CarStore Power Maxed Racing and MB Partners have today (18 January) announced that Andrew Watson will embark on his rookie campaign in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship at the wheel of one of the squad’s Vauxhall Astras in 2023.

Watson brings a wealth of racing expertise to the team having contested high-level GT machinery since 2015, competing in the likes of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, GT World Challenge Europe and British GT

The Northern Irishman’s resume also includes experience driving in major endurance events such as the Daytona 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours, and Watson has enjoyed further success on the world stage in the FIA WEC with class podiums at the 6 Hours of Monza and 8 Hours of Bahrain alongside a class podium at the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Now taking the step into Britain’s premier motorsport series, Watson joins Warwickshire-based CarStore Power Maxed Racing for his maiden BTCC campaign and the 27-year-old will be hoping that his extensive racing CV paired with PMR’s reputation for helping some of the series’ most successful drivers kickstart their BTCC careers will provide the formula for a strong debut.

Delighted with the opportunity to make his debut in the BTCC, Andrew sees the team as a great fit for him in 2023.

“Getting the opportunity to compete in the BTCC is really exciting,” buoyed Watson. The championship itself is highly competitive and offers a challenge which I am eager to tackle. From 2012 to 2014 I raced as part of the support package through the Ginetta ladder and I’ve always loved following the championship. It’s a big change for me in a lot of aspects but the team’s knowledge and professionalism will help me on that journey. They have a background in forging the achievements of some of the current grid’s top drivers and that gave me every indication that this was the right match for myself, and I can’t wait to get out on track!

“I'd really like to thank everyone at Power Maxed Racing for this opportunity, which I'm very grateful for and I am looking forward to representing them out on track. It is going to be a completely different challenge and skillset for me but I’m going into it with my eyes wide open and fully committed to the task ahead.

“The challenge of front-wheel drive will be an interesting one, but I’m looking forward to tackling it and I have no doubt that with an experienced team around me, we will be able to surprise a few people this year.”

“We are looking forward to welcoming Andrew into the team for our 2023 BTCC campaign,” added Team Principal Adam Weaver. “He brings with him plenty of knowledge and racing ability and this will be crucial in our push for more success this upcoming season.”

“This is a great opportunity for Andrew to immerse himself in one of the most competitive and intense Championships in racing,” concluded Mark Blundell, CEO of MB Partners. “He has great experience in a range of machinery at the highest level and he’s typically always been fast no matter what he has jumped in over the years – he is aware of the challenges he will be facing in his debut season, but we have no doubt he will do a fantastic job.”

A flurry of news surrounded the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season finale at Brands Hatch which began to paint a picture of how the TOCA Support Package would be made up in 2023, and we've collated all the key information into one place so you can remind yourself which championships will be running alongside the BTCC this year.

Here's a run-through of each championship on the bill...

Porsche Carrera Cup GB

This year, we'll see the PCCGB wow fans at eight BTCC events, kicking off the campaign at Donington Park's season opener on 22/23 April.

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Porsche Sprint Challenge GB

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The MINI CHALLENGE - JCW

The highly competitive one-make series' headline JCW class is set to star at seven BTCC events during the 2023 campaign.

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The MINI CHALLENGE Trophy

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The F4 British Championship certified by FIA

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Legends Cars Championship

More information can be found here.

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Hagerty Radical Cup UK

More information can be found here.

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Mini 7 Racing Club

More information can be found here.

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Caterham Seven Championship UK

More information can be found here.

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Check out the full line-up breakdown below to find out which events on the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship calendar each series will star at...

You can relive all the best bits from the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship now via ITVX's Season Review!

With less than four months remaining until Donington Park's BTCC season opener, you can get your fix of Britain's premier motorsport series now via ITV's on-demand service, ITVX.

Check out the 2-hour show, which kicks off with newly-crowned Champion Tom Ingram chatting with Louise Goodman here.

With the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship edging ever closer, it’s that time of year when the BTCC’s monthly news recaps return, filling you in on all the latest announcements ahead of the upcoming campaign!

Incorporating all the key BTCC news – with a support series summary coming next week – check out what happened from Britain’s premier motorsport series’ Brands Hatch finale until the fireworks flew at the start of 2023 below...

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EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com retains Chilton
Kicking off the season finale, EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com confirmed that Tom Chilton would be sticking with the squad for another year, joining eventual Champion Tom Ingram on the roster for 2023.

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Regulation changes get the green light
BTCC Series Organiser TOCA revealed a number of regulation changes at the start of November, including the return of the Top Ten Showdown qualifying format, the reintroduction of Goodyear’s ‘Option’ tyre and changes to the rules regarding Hybrid deployment.

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Nick Halstead joins EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com line-up
Another piece of the EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com puzzle was revealed in November, as Nick Halstead joined the Suffolk-based outfit’s 2023 line-up. Having made his BTCC debut at Croft in 2021, Halstead makes the full-time switch for the upcoming season at the wheel of one of the team’s title-winning Hyundai i30 Ns.

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Morgan makes WSR switch
With Ciceley Motorsport having announced its BTCC departure at the end of November, fans were relieved to hear that Adam Morgan would still be a part of the grid in 2023, as West Surrey Racing revealed the 34-year-old would be piloting one of the squad’s BMW 330e M Sports.

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Hill and MB Motorsport stick with WSR
The first piece of BTCC news in December saw Jake Hill and MB Motorsport announce that they would be sticking with WSR for a second consecutive season, marking Hill’s fourth campaign with MB Motorsport as the 28-year-old sets his sights on glory this year.

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2023 TBL holders confirmed
December also saw TOCA make its annual TBL holders announcement, confirming the team entries for the 2023 campaign. Notable changes this year will see Speedworks Motorsport, WSR and Team HARD all increase their TOCA BTCC Licence totals by one.

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Thompson and Team HARD team up again
Having secured Jack Sears Trophy glory in 2022, Bobby Thompson is continuing with Team HARD’s Cupra squad for another year, as he heads into his fifth campaign in the BTCC

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Team HARD announced Patterson for 2023
Team HARD also revealed that Dexter Patterson would be joining the squad for 2023. The young Scotsman, who made his debut last year in a Laser Tools Racing Infiniti, tested the team’s Cupra Leon in November and is looking forward to his sophomore campaign.

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Lloyd signs Team HARD deal
The final news to be announced before Christmas saw Dan Lloyd confirm he would be driving for Team HARD in 2023. Following his most successful BTCC campaign to date in 2022, the 30-year-old has high hopes for the upcoming season.

The British Touring Car Championship wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Seeing our fans return in full force this season – and the numbers were staggering – filled us all with a great sense of pride and excitement, so thank you for your fantastic support throughout the year.

Congratulations go to Tom Ingram on claiming his first and richly deserved Drivers’ title, and to all the other drivers and teams that took home some silverware along the way.

We have to thank all of the competitors and of course the volunteers, marshals and many many more. Credit must also go to our wonderful TOCA Team for playing their part in putting on the greatest show in British motorsport.

We look forward to seeing you all again for the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, but in the meantime, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Having made his debut back in 2014 and after several seasons of being the ‘nearly man’ in the BTCC, Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com’s Ingram finally won the most coveted prize in British motorsport in 2022.

Having stated his intentions from the off, Tom would claim six race victories during the campaign – more than any other driver on the grid – and a further six rostrum finishes.

After being in contention for the title in each of the past six years heading into the finale, the 29-year-old left nothing on the table as he concluded 2022 with dominant victories in races one and two at Brands Hatch, sealing those all-important additional points for leading a lap and setting the fastest lap in each race in the process.

Ingram has proved to be one of the most popular champions in recent history and will be back to defend his title in 2023.

Driver Fact File   

Name: Tom Ingram	BTCC Wins: 25
Team: Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 TradePriceCars.com	BTCC Podiums: 62
Car: Hyundai i30N	BTCC Poles: 6
BTCC Debut:  Brands Hatch Indy, 2014	BTCC Fastest Laps: 23
BTCC Races: 267	BTCC Points: 2381

The two-time champion contested his final season in the championship with Rich Energy BTC Racing.

A move to the independent Honda Civic Type R squad seemed to reignite the tin top legend and by the end of the campaign there was talk of Plato returning in 2023, although as it stands, he bows out as one of the all-time greats in our sport.

A podium at Snetterton proved to be the high point of Plato’s farewell campaign, but the smile was back on the 55-year-old’s face as he showed flashes of brilliance throughout the year.

An incredible 97 race wins – an even more remarkable 235 podiums from 659 races – combined with his well-known personality, ensure that Jason’s legacy will be remembered forever.

Driver Fact File   

Name: Jason Plato	BTCC Wins: 97
Team: Rich Energy BTC Racing	BTCC Podiums: 235
Car: Honda Civic Type R	BTCC Poles: 50
BTCC Debut:  Donington Park, 1997	BTCC Fastest Laps: 88
BTCC Races: 659	BTCC Points: 5307

2022 saw Rory Butcher embark on a second season with Toyota GAZOO Racing UK, piloting the Toyota Corolla GR Sport. The Scotsman proved he could deliver impressive consistency, taking nine podium finishes across events.  

The highlight was likely Butcher’s continued dominance at Silverstone, claiming his second successive pole position, after taking the top spot during the same event last season. This led Butcher to secure his first win of the campaign, driving an impressive lights-to-flag victory, despite intense pressure from the BMWs of Jake Hill and Adam Morgan.  

Driver Fact File   

Name: Rory Butcher	BTCC Wins: 10
Team: Toyota GAZOO Racing UK	BTCC Podiums: 29
Car:  Toyota Corolla GR Sport	BTCC Poles: 5
BTCC Debut:  Knockhill, 2017	BTCC Fastest Laps: 8
BTCC Races: 159	BTCC Points: 1236

Daniel Lloyd has his sights firmly set on challenging for Independents’ honours in the 2023 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship after confirming his place on the grid with Team HARD Racing.

The 30-year-old from Huddersfield will contest his third successive campaign looking to build on his best season to date, where he produced a number of impressive drives in an EXCELR8 Motorsport-run Hyundai.

Despite a huge accident in the fourth meeting of the year almost ending his season early, Daniel fought back to secure three race wins, a new personal best points score and a top-ten championship finish for the first time.

Having evaluated his options for the new season, Daniel has now agreed a deal that will see him pilot one of Team HARD’s Cupra Leons over the course of the 2023 season, which will get underway at Donington Park in late April.

The Cupra is one of the newest cars in the BTCC having joined the grid in 2021 and has gone on to score podium finishes in the hands of both Jack Goff and Bobby Thompson.

Daniel’s race-winning experience – and extensive knowledge of competing in a range of front-wheel drive touring cars – will be pivotal in helping the team to turn the Cupra into a regular front-runner in the highly competitive field, and comes on the back of the team signing experienced engineer Kevin Berry to lead the ongoing development of the car going into 2023.

Daniel Lloyd, Team HARD Racing driver, said: “Having looked at the various options elsewhere on the grid and having spoken to a number of teams, I’m really excited to have agreed a deal to join Tony [Gilham] and Team HARD. I was really impressed with what the team achieved with Bobby [Thompson] this year, and the steps forward they have taken in recent seasons. I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping them to continue making forward progress with the Cupra during the year ahead.

“The fact that they have someone with the knowledge and experience of Kevin Berry to head the engineering team is a major plus point for me, as is the fact that I’m going to have a top-class engineer on my car in the shape of Adam Tanner, who I worked with successfully during my time with Eurotech.

“With a strong pit crew around me, I feel the ingredients are in place to build something good in 2023, and I’m confident of another strong season on track.”

Tony Gilham, Team HARD Racing owner, said: “This is a major coup for us. Dan did a fantastic job last season and was a real thorn in our side at the start of the season as he and Bobby seemed to be glued together.

“When I heard that Dan might be available to take over the wheel of one of our Cupras for 2023, it was an easy decision to get him into our camp for this season.

“Behind the scenes, our BTCC project is really starting to move through the gears and this acquisition is another demonstration of how far we have come as a team over the last two to three seasons. There is a great buzz in camp, and we are all delighted to have Dan join the team.”

The 2022 season marked George Gamble’s debut in the Kwik Fit British Touring Cars Championship, joining Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport in the BMW 330e M Sport.  

Despite it being Gamble’s ‘rookie’ season, the 26-year-old certainly laid down the gauntlet, claiming two podium finishes, as well as points finishes for roughly half of the season. This placed him in 13^th overall. 

Most impressively, Gamble achieved his maiden win in the series at the Knockhill Racing Circuit – only the third race of the campaign.  

Driver Fact File   

Name: George Gamble	BTCC Wins: 1
Team: Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport	BTCC Podiums: 2
Car:  BMW 330e M Sport	BTCC Poles: 0
BTCC Debut: Donington Park, 2022	BTCC Fastest Laps: 0
BTCC Races: 30	BTCC Points: 123