The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is speeding into 2017 with its most successful grid in history, as an extraordinary 16 race-winners and a whole host of eager challengers prepare to go head-to-head for the most coveted crown in UK motor sport.

For the second year in succession, a capacity 32-strong grid has been unveiled during today’s (16 March) annual Season Launch at Donington Park. Half of the drivers on the entry list are previous visitors to the top step of the podium, totalling an astonishing 329 victories between them – testament to the strength-in-depth of the series and proving that the BTCC continues to attract the crème de la crème of driving talent.

There are two new manufacturer entries on the list – with Vauxhall making an eagerly-anticipated comeback with Power Maxed Racing and BMW bolstering West Surrey Racing’s bid. These two marques will do battle with Honda, Subaru and MG for manufacturer glory, with 11 independent outfits joining the fight for outright Teams’ honours.

The BTCC is renowned for its close competition, bumper-to-bumper action and delivering drama and excitement by the bucketload. The 2016 campaign was no different, as the scrap for supremacy went right down to the wire in a three-way final race showdown between Gordon Shedden, Sam Tordoff and Colin Turkington, with the Scot digging deep to successfully defend his Drivers’ title.

The 2017 season sees the advent of the second phase of the current generation of NGTC rules – as all 32 cars will now run with common RML Group components – a new TOCA engine and new Dunlop tyres.

All of the high-octane entertainment will continue to be broadcast live, free-to-air and in high-definition on ITV4, with the championship’s loyal long-term partner additionally producing extensive highlights programmes.

This year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will again comprise 30 races across ten events at nine venues around the UK, with the season commencing at Brands Hatch on 1/2 April and concluding on the legendary Grand Prix circuit at the same venue on 30 September/1 October.

In the starting blocks

Half of the drivers in the 32-strong field in 2017 have won at least one race in the series –underscoring the sheer unpredictability of the BTCC – while there are a whole host of young pretenders and seasoned chargers eager to join the winners’ club.

Having lifted the Drivers’ laurels in both 2015 and 2016 in nail-biting last-minute fashion, Gordon Shedden will be looking to draw level with the legendary Andy Rouse on four titles – as, indeed, will Halfords Yuasa Racing stablemate Matt Neal, who demonstrated last year that experience counts as he fought for the crown right the way down to the final weekend.

Neal will head into his 27^th BTCC season in 2017, and both he and Shedden will be behind the wheel of the potent and proven Honda Civic Type R, sporting a bold new, inverted black-and-orange livery as the Japanese marque bids to regain the Manufacturers’ trophy.

Defending title-holders West Surrey Racing have similarly upped the ante, with BMW providing manufacturer backing, and the squad enter the forthcoming campaign rebranded as Team BMW for WSR returnee Colin Turkington and mainstay Rob Collard. New recruit Andrew Jordan will compete under the BMW Pirtek Racing banner.

Turkington’s off-season defection from Subaru to his former home of WSR sent shivers down the spine of many of the Northern Irishman’s rivals, as last time he drove a BMW – in 2014 – he piloted it to his second BTCC crown. Renowned as a rear-wheel drive specialist, he will doubtless be a leading threat – as, too, will Collard, who enjoyed his finest year to-date in 2016 as he led the championship during mid-season and was one of eight late-season title protagonists.

It will be fascinating to see how Jordan adapts to rear-wheel drive machinery, and the 2013 champion and reigning Independents’ title-holder is bullish about his prospects following an encouraging winter testing programme.

Subaru’s entry onto the BTCC grid last year caused quite a stir, with the Japanese marque taking a quantum leap forward mid-season as both Turkington and Jason Plato vied regularly for race wins. Whilst the former has since departed, Plato remains, and the record race-winner in the series’ history is hungrier than ever to clinch his third championship, having been a top three contender in practically every season since making his bow back in 1997.

Alongside ‘JP’ this year will be one of the BTCC’s brightest young prospects in the shape of Ashley Sutton, who enjoyed an outstanding rookie campaign in 2016 with MG Racing RCIB Insurance, notably conquering the elements at Croft to claim a superb maiden victory. As he heads into his sophomore season, the 23-year-old will be keen to learn from old master Plato and continue his upward progression with Adrian Flux Subaru Racing.

Team-mate James Cole is eager to build upon his learning season in the rear-wheel drive Levorg, while a newcomer to the grid for 2017 will be 17-year-old Renault UK Clio Cup graduate Josh Price, who advances to the pinnacle of British tin-top competition under the BMR Racing Academy banner and will join the five-driver rookie battle for the Jack Sears Trophy.

Manufacturer-backed Power Maxed Racing’s Vauxhall Astra is one of the most intriguing propositions in the pack, with Tom Chilton rejoining Britain’s premier motor sport series six years on from his previous stint as one of three returning race-winners in the field. Alongside the Surrey star will be Senna Proctor, who will make his BTCC debut at Brands Hatch next month as he jumps up from Clio competition.

Last year’s Independent champions Motorbase Performance have undergone a rebrand – with a striking new look – following the addition of Shredded Wheat as title sponsor across all three cars. Mat Jackson – the most successful driver in the field yet to lift the laurels – returns for an eighth consecutive season with the Kent-based operation with his eyes fixed firmly on the ultimate prize, and he will be accompanied by the experienced Martin Depper and new boy Luke Davenport, who steps up to the championship from the supporting Ginetta GT4 SuperCup.

MG Racing RCIB Insurance will have an all-new line-up in 2017, with Aron Taylor-Smith and Daniel Lloyd pairing up at the Triple Eight-run outfit. Taylor-Smith moves over from BKR, with Lloyd preparing to embark upon his first full season in the championship. Taylor-Smith is already a race-winner, and Lloyd proved in a part-season with Eurotech Racing last year that he has the pace to compete right at the sharp end, so hopes are high.

Tom Ingram enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2016 with independent squad Speedworks Motorsport, winning the curtain-raiser at Brands Hatch and tallying a brace of pole positions behind the wheel of his Toyota Avensis – with even loftier ambitions for 2017. Another Toyota driver to feature up at the pointy end over the second half of the season was Rob Austin, who increasingly got to grips with front-wheel drive after years of racing rear-wheel drive Audis. The Handy Motorsport ace was a regular podium threat in the closing rounds and will be keen to pick up from where he left off.

Adam Morgan’s Ciceley Motorsport Mercedes A-Class will carry a completely new livery in 2017, having changed from yellow to red in deference to new title sponsor Mac Tools. The Lancastrian has won at least one race in each of the last three seasons and is targeting an all-out title challenge this year. In the sister Laser Tools Racing A-Class, Aiden Moffat has edged consistently closer to the front of the field and now has the top step of the podium firmly in his sights.

Jack Goff has traded rear-wheel drive for front-wheel drive as he moves from WSR to Eurotech, where he will partner team owner Jeff Smith in the squad’s brace of Honda Civic Type Rs. Team HARD has switched its trio of Toyota Avensis’ for three Volkswagen CCs, with Jake Hill remaining on-board to pilot the TAG Racing entry and fellow returnee Michael Epps driving one of two Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing-branded cars alongside rookie Will Burns.

Matt Simpson is preparing for his second season in his eponymous Simpson Racing Honda Civic Type R, which is now being run by Honda powerhouse Team Dynamics. Two-time race-winner Stephen Jelley is a welcome ‘comeback kid’ eight years on from his last BTCC start as he lines up for Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport alongside Josh Cook, who claimed a brace of rostrum finishes in 2016 and is chasing his first victory in the series.

Ollie Jackson is back in AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts’ distinctive Audi S3, and he will be joined by reigning Renault UK Clio Cup champion Ant Whorton-Eales, who will be eager to make a speedy impression. BTC Norlin Racing, meanwhile, completes the field with its brace of Chevrolet Cruzes, and whilst the entry might be new, the backbone of the team isn’t, having previously competed in the BTCC from 2006-2008 and again in 2014 as BTC Racing. The driving strength blends the experience of Dave Newsham with the potential of Chris Smiley, and hopes are high of springing a surprise.

In total, there will be a full grid of 32 drivers with Audi (AmDtuning.com with Cobra Exhausts), BMW (Team BMW, BMW Pirtek Racing), Chevrolet (BTC Norlin Racing), Ford (Team Shredded Wheat Racing with Duo, Team Parker with Maximum Motorsport), Honda (Halfords Yuasa Racing, Eurotech Racing, Simpson Racing), Mercedes (Ciceley Motorsport, Laser Tools Racing), MG (MG Racing RCIB Insurance), Subaru (Adrian Flux Subaru Racing, BMR Racing Academy), Toyota (Handy Motorsport, Speedworks Motorsport), Vauxhall (Power Maxed Racing) and Volkswagen (TAG Racing, Autoaid/RCIB Insurance Racing) all represented.

One step beyond

The second phase of the BTCC’s NGTC regulations is well underway with all 32-cars carrying the latest specified RML chassis, suspension and associated components for the first time this season, whilst the all-new TOCA engine has also been introduced.  

Series organiser TOCA awarded the two vital Technical Partner contracts to the RML Group and Swindon Engines as part of its ‘mid-term’ evaluation of the NGTC regulations.

The upturn in car performance will be further bolstered by the debut of the brand new Dunlop Sport Maxx BTCC tyre range – the series’ title sponsor forecasting lap time improvements of up to one second per lap at some circuits in 2017.

Dunlop had already predicted a significant increase in grip and traction with bigger tyre sizes and new constructions for the forthcoming campaign, and initial winter testing has corroborated the expected performance gains (see separate release).

Whilst the series goes from strength-to-strength on-track, it remains in rude health off-track, too, with both ITV and Dunlop signed up until at least 2022.

The ITV network’s new agreement with the BTCC commences in 2017 – the largest TV contract in the BTCC’s history and also the longest sports broadcasting contract into which ITV4 has entered. ITV’s live and free-to-air coverage will take the partnership with the BTCC into an incredible 20th year.

At least seven hours of live coverage will be screened from each race day. Highlights programmes will also continue to be aired on ITV4, whilst qualifying will be shown via ITV’s dedicated BTCC website – www.itv.com/btcc. All transmissions will be streamed ‘live’ via itv.com, with highlights programmes available to watch via the ITV Hub.

Dunlop similarly committed to a further five-year agreement – the contract extending both the title sponsorship and official tyre supplier partnership into a third decade.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: “We are delighted to have officially launched the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship here at Donington Park.

“We believe this season will set the bar even higher, with 16 race-winners highlighting the strength in depth throughout the field. Furthermore, attracting two new manufacturers to the grid demonstrates the ever-growing appeal of the BTCC both on and off track.

“As I noted last season, this truly is a golden era for the BTCC and again proves it is the only show in town in British motor sport. With so much quality amongst drivers and teams alike, unpredictability is very much the name of the game and that is what keeps the fans coming back for more – in increasingly greater numbers.

“With the unstinting support of our title sponsor and loyal broadcaster, tyre and technical partners, the BTCC is set to deliver in spades once again and judging by today’s attendance, the level of interest is sky-high and everybody is excited to see how things shake out in the opening round at Brands Hatch. It’s going to be an absolutely stellar season.”

BMR Racing has announced that Josh Price will drive the fourth Subaru Levorg GT with the BMR Racing Academy in the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

After a strong season in the Renault UK Clio Cup last year, Price garnered the support of the BMR Academy, a stepping stone programme created by the outfit to assist young drivers with the transition to the BTCC. 

The team had been working over the winter months to graduate Price into the BTCC but were unable to finalise the arrangement.  Since releasing news of his returning to the Clio Cup with BMR a sponsor joined the fold, allowing the young racer to make the step up in double-quick time.

"I’m extremely overwhelmed by the support of my sponsors, BMR and Subaru to get me onto the BTCC grid this season at such short notice.

"I’m looking forward to the challenge that’s ahead, as well as working with a team with such a great pedigree."

On the deal, BMR Racing owner Warren Scott said: “We are thrilled to welcome Josh into the BMR Racing Academy BTCC Team and look forward to watching his progress throughout what promises to be an unforgettable year.”

For the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season Dunlop is launching more than a new tyre range. The company’s innovative RFID Technology (Radio Frequency Identification), launched in BTCC at the beginning of the decade, has been replaced by an all new system. The new Dunlop RFID Technology promises more speed, greater precision and increased versatility.

The key element of the RFID technology is a tiny, 1cm chip. The microchip is built into the tyre in Dunlop’s Motorsport manufacturing facility and is programmed with a unique code that identifies the tyre, enabling automatic reading to see the type and size of the tyre as well as its unique identity number.

After several trials between 2008 and 2010, Dunlop successfully pioneered a world first in motor sport tyre technology in 2011 with all tyres on BTCC cars being automatically scanned as the cars drive into the pit lane. This ensures that each car is using the correct and allocated tyres at all times. This made scrutineering more efficient and helped speed up the turnaround times for teams on a very busy BTCC raceday, where there are sometimes just two hours between championship races.

New system – Faster and more versatile

Six years later, Dunlop has decided to take the next step forward with RFID Technology. Rather than just monitoring which tyres are used on which car, the new system can provide reports on Mileage per tyre and tyre use history. The system also has a faster read rate of the tyres as the cars pass through the RFID readers at the pitlane entrance.

In addition to the chips in the tyres, the size of the RFID tags has been reduced, allowing them to be placed on the rear windows instead of being fixed to the more vulnerable doors.

Michael Butler, Manager, UK and One Brand Motorsport Events stated "The Dunlop RFID technology has been a huge benefit in ensuring an accurate log of each tyre’s activity. The new system is a step forward, being faster, more efficient and higher performing than its predecessor – just like the upgrade we have made to our BTCC tyres!”

Dunlop’s future goal is to increase tyres’ intelligence to the point that tyres are feeding back vital real-time information to the teams and drivers.

After initial testing of the new Dunlop Sport Maxx BTCC tyre range, the tyre company is forecasting lap time improvements of up to one second a lap at some circuits in 2017.

Dunlop had already predicted a significant increase in grip and traction following the introduction of bigger tyre sizes and new constructions for the 2017 season, and after initial winter testing can reveal the actual performance gains.

Teams have tested the new tyre at Brands Hatch, Snetterton, Donington, Silverstone, and Portimao (Portugal) but the most representative test came from the Spanish ParcMotor circuit where a wide range of teams attended.

The twisty circuit, west of Barcelona, was chosen due to its mix of fast and technical corners. The fastest recorded time in last year’s test was 1m 44.28 and Dunlop can confirm that this was beaten by nearly one second by many of the attending teams.

As a result of this test, Dunlop is predicting lap time improvements of around 0.5 sec per mile at most circuits.

The improvement comes from a combination of factors. Firstly, the tyre size 265/660R18, compared to the previous 245/650R18, represents a width increase of 20mm.

In addition to the increase in size, the performance improvement will come from an enhanced construction to improve steering response and braking stability. The compound will be the same as 2016.

Sport Maxx Prime

A new naming convention will help spectators to follow who is using which tyre. At all races (apart from Thruxton) the Sport Maxx Prime tyre will be used. This was formerly known as the Sport Maxx Medium and, as before, will be used by drivers in two of the three races at each event. This tyre will use a bright yellow sidewall logo.

Sport Maxx Option

In one race at each event a ‘Sport Maxx Option’ tyre will be used with a titanium sidewall marking to differentiate it from the Prime. This will be either a softer or harder compound than the Prime.

The choices for each circuit are as follows:

Dry tyre allocation	To be used in two races	To be used in one race
Brands Hatch Indy	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Soft
Donington	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Hard
Thruxton	Sport Maxx Option Hard to be used in all races
Oulton Park	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Soft
Croft	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Hard
Knockhill	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Soft
Snetterton	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Soft
Rockingham	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Hard
Silverstone	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Hard
Brands Hatch	Sport Maxx Prime	Sport Maxx Option Soft

BluResponse Wet

In addition, Dunlop have upgraded the ‘BluResponse Wet’ tyre to improve aquaplaning resistance with a revised tread pattern and the same 20mm width increase as the Sport Maxx Prime and Option dry tyres.

The new season is almost upon us, with teams and drivers hard at work as they prepare for the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Season Launch at Donington Park on Thursday, 16 March.

In the midst of packed testing programmes, with pre-season running taking place both at home and abroad, Season Launch offers up the first opportunity of the off-season to see the whole grid come together in one spot.

Thursday morning at Donington is devoted to media duties, while the afternoon's official pre-season test will see new drivers, cars, teams and liveries take to the track before battle commences in two weeks' time at Brands Hatch.

Gates will open to the public at 12:30 on Thursday 16 March with admission and parking free-of-charge with hospitality available from £35. Fans are kindly requested not to queue up before 12:00 to avoid congestion during media activities.

The paddock will be open, just as at every BTCC race weekend, with the chance to meet the stars and their cars. From 13:00 cars will be on track for a full afternoon's testing, concluding at 17:00.

For more information click here.

Handy Motorsport heads to Donington Park next Thursday for the annual Season Launch in justifiably buoyant mood, following a highly encouraging series of pre-season tests over the course of the past three weeks. 

Star driver Rob Austin, who heads into his second season behind the wheel of the Swindon squad’s potent Toyota Avensis and his seventh BTCC campaign in total, has put serious mileage on the car at both Brands Hatch in Kent, the venue for the opening three races, and Cheshire’s Oulton Park.

With multiple visits to both tracks, Handy Motorsport has been working hard to not only fine-tune the development process of its 2017 challenger, but to also learn as much as possible about the new Dunlop tyre compound which has been introduced ahead of the new season.

Evesham-based Austin, who steered Handy to its first ever outright BTCC podiums and Independents Trophy class victories in 2016, says he has never been as well prepared for a touring car season and cannot wait to join the remainder of the grid at Donington Park next week.

“I’m really, really happy with how testing has gone and I’m in a very good place”, he said, “We already know we have fantastic partners on board with Duo and Northgate, as well as our other great sponsors, and I’m absolutely loving working with the Handy Motorsport guys – the Toyota has been running very well indeed.

“I’ve never done so many miles pre-season and we’ve learnt a lot about the new Dunlop tyre, we’ve got a good handle on things for qualifying and in race trim and I’m confident we’re developing a strong all around package. 

“We’ve enjoyed across the board improvements in testing, mainly focusing on fewer circuits like Oulton and Brands so there are less variables, although we have this week had a run at Snetterton too which offered something new for us.”

Following the Season Launch next Thursday, 16th March, which provides the only officially timed collective test before the championship curtain-raiser, the opening three rounds of the new BTCC campaign will take place over the weekend 1st/2nd April at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit.

“Going into the new season I’d say I’m quietly confident”, added Austin, “I know how competitive this championship is, this will be my seventh year in the BTCC, and the depth of competition gets deeper and deeper every season. I’m not setting any expectations specifically, but we’re definitely in a good position to put up a damn good fight!”

Team principal Simon Belcher, who will this year combine his duties in the BTCC paddock and the day-to-day running of Handy Motorsport with participation in the British Jet Sport Championship, is equally satisfied with the pre-season touring car preparation.

“Things are progressing nicely”, said Belcher, “I am trying to make sure we are the most prepared ever for this season, and I am delighted how the team has gelled together and embraced the move of our whole operation to Swindon over the winter.

“I can really see we are starting to get the best out of Rob as a driver, and I think we are in for a strong season. He has hardly put a foot wrong throughout our testing program and is looking very comfortable in the car.” 

CBS Sports Network – the BTCC’s North American TV partner – has released its premiere showings schedule for each and every round of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

A one-hour BTCC highlights programme will be screened on CBSSN in a prime time (eastern time) slot on Wednesdays, and will then re-air a number of times thereafter (dates TBC).

Furthermore, the same one-hour BTCC highlights programmes will be available to watch online via www.motortrendondemand.com.

The multi-year agreement between the BTCC and the giant sports broadcaster means the series is now beamed to more than 60 million households across the US and Canada.

2017 BTCC dates on CBSSN: 

AIR DATE                         AIR TIME

Wednesday, 19 April 2016 – 9:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 3 May 2017 – 9:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 24 May 2017 – 8:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 7 June 2017 – 10:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 28 June 2017 – 9:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 16 August 2017 – 9:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 30 August 2017 – 9:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 13 September 2017 – 9:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 4 October 2017 – 9:00 PM ET

Wednesday, 18 October 2017 – 10:00 PM ET

 

Race-winning Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship team Ciceley Motorsport unveiled its new sponsor and livery ahead of the 2017 campaign at Silverstone on Saturday.

The Accrington-based squad has secured a three-year deal with Mac Tools to be the headline sponsor of its Mercedes-Benz A-Class, which will be driven by tin-top star Adam Morgan.

Mac Tools has been a subsidiary sponsor of the Cicely Motorsport Mercedes for the last three seasons, but this marks the start of a new era as the company increases its involvement as title sponsor.

Liam Kettlewell, Mac Tools Sales Director, said: “We are thrilled to step up our involvement in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with Ciceley Motorsport. We have seen the team go from strength-to-strength during the past three years and now is the time to maximise our relationship with them by becoming title sponsor. Ciceley is a fast growing, family-run, highly skilled and professional team who no doubt will continue to succeed. 

"In many ways this reflects our Mac Tools Franchisees throughout the UK.  The BTCC is a great platform for us: great racing, excellent television coverage, a total geographical spread across the UK and an ideal platform to strengthen end-user awareness of our Mac Tools brand, products and franchisees across the UK. We can’t wait for the season to begin.”

The team's race-winning driver, Adam Morgan, is equally enthusiastic about the news: “We have worked really closely with the guys at Mac Tools over the last three years and are delighted to have them as our new title sponsor. The relationship we've built and this three-year deal illustrates the commitment the company has to the team and the championship. I can’t wait to stand on the top step of the podium in my Mac Tools overalls for the first time and repay the company’s faith in us.”

Ciceley Motorsport’s Commercial Director, Norman Burgess, said: “This is a fantastic deal for us. We started off as a little family team after Adam won the Ginetta Supercup title and have grown from a garage at Adam’s home to purpose-built facilities with a BTCC and Renault Clio team. To have a company of the standing of Mac Tools come on board as our title sponsor really puts us on the map and cements our future. We want to become a manufacturer team and having a sponsor at this level on board for three years gives us that platform from which to work.

“This moves the whole team to another level and along with Mac Tools we have grown together – our mechanics are the ideal people to launch new Mac Tools products and showcase them during the season. We have the best mechanics in the championship, as proven by completing the most racing miles without a mechanical failure in the current regulations, so what better team for Mac Tools to be associated with.

“Our mechanics love using their products, our Mac toolboxes are without doubt the best in the world and they enjoy using the Bruiser Battery Impact Wrench for changing the new 50mm wheels. These have to be tightened to 400 Newton Metres, so it’s a phenomenal piece of kit. It’s over 1400Nm on full power!”

WIX Filters, the team’s long-standing sponsor, will stay on board as a subsidiary sponsor and maintains a relationship with the team that has included race wins at Brands Hatch and Thruxton. 

“I’m very happy that we have been able to maintain WIX Filters as a sponsor," continued Burgess. "The company has played a key part in the growth and success of Ciceley Motorsport in the BTCC and its familiar logo will be proudly displayed in our new colour scheme."

The new-look car was unveiled at Silverstone on Saturday 4 March to an appreciative audience of Mac Tools franchises and guests. It will be on track at the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship Season Launch at Donington Park on 16 March with the opening rounds of the championship taking place at Brands Hatch 1-2 April.

A new chapter was written today, on Vauxhall's return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, as the Power Maxed Racing Astra was seen publicly for the first time.

The covers are off and the car has hit the track for an initial shakedown at Donington Park, with further testing planned over the coming weeks.

It has been a monumental effort on Power Maxed Racing's behalf to prepare these cars over the winter, with their build managed by respected Team Manager Martin Broadhurst, and today marks a fulfilling milestone for the outfit and particularly boss Adam Weaver.

“It is a very proud moment for our car to take to the circuit for the first time,” said Weaver. “We started building the Astra just before Christmas and to see it turning a wheel is a special feeling for the team. There has been a lot of hard work put into this programme already and these are still our first steps.

“The initial mileage isn’t really a test for us, it is an extended shakedown and a systems check. We have work to do, but there is no pressure with this first test.”

The announcement of Vauxhall's return to the BTCC back in November proved to be one of the biggest stories in the off-season. News soon followed that series returnee Tom Chilton and rookie Senna Proctor would be leading the charge for PMR in the 2017 campaign, with the latter taking the reins during today's run.

Both drivers are due to garner further mileage in the Astra next week ahead of the full livery unveil, which will take place at the BTCC Season Launch on 16 March. A further outing for the Vauxhall will take place during that afternoon's test session.

Photo © Jakob Ebrey.

Pre-season preparation ahead of the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is in full swing, with several teams heading out to warmer climes this week for the first major group test of the year.

Motorbase Performance has migrated to Portugal's Algarve International circuit as it ramps up development and fine-tuning of its newly-liveried Ford Focus ST. New signing Luke Davenport took the reigns yesterday and will continue alongside Mat Jackson and Martin Depper for the remainder.

Joining them for the three-day test at the 2.9-mile FIA-homologated circuit was Speedworks Motorsport and driver Tom Ingram, which showed off its face-lifted Toyota Avensis in interim camouflage colours ahead of a full livery unveiling at Season Launch, 16 March.

A further four outfits made the trip to Spain's Parcmotor Castellolí for a week-long test, with Eurotech Racing among them – both Jeff Smith and Eurotech new-boy Jack Goff are in attendance. The squad completed solid programmes at both Oulton Park and Snetterton last week as it opened its pre-season account, with positive feedback emanating from the camp in the aftermath. 

Also in Catalonia for warm-weather running; Team Dynamics' Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal embarked on their longest run out in the championship-winning Honda Civic Type R so far this pre-season. Both cars were on track on Tuesday morning as the outfit sets about building on what has been an ultra-successful platform in its hands.

Furthermore Team BMW, with its trio of 125i M Sports run by West Surrey Racing, hit the tarmac yesterday in the Spanish sun with Rob Collard and Andrew Jordan at the wheel. Colin Turkington joined Jordan on Tuesday as running continued.

BTC Norlin Racing's Chevrolets are also on-site, with Chris Smiley heading things up on Tuesday morning.

Each outfit is working feverishly through peak pre-season as sights are set on completing their respective programmes with just two weeks to go ahead of the official Season Launch on 16 March.

Next week, the schedule is set to be a busy one again as teams return from group testing and reconvene at various domestic venues to gain more crucial development time on track as the season approaches.

Photo © Matt Sayle.