Team HARD's Michael Crees will embark on a debut Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign in 2019, while Bobby Thompson returns in another of the Kent outfit's quartet of Volkswagen CCs, looking to double down on an encouraging maiden year last time around.

Essex driver Thompson made good headway throughout 2018, with his performances peaking in mid-season.

A trio of points finishes and a best of seventh over the Snetterton and Knockhill weekends showed that when the stars aligned, Thompson and Team HARD had it in them to go and break into an ultra-competitive top ten.

He's optimistic the outfit have made a step further still this off-season in the search for consistency.

"I'm delighted to be back," said Thompson. "Last year was key in terms of learning the championship and in gaining experience – vital to make progress in the BTCC.

"I'm very optimistic about 2019. We're looking to improve on last year in terms of results and I can see the team taking a big step. The first half of the season proved to be a struggle but the second half seemed to really happen.

"We dabbled with the top ten and were there or thereabouts. It showed us we can do it and that's what we're hoping to recreate over the course of 2019. We had the pace there to go and do it."

"At the end of the year there were opportunities to go elsewhere but in the last four months, I've never seen Team HARD look as relentless as they are now."

Crees joins the fold off the back of two Ginetta championship victories, latterly the 2018 Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup.

He's a latecomer to motor racing, with less than three years' experience, but two titles in as many years proved to be enough to convince the confident 35-year-old that competing in the BTCC would be the way to go in 2019.

Having dominated the AM Class with a record of eleven race victories and eight other podium finishes across the 23-race 2018 GT4 campaign, he follows in the footsteps of Ginetta graduates Tom Ingram and Adam Morgan into Britain's top flight.

"It's been unbelievable for me," said Crees. "I've only been racing for a couple of years and I'm going to compete in Britain's top tier.

"We know it's going to be a big step for us but we successfully made the leap through the Ginetta ranks, and we were initially looking at maybe Porsche Carrera Cup GB or another year in a Ginetta championship.

"When you take two titles in two years, though, you think 'why not just go straight in at the deep end?'. 

"I was a late starter to motorsport but we are where we are on merit but I couldn't have dreamt of this even a few years ago.

"Being at Autosport International was just amazing having been there as a fan and now as a racing driver. I've been a massive BTCC fan for years and years and to be in the same fold as people like Matt Neal and Colin Turkington is just so surreal.

"I've got to forget all that now though. I've just got to get my head down and get stuck in; pick the right battles and go from there. I'm on the same grid in the same championship as those guys."

Crees was Team HARD’s fourth and final signing for the 2019 BTCC season, partnering with two-time Renault UK Clio Cup champion and BTCC top six finisher Mike Bushell, 2017 Volkswagen Racing Cup champion Bobby Thompson and fellow Ginetta GT4 Supercup graduate Carl Boardley.

He had other options on the table for the season ahead but he's confident he's done the right thing in choosing Tony Gilham's squad as his destination.

Crees is reluctant to overextend his ambitions in his maiden campaign, and has set garnering experience as the priority, alongside the hope of top-20 finishes.

"Team HARD was a really good choice for us in the end," he continued. "They've got a family feeling, a family infrastructure and there's no undue pressure on me here.

"We were speaking to others in the paddock but we felt this was the best fit. I'm looking to gain experience and establish myself in the championship. I've got to learn the craft.

"With 30 cars on track at Brands Hatch Indy, it'll be a real baptism of fire! Tony (Gilham) and all my sponsors have just been great in backing me. 

"I've had a single test at Brands Hatch but it did go really well. It's a big change. left-hand drive, front-wheel drive and a different feeling entirely. I got out of the car and Mike (Bushell) was very complementary about my performance. I ran him close! 

"I'm not overextending in terms of what expectations I'm going to place on myself. Top 20 finishes would be where I'd be looking first, given just how competitive the championship is.

"Stepping up to the BTCC is different to anything else in that it comes thick and fast. The whole process around a weekend is different.

"You've got to be mentally strong, physically fit, ready to deal with the media, meet the fans and take part in all of the other duties that are demanded of you.

"I'm gearing myself up for that this year. I have to pinch myself every time I wake up. It's what I've always dreamt of doing and now I'm here."

Jake Hill is primed and ready to go ahead of the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with new outfit Trade Price Cars Racing, which is close to confirming the driver set to take a seat in the team's second Audi S3 Saloon.

Hill's plans for the season ahead became clear back at Autosport International, after the Kent racer stepped away from the BTCC fold towards the end of the 2018 campaign. Being at the industry show, signed up and alongside his interim-liveried Audi heralded a new start, which Hill's relishing.

"It's been a relief to get things sorted on schedule ahead of this season," said Hill. "It's a much needed fresh start for me in a new team. I'm thrilled to be back with AmD, too, and it's nice to be a part of the family there again.

"We're all back and it feels a little like a homecoming. I've driven the Audi before, but not with the current suspension, so it'll feel different. I loved being at Autosport International with my car on the stand all liveried up and ready to go. It was a great feeling.

"I'm looking to start testing at the end of the month and we, as most others are awaiting the fitment of our new engines which Swindon Powertrain are poring over at the moment and putting the finishing touches on. We'll get it in, get the car loaded and be fired up by the end of February.

"We've another driver to be announced shortly in the sister car so watch this space." 

The deal makes good on a long-standing relationship between Hill and Shaun Hollamby, whose AmD Tuning outfit will run the pair of Trade Price Cars Racing Audis in 2019. Joining that stable, re-joining that family, should lead, Hill says, to benefits all-round with strong drivers, extra data and a pair of proven cars in the FN2 Honda Civic Type Rs combining in the quest for results.

"I was talking to Shaun (Hollamby, AmD Team Principal) last year and he's always been behind me. He was there for me last year and allowed me to test the MG6 for him last year. He wanted me back, as did the majority of my sponsors who stayed with me despite me not taking to the track towards the end of last season.

"That all made the deal possible, along with Dan Kirby at Trade Price Cars, who was looking from Silverstone to purchase the Audis. It was all done and dusted before Christmas. 

"It's great to be a part of the stable with Rory Butcher and Sam Tordoff in the AmD truck sharing data and information. Hopefully we can all learn a lot as we go along. It'll be a nice influence to have there.

"We've got concrete data from a race-winning and championship-winning car that will be of use with the Audi's development. The weight distribution and wheelbase are very similar. A fresh mind to it all can sometimes unlock new ideas and make it work.

"I've quite a lot of unfinished business with the BTCC in recent years and things haven't quite worked out. It's been tougher than we all expected and I'm not done with it yet. I had to have this reboot and I'm ready for it to all get back underway. 

"It's also helpful having two-three years under my belt. If we get the car somewhere reasonable, around the top ten then it's about staying there and finishing there consistently. It'd be a big bonus for all of us at Trade Price Cars Racing. That's where experience helps, you start to iron out the little mistakes here and there and learn about the personalities around you."

Team Dynamics Motorsport has announced the return of title sponsors Halfords Group plc and GS Yuasa Battery Sales (UK) Ltd for the 2019 British Touring Car Championship, with the brands citing strong return on investment and brand recognition as key factors in their continuing involvement.

In addition, the team has retained Honda UK's manufacturer backing for what will be a 15th consecutive season in Britain's premier motorsport series. The outfit will once again compete under the Halfords Yuasa Racing banner with its pair of current-generation FK8 Honda Civic Type Rs.

“Over the past three years we have really seen the return on investment through this relationship," said Halfords' Head of Value Chain, Paul Tomlinson. "The BTCC's audience is very loyal & committed. They engage with us on every BTCC-related activity we undertake, and we’ll be looking to enhance that further during 2019.”

James Hylton, Managing Director at GS Yuasa Battery Sales (UK) Ltd, added: “Having been involved in the BTCC for almost a decade, we can honestly say that there is no other motorsport series in the UK that gives us the brand recognition that this championship provides.

"We were relatively unknown in the automotive car industry when we began nearly 10 years ago. More than ever before, people know and place their trust in the Yuasa Battery brand."

Honda UK Managing Director David Hodgetts said: “The BTCC is the pinnacle of British motorsport and we are proud to be associated with the championship, racing head-to-head with our industry peers.

"Last year saw the introduction of the new FK8 Civic Type R to the BTCC and we are looking to build upon our fantastic finish to the season at Brands Hatch with a strong championship challenge in 2019.”

Dunlop's UK and One Brand Motorsport Event Manager, Mickey Butler, was tasked with mixing up the formula for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, and he has duly delivered on multiple counts, each conceivably throwing the proverbial spanner in the works for tacticians up-and-down the pit-lane.

This year, at Snetterton, drivers will have to use each of the three option tyres on a triple-header race day for the first time and at Knockhill the Option Soft tyre becomes the main choice. Additionally, 2019 will see the introduction of an all-new Dunlop Sport BluResponse Wet, featuring a new method of compound manufacturing. The moulded groove technique now employed allows for more consistent compound stability throughout races and up to a second-a-lap improvement in pace.

"For 2019, I was asked to make changes for the coming season by TOCA and for Snetterton, the teams and drivers have got to use all three option tyres," said Butler.

"That meant the introduction of the green side-walled 'soft' option alongside the silver side-walled 'hard' option and of course the yellow prime tyre.

"When they use those compounds will be entirely up to the teams and drivers that weekend, which will add an extra tactical element. It'll also make for some busy reporters and journalists, running up and down the pit-lane when these cars start their sessions – it'll keep people guessing.

"Every now and then you've got to add something new and Snetterton will be a big change-up for teams to get their heads around. 

"There are a lot of factors such as track temperature, potential interference of weather and circuit evolution, that'll determine when teams think it most optimal to run each tyre. It's a real curve ball.

"The next change is that we'll be running the soft compound SportMaxx tyre as the 'Standard' tyre for the weekend with the option tyre becoming the medium tyre. It will be the first time the soft tyre has been used in a qualifying session. Something new again for drivers and teams to think about.

"The new wet tyre too, is something we're pleased with and we think drivers will be receptive to that change. There's an increase of around 30 percent in terms of lateral grip and we're projecting a second-a-lap decrease in lap-time as a result."

Dunlop's long term as series title sponsor may have drawn to a close, for now, but Butler reiterated the brand's ongoing commitment and spoke of his excitement at the partnership between Kwik Fit and the BTCC to come.

"We've been doing this a long time," said Butler. "Our success together goes back to that close relationship with the championship promoter and the teams.

"Tyres can then be designed to suit the specification and requirements of those parties. Running three different slick compounds with a requisite difference in delta times between each is always difficult. It's a hard thing to achieve but I think we're there and it's really added to the mix on a race weekend. 

"For brand awareness, it's incredible. More than that, though, it's a test bed and a source of research and development for us. Information we've learned in constructing the new BTCC wet tyre is going straight back into the road tyre. It isn't just a one way street. We're synonymous with the championship and we consistently exceed our own expectations in terms of the return we see as a result of our involvement.

"For me personally, I'm a fan, first and foremost. I've been involved so long and it's a privilege. The biggest thing I love to see is the development of young drivers coming through and last year was the pinnacle of that in recent times. Those guys have been on a par with the older stagers.

"It was a real level playing field last year. I remember catching someone in the paddock after that first race weekend at Brands Hatch and saying 'how are we going to top that?' but every weekend thereafter there was something to talk about, it's incredible. There's no predicting what's going to happen.

"Kwik Fit are grabbing the bull by the horns and we're a major supplier to them, so it's a win-win for everybody. We're still heavily involved as a technical partner for the championship. It's a great mix of partnerships.

"It's great to see the enthusiasm of the Kwik Fit guys and they're one big family. Andy Lane, the company's Marketing Director has spoken about how much of a lift he's seen across their network of stores with so much interest from staff wanting to get involved. I can't wait to see what's to come, and nor can they."

Ollie Jackson is back at Motorbase for the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and all set to take a pew in one of the Kent outfit's Ford Focus RS' with a feeling of unfinished business spurring him on.

Team Principal David Bartrum harbours that same feeling, and is more than pleased with the pairing of Jackson and Tom Chilton that the squad have announced so far, with a third driver announcement not too far away.

"Ollie's been with us before in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB," started Bartrum. "Having been away in the intervening years with others on the BTCC grid, we kept in regular contact and I think we've both got a feeling now of unfinished business. It's the right time for him to join us and vice versa.

"I think the pairing with Tom (Chilton) is great – they're a top pair of guys to have in your team. They're two strong drivers that will work together and they're two strong personalities. I think from that, everybody will prosper.

"We went testing with Ollie and he did a very good job indeed. From there he was adamant he wanted to join us and it was a nice surprise.

"We will be running a third car, too. It's ready, and it's known internally who that'll be. We'll be making an announcement in due course so watch this space."

Bartrum's team have been all-out back at base trying to find the missing hundredths after a big leap in performance yielded by the leap to RS-spec aerodynamics for 2018. Now, Bartrum says, it's about the increments, with every other team on an already fiercely competitive grid doing the same while squirreled away in their locked workshops over the winter prior to testing.

"We've been working hard to find some time in the setup, the dampers," continued Bartrum. "We've also made a number of small adjustments to the shell but those little changes add up at the point we're at with the car. From 2017-2018 we made a big leap and from 2018-2019 it's about finding every last bit of performance we can.

"Everybody's out there looking for more. With 17 race winners and fractions of a second between things we're working hard on making the car better, hopefully a little bit better than anybody else's!

"If you're not going out to win it there's no point in going at all. You get to the circuit, work hard and the truth comes out. When you win one race and you win the championship it shows you how close things are.

Jackson felt a little déjà vu walking back into the Motorbase factory but he feels now's the perfect time to re-familiarise himself with surroundings past in search of the formula for consistent front-running pace and results.

"Walking back into the workshop for the first time after my time away was quite funny with all the familiar faces and memories but it's great," said Jackson. "It's been a well-run team for its duration, with David always ensuring the presentation of a good car and it's a good time for me to be coming back.

"David gave me the opportunity at the end of last year to have a go in the car and I don't think that'd have come about without that existing relationship.

"I was already very close to my pace in the Audi, even on a cold day in November on my first outing in the Ford Focus. There are certain differences, certain things that I can bring to the team too in terms of setup. We've got a good pre-season testing plan and I'll be more than ready come the end of it. We get underway later this month.

"Hopefully the extra effort will make the difference for me. I'll be as committed as ever and I'm really excited about where we can go. I definitely want to get back on that podium. I came to the end of last season thinking I had no shot of consistent podiums and I wanted to change that."

British Touring Car Championship boss Alan Gow has paid tribute to Charly Lamm, the head of the BMW Schnitzer team that was part of the UK’s showpiece series in the 1990s, who sadly passed away yesterday aged 63.
 
The Schnitzer team, the factory-blessed arm of the highly successful German marque, was created in the 1960s. Lamm, the half-brother of the team’s founders Josef and Herbert Schnitzer, joined the operation in the 1970s and he progressed to become team manager.
 
Schnitzer was a powerhouse in the European Touring Car Championship in the 1980s before moving on to further glory in the German-based DTM category, all under Lamm’s authority.
 
The team first ran the factory BMWs in the British Touring Car Championship in 1993 and was an immediate success, with German Jo Winkelhock claiming the title at his first attempt, while team-mate and Briton Steve Soper was runner-up in the points.
 
The team continued to dominate the Super Touring era across Europe before switching to sportscar racing, which led to victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1999 with the gorgeous V12 LMR machine, piloted by Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas.
 
After Le Mans glory, Lamm worked on BMW projects in the USA and also oversaw its highly successful attack in the World Touring Car Championship, which was a title BMW claimed multiple times. He also spearheaded a title-winning return to the DTM in 2012.
 
Gow said: “I’m really shocked and incredibly saddened to hear about Charly. A real gentleman, Charly was one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I have ever dealt with in this sport. And, of course, he was a brilliant team manager, whose work-ethic, knowledge and passion was boundless.
 
“Charly always held the BTCC in such high regard – and some 25 years after winning it he still followed it and would enthusiastically tell others what a great championship we have. I’m so glad I caught up with him in Macau in November, where we had a great chat. 
 
“The world of touring car racing has lost a true legend. Rest in peace, Charly”.

The build of Team Toyota GB with Speedworks Motorsport's new Corolla is well underway, and with a couple of months until the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Tom Ingram and Team Principal Christian Dick are full of confidence.

The new partnership is the result of Speedworks Motorsports' continued upward curve and a careful fostering of its dialogue with Toyota GB. The coming season sees the Japanese marque offer their full backing, with the squad entering as a manufacturer.

"It's something we've been working on for years now and it's the next natural step for us," started Ingram. "We've gone from looking to get a podium, then race wins, an Independents' title, and finally putting an overall championship challenge together.

"It's always been about looking to make that jump to the next level for us. It's great to get Toyota on-board. That for us was huge. To get them involved with the Team Toyota GB name and with a Corolla in the BTCC is as good as it gets.

"Not only is it a massive deal in terms of performance, as the car's going to be fantastic, it's also great because we've got that iconic name and brand behind us.

"Toyota has been an active supporter of us in terms of parts supply and online in terms of promotion for a number of years," added Dick.

"When we saw the new Corolla was coming out, we felt we needed to have another serious attempt at trying to get them on-board with the new model. That started around 12 months ago, when we put together a package that we thought could be attractive to them.

"It went backwards and forwards for a long time from there but we really knew between Silverstone and Brands Hatch that something was going to happen. It's a big company you're dealing with, which brings with it a lot of paperwork.

"From our side of things, we started to put a lot of engineering groundwork into planning and making that car happen before we actually got the 'yes'." 

Ingram is expecting the tie to take the team to the next level and yield another tilt at the overall Drivers' crown, having bagged Independent titles in each of the last two campaigns. Race-winning competitiveness from the off is the target.

"We're excited to get cracking with things," added Ingram. "The results we got last year with second overall and both Independents' titles were a massive deal. This is the start of something new and different for us.

"We know there are a lot of things we can carry across from what we've learned with the Avensis over the years but it's nice to start afresh and go with a new pair of eyes on a new challenge. I think ultimately that'll bring us all on. It'll push us harder, work us harder and it's incredibly exciting.

"We start that process of looking forward to the first pole position, the first podium and the first win. It's a long road ahead and a heck of a lot of work but we want to be turning up at Brands Hatch for the opener with the car able to win at least one race."

Christian Dick is under no illusions as to the tight timescale the outfit has to turn drawings into a reality ahead of Season Launch at the end of March. The build, however, is right on track with a comprehensive testing programme to come at the end of February.

"It's not a complete car yet," said Dick. "We're just about to embark on what we call the 'dry build' where there's no paint or coatings on any of the components. We'll put all of that together to check fitting, then strip the car again ready for paint and coatings. It's then built up once again.

"It's going to make a great looking car, as the road car is such a looker anyway. With the addition of the arches and sills within the technical regulations she looks really strong. It's a good package aerodynamically with a good footprint, so we're optimistic.

"We're intending to test inside of the last week in February and we've a very busy schedule planned. We're confident we'll be quick over a lap out of the box. Testing, development and data will gain us all the little bits we need in the detail."

Ingram's confidence is backed up by the success he's enjoyed alongside Speedworks Motorsport over the last five years, and he's sure the team will be competing at the sharp end from lap one in 2019.

"We've been very lucky in the last couple of years to have had a car that's just superb but in fact, it hasn't come from luck," he said. "We've come from this starting point before. We've already done it once and we already know roughly what works and what doesn't.

"The principles are the same. I know how the car should feel and how I want the car to be. I also know how the Avensis felt, but we've got to put a little bit of that to the back of our minds as it's a much shorter car, a different car. 

"We've got to find its little niches. We know we're going to get the car to be quick but it's the little nuggets and permutations that'll take a little bit of time – hard tyre versus the soft tyre, that sort of thing. We'll get there and I'm 100 percent sure we'll be there right from the get-go.

"We'd be upset if things weren't expected of us. We're seen as genuine title contenders and that's a good feeling. Maybe they'll fear us a bit more with this new car and we're only going to get stronger as we develop things throughout the season."

ITV Motorsport's David Addison speaks to btcc.net with a view from the commentary box, as well as the ITV compound, and looks at the current state of play in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship...

When you start to see the new cars in the flesh at Autosport International, and new drivers announcements start to come through, it all becomes that bit more real. Everything starts to fall into place in your head. As of Autosport, we can perhaps say we've a good idea of some 75 percent of the entry list. There are still a few teams with some holes to be filled and some drivers leaving people wondering. The story isn't done yet and that's even before we start racing.

'My job's the easy bit!'

Perched up in the commentary box as part of ITV's first-class BTCC team, I've got to say I do the easy bit on a race weekend. The hard part lies at the door of the television directors. David Francis and Mark Cross look after the coverage of the races and have the unenviable task of knowing, via premonition, which camera to cut to and when.

You know that, inevitably, if you suddenly take your eye off the battle for the lead to go and look at the battle for fourth, the lead will change hands and somebody else is going to spin off somewhere. In the outside broadcast truck there's a bank of what to me as a luddite looks like 150 monitors and David and Mark are required to be on top of them all, all the time. They have to know where to cut to, which battle, which on-board, which camera and Tim (Harvey) and I are left with the easy job!

All that said, I'd much rather we had all-action racing than a soporific single seater encounter, some of which I've covered in Europe, for example, where you're looking around for something to talk about. The cars can be great elsewhere but the action sometimes lacks. That's never the case in the BTCC. The first race is good, the second race is that much better and the third race is reverse grid, gloves off and you get into that pattern of crescendo weekend-in, weekend-out.

With so many different race winners, so much action and the determination from everybody on the grid to give it their all, nobody settles for a position in the BTCC and they want to be ahead of that car. Nobody ever gives up. Nobody settles and that's why the results are never settled until the very last lap.

Notes, copious notes

Both myself and Mr Harvey need to do our research to be on top of things and we each have our own way of doing things. We talk to drivers and I have bits of paper with all sorts of notes on them. I scribble away on a grid sheet but once the race gets underway there's rarely time to take your eyes off the action. There's no time to look away! If you don't carry the information in your head, you can't suddenly seek it out. A lot of that statistical stuff is written on a coded sheet of paper but it comes through memory. We can't always go and see every driver after every session so we split duties and compare notes. Between us, we do stay on top of things, we'd like to think!

Turkington's title, and what next?

Back at Donington Park last year, Tim and I were saying 'that's Turkington's season ruined'. We should have perhaps known better as it's a long season but with his BMW spluttering out of the pit-lane and missing a race, that was a dark day for Colin.

I'm not saying this to prove a point about Colin, but he won one race and still won the championship. It was a remarkable effort. It showed his resilience and experience as well as the team's ability. It's not all about race wins, though people do remember them. He racked up points and points and won the title.

For some of the young drivers coming into the BTCC, that was worth noting. You see it when people have their first sniff thinking 'I'm sixth but I could win this race'. I did say earlier people don't settle in the BTCC but there are occasions where maybe one should. Colin got on with what he knew he had to be doing and consistently got the best results out of that car. 

The BTCC's going to have to go some in 2019 to outdo 17 different winners. It'll be quite nice, actually, if we have a slightly smaller number if only so you can see more of a pattern of where the pecking order is. With so many winners, it becomes so distorted. New drivers and new cars throw things up in the air anyway, so you won't get the 17 winners but what you will get, guaranteed, is exciting races, a bit of controversy and some damage along the way as well.

We can reel off names of who we think should be there fighting for the title but this is the BTCC. One bad weekend can throw you and it becomes a mark of that driver as to how they fight back. There are so many good racers on the grid and the competition is so fierce - it's never clear cut.

We love the BTCC...

I love the BTCC and so does Tim. If you'd have said to me when I was in my pram watching Tim win in 1992(!), I wouldn't have believed it.

Now, we're in our sixth year commentating together. It's an odd marriage where we see a heck of a lot of each other for ten weekends a year. We have a good time doing it, and we get on well. I hope the fans enjoy it with the pair of us and enjoy the racing. That's what matters.

It's a championship I've been involved with either from the commentary booth or the spectator banking for many, many years and Tim's been there and done it as a champion and team manager.

Every year it evolves and surprises, and when you're talking about a championship with more than 60 years history, not many could still do that.

Cobra Sport AmD with AutoAid/RCIB Insurance Racing's Rory Butcher and Sam Tordoff are eager to jump into the outfit's newly-acquired Honda Civic Type Rs, with both eyeing race wins in the 2019 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The FK2 has proven to be one of the most successful chassis' in BTCC history, leading former championship runner-up Tordoff and the returning Butcher to believe that regular running at the front of the field is more than attainable in 2019.

"I'm champing at the bit ready to go, it can't come soon enough," said Butcher. "We've got a little gap before we get into the car for the first time but I think myself and Sam (Tordoff) are just eager now to get behind the wheel of the Hondas.

"Last year was a difficult season. Having to be happy with breaking into the top ten was a weird feeling but that's just the way touring cars is and how our package was at the time.

"We've taken a step up a gear and I'm really excited to drive beside Sam too. He's someone to bounce ideas off of and I think we'll be able to do good things together.

"What happens at the front of the field is very different to what happens where I was last year. The guys at the front tend to be a little more comfortable with where they are and they understand that if they make up one more position they'll get a couple of points but it's maybe not do or die.

"Where I was, we were desperate in trying to fight for that last point. Hopefully this year I can break away from that and be more towards the sharp end.

"The package is there for us to do the job. If we're not there winning races, we'll be disappointed. One thing I learned last year was that it's so important just to score points.

"If you look at Colin (Turkington) and his points haul last year, sixth place at every race probably would do it for you. It's the bigger picture that counts and that's what I'm focussed on, as well as winning races. 

"Gordon (Shedden, Butcher's brother-in-law) will help as much as he can. He'll help Sam as well. He's open to bringing his knowledge to the team."

Tordoff knows more than most how potent the FK2 can be in the right hands, after Shedden pipped him to the 2016 title at the last. He's thrilled at the opportunity to finally get his hands on the Civic and, with the addition of several key people behind the scenes, he's optimistic AmD will be fighting right at the front.

"It's arguably the best chassis on the grid and it's been that way for a while," said Tordoff. "It's won many championships and beat me to the title in 2016.

"I've always been intrigued about the car and wanted to have a go. The stars have aligned this year and we've managed to do a deal where we've got a great chassis and engine with Rory as my team-mate. I think we can be very strong.

"This particular car was last on pole at the final weekend in 2018 so there are no excuses for us. We've a formidable package underneath us and we've got to do the business.

"We've got a lot of people behind us and Shaun (Hollamby) is hungry for his first win in the BTCC. I didn't know he'd never won until I signed, but we're planning on winning quite a few for him this year.

"Just because we've acquired these cars, we're not guaranteed success. It's about people and process. I've managed to bring a few key people with me to this deal who've been a big part of my career over the last few years including a previous Honda engineer from Eurotech. He's got years of data in his locker and he carries on where he finished last year.

"We'll do five or six days testing ahead of the season. One car is ready and the other is in build so we're hoping to be out there for the end of February.

"We've got to do as much as we can. We can both drive front-wheel drive cars but it's about learning this one."