars to run on diesel; attempted first in the 2007 season by Rick Kerry in a BMW 120d E87 run by Team AFM Racing . Autogas is the common name for liquified petroleum gas when it is used as a fuel in internal combustion engines in vehicles. ...
The Honda Civic is a compact car manufactured by Honda. ...
Peugeot 406 Coupé The Peugeot 406 was a large family car from the French automaker Peugeot from 1995 to 2004. ...
Vauxhall Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors (GM), on their small family car ranges since 1979. ...
The use of ethanol as a fuel for internal combustion engines, either alone or in combination with other fuels, has been given much attention mostly because of its possible environmental and long-term economical advantages over fossil fuel. ...
Jason Hughes (born July 24, 1969 is the owner-driver of the Kartworld auto racing team, which has competed in the BTCC since 2003. ...
History WSR Headquarters in Sunbury-on-Thames, England Founded in 1981, West Surrey Racing is run by New Zealander Dick Bennetts. ...
Colin Turkington is an auto racing driver from Newry in Northern Ireland, born on 21st March 1982. ...
Robert Collard (born October 1, 1968) is an auto racing driver from Hampshire, best known for racing in the British Touring Car Championship and claiming the Independents Cup title in 2003. ...
Richard Marsh is an auto racing driver from Derbyshire, England. ...
Current season -
For 2007 Races all take place on weekends during the British spring and summer. Previously there have been three-day Bank Holiday meetings, but for 2007 all of the events are to take place on a Saturday and Sunday. There will be ten racing weekends at nine different circuits, including Brands Hatch, Rockingham Motor Speedway and Oulton Park in England and Knockhill in Scotland. The round at Mondello Park in Ireland has been left off this year's calendar. Each round comprises three races, making a thirty round competition in total. In a surprising move Silverstone was dropped from the calendar for 2007, the official reason for this being the inability of Silverstone and the BTCC to agree on dates. Championship protagonists Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi collide at Snetterton. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Brands Hatch is a British motor racing circuit. ...
Rockingham Motor Speedways Main Grandstand, courtesy of flickr contributor This article is about Rockingham Motor Speedway, a race track in England. ...
Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, northwest England,about 5 miles from Winsford, 13 miles to Chester City Center, 8 miles to Northwich and 17 miles to Warrington with nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line set in rolling...
Knockhill Racing Circuit In the 1970’s the owner of the then sheep farm known as South Lethans Farm, Knockhill, Near Saline by Dunfermline, Fife was Tom Kinnaird himself a great motorcycle racing fan who enjoyed visiting various amateur race meetings all around Scotland. ...
Mondello Park is a motor sport race track in County Kildare, Ireland. ...
Silverstone Circuit is a racing circuit at Silverstone, England. ...
Race format On the Saturday of a race weekend there are two practice sessions followed by a 30-minute qualifying session which determines the starting order for the first race on the Sunday, the fastest driver lining up in pole position. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Each race typically consists of between 16 and 25 laps, depending on the length of the circuit. The result of race one determines the grid order for race two (ie the winner starts on pole). For race three, a draw takes place to decide at which place the grid is 'reversed'. This means drivers finishing 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th in race two could take pole position for race 3 depending on the outcome of the draw. For example, if position 7 is chosen in the draw, the driver finishing in 7th position in race two starts on pole, 6th place starts in second place, 5th place starts in third etc. Drivers finishing in 8th place and beyond would start race three in their finishing order for race two.
Previous to 2006, the driver finishing in 10th place in race two took pole position for race three. This initiated deliberate race 'fixing', whereby some drivers attempted to finished in 10th place during race two to gain pole position in race three. This "reverse grid" rule polarised opinion: some fans enjoy the spectacle afforded by having unlikely drivers on pole position while faster ones have to battle through the field; others feel it detracts from the purity of the racing. For example, some drivers might decide to slow down and let others pass them, thereby improving their own starting position for the "reverse grid" race, which is contrary to the spirit of motor racing – which is to try to come first in every race. This factor contributed the rule change for the 2006 season. The 2006 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season will be the 49th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. ...
Points system Points are awarded to the top ten drivers in each race as follows: 1st=15pts, 2nd=12pts, 3rd=10pts, 4th=8pts, 5th=6pts, 6th=5pts, 7th=4pts, 8th=3pts, 9th=2pts and 10th=1pt.
An extra point is awarded to the driver who sets the fastest lap of each race.
A bonus point is awarded to each driver who is classified as leading a lap, though no driver may collect more than one point per race no matter how many laps they lead.
A bonus point is also given to the driver who lines up on pole position after the qualifying session.
Television coverage In the UK, ITV1 shows live coverage from all BTCC race meetings with commentary from Tim Harvey and Ben Edwards. For 2006, ITV1's coverage includes highlights from the first and second race of the day and live coverage of the third and final race. Motors TV, a subscription channel, used to show all the races, including some support races, live both in the UK and across Europe. [1]. Prior to that, the BBC used to screen highlights, which the F1 commentator at the time, Murray Walker used to do the commentating, then by the late nineties, some of the live races were screened. The series is also screened all over the world including Speedvision in the US who used to screen highlights. In 2007 Setanta Sports will show all the races live including the support races. From the August Brands Hatch meeting, ITV showed all three races in full although it is unclear how long this will continue. ITV1 is the name, in England, Wales and the Scottish borders, for a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel, broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ...
Tim Harvey (born November 20, 1961 in Farnborough, London) is a racing driver from England. ...
Ben Edwards is a British motor racing commentator. ...
Motors TV is a television channel dedicated to news, documentaries and coverage of motorsport and automobiles, and to a lesser extent motorbikes, boats, aircraft and models. ...
This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ...
Formula One, abbreviated to F1 and also known as Grand Prix racing, is the highest class of single-seat open-wheel auto racing. ...
Murray Walker. ...
SPEED Channel, based in Charlotte, was launched on New Years Day 1996, by Roger Werner, as SpeedVision. ...
Previous champions -
Currently, 5 championships are awarded per season. The overall driver's championship is the driver gaining the most points overall throughout the season. Since 1992, the independents driver championship has also been awarded to the leading non-manufacturer-backed driver. There are also awards for the best overall team, leading manufacturer and, since 2004, the top independent team. Previous championship titles were awarded to the leading "Production" (or "Class B") driver and team between 2000 and 2003. Since 2001 (the beginning of a new era for the series) four drivers from two makes have won the BTCC driver's championship: The title of BTCC champion is awarded to the driver who scores the most points overall in a British Touring Car Championship season. ...
The 2001 theAA.com British Touring Car Championship season was the 44th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season and marked the beginning of a new era of lower-cost rules and regulations for the series. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Jason Plato is a British auto racing driver, born in 1968 in Oxford and currently living in Monte Carlo. ...
For information about the football team see Vauxhall Motors F.C. Vauxhall Motors is a UK car company. ...
Triple Eight Race Engineering is one of the leading motorsport teams competing in the Australian V8 Supercars series. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
The 2002 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 45th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
James Thompson (born April 26, 1974) is a British auto racing driver from York. ...
For information about the football team see Vauxhall Motors F.C. Vauxhall Motors is a UK car company. ...
Triple Eight Race Engineering is one of the leading motorsport teams competing in the Australian V8 Supercars series. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Dan Eaves is a British auto racing driver, born on 3 June 1975. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
James Kaye is a British auto racing driver. ...
The 2003 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 46th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. ...
Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...
Yvan Muller (born August 16, 1969) is a French auto racing driver. ...
For information about the football team see Vauxhall Motors F.C. Vauxhall Motors is a UK car company. ...
Triple Eight Race Engineering is one of the leading motorsport teams competing in the Australian V8 Supercars series. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Robert Collard (born October 1, 1968) is an auto racing driver from Hampshire, best known for racing in the British Touring Car Championship and claiming the Independents Cup title in 2003. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Luke Hines, the son of Martin Hines, is a British auto racing driver. ...
The 2004 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 47th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
James Thompson (born April 26, 1974) is a British auto racing driver from York. ...
For information about the football team see Vauxhall Motors F.C. Vauxhall Motors is a UK car company. ...
Triple Eight Race Engineering is one of the leading motorsport teams competing in the Australian V8 Supercars series. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Scotland. ...
Anthony Reid is a British auto racing driver, born on 17/05/57 in Glasgow, Scotland. ...
History WSR Headquarters in Sunbury-on-Thames, England Founded in 1981, West Surrey Racing is run by New Zealander Dick Bennetts. ...
The 2005 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 48th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Matt Neal (born December 20, 1966 in Birmingham) is a British motor racing driver. ...
This article is about the Japanese motor corporation. ...
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team, best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Matt Neal (born December 20, 1966 in Birmingham) is a British motor racing driver. ...
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team, best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship. ...
The 2006 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season will be the 49th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Matt Neal (born December 20, 1966 in Birmingham) is a British motor racing driver. ...
This article is about the Japanese motor corporation. ...
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team, best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ...
Matt Neal (born December 20, 1966 in Birmingham) is a British motor racing driver. ...
Team Dynamics is a UK-based motor-racing team, best known for their successes as an independent squad in the British Touring Car Championship. ...
Championship protagonists Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi collide at Snetterton. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Italy. ...
Fabrizio Giovanardi (born December 14, 1966) is a racecar driver. ...
Vauxhall is an inner city area of south London in the London Borough of Lambeth. ...
SEAT (IPA: ) is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 and now subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. ...
Image File history File links Flag_of_Northern_Ireland. ...
Colin Turkington is an auto racing driver from Newry in Northern Ireland, born on 21st March 1982. ...
History WSR Headquarters in Sunbury-on-Thames, England Founded in 1981, West Surrey Racing is run by New Zealander Dick Bennetts. ...
See also TOCA are the organisers and administrators of the BTCC (British Touring Car Championship). ...
There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...
WTCC redirects here. ...
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. ...
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