Britain’s biggest car racing series, the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, springs into life at Brands Hatch this coming weekend.

The BTCC is a huge hit with fans, with bumper grids, ultra-close racing and plenty of thrills and spills. The series, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, features cars that are a familiar sight on Britain’s roads, with Audi, BMW, Ford, Honda, Subaru, VW and Vauxhall amongst the marques represented in the field. However, underneath the skin these are thoroughbred racing cars, with drivers battling at speeds in excess of 140mph.

Heading the 2018 line-up is Subaru’s reigning champion Ashley Sutton, who won last year’s title on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit after a tense battle with BMW’s double champion Colin Turkington. There are a further three former champions on the grid; with BMW’s Andrew Jordan and Subaru’s Jason Plato, plus Honda’s triple title winner Matt Neal. After losing out last season, the Subury-on-Thames-based BMW squad will be out to get an early advantage at its home circuit.

The 32-car grid also includes a record 17 BTCC race-winning drivers, with three at Wrotham-based title challengers Motorbase. The team, which runs a trio of Ford Focuses, is targeting the title with Reigate’s Tom Chilton and 2016 runner-up Sam Tordoff.

Chilton, who stood on the podium in his return to the BTCC last year, said “I’m very excited for Brands Hatch; it’s my local circuit, and it is my favourite circuit in the UK. I think if I could get a podium in the Vauxhall last year, I can definitely try and get a win in this, because it feels to me like a very good car.”

Local challengers also include Strood-based Team HARD, which is fielding four VW CCs this season. Two of these will be handled by Tunbridge Wells-based drivers; Jake Hill has aims on his first podium finish in the championship, having come close on several occasions last year, while neighbour Mike Bushell returns to the BTCC after claiming the Renault UK Clio Cup title for the second time.

“The car is a massive step forward in every dimension,” said Hill. Our two new engineers have done and extraordinary job redesigning and rebuilding our CC and fingers crossed we will be able to have a car that will get me on to the podium this year.”

Teammate Bushell added: “It’s nice to be coming back as a double Clio champion, and it certainly gives a boost to my confidence. And I became a father ten days ago, so it’s smiles all round.

“I’ve been out for a curry with Jake and got him to hold my new daughter, so we’re getting along just fine and it’s nice to have it all close together, it’s like a family.”

The event is headlined by three BTCC rounds on main raceday Sunday and there’s a full package of support races filled with local drivers aiming to emulate their BTCC heroes. This list includes sister-and-brother pairing Esmee and Ethan Hawkey from Chislehurst. Esmee returns to the BTCC paddock in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, having previously raced in Ginetta Juniors, where younger brother Ethan will make his debut.

Other drivers competing at their home circuit are former BTCC driver Andy Wilmot from Dartford, one of four Kent competitors in the Renault UK Clio Cup, in which Epsom’s Paul Rivett is aiming for his fourth title. Maidstone karting ace Kiern Jewiss, who made his car racing debut in Ginetta Juniors, moves up to British Formula 4, whilst GT racer Gary Eastwood will swap his Ferrari for a Porsche in the Carrera Cup.

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