The introduction of a 2-litre, single-class touring car formula (devised in the UK and later adopted worldwide by the FIA as ‘SuperTouring’) – and with all cars running on unleaded fuel – attracted renewed interest from major motor manufacturers, which led to unprecedented growth, unparalleled global interest and fierce rivalries. The BTCC quickly became the world’s premier touring car series and, as such, the best possible global shop window for car companies wishing to promote their mainstream showroom models.

Right from the outset in 1991, BMW, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota and Vauxhall were all represented and all the current touring car hallmarks were immediately on display. There was no runaway winner with the top four drivers in the championship – Will Hoy (BMW M3), John Cleland (Vauxhall Cavalier), Andy Rouse (Toyota Carina) and Steve Soper (BMW M3) – each winning three races and, as has become the norm, the title fight went right down to the wire. Although Tim Harvey (BMW M3) won the season finale, fifth place was enough for Hoy to clinch the coveted crown.

While BMW and Vauxhall shared most of the honours, special interest was centred on the return of Toyota. In the hands of multiple champion Rouse, the Carina showed its potential straightaway but did not begin winning until mid-season. In fact, two came along at once in the BTCC’s first double-header event (two races for the crowds) staged at Donington Park.

In 1992, the BTCC came under the management of TOCA, which set out to attract new manufacturers and added a sparkling package of support races to transform the championship into the top-line travelling roadshow that it remains today.

On the track, Peugeot joined the fray but it was Cleland who started strongly for Vauxhall before Hoy and Rouse fought back for Toyota (despite an infamous clash that sent the pair of them spearing into the barriers on Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix loop)! It took Harvey until mid-season to give BMW’s new 318i model its first win, but then the floodgates opened. Four consecutive victories ensured that a three-way title tussle, in the finest tradition, would go right down to Finals Day at Silverstone with Hoy, Cleland and Harvey all still in the frame.

While a soon-to-retire Rouse won what was a predictably explosive finale, his team-mate Hoy could finish only fifth. Cleland crashed out in a highly controversial coming-together with Soper’s BMW. Thus Harvey’s tactical finish in fourth place was sufficient to land him the championship crown.

Sponsored by Auto Trader, the 1993 BTCC was notable for Ford’s official comeback and an exciting new challenge from Renault. BMW, now represented by the crack Schnitzer outfit, staked its claim from the outset, winning seven of the first eight races. The sequence was interrupted only when Harvey triumphed in Renault’s 19 model in a very wet European Grand Prix support race at Donington Park. German Joachim Winkelhock hit back for BMW to emerge as the leading title contender.

Nissan, Toyota and Vauxhall won races thereafter and the late-season appearance of the Rouse-prepared Ford Mondeo also made an impact, with New Zealander Paul Radisich claiming his maiden and Ford’s 200th BTCC victory at Brands Hatch. However, Winkelhock held on to become the first non-British driver to capture the title in two decades.

With the series going from strength-to-strength and an increasing number of double-header events further increasing the spectacle and public appeal, two more manufacturers – Alfa Romeo and Volvo – launched major challenges. Although the Swedish company caused a significant stir by entering an estate car, it was the Italian team that stole the spotlight. Former F1 driver, Italy’s Gabriele Tarquini, won the opening five races in a well-planned attack that upstaged his rivals, not least as the 155 was fitted with special aerodynamic aids – a bold move which forced the FIA to permit all competing teams to fit limited wings and spoilers in future seasons. Radisich (Ford Mondeo), Switzerland’s Alain Menu (Renault Laguna), Cleland (Vauxhall) and Winkelhock (BMW) all won races, but Tarquini was rarely off the podium and he continued to pile up enough points to take top honours.

Honda was the newcomer in 1995, taking the tally to no fewer than nine manufacturers contesting what was firmly established as the world’s premier championship of its type as all events now moved to a two-race format. With a season’s experience under its belt, the TWR-run Volvo attack switched to a saloon bodyshell, while Renault set up a new BTCC camp with its renowned Formula 1 partner Williams. Further underlining the series’ status, Alfa Romeo engaged former F1 star and UK racing hero Derek Warwick. Nevertheless, it was Cleland, the 1989 champion, who took the opening race for Vauxhall. Sweden’s Rickard Rydell and new team-mate Harvey were soon race winners for Volvo and, when Menu triumphed for Renault, an epic battle was set up among the leading three manufacturers. Four successive mid-season victories by Cleland reasserted Vauxhall’s advantage. Although Menu and Hoy fought back and ultimately secured the Manufacturers’ title for Renault, Cleland continued to amass enough points to become a worthy Drivers’ Champion.

Audi was the big talking point in 1996. Entering the series for the first time, the German manufacturer came armed with its four-wheel-drive A4 quattro saloon and accomplished German star Frank Biela. The silver cars quickly became the class of the field and Biela established a strong grip on the title by winning five of the opening eight rounds. A mid-season weight review reduced the Audi’s 4WD advantage, but didn’t prevent a clear-cut success.

After three seasons as championship bridesmaid, Renault ace Menu finally made it to the top in 1997. The Swiss speedster swept to victory, securing the Drivers’ crown with several races in hand. The Renault Laguna was all-conquering and the Williams outfit succeeded Audi as champions in every domain.

The following year’s championship, though, was more keenly contested with the destination of the Drivers’, Manufacturers’ and Teams’ titles all in doubt until the final weekend of a memorably hard-fought campaign. No fewer than nine different drivers claimed race wins before Rydell emerged as champion in his TWR-prepared Volvo S40. The other two titles went to the Nissan Primera squad prepared by RML. 1998 was also the year when former F1 World Champion Nigel Mansell made three high-profile guest appearances in the BTCC, racing a Ford Mondeo at Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Silverstone.

Volvo, Honda, Vauxhall and Ford all won races in 1999 but, after a disastrous start at Donington Park, it was Nissan’s French signing, Laurent Aiello, who quickly established himself as the man to beat. Aiello was always under pressure – not least from team-mate David Leslie – but nine victories from 26 starts was enough to clinch the crown. The year produced another big winner, too, when Nissan privateer Matt Neal bagged a bumper £250,000 cheque offered by TOCA to the first independent driver to win a BTCC race outright.

With TOCA marketing the series aggressively, the Nineties were a boom time for the BTCC. Thrilling TV coverage – live coverage on the BBC’s Saturday afternoon sports show, Grandstand, supplemented by regular highlights – plus packed grandstands and star names became part and parcel of the championship’s ongoing success, but such achievement came at a cost. With budgets soaring, only three manufacturer teams – Ford, Honda and Vauxhall – remained as the BTCC headed into a new millennium in 2000 and the Super Touring grid was supplemented by a less powerful class for Group N-based cars. All three front-line teams won races before Menu – now spearheading Ford’s three-pronged attack – took his second title. For the record, the final two races of the Super Touring era – which was about to be superseded by a new set of cost-cutting technical regulations – were won by Le Mans 24 Hours legend, Denmark’s Tom Kristensen, in a WSR-prepared Honda Accord at Silverstone.

Popularity is not the only byword of the British Touring Car Championship. The series can be rightly proud of its heritage that dates back to 1957/58.

The man credited with the idea for a national championship for saloon cars is Ken Gregory, who was also well known in motor racing circles as the manager of Stirling Moss. In the early to mid Fifties, saloon car racing achieved high levels of popularity among the public and competitors alike, but no organised series or championship existed in which the leading manufacturers, then recovering from the post-War years, could display the prowess of their new ranges of passenger cars.

Gregory convinced the British Racing & Sports Car Club, of which he was secretary, that it should fill this void and increase the profile of saloon car racing by running a championship alongside the club’s popular 500cc Formula 3 and sports car classes of the day.

The BRSCC adopted its rules and, to suit the manufacturers’ product ranges, four individual classes were structured for cars with engine capacities of up to 1200cc, 1201-1600cc, 1601-2700cc and 2701cc and above.

The rationale of the touring car championship has always been to provide a competition arena for current production cars. Ever since the championship was first established, therefore, the rules have been constantly reviewed and changed when needed to follow production trends.

It’s true that the first British Saloon Car Championship was run in 1958. However, the very first race counting towards that year’s points table was actually staged at Brands Hatch on Boxing Day 1957. It was won by Tommy Sopwith driving an Equipe Endeavour 3.4-litre Jaguar.

That inaugural season of ’58 ended in dramatic fashion – Sopwith had won his class but so too had Jack Sears (Austin A105 Westminster) and they had tied on points. This was resolved by Marcus Chambers, then competitions manager of BMC (British Motors Corporation), who offered two identical 1.5-litre Rileys for a pair of five-lap races with the drivers taking turns in each car. A matter of 1.6 seconds is all that separated the two of them in the end after their race times had been added together. Sopwith won the first race by 2.2 seconds, but Sears won the second by 3.8 seconds, so it was he who was crowned the first Champion.

Sopwith could feel aggrieved at being classified as the runner-up. He had not just won his class (the most senior of the four) but also taken victory in eight of the season’s ten rounds and set eight fastest race laps. He would not be the last front-running driver to miss out on the overall title to the winner of one of the smaller classes. Indeed, identical points were awarded to each class winner and, ultimately, this would come to favour those drivers contesting classes for smaller-engined cars. In fact, in the 32 years that the BTCC ran to a class system, only five drivers competing in the largest – and often the most competitive – engine division would win the outright title. Not until 1991 would the BTCC switch to a single, (two-litre) engine formula…

Back in 1958, virtually any ‘performance saloon’ came under consideration for Britain’s only series. Naturally, certain models found favour with competitors for ease of tuning, handling and reliability. In the early days, tuning was a little basic and meant, in most cases, raising the compression ratio by shaving the cylinder head. Many of these ‘normal racing saloons’ were in every day use. Among the favoured performers were the Austin A35 and Ford Prefect in the smallest capacity field, heading the likes of the 1.5 Riley, Borgward Isabella, Volvo Amazon and MG Magnette and, in the larger capacity classes, the 3.4 Jaguar and Ford Zephyr. It was in a Zephyr in 1959 that Jeff Uren would win the title.

In 1960, the club introduced the concept of ‘silhouette’ special saloon cars, and the championship ran to new rules allowing for 1000cc free formula models. The season, held under the banner of ‘Supa Tura Trophy’, was dominated by Doc Shepherd’s very fast, Don Moore-prepared Austin A40.

Subsequent national championships, however, would stay loyal to the concept of production cars, although the ruling body did permit greater technical development, following the Group 2 regulations used in the FIA European Touring Car races. This significantly increased the support from manufacturers. Hence, proof of a minimum number of units produced was necessary in order for a car to be entered. In addition, any engine or body modifications had to be available for retail sale.

As the Jaguars faded, one of the first cars to popularise the British championship was the Mini. This advanced little car produced many crowd-pleasing, giant-killing acts against bigger-engined models and the 1961 and ’62 titles were landed by Mini drivers John Whitmore and John Love. In later seasons, John Rhodes would become one of the stars with a series of factory team Minis, winning four class titles.

With regard to overall race wins, however, a new era had begun: the era of the American ‘muscle cars’ and the British-built Ford Cortina.

It had been heralded as early as 1961 when US star Dan Gurney raced a V8 Chevrolet Impala at Silverstone. By 1963, several Ford Galaxies were in use in the UK championship and, ultimately, Gurney’s lead would be followed by teams campaigning Ford Mustang, Ford Falcon and Chevrolet Camaro models.

In 1963, Jack Sears was champion again, this time at the wheel of John Willment’s Ford and Lotus Cortinas and also one of the mighty Galaxies. The combination of great driving skill and biddable power, demonstrated by Jim Clark in a works Lotus Cortina, secured outright championship honours in 1964, before Roy Pierpoint claimed the title the following year in his new Mustang.

New Group 5 regulations were drawn up for 1966, stricter than the Gp2 rules they superseded in terms of cars’ exterior appearance, but less stringent as to engine modifications. The Gp5 cars had to retain their original silhouette and be immediately identifiable, but there was now greater scope for engine tuning and suspension tweaks to make the most of the recently-introduced ‘slick’ racing tyre. All this was to the benefit of spectators: the Championship, spectacular as always, now became both faster and noisier.

The first Gp5 title was won by John Fitzpatrick in one of Ralph Broad’s Ford Anglias, the second in 1967 by Australian Frank Gardner in Alan Mann Racing’s Ford Falcon. By 1968, the RACMSA, the governing body of British motor sport which had taken over the administration of the burgeoning touring car championship from its originators, was able to ensure that races appeared at all major events on the calendar. Gardner’s second title in 1968 in Alan Mann’s Ford Escort, and Alec Poole’s in 1969, in an Equipe Arden Mini, were won in front of ever-bigger crowds.

Revised Gp2 rules were adopted for the 1970 season, as the FIA updated the groupings and homologation requirements for production cars. There was now a clear distinction between Gp1 (which permitted only limited modification) and Gp2. The classifications also took into account the size and number of useable seats and, effectively, banished the increasingly competitive Porsche 911 from touring car races.

As the bigger-engine classes became numerically stronger, with the Escorts challenging the Falcons and Camaros for supremacy, it suited the purposes of Bill McGovern who won three titles in a row (1970, ’71 and ’72) with George Bevan’s 1-litre Imps. The 1973 crown, though, went for the third time to Gardner, this time with a 7-litre Camaro.

By 1974, with costs of competing having become prohibitive, the RACMSA switched to Gp1 regulations. The new class divisions –up to 1600cc, 1601-2500cc, 2501-4000cc and over 4000cc – were abandoned two years later and the big American V8 cars, which had dominated the top class, were no longer eligible. The Camaro’s swansong came with a string of victories for Stuart Graham and Richard Lloyd in 1974 and ’75.

Bernard Unett won the first of his three titles in 1974 with his works Hillman Avenger, and Andy Rouse the first of his four championships in 1975 with a Broadspeed Triumph Dolomite Sprint.

With the demise of the big V8s, the Ford Capri emerged as the front-running model. Gordon Spice won the 3000cc class titles in five successive seasons, from 1976 to 1980. But the overall champion for the first four of those years hailed from the newly-introduced 1300cc class; Unett in a works Avenger GT was invincible for two years until usurped by Richard Longman, who also received factory support in Patrick Motorsport’s Mini 1275GT.

By 1980, there was an increasing challenge from Japanese manufacturers. Tom Walkinshaw introduced the raucous, rotary-engined Mazda RX7 and duly won his class in 1979, while Win Percy collected two of his three titles in a TWR Mazda in 1980 and ’81. Armed with a Hughes of Beaconsfield Toyota Corolla, Percy completed the set in 1982.

The upper capacity limit had been raised to 3500cc in 1980 and now the Rover Vitesse became a regular race winner, displacing the Capris in the hands of such drivers as Peter Lovett and Jeff Allam.

In 1983, Rouse resumed his winning ways at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo GTV6. He took the 2.5 class and was later declared the outright champion, but only after some end-of-season controversy. That campaign was run to the FIA’s revised GpA saloon car classification and the top three drivers – all in 3.5 Rover V8s – were excluded from the final championship positions due to technical infringements. Thus, Tony Lanfranchi took the 3.5 class honours in his Opel Monza.

Rouse, though, established a reputation for first-class race car preparation as well as emphasising his talent as a driver over the next two years, winning the title outright in cars built and run by his own specialist company.

After speeding to glory in a 3.5 Rover Vitesse in 1984, the hat-trick was achieved in ’85 in a 2.3 Ford Sierra Turbo, with wins in nine out of 11 races. This heralded the beginning of a new engine era for Britain’s premier saloon car championship and, although there were turbocharged cars from Colt, MG and Nissan, it was Ford that blazed the development trail.

As competition hotted-up in the battle for outright race victories and the pool of potential winners expanded from race to race, so this favoured a determined and consistent challenge from one of the smaller capacity classes.

Chris Hodgetts, driving a works-assisted Toyota Corolla GT, suffered only one class defeat in 1986 (beaten by Mikael Sundstrom in a Peugeot 205GTi) and duly clinched the overall title. Rouse (Ford Sierra XR4i Turbo) and Richard Longman (Ford Escort RS Turbo) were respective Class A and B winners while the 1300cc class was dropped due to a lack of support.

Renamed the British Touring Car Championship and with revised class structures, the 1987 campaign was the swansong for the popular Rover Vitesse. A spectacular season provided eight different winners from 12 rounds. Rouse suffered teething problems with the 550bhp Ford Sierra RS500 Turbo and, ultimately, the Rovers of Tim Harvey and Dennis Leech fought dramatically to the final round. Although Harvey took the class, Hodgetts’ winning sequence in the Corolla secured him a second successive overall title.

The Ford RS500 Turbo was the car of the 1988 season. Having overcome the issues encountered the previous year, Rouse showed the Blue Oval behemoth was in a league of its own with nine wins en route to the class A title (over 3000cc). But again it was not enough to secure outright honours, these falling to Frank Sytner and the Prodrive BMW M3 – a potent new combination that dominated the 2000-3000cc division with 11 class victories. This would set the scene for the future.

The Sierra and BMW M3 – two of the BTCC’s most iconic cars – were again rulers of their respective classes in 1989. The Trakstar RS500 of Robb Gravett emerged as a lively new contender for outright race wins and the lead battles between him and Rouse lit up numerous spectacular events. Ultimately, Rouse, with his six triumphs, retained the class title, but just as exciting was the duel between Prodrive BMW team-mates Sytner and James Weaver, in which the latter provailed. However, the overall champion was John Cleland who romped to an impressive 11 class wins in the works Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V. This marked the start of what would later become a quite exceptional run of success for Vauxhall… Meanwhile, in the last year of Class D (up to 1600cc), Phil Dowsett scored his second – and Toyota’s fourth – consecutive victory.

Before the transition to its sole 2-litre format, the BTCC underwent a revised structure for the 1990 season and catered for GpA-specification cars in two classes – up to 2000cc and over 2000cc. At the head of the field, Gravett exacted revenge on his main rival of the previous year (Rouse) and won nine times to give the RS500 its third consecutive class and one and only outright championship title.

In the up to 2000cc category, Vauxhall launched its Cavalier model and Cleland was quickly on the pace of the established front-running BMW M3s. The Scot’s Thruxton victory ended a 27 race/class-winning sequence by the M3, but Sytner took the class honours, with five triumphs in the division in total. Cleland’s arrival, though, was to set a scene of intrigue for the coming years as the BTCC moved into yet another new era of technical regulations but one which, at last, would give the championship the long-term stability it had been seeking…

Manufacturer, No. of wins

Ford, 279

Honda, 196

BMW, 148

Vauxhall, 138

Chevrolet, 80

Jaguar, 51

SEAT, 44

MG, 39

Renault, 38

Rover, 33

Toyota, 33

Nissan, 25

Subaru, 22

Volvo, 21

Volkswagen, 18

Mini, 14

Triumph, 14

Hyundai, 14

Audi, 13

Austin, 12

Mercedes, 11

Infiniti, 11

Alfa Romeo, 9

Mazda, 4

Mitsubishi, 3

Colt, 3

Chrysler, 2

Holden, 1

Sunbeam, 1

Borgward, 1

Driver, No. of wins

Jason Plato, 97

Colin Turkington, 67

Matt Neal, 63

Andy Rouse, 60

Gordon Shedden, 52

Ashley Sutton, 39

Alain Menu, 36

Yvan Muller, 36

James Thompson, 36

Frank Gardner, 35

Mat Jackson, 31

Gordon Spice, 28

Tom Ingram, 27

Andrew Jordan, 26

Fabrizio Giovanardi, 24

Brian Muir, 22

Rickard Rydell, 21

Stuart Graham, 19

Josh Cook, 18

John Cleland, 17

Jeff Allam, 16

Tim Harvey, 16

Rob Collard, 15

Richard Lloyd, 15

Anthony Reid, 15

Tom Chilton, 15

Roy Pierpoint, 14

Steve Soper, 14

Frank Biela, 13

Robb Gravett, 13

Joachim Winkelhock, 13

Jack Sears, 12

Gabriele Tarquini, 12

Vince Woodman, 12

Dan Cammish, 12

Jake Hill, 12

Adam Morgan, 11

Rory Butcher, 11

Laurent Aiello, 10

Win Percy, 10

Will Hoy, 9

David Leslie, 9

Tom Walkinshaw, 9

Jim Clark, 8

Graham Hill, 8

Peter Lovett, 8

Tommy Sopwith, 8

Sam Tordoff, 8

Tom Onslow-Cole, 7

Gawaine Baillie, 6

Tony Dron, 6

Dan Eaves, 6

Mike Parkes, 6

Paul Radisich, 6

Roy Salvadori, 6

John Fitzpatrick, 5

Darren Turner, 5

Jack Goff, 5

Jack Brabham, 4

Chris Craft, 4

Jackie Oliver, 4

Aron Taylor-Smith, 4

John Sprinzel, 4

Aiden Moffat, 4

Stephen Jelley, 4

Dan Lloyd, 4

Rob Austin, 3

Phil Bennett, 3

Ivor Bueb, 3

Luke Hines, 3

Chris Hodgetts, 3

Gareth Howell, 3

Warren Hughes, 3

Tom Kristensen, 3

Dennis Leech, 3

John Morris, 3

Andy Priaulx, 3

John Rhodes, 3

Colin Vandervell, 3

Geoff Williamson, 3

John Bintcliffe, 2

Kelvin Burt, 2

Peter Hall, 2

Rob Huff, 2

Mike Newman, 2

Dave Newsham, 2

Paul O’Neill, 2

David Sears, 2

Doc Shepherd, 2

Frank Sytner, 2

Bernard Unett, 2

John Whitmore, 2

Barrie Williams, 2

Ollie Jackson, 2

Tom Oliphant, 2

Senna Proctor, 2

Dan Rowbottom, 2

Julian Bailey, 1

Derek Bell, 1

Gerry Birrell, 1

Tom Boardman, 1

Gianfranco Brancatelli, 1

Tommy Bridger, 1

Laurence Bristow, 1

Dave Brodie, 1

Jonathan Buncombe, 1

James Cole, 1

Harald Ertl, 1

Dieter Glemser, 1

Dan Gurney, 1

John Handley, 1

John Hine, 1

David Hobbs, 1

Mike Jordan, 1

Peter Kox, 1

Tony Lanfranchi, 1

Richard Longman, 1

Jerry Mahony, 1

Rod Mansfield, 1

Jochen Mass, 1

Dave Matthews, 1

Alan Morrison, 1 

James Nash, 1

Steve Neal, 1

Tiff Needell, 1

Kieth Odor, 1

Mike O’Brien, 1

Bob Olthoff, 1

Don Parker, 1

Brian Pepper, 1

Tony Pond, 1

Albert Powell, 1

Roberto Ravaglia, 1

Mike Salmon, 1

Giampiero Simoni, 1

Mike Smith, 1

Robert Speak, 1

Tim Sugden, 1

Derek Warwick, 1

James Weaver, 1

Nick Whiting, 1

Frank Wrathall, 1

Chris Smiley, 1

George Gamble, 1

The BTCC is at the pinnacle of motor racing in the UK, but did you know there is also a vibrant club racing scene, with thousands of competitors getting out every weekend to have fun on four wheels?

They’re all part of Motorsport UK, the national membership organisation and governing body for four-wheel motorsport. Around 11,000 people hold a Motorsport UK Race competition licence and there are approximately 300 race events every year across the country.

If you want to join this community of racers, head to a track day to experience the thrill of driving on a circuit for the first time. Then, visit the Motorsport UK website to find your nearest car racing club. There are various clubs offering a wide range of events and championships in pretty much every kind of racing car you think of, from tin-tops to entry level single-seaters.

The next step is to get your Go Racing starter pack. This features more information on how to get on track, including details of the ‘ARDS’ course that you’ll need to take. The pack also includes the cost of your first Motorsport UK licence.

As a member of Motorsport UK you’ll also get access to lots of handy offers and discounts designed to offset some of the costs of motoring and competing, and get you closer to the action.

Other types of motorsport

Motorsport is so much more than racing. Motorsport UK oversees 10 other main types of the sport:

• Autocross: Competitors drive on a short course a grass or stubble field, against the clock. Perfect for newcomers
• Autotest: Drivers tackle a low-speed course without hitting any markers. Think Ken Block but on a more modest scale
• Cross Country: An off-road discipline combining rallying and trials. The best reason to get your 4×4 out of town
• Drag racing: Two cars and drivers see which can cover a quarter of a mile the quickest. The fastest and loudest motorsport of all
• Hill Climb: Competitors race against the clock on a narrow, uphill course. Not to be confused with an activity involving Ordnance Survey maps
• Karting: Most of today’s top racing drivers started in karting but it’s a sport in its own right. Get down to your local kart centre
• Rally: A driver and co-driver take on a series of competitive stages, usually in the forests. The sport that made Colin McRae and Richard Burns household names
• Rallycross: A combination of Rallying and Circuit Racing on a track that’s part gravel and part asphalt. This is where you’re guaranteed to find sideways wheel-to-wheel action
• Sprint: Drivers take turns setting times around a lap of a circuit or point-to-point course. Similar to Hill Climb
• Trials: A low-speed but highly challenging discipline and one of the most accessible forms of the sport. It’s about how far you go, not how fast you get there

Joining Motorsport UK

In total across all types of motorsport, there are 30,000 Motorsport UK competition licence holders. However, even if you don’t want to get behind the wheel, you can still become a member of Motorsport UK and support its work to promote fun on four wheels and protect motorsport for future generations.

What’s more, everyone who joins Motorsport UK gets access to its member benefits programme, with an exclusive range of offers and discounts designed to get you closer to the action and offset the costs of motoring. To discover more, click here.

Stay in touch with Motorsport UK

For all the latest news and updates, visit motorsportuk.org or follow @ourmotorsportuk on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

To enquire about becoming a member, email membership@motorsportuk.org or call 01753 765 050.

A full BTCC Sustainability Strategy will be published here over the coming weeks.