The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship has been recognised as the UK’s Series of the Year in the first annual Motorsport News Awards in association with Cataclean.

Weekly title Motorsport News invited a panel of experts to assess the leading categories in Britain across both circuit racing and rallying, and the BTCC was a clear winner once the voting had taken place.

The 30-round contest has featured heavily in Motorsport News’s content once again this season and a recent reader survey by the publication underlined the BTCC’s popularity with its readership. This has been endorsed by the first MN award.

Motorsport News Editor Matt James said: “It is only appropriate that a trail-blazing championship such as the BTCC has scooped the inaugural accolade as the Series of the Year.

“The BTCC is clearly the leading spectator-focused championship in the country and its commitment to the fans is unequalled, which is what helped it to stand clear of any other nominations to claim the 2021 Motorsport News Series of the Year in association with Cataclean gong.

“Things like the reversed pit garage plan, which has been rolled out at a number of venues once again in 2021, allowed the supporters to be as close to the action as possible. It is just another example of how the championship has an access-all-areas ethos and that is what continues its huge popularity.”

For a full feature on the BTCC’s success as well as the results of the eight other awards handed out this week, see Motorsport News, out now.