Following a successful 2017 season, Shredded Wheat and Motorbase Performance have partnered up once again for the 60^thAnniversary year of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

This year, Shredded Wheat is back bigger than ever and is bringing an exciting, all-new, double-decker fan-zone to the BTCC. The company is dedicated to helping people live every moment to the full and the brand new trailer is packed full of activities to ensure BTCC fans get to experience exactly that.

The Shredded Wheat team will be providing free, tasty breakfasts throughout the day for members of the public with 100% British wholegrain Shredded Wheat and a variety of toppings. The brand new bright yellow trailer will provide fans with a hub to meet the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher drivers, test out the day’s circuit on the two player simulator game, compete against other fans on the time attack game and view the BTCC races from the covered second story view platform.

Toby Baker, Marketing Director UK & Australia said: “We are delighted to be back for another season of BTCC racing with Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher.

“We are excited to see how both Tom and James get on with the new car and we look forward to celebrating some podiums throughout the season.”

The new fan-zone will be unveiled and open to fans for the first time at Brands Hatch on Sunday, 8 April from 0800. Tom Chilton and James Cole will also be on-board from 0945-1015 to meet fans and join in the fun.

Head over to the Motorbase Performance Facebook events page for full listings and timings for each BTCC event this season.

Last on our run-through of 2017’s record 13 different Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race winners is Rob Austin, following his final-round victory at Brands Hatch in what was the sendoff for his Toyota Avensis.

The win was Handy Motorsport's first in the BTCC and, with the introduction of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Duo Motorsport with HMS Racing, as the team is now known, will be hoping to pick up right where it left off last year.

It was a faultless drive from Austin, in what were difficult conditions, all things considered – with rain and tricky conditions on the Tarmac making things hard work. It was a poignant victory, too, with Austin dedicating the win to his late Grandmother, who very sadly passed away in the month prior.

“I made some silly mistakes in race one and two, I wasn’t having any of that in the last one!” said Austin after the race. “I lost my Gran when we were at Silverstone, she was my biggest fan, and in race three there a win was on the cards. It got taken away from us, so this is for her.”

“I knew I needed to pass Epps before we got onto the back straight as his car is quick, so I tried something at Graham Hill Bend and it worked well

“It’s easy when you’ve got the car under you, the team did a fantastic job and gave me a great race car.

“The job everyone has done this year deserved more silverware than we’ve had, but that’s been down to circumstances and just bad luck.

“Without that we would have hit our target of a top 10 championship finish. What’s that saying, though… you’re only as good as your last race!”

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship blasts back into action this weekend (7/8 April) as the 2018 season gets underway at Brands Hatch.

As ever, the ITV Sports Network will screen every race live and exclusively, as well as running a number of highlights programmes throughout the season. ITV4, ITV1 and the ITV Hub will all carry BTCC action in 2018... 

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialBTCC/videos/1914175878623853/?hc_ref=ARTom1-lKZz7-3fahbi7hKG6g8_BDiMB5diPvLpuQ2qxAjdo-ujHahjT03KJ3aj7aH0&fref=nf 

The campaign kicks off with qualifying this Saturday before the all-important race day on Sunday. You can catch all of the Indy circuit action at the following times:

Qualifying LIVE: Saturday 7 April
ITV.com/BTCC 1505-1550

Raceday LIVE: Sunday 8 April
ITV4 & ITV4HD 1015-1820
ITV4+1 1115-1920
ITV Hub 1015-1820
ITV.com/BTCC 1015-1820 

Highlights: Saturday 14 April
ITV4 & ITV4HD 0800-0930
ITV4 +1 0900-1030
ITV Hub Available anytime for the next 30 days

Highlights: Sunday 15 April
ITV4 & ITV4HD 0600-0710
ITV4 +1 0700-0810

Highlights: Wednesday 18 April
ITV1 & ITV1HD 2340-0100

The tens of thousands of fans trackside this weekend can also compliment their viewing with the LIVE section of the BTCC website, where you can access circuit commentary and live timing, whilst the ITV Hub will broadcast live coverage throughout Sunday on mobile and tablet devices.

ITV4 has released its LIVE broadcast times for all ten 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship events with more shows to be scheduled in due course: 

Jack Goff was the 12th winner of 2017 and he's the next on our list of last year's record 13 different Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship victors following his top-step drive in race two from Silverstone.

Pole-sitter, Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram started strongly and made good on his advantageous grid position, with the Eurotech Racing Honda Civic Type R of Goff also making a clean getaway.

It wasn't long before the scarlet Civic was hounding the Avensis, with Ingram forced onto the defensive. After two tours of trying to make his presence felt, Goff slipped his Honda into a position to make a move stick – up the inside of the Toyota at Becketts on lap three. From there, Goff had the pace to make hay out front and create a cushion to the chasing pack behind as he sealed the win in style.

“The second one took a little while to come,” said Goff post-race. “It’s been over two years now! It’s for all the Eurotech guys – we’ve had a tough time with Jeff (Smith)’s accident and it’s for all our sponsors too. I watched some old footage of Andy (Jordan) and Jason (Plato) back and I saw that at turn one we might get a bit of help with the softer compound tyre. The car was fantastic.

“It’s usually pretty good but performance over the race distance is sometimes our downfall. It was great there though even with ballast. The first NGTC pole for a Honda here and a first win for Jeff as team boss. Brilliant!”

This week’s edition of Motorsport News (out now) provides an experts view as part of its four-page preview of Britain's best-loved championship

Below is an excerpt from the interview with ITV's Tim Harvey, Paul O'Neill and David Addison, but be sure to pick up a copy of this week’s MN for the full article:

The British Touring Car Championship never fails to deliver excitement and interest up and down the grid. From the battles at the front to the shifting landscape of the series itself, there is always plenty to chew over.

Who better to answer the burning questions than the experts from ITV4, the series broadcasters, who scrutinise every practice, qualifying and race in detail.

We sat down with ITV’s racers-turned-TV personalities Tim Harvey and Paul O’Neill, along with lead commentator David Addison, to answer some of the hot topics going into the new BTCC campaign, which kicks off at Brands Hatch this weekend.

MN: Who is going to be champion?

Tim Harvey: “Colin Turkington. Because consistently he is always challenging for the title, and he has all the goods at his disposal. BMW should be slightly quicker this year in a straight line. He has everything he needs to win the championship.”

Paul O’Neill: “Turkington.”

David Addison: “Turkington. He is a top-class driver in a top-class team. Nothing is left to chance at WSR. They had occasional electrical dramas last year but it is very rare that it has a mechanical fault. Turkington knows how to wrap up points, he knows how to win championships and he rarely makes mistakes. WSR is also competitive at every venue and not every team is.”

MN: Who do you think is going to be the surprise of the season?

PO: “The Team Hard VW CCs are going to be good. If you asking me who I think is going to win the Jack Sears Trophy I would say Bobby Thompson. If you asking for someone who is not on the radar, I would say Jake Hill is going to win some races.”

TH: “The obvious candidate for the Jack Sears Trophy is Dan Cammish. He is in a fantastic car and with a fantastic team.”

DA: “I hate this phrase, but the one that will fly under the radar is James Nash because he is better than people give him credit for. He has proved how good he is in TCR and with the BTC Norlin team having proper Honda Civics at its disposal they will have a good year.”

The boys go on to discuss Dan Cammish’s chances, the competitiveness of the championship, the series’ young guns and which drivers they would pick in their BTCC dream team!

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher will be looking for home advantage to play a part in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season opener this coming weekend, with the squad aiming for a title challenge in 2018.

With an unprecedented 17 race winners confirmed and a capacity 32-car grid, the BTCC’s 60^th anniversary is all set to be a season to remember and Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Gallagher is aiming to make its mark early on.

Tom Chilton, 2010 Independents' champion, joins the Kent-based team fresh off the back of a successful World Touring Car Championship season where he clinched the Indy title and finishedthird overall against a number of manufacturer-backed competitors. In the BTCC, Chilton counts 12 race wins, 45 podiums and 12 pole positions to his name.

James Cole also makes a return to the Motorbase fold after last racing with the team during its part-season campaign in 2015. Cole has spent the last two seasons as part of the Subaru-manufacturer squad where he took his maiden BTCC pole and race win at Rockingham last season.

It’s been 25 years since the iconic RS badge last competed in the BTCC and Motorbase Performance's Focus has benefitted from a series of upgrades during the close season and now bears the distinctive styling of the latest RS.  The reworked machines have impressed during their pre-season outings, with Chilton setting the second-fastest time during the first official BTCC test at Donington Park last week.

Motorbase has enjoyed many successes on its home circuit over the years and has a great history on the Indy loop. The team celebrated its first ever BTCC win there back in 2009 and with the squad’s sights set firmly on challenging for the coveted BTCC crown, podiums and silverware are high on the agenda for the opening rounds.

“A new look car, two new drivers, a lot of hard work from the team over the winter and we're ready for Round 1," said Team Manager Oly Collins. "We've done more testing than ever – over 5,000 kilometres cumulatively across the team and more detail in the workshop means that we feel more prepared than ever before.

"It’s been a very busy winter. There has been a lot of change to the look of the team. The fresh approach from the drivers has been outstanding and we've had a very productive test program supported by impeccable reliability from the technical team behind the scenes.

“James and Tom have settled in really quickly and it feels like they've been here for ages. The atmosphere in the camp is a very positive and happy one. The pace of the new RS looks positive from the official testing we've done, but we only know what we're doing, not what everyone else is up to! We'll only find out where our rivals are at about 4 o'clock on Saturday. One thing is for sure, as is always the case in the BTCC, it will be very close and qualifying will be key to a strong weekend at Brands Hatch.”

“The car is in a sweet spot at the moment which is every drivers dream," said Chilton. "We’ve had a great pre-season testing programme, and we’re all working together really closely as a team. The relationship within the team is really strong already and team spirit is high.

“It was great to be at the top of the timing sheets on media day, and although you can never read too much into that I think we are in good stead and it’s a positive position to be in heading into the first race weekend.

“Brands Hatch is my favourite circuit, it’s both mine and the team’s local circuit and I’ve held lap records there for over 3 years so I’m really excited to start the season off there this weekend.”

“It was great to be out running against the rest of the grid for the first fully competitive session last week," said James Cole. "Overall, it was a great afternoon’s running for us and although you have to take the results with a pinch of salt on media day, our pace in the wet especially showed the potential of the package we have.

“I’m really excited about this season. I’m in the best position I’ve been in since coming into the BTCC. The RS has really come on leaps and bounds from the ST days and I can’t wait to get to Brands Hatch and show our true potential.”

AmD with Cobra Exhausts is hoping for a strong start to the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship when the new campaign kicks off at Brands Hatch this weekend.
 
The West Thurrock-based team makes the short trip to the Kent circuit with a new-look line-up in place for the BTCC’s 60th anniversary season, with long-time AmD driver Ollie Jackson being joined by series newcomer Sam Smelt.
 
Tamworth-based Jackson embarks on his third year at the wheel of the Audi S3 Saloon, seeking to build on arguably the strongest season in the championship to date last year, where the 33-year-old regularly challenged for points finishes and also led for the first time at Croft.
 
Jackson has enjoyed a full pre-season testing programme with the Audi, which has included track time in both the UK and overseas and his focus during the weekend ahead is firmly on putting early season points on the board to build on the progress made last year.
 
“We are better prepared than we ever have been for the start of a new season and with the upgrades to the car and the testing we have done, I’m confident we can enjoy a strong weekend," said Ollie Jackson.
 
“There are still a few things we want to try when the weekend gets underway, but we already have a quick package that we now need to just refine.
 
“The aim is to try and make sure we start this season where we finished the last one, and that means points in all three races has to be the target.
 
“I see no reason why we can’t look to push towards the top ten, and give ourselves a good foundation for the rest of the year.”

Smelt faces the biggest weekend of his career to date as the 21-year-old from Northampton takes to the track for his touring car debut.

Having raced in the BTCC-supporting British F4 series last year, Sam is one of four rookies on the grid for 2018 and has enjoyed a solid pre-season as he acclimatises to his new surroundings.
 
With valuable mileage under his belt, Sam goes into the season opener seeking to continue his touring car education, with three solid trouble-free races being the main target on his debut.
 
“Testing has gone pretty well and I think I’m roughly where I expected to be going into the opening rounds," said Sam Smelt. "Every time I have been out in the car, I think I have improved and hopefully by the time we get to the races on Sunday, I’ll be able to get involved in some battles and go racing.
 
“I know that it’s a big step to take into the BTCC but I’m feeling confident about the weekend ahead and can’t wait to get out there and race.
 
“If we could break into the points first time out then it would be amazing, but the main target for me is simply to stay out of trouble, bring the car home for three finishes and get as much experience under my belt as I can.”
 
“Thanks to the support of Cobra Exhausts, Carbon Clean and our other sponsors, we are probably in the best shape we have ever been with the Audis at the start of a season," said Team Principal Shaun Hollamby.
 
“The fact we have been able to get some decent testing under our belt has allowed us to plan for the season ahead, and has also given Sam the valuable running he needs ahead of his debut.
 
“It’s a huge step up for him into the BTCC but he has done a good job in testing and is getting stronger and stronger every time he goes on track. He is still learning but we’ve been impressed by how he is progressing and it will be interesting to see how he does on his debut.
 
“Ollie goes into the new season on the back of a strong 2017 and I feel he is driving better than he ever has done in the past. With that in mind, we’re confident that he can enjoy a strong start to the year and I think he is more than capable of bringing home some strong points this weekend.”

Honda duo Matt Neal and Dan Cammish are eager to reward the Halfords Yuasa Racing crew for their tireless work in readying the team’s new Civic Type R for Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship action – by racing to the podium in the season curtain-raiser at Brands Hatch.
 
A herculean effort went into preparing the two new FK8-generation models, with the second car only being completed a handful of hours before it took to the track for the Season Launch group test at Donington Park earlier this week. The first car had already been racking up the miles at Parcmotor Castellolí in northern Spain, and both Neal and Cammish added to that tally with a final run at Brands Hatch today.
 
Three-time BTCC Champion Neal is chasing history in 2018 as he targets a record-equalling fourth Drivers’ crown in Britain’s premier motorsport series, while 28-year-old Cammish – who arrives with a glittering résumé, having won no fewer than three titles in the TOCA support series – has his sights firmly set on making a fast start.
 
“It’s been a titanic effort from all the boys, with no shortage of midnight oil burned recently and the new Civic Type R is an absolute work of art," said Matt Neal. "The FK8 is a completely new platform that Honda has designed and built for the road, and it’s an excellent base model for the new race car, which already feels more stable and planted than its predecessor. The weight distribution is fantastic, although we still need to get used to the longer wheelbase and being such early days, it remains a work in progress at this point.
 
“The strength-in-depth up and down the grid looks to be as impressive as ever, though it’s impossible to know what hand everybody is showing at this stage of proceedings – it’s always a great game of poker pre-season – and we definitely still have a little bit extra in our pocket. Brands Hatch’s Indy Circuit has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for me and the target for the weekend has to be the podium, although if we could grab a win first time out with the new car, that would obviously be amazing. Dan has really stepped up to the plate, too. He has an admirable work ethic and is quickly getting up-to-speed. I’m under no illusions about what we are up against, but we’ll do our best and hopefully the results will speak for themselves.”
 
“I’ve settled into the team very well. We’ve had a few weeks together now, and we headed straight to Spain after I joined for the test, which was a good opportunity to break the ice and really get to know everybody at Halfords Yuasa Racing," said Dan Cammish. "It’s been great to build up a rapport with the guys on my side of the garage, and Matt and I are getting on really well. He’s the most experienced driver in the championship, and what he doesn’t know about racing touring cars almost certainly isn’t worth knowing. He’s been very open with me, and I’ve been picking his brains as much as possible and absorbing everything I can. We seem to share a similar driving style, and the same kind of comments and feedback on changes.
 
“Out-of-the-box, the new Civic Type R seems really impressive, which is very confidence-inspiring. The guys pulled off a marathon effort to get my car finished in time, and notwithstanding a few minor niggles in the group test – which are only to be expected during a shakedown – it ran like clockwork, which is testament to all the boys at Team Dynamics for the superb job they did. I think we are pretty much there pace-wise, too, so going to Brands Hatch, my aspirations are high. I’ve got a great team behind me, and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to challenge inside the top ten or even top five from the outset. I’ll be giving it absolutely everything, and I’ll be disappointed if I’m not fighting for podiums sooner rather than later. I’m really looking forward to letting this car off the leash!”

James Cole is next up in our look back at 2017’s record 13 different Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship race winners, having secured his maiden BTCC victory at Rockingham in the Adrian Flux Subaru Racing Levorg to make him the 11th winner of the year.

Cole also took a maiden pole position a day prior, and he held his advantage having blasted away from pole position, fending off the advances of fellow front-row starter Jack Goff.

The 29-year-old was able to gradually pull away from the pack, keeping Goff's Honda at arms length until the Type R eventually fell back into the clutches of Cole's team-mate Ashley Sutton, who made a move for second spot stick on the final tour to make it an Adrian Flux Subaru Racing one-two.

“I don’t want to say I’m speechless again, but I am,” said Cole after the race. “It couldn’t have gone any more perfectly. I knew the front-wheel drives would be quick at the start. It was about getting away well and holding them off until they started to struggle. I knew the temperatures would suit us towards the end of the race, but at the start Jack (Goff) just wouldn’t go away.

“You could feel the tyres – it’s super abrasive here and we’re not as quick at the beginning here, but we can manage it better towards the end. If it’s a win, Ash (Sutton) can bugger off, but anything else, then fair enough. Race two with max ballast and hard tyres will be tough, it’s getting warmer though so you never know.”

Brands Hatch opener to raise curtain on BTCC's 60th anniversary season

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship's 60th anniversary campaign is set to spark into life next weekend (7/8 April) at Brands Hatch, with arguably the most decorated line-up in its history, as an unparalleled 17 race-winners, and five champions, prepare themselves to battle for the most coveted prize in British motorsport.

A capacity grid, comprising 32 of the very best in touring car talent anywhere in the world will take to the track around the 1.2-mile Indy circuit in front of a packed crowd of passionate fans keen to catch a glimpse of the stars and their cars on the first outing in anger of 2018. 

The famous Kent venue played host to a nail-biting title showdown at the end of 2017 between the young pretender, Subaru's Ashley Sutton and the experienced double-champion, BMW's Colin Turkington. Sutton, then competing in just his second BTCC season, held his nerve to clinch the crown – adding his name to the record books to become a major part of the championship's storied, 60-year history. Retaining the title is another proposition entirely, however, with competition truly more fierce than it has ever been before. 

For 2018, the BTCC will again comprise of 30 rounds across ten race weekends at nine different venues around the UK. As part of the championship's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, in addition to special events at the Silverstone Classic, Goodwood Festival of Speed and more, there will be a special one-off event at Snetterton (28/29 July) – the Diamond Double – a 60-mile, clean-slate race without success ballast and with double the championship points up for grabs.

All of the action will be played out in front of an ever-increasing trackside audience numbering hundreds of thousands over the course of the season, with millions more watching live and free-to-air via the championship's longstanding broadcast partners ITV. The action saw fantastic television viewing figures in 2017, with fans tuning in to ITV4, the ITV Hub and itv.com/btcc, as well as extensive highlights programmes to keep track of every detail between Round 1 and Round 30.

Factory backing
Four manufacturers will take to the grid in 2018, with BMW, Honda, Vauxhall and Subaru all staking their claim for glory. On its return to the BTCC last year, Bavarian giants BMW aligned with decorated constructors West Surrey Racing to run a trio of 125i M Sports and this will once again be the case in 2018. Its comeback was marked in the best possible style as it took both the Manufacturers' and Teams' championships – two trophies adorned with BMW Motorsport ribbons to take back to the marque's UK headquarters.

Subaru is a relative newbie to the UK's premier tin-top tour. It joined the ranks in 2016 and immediately set fear into its more established rivals with a number of victories, searing pace and a push for championship silverware. A year later and it counts the BTCC Drivers' Championship to its name thanks to the efforts of hot-shot Ashley Sutton – himself taking the honours in what was also just his second year. The Essex racer set the pace for much of 2017 and he's sure to be right there come the end of 2018, too. Alongside him in the second Adrian Flux Subaru Racing Levorg is record race-winner Jason Plato. Since his debut in 1997, he's been right at the sharp end though it wasn't to be the case for 2017. He'll be aiming to bounce back at Brands Hatch in a little over a week's time and beyond. Youngster Josh Price will drive the third Levorg, under the Autoglym Academy Racing banner.

Colin Turkington and Rob Collard return in the famous blue, red and white of the German automaker, forming Team BMW. The former came oh-so-close to sealing the Drivers' title in the final round last year, though contact put paid to his late effort and handed Sutton the initiative as well as the overall laurels. The double champion has taken the off-season to reset and both he and the team are sure they're in the best possible place to challenge once more for the top prize.

Rob Collard was also in contention toward the top of the standings over the course of the season, though his participation was curtailed after a heavy impact in an accident at Silverstone, prematurely ending any potential run for top spot in the tally. The pair will once again be joined by Andrew Jordan in the BMW Pirtek Racing 1 Series – a man seeking to make use of the continuity of remaining with the same outfit for a second consecutive campaign, and build on what was his first season in rear-wheel drive machinery. Brands Hatch Indy was a happy hunting ground for him in 2017 as he started with a victory at the opening race weekend this time last year.

Honda is the most successful marque in the history of the championship in terms of races won and in Matt Neal, it has one of the most successful drivers in its midst, too. Triple champion Neal's three-decade career at the top of British saloon car racing has sealed his legacy but he's as hungry as ever to add a record-equalling fourth Drivers' trophy to his collection. He's joined for 2018 by multiple sportscar champion Dan Cammish. The Yorkshireman has big boots to fill – those of outgoing three-time champ Gordon Shedden as he has moved onto pastures new over the winter. The debutant's credentials speak for themselves, however, and early signs indicate he'll be hitting the ground running. For 2018, the Team Dynamics-run outfit have switched to the latest generation Honda Civic Type R, the FK8. It's sure to be right at the sharp end come lights out at Brands Hatch.

Power Maxed TAG Racing welcome Josh Cook into the fold and the Vauxhall squad is hoping to push on after a strong debut campaign for the Astra last year, whereby Cook's new team-mate Senna Proctor sealed the Jack Sears Trophy.

Indie lights
Speedworks Motorsport is aiming even higher in 2018 after an incredibly successful effort all-round last year. The plucky family-run squad, with Tom Ingram behind the wheel of its Toyota, took the fight to all of the factory-backed runners with a bundle of race wins propelling them to an overall title challenge, as well as the Independent Teams' and Drivers' titles – some achievement for a one-car team in what is one of the most competitive series' in the world. Were it not for a mid-season dip, eventual champion Sutton would have been looking even more closely in his mirrors for Ingram's Avensis come the finale weekend. Ingram's no stranger to the top step at Brands either, winning on the Indy loop in each of the last two years.

WIX Racing with Eurotech will be looking to build on a strong 2017, with a duo of race wins for Jack Goff an indicator of the promise inherent within the squad's potent Honda Civic Type R. Brett Smith also makes a return, after impressing following his debut at the half-way stage last year. For 2018, Matt Simpson's Simpson Racing is being operated under the Eurotech banner, making it a trio of Type Rs in the stable.

Motorbase will be aiming to trump third in the standings with James Cole, Tom Chilton and series returnee, 2016 runner-up Sam Tordoff completing its line-up of three upgraded Ford Focus RS'. BTC Norlin Racing has switched to proven title-winning machinery in a pair of Honda Civic Type Rs for 2018 and it will be hoping to build on an excellent opening campaign – fourth in the Independents' running. Chris Smiley is joined by James Nash in the stunning battleship grey Hondas. 

Ciceley Motorsport welcomes Tom Oliphant, who partners long-time Ciceley racer Adam Morgan, with the Lancashire outfit expanding to two Mercedes-Benz A Class under its banner, with another in Laser Tools Racing's Aiden Moffat – now a double race winner in the championship.

The Alfa Romeo badge makes a welcome return to the BTCC with Rob Austin and DUO Motorsport with HMS Racing. The Evesham racer topped the charts at the Season Launch test and is sure that the Giulietta has given him and the team their best baseline yet heading into Brands Hatch – the sky appears to be the limit for the much-loved Italian marque's first outing since the turn of the millennium.

AmD added two MG6's to its stable over the off-season, to be piloted by race-winner and another familiar face in Tom Boardman. Alongside him will be Rory Butcher, while Ollie Jackson returns alongside newcomer Sam Smelt in the squad's trademark Audi S3 Saloons. Team HARD, meanwhile, has impressively added a fourth Volkswagen to its effort with Jake Hill, Michael Caine, Bobby Thompson and Mike Bushell now all under its roof. Stephen Jelley returns with Team Parker Racing, though he now helms a BMW 125i M Sport in a striking red, white and blue livery.

Testing times
Rob Austin earned the early bragging rights by topping testing at the official Season Launch event at Donington Park (27 March), before the power of Honda hit the heights in the final group test at Brands Hatch earlier today (29 March).

The all-new Alfa Romeo Giulietta made its competitive debut at Donington and was immediately quick out of the blocks, seeing off the challenges from Tom Chilton's Ford and Colin Turkington's BMW.

"I think we are in the ballpark, but we won’t know exactly where we stand until we get to Brands Hatch qualifying – at the moment it’s positive and our tails are in the air!" said Austin. "I feel like a broken record as I have been a massive fan of the Alfa Romeo since I was a kid and to finally be getting the opportunity to be representing the brand in the BTCC is a dream."

Halfords Yuasa Racing hit back at Brands Hatch with the experienced Matt Neal heading home new team-mate Dan Cammish on the timesheets. Jack Goff made it a Honda 1-2-3 in the Independently run Eurotech Civic Type R.

"It’s been a titanic effort from all the boys, with no shortage of midnight oil burned recently and the new Civic Type R is an absolute work of art," said Neal. "The strength-in-depth up and down the grid looks to be as impressive as ever, though it’s impossible to know what hand everybody is showing at this stage of proceedings – it’s always a great game of poker pre-season – and we definitely still have a little bit extra in our pocket.

"Brands Hatch’s Indy Circuit has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for me and the target for the weekend has to be the podium, although if we could grab a win first time out with the new car, that would obviously be amazing."

We evolve, we don't ... revolve
For 2018, TOCA has enacted a handful of tweaks to the rulebook. Most notably, driving standards penalties will be increased, the reverse grid draw will be from positions 6-12, Jack Sears Trophy eligibility will be for those yet to score an outright podium and the number of permitted driver changes in a season has been doubled from one to two.

A full rundown can be found in the 2018 Sporting and Technical Regulations.

Home heroes
Motorbase, Team HARD, AmD and West Surrey Racing all count Brands Hatch as home soil. Jake Hill (Kent), Ollie Jackson (Surrey), Tom Chilton (Surrey), Matt Simpson (Middlesex), Mike Bushell (Kent) will similarly be hoping to impress in front of their home support.

Timetable and tickets 
The opening race weekend of the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship begins on Saturday 7 April, with the entire race day on Sunday 8 April broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4. Those in attendance at the circuit can stay in touch with the commentary and live timing from every session, available at btcc.net/live over the whole weekend.
 
In addition to the BTCC, the support series on the TOCA package are set to deliver even more action to the fans at Brands Hatch. Sportscar fans will get their fix with races from the Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup, Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the Ginetta Junior Championship. The Renault UK Clio Cup, often seen as a stepping-stone to reaching the BTCC, will also feature on the huge bill of British racing, as will the F4 British Championship.
 
Tickets for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season-opener at Brands Hatch (7-8 April) are available from £28 for adults, with free entry for children aged 13 and under. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk. All admission includes access to Sunday’s autograph session with the BTCC drivers in the pit lane, as well as free parking.

Please click here for the full 2018 entry list.