Eurotech Racing’s Jeff Smith has scored a sensational maiden Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship pole position, as the experienced driver mastered tricky, damp conditions at Brands Hatch.

A disjointed opening qualifying session of the 2017 BTCC season was interrupted by incidents and inclement weather, as drivers and teams strived to be on track at the perfect time.

It was Smith and Eurotech that played the right hand as the Honda Civic Type R crossed the line shortly before a deluge of rain fell at the Kent venue. This had followed two earlier stoppages for separate incidents at Paddock Hill Bend, which saw the Chevrolet of Dave Newsham and Subaru of Ashley Sutton beached in the gravel.

Rain came and went throughout much of the running, but it was the shower following Smith’s lap that would scupper any chance of further improvement. The Midlander’s performance should not be underestimated, however, as his 48.367s lap time was just two tenths shy of Tom Ingram’s practice benchmark, despite the afternoon’s less-than-ideal conditions.

Speedworks Motorsport’s Ingram backed up his own pace-setting performance in practice by taking an impressive second in qualifying, whilst the Halfords Yuasa Racing duo of Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal will line up on the second row for tomorrow’s season-opener.

Reigning champion Shedden and team-mate Neal both had to recover from wild rides across the grass on the exit of Surtees, as did the likes of Rob Collard and Ollie Jackson, with the entire 32-car field trying to manage the ever-changing atmospherics. 

BMW returnee Colin Turkington claimed fifth ahead of Adam Morgan’s Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes, whilst Jack Goff cemented Eurotech’s joy with seventh. Rob Austin (Handy Motorsport), Jake Hill (TAG Racing) and Matt Simpson (Simpson Racing) completed the exciting top ten order, which meant all five Hondas in the field took prime positions.

Former champions Andrew Jordan and Jason Plato had to settle for 11th and 18th respectively for BMW Pirtek Racing and Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, whilst Vauxhall’s BTCC race return will commence from 12th and 16th on the grid with Tom Chilton and Senna Proctor.

Jeff Smith said: “Matt Neal was in front of me and I just managed to tuck in behind him for a couple of laps. One of them was quick enough for pole as it turned out. I’ve been on pole before from a reverse grid but I head into every qualifying session believing we can do it, it’s just about executing it. FP1 was a bit of a disaster for us but since then, the car came into its own and it’s been stunning this afternoon. I must admit, I’ve left it to the guys over the winter to sort things out behind the scenes and they have just done a fantastic job. A lot of work has gone in and on my side, I’ve been focussing out on track and getting the laps in over the winter.”

Tom Ingram said: “We were more than happy with that in those conditions, it can go one of two ways. I’d have loved pole but I’m more than happy with second. We can do something from here. Gordon (Shedden) is third, Jeff (Smith) will be pushing for the win so we’ll have to try and get him off the line and try and get clear but we’ll see. I’ve had a cold this week, so I’m not feeling 100 per cent, but I’ll be fine for the morning!”

Gordon Shedden said: “That was a bit of a random one! It was never totally dry. I think a few tried to get on it a little too quickly for the tyre. I had a little moment, well a huge moment, but I don’t think I was the only one! I’ll put that down to an experience and get on with it. It’s the same for everybody but it’s a shame with these conditions. That said, you want to be somewhere rather than nowhere so it’s OK, I’m happy.”

Matt Neal said: “The car’s perfect but the the track was changing corner-by-corner, lap-by-lap. With all three of our cars in the top ten, we’re really chuffed and with Jeff (Smith) on pole it’s three Hondas in the top four – pretty special.”

Colin Turkington said: “We were just hampered by the weather at the start of the session when it was spotting with rain, but then it cleared and we got a go at it. Really quickly the weather turned on us after that. I think everybody feels frustrated at not being able to get a clear run and see what the cars are capable of, but the end result is good for me. I’ve been running in and around there all day so it’s probably representative. We’ve been nudging the car in the right direction. In FP1 we had a bit of a balance issue but we’re improving it.”

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Qualifying – Brands Hatch (Indy):

1 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing 48.367s (89.90mph)
2 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport +0.062s
3 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.160s
4 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.176s
5 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.185s
6 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.229s
7 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.299s
8 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +0.452s
9 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.494s
10 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.532s
11 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.552s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.570s
13 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.575s
14 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.581s
15 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.659s
16 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.673s
17 Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.744s
18 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.751s
19 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.762s
20 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.811s
21 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.813s
22 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.826s
23 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.884s
24 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.962s
25 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +1.022s
26 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +1.065s
27 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.175s
28 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +1.192s
29 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +1.214s
30 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +1.427s
31 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.480s
32 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing NO TIME

Tom Ingram has doubled up by topping both Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Free Practice sessions at Brands Hatch.

The Toyota star set the pace earlier this morning, but the 23-year-old improved his time by 0.006s in the second 40-minute run. Ingram waited until the closing minutes to complete the lap in this particular session, firing out a warning to his rivals in the process.

“I’m piling the pressure on myself here, aren’t I!" said Ingram. "We spent a lot of that session playing around with the balance of the car and we are still a couple of tenths away from our pole-setting pace last year, so there is a fairly big chunk to come – we’ve by no means given everything we’ve got. I’m sure some people will have been running with a fair bit of weight on-board in FP2, so it will be interesting to see where everybody else is in qualifying in terms of out-and-out pace.”

Eurotech's Jack Goff led the way for much of the running before Adam Morgan's Ciceley Mercedes took over at the top. The Mac Tools-backed A-Class looked to have clinched bragging rights until Ingram's late lap, but Morgan was still pretty happy with second place.

"We’ve brought in a new engineer team during the off-season and they have done a magnificent job with the car," commented Morgan. "It just feels so nice to drive and it’s always good to be up at the sharp end. A few people probably haven’t done a qualifying sim yet, but we’re working on our own strategy and we’re happy where we are.

"It’s busy out there and getting a clean lap will be critical – fingers crossed we’ll be in the right place at the right time come qualifying."

Goff held on to third from triple-champion Matt Neal, with Halfords Yuasa Racing maintaining its usual steady progress throughout both practice sessions.

Rob Austin and Colin Turkington backed up their top ten pace from the first session by taking fifth and sixth respectively in the second run. The Handy Motorsport Toyota of Austin enjoyed good form in the latter half of the 2o16 season, as well as a promising pre-season this time around, whilst Colin Turkington's return to BMW is ominously building momentum.

Jeff Smith produced a stellar lap to claim seventh – making it two Eurotech Hondas in the top ten – whilst Aron Taylor-Smith has settled into his new MG surroundings well with eighth. Young Senna Proctor starred in ninth for Vauxhall, ahead of 2013 Champion Andrew Jordan.

A number of the big guns failed to show their hand, with Adrian Flux Subaru Racing in particular enduring a tough session. With the top 28-cars being covered by less than 0.9s the quartet of Subarus could only manage 28th, 29th, 31st and 32nd in the order.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice Two – Brands Hatch (Indy):

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 48.158s (90.29 mph)
2 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.086s
3 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.091s
4 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.165s
5 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +0.260s
6 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.301s
7 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.341s
8 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.354s
9 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.366s
10 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.373s
11 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.382s
12 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.401s
13 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.411s
14 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.434s
15 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.436s
16 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.508s
17 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat with Duo +0.529s
18 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.564s
19 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +0.592s
20 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.594s
21 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.690s
22 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.718s
23 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.724s
24 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.739s
25 Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.819s
26 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +0.847s
27 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.868s
28 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.888s
29 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.072s
30 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +1.097s
31 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.290s
32 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +2.277s

Speedworks Motorsport's Tom Ingram has set the pace in the opening 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Free Practice session at Brands Hatch.

The young Toyota driver was fastest during official pre-season testing at Donington Park recently, and the pace of his newly facelifted Avensis has been further proven around the 1.27-mile Indy Circuit. Ingram's form at the Kent venue is of little surprise as the 23-year-old scored his first BTCC pole position and race victory here in 2016.

"We've got more time to find, but it's always good to be at the top of the timesheets," said Ingram.

Ingram's lap was clocked early in the session, whilst the BMW trio showed their hand towards the end of the 40-minutes. Rob Collard took second ahead of stablemate Andrew Jordan, whilst WSR returnee Colin Turkington claimed sixth. Among the BMWs were the Mercedes of Adam Morgan and Honda of Gordon Shedden in fourth and fifth respectively.

Four different teams completed the top ten positions as Subaru new boy Ashley Sutton grabbed seventh ahead of Eurotech's Jack Goff. MG manufacturer driver Aron Taylor-Smith was ninth ahead of Handy Motorsport's Rob Austin. The Toyota of Austin was also in the wars after mid-session contact with the Vauxhall Astra of Tom Chilton, although both continued with only superficial damage to their bodywork.

The session was stopped briefly to retrieve the car of Aiden Moffat after an issue sent his car spiralling into the Clearways gravel, with no blame apportioned to the young Scottish driver.

An incredible 26 cars were seperated by less than a second, suggesting we are in for a nail-biting FP2 and qualifying session later today.

2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – Free Practice One – Brands Hatch (Indy):

1 Tom INGRAM (GBR) Speedworks Motorsport 48.164s (90.28 mph)
2 Rob COLLARD (GBR) Team BMW +0.117s
3 Andrew JORDAN (GBR) BMW Pirtek Racing +0.139s
4 Adam MORGAN (GBR) Ciceley Motorsport +0.156s
5 Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.168s
6 Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.182s
7 Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.329s
8 Jack GOFF (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.342s
9 Aron TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.374s
10 Rob AUSTIN (GBR) Handy Motorsport +0.387s
11 Dave NEWSHAM (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.520s
12 Tom CHILTON (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.523s
13 Michael EPPS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.533s
14 Jake HILL (GBR) TAG Racing +0.548s
15 Daniel LLOYD (GBR) MG Racing RCIB Insurance +0.565s
16 Jeff SMITH (GBR) Eurotech Racing +0.585s
17 Matt NEAL (GBR) Halfords Yuasa Racing +0.589s
18 Will BURNS (GBR) Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing +0.680s
19 Chris SMILEY (GBR) BTC Norlin Racing +0.715s
20 Josh COOK (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.772s
21 Mat JACKSON (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat with Duo +0.775s
22 Senna PROCTOR (GBR) Power Maxed Racing +0.780s
23 Luke DAVENPORT (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +0.853s
24 James COLE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +0.884s
25 Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport +0.909s
26 Ollie JACKSON (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +0.980s
27 Martin DEPPER (GBR) Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo +1.116s
28 Ant WHORTON-EALES (GBR) AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts +1.120s
29 Matt SIMPSON (GBR) Simpson Racing +1.136s
30 Jason PLATO (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +1.165s
31 Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +1.566s
32 Josh PRICE (GBR) Adrian Flux Subaru Racing +2.067s

Halfords Yuasa Racing has announced a new sponsorship agreement with JewelUltra Ltd and its Diamondbrite offering ahead of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The deal sees one of the leading suppliers of automotive paint protection and cleaning products join the highly-successful team.

Marketing Manager for Jewelultra Ltd, Lance Boseley, said: ‘In this our 25th year of trading we see this as a fantastic opportunity for us to partner one of the BTCC's leading teams, and we know this will give us the brand recognition and exposure we are seeking but also the social media coverage and leverage we desire. We are really excited to be joining the team and are very much looking forward to this being a long and successful relationship.’

Team Shredded Wheat Racing with DUO is gearing up for the return of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this coming weekend as the hotly-anticipated 2017 season gets underway at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit (1-2 April).

The Motorbase-run trio of Ford Focus STs piloted by Mat Jackson, Martin Depper and Luke Davenport faces fierce competition this year, with a capacity grid of 32 cars confirmed for the campaign. Five former champions will be challenging for the coveted BTCC crown, and with an incredible 16 race winners lined-up, the Wrotham-based outfit is preparing for its most competitive season to date.

“BTCC is back!” commented Team Boss David Bartrum. “After a long and busy winter, the new season is upon us and I feel we're ready for our strongest attack on an outright championship victory. We celebrated our best season ever last year and we’re ready to take it to the next level.”

2016 ended on a high note with the Motorbase squad securing both the Independent Teams and Drivers’ titles to commemorate its 10th Anniversary of racing in the BTCC.  The Focus ST was also one of the best performing cars on the grid, clocking up 7 wins and 7 podiums with Mat Jackson topping the table of most race wins for the season whilst leading the most laps throughout the 30-round crusade.

 “We've strengthened the team in all areas behind the scenes over the winter;” Bartrum continued. “We've had a good pre-season test program, our strongest to date, and we've got three eye-catching yellow Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo cars ready to do battle.  All three drivers are up for the challenge so it’s time to let the racing do the talking!”

The Focus ST has undergone a number of improvements and developments over the winter with the Team Shredded Wheat Racing with DUO squad clocking up over a season’s worth of mileage during its intense pre-season test programme.

“The whole grid has become even stronger over the winter;” explained Bartrum. “Driving standards have improved, the competition is even stronger and it’s all adding up to be another fantastic campaign. Lots of teams have carried out testing over the winter and they all have the same aim as us, so Brands is going to be an absolute classic! I feel sure it will be a very close season and reliability and consistency will be the key to glory when we return to Brands Hatch in October.”

Mat Jackson said: “We’ve got some great mileage behind us from testing and we’ve learnt a lot about the new Dunlop tyres so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out on the track this weekend. We go into the weekend in a good place, we know we have a strong car in the Focus and the changes we’ve made over the winter should help to keep us on the edge but this year is going to be closer than ever.

“This is the by far the strongest grid we’ve seen in a long time and the wins and podiums are going to be even harder to come by. Brands has been kind to us in the past and a strong start in qualifying is going to be pivotal in getting our campaign off on the best footing.”

Martin Depper said: “I’m really looking forward to getting back out on track this weekend. We’ve had a great test programme and the new Dunlop tyre has given us a few more things to think about, but I’m sure it’s going to be great for the racing and make the grid even closer this season.

“Brands is really going to be interesting, everyone has had a busy winter and played their cards close to their chest so it’s all to play for when all 32 cars get together on the same piece of tarmac for the first time this weekend!”

Luke Davenport #300 said: “I’m going into the first round with my eyes open! I know that the racing is going to be nothing like I’ve experienced before, but I’m going in to the weekend with a good knowledge of the car and a good knowledge of the circuit so I’m feeling as well prepared as I can be.

“I do feel like I can be a contender for the Jack Sears Trophy this season but my targets for this weekend are to perform above the team’s expectations and to do the sponsors proud. Any pots that I pick up along the way are a bonus!”

The 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season gets underway with rounds one, two and three held at Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent on 1-2 April. Live coverage of Sunday's events will be shown on ITV4, ITV4HD and via the ITV Hub from 10:15 – 18:15; with itv.com/btcc featuring live timing and streaming of Saturday's qualifying session between 15:40 – 16:10.

The 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is just around the corner, with the season-opener set to take place at Brands Hatch this weekend, and Team HARD is aiming high.

In November, Team Principal, Tony Gilham, announced that the outfit had re-purchased its trio of Volkswagen CCs – three race-winning machines that the Kent squad originally built, prepared and ran in the championship back in 2013. Gilham was delighted to be re-united with the cars, and believes they will be a force to be reckoned with in RML specification.

“Bringing the VWs to the BTCC was our brainchild back in 2011, so it feels like we have some unfinished business with them,” he said. “It was a good car out of the box then and was still winning races last season with the older kit onboard. With all three VWs updated to RML-spec over the winter and believe we have a really strong package.

“We’re coming off the back of a solid year with three older cars, but now we feel we’re ready to step up and become extremely competitive."

TAG Racing's Jake Hill returns and is looking to build on a string of positive performances at Team HARD last year – starting on home turf in Kent.

Six top ten, and a hatful of points finishes signalled what was certainly an impressive first full campaign in the championship for Hill and the 23-year-old is looking to strengthen his charge for 2017 as he looks to class wins and the podium.

“It was fantastic to complete my first season in BTCC, I learned so much and am hugely grateful to Tony (Gilham) and all the team’s and our partners for making it possible. I was often in the top-ten and battling with all of the championship contenders at some point, so with the Volkswagen CC as a much stronger package I aim to be in the top ten most of the time now, and want to secure podiums and Independents' wins.”

Hill’s distinctive TAG Racing No.24 machine has shown strong pace in the limited testing so far, even running in the rain at Rockingham recently, and has given Hill and his team-mates Michael Epps and Will Burns confidence that the car will be competitive.

“This year everyone is running the same RML parts, we all have more power and wider tyres and most people feel it will be the most competitive year for a long time. There are 32 teams and drivers that are all capable of running at the front so it will be incredibly tough. But we have some great people in the team, I have a year’s experience now and the support of TAG Racing, RCIB Insurance and Auto Aid Breakdown on my car."

BRDC ‘Rising Star’ Hill has to travel less than 20 miles from Goudhurst to get to Brands Hatch, and is one of the instructors at the famous Brands Hatch Racing School, so in every way this is very much home for him and his team.

“I know I will have some great support from friends and family - my grandad is flying down from Scotland! I know the place so well, but it will be crazily competitive - less than a second will cover the whole grid, so it will be pretty tough but I just can’t wait!”

Michael Epps, of Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing under the Team HARD banner, concurred with his team-mate and is also optimistic.

"I’m very excited about the new car," said Epps. "It’s the first time I’ve been in a touring car with equipment that is on a par with those around me this year.

"Last year, the car I had was one of seven running GPRM-spec. Now we’ve got the same platform to work with, and we’ve quickly got up to speed with things, we’ve been out-of-the-box fast.

"It’s a great pairing between the VW CC with RML parts and the new TOCA engine. If we stay reliable, I’m sure we’ll have a good year."

Rookie Will Burns joins the Team HARD stable for 2017 and was left impressed following an 'enjoyable' Season Launch test session.

"I was nervous at Season Launch with the media duties and such like in the morning but I quickly relaxed and embraced the whole day – I really enjoyed it," Burns said.

"I couldn’t believe it really. When I used to race in British GT’s support classes there weren’t half as many people watching on a race day as there were at Donington Park for the BTCC test, so it was a bit mad. I’m just looking forward to new surroundings and hopefully I can do well."

Huddersfield’s Daniel Lloyd is all set for the biggest challenge of his racing career as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship roars back into action at Brands Hatch in Kent this coming weekend (April 1-2).

Having recently secured a ‘dream’ factory drive with the manufacturer-based MG RCIB Insurance Racing squad alongside fellow new signing Aron Taylor-Smith, Lloyd is set to join the most competitive BTCC grid in years, with 16 race-winners making up half of the 32-car strong line-up competing for the most coveted crown in British motorsport.

A huge crowd is expected to descend on the 1.2mile Brands Hatch Indy circuit where Lloyd will make his racing debut in the MG Motor MG6; run by multiple title winners Triple Eight Racing. After impressing during his three appearances during the 2016 season – securing front row starts at Croft and Oulton Park - the 25-year-old is eager to build on his performance with a full season campaign ahead of him.

“This weekend is massive for me and my supporters;” enthused Lloyd. “Going into the opening round at Brands Hatch as part of a works-backed team, and representing the MG brand on the grid, is fantastic and I can’t wait to go racing again.

“We had a bumpy start to testing, but the team pulled out all of the stops and turned it around and we’ve managed to get some decent mileage under our belts. The MG is a proven race winning car and we have a great team behind the scenes so we’re going into the opening round in good form.”

“The first round is always an interesting one and the new Dunlop tyre has thrown even more into the mix this weekend,” added Lloyd. “Obviously we all know what we’ve been working on but none of us know what the other teams have in the bag, so it’s always a bit of a step into the unknown.”

“This weekend is all about consistency and making sure that we qualify well to keep ourselves in the mix. It’s such a competitive grid this year, all points are going to hard-fought but this championship is all about the long-game and I feel sure that we’ll be in amongst the main players.”

Eurotech Racing's Jack Goff has his feet firmly under the table having joined the squad over the off-season, and the High Wycombe racer heads to Brands Hatch this weekend with an air of confidence.

Last season was something of a frustration for the 26-year-old. Were it not for a coming-together at Thruxton, Goff could have left Hampshire top of the pile in terms of the championship race. In fact, he garnered the most fastest laps of any driver in 2016 – no mean feat. The pace was evident but sometimes the rub of the green was not.

"I think we were very unlucky last year," said Goff. "If you look back, I think it was Thruxton, the third round of the championship where we had an incident with (Gordon) Shedden. If it wasn’t for that, we’d have come out of there leading the championship.

"At Snetterton we had a problem in race two that meant we had to start at the back of the grid for race three so there’s another two races gone. At Oulton Park I had a problem on the grid too and at Rockingham I was taken out of two races through no fault of my own.

"Anyone can point to things like this, of course, but we know we had the pace last year. We had four fastest laps, which is the most out of anybody on the grid. We need to keep that pace and we just need a little bit of luck on our side too."

Heading into 2017, Goff returns to front-wheel drive machinery at Eurotech Racing in the shape of its Honda Civic Type R. With a strong pre-season behind him, and plenty of time to settle into new surroundings, he heads to Brands Hatch in positive mood.

"I know I’ve chopped and changed between front and rear-wheel drive in recent years," continued Goff. "It was easier going back to front-wheel drive as it’s what I’ve raced most throughout my career, going back to the Clios and even before that.

"With the RWD it was relatively unknown but with FWD it was there in the back of my mind so it’s been a bit easier.

"I’ve slotted in straight away with Eurotech Racing. They’re a great bunch and I’m loving the car so it’s all looking quite positive at the moment.

"If you’re feeling at ease with everyone around you then that makes life a lot easier. We have a bit of banter but we’re very focussed on the job which is to go out there and win races.

"We’re feeling quite confident heading to Brands Hatch. We know what we’re doing but we don’t know what everyone else has been doing.

"We have different tyres this year to learn. The car ran last year in RML specification but we were running a slightly narrower tyre in 2016 so we’re learning things over again slightly though the guys are fantastic both in the engineering department and in the garage.

"Together we’ve been getting through different programmes, we’re all working hard and we feel we’ve really been getting somewhere."

Team BMW rounded off its pre-season testing programme on Monday ahead of shakedown and on-site preparations in Kent with this weekend's opening round of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch looming large.

Colin Turkington is set to make his return to rear-wheel drive BMW machinery and to the team that made him a double BTCC champion, West Surrey Racing.

The Ulsterman feels the team is in good shape and he will be looking for consistent points to open his Team BMW account.

“The focus for this weekend is to be consistent and score well in each race," said Turkington. "It’s a long season ahead but I’m confident we can hit the ground running. 

"One change for this season is the new construction Dunlop tyres and we now use the hard compound tyre at half of the events, compared to just two last season.  This is sure to bring about additional challenges to those circuits, but one that our engineering team will certainly get to grips with. 

'The winter has passed quickly for me but I feel ready to start the season and have prepared to the best of my ability. 

"A little warmup last weekend at Goodwood was a great training exercise for me and I had a fantastic time.  It was a great feeling to be back in the racing environment and I’m excited to get our BTCC campaign going on Saturday.”

Halfords Yuasa Racing team-mates Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal are eager to confirm their pre-season potential when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship returns this weekend at Brands Hatch.
 
Shedden concluded the 2016 campaign by fighting to a third title in the UK’s premier motor sport series in dramatic fashion, with Neal also heading into the thrilling season finale with a very real shout of lifting the laurels.
 
The Honda Civic Type R has undergone a comprehensive development programme over the winter months, with particular attention on the new Dunlop Sport Maxx tyre that will be introduced this year.
 
Shedden and fellow three-time BTCC champion Neal have been out on-track at Parcmotor Castellolí in Spain and various British circuits in recent weeks, and both men are in positive mood as the start of the season speeds rapidly into view.
 
“Testing has gone well," started Shedden. "There has been plenty of learning with the new Dunlop tyres, but I think we’re getting our heads around it all and I’m in a reasonably happy place right now.

"The week in Spain was really beneficial and highlighted a few things we needed to work on early in our preparations. That ensured we were on the right track by the time we got back to the UK and the car feels good.

"It actually feels different to last year – the tyres have had more of an effect than I’d expected, to be honest – but we seem to be increasingly unlocking the little Civic Type R’s potential.

"Of course, the one thing we don’t know at this stage is how quick everybody else will be, but what’s for sure is that it’s going to be insanely close in qualifying at Brands Hatch with the whole field on zero ballast – you’re going to need to absolutely nail your lap if you want a good starting position.

"I really believe the difference between first and last on the grid this season could be the smallest it’s ever been. The quality stretches further down the field than in recent years, meaning it will all come down to hundredths – if not indeed thousandths – of a second.”
 
Neal echoed his team mates' thoughts on what both see as an ultra-competitive field this year.

Neal said: “This is the first year in a while that we will arrive at the opening round with a sorted chassis and sorted engine, which bodes well. In recent seasons, we’ve tended to be a bit last minute because we’ve always had something new to introduce.

"That said, the calibre of the field in 2017 will certainly make our lives harder! There are some very good driver and car combinations out there, which is what everybody wants to see – if the BTCC wasn’t a challenge, we wouldn’t be here. Everybody is going to have good and bad weekends – that’s inevitable, particularly this year as getting to grips with the new Dunlop tyre has been a learning curve for us all – but our goal is to be as consistent as we possibly can be over the course of the campaign.

"I never like to be confident, because I think confidence breeds complacency, but I’m feeling good and three solid results at Brands has to be the goal; of course it would be lovely to come away with a win or even a podium, but points in the bag are the main priority. I think we should be in with as good a chance as anybody else.”