The 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will feature a capacity grid of 32 cars after the entry list for the new season as revealed at
Donington Park.
No fewer than 26 NGTC cars feature on the entry alongside six S2000 cars doing battle for the Jack Sears Trophy, with four title winners – Gordon Shedden, Matt Neal,
Jason Plato and
Colin Turkington – on the grid.
The entry list fills some of the remaining gaps in the field, with Michael Caine named in the third NGTC Ford planned by Motorbase, which will run alongside Liam Griffin's S2000 car under the Addison Lee Motorbase banner. Meanwhile, Ollie Jackson is named alongside Dave Newsham at Speedworks after Lea Wood revealed he will continue to campaign his Vauxhall Vectra having previously been linked with the Speedworks seat.
Of those cars on the entry, Caine and Andy Neate are slated to join proceedings at
Donington Park with
Chris Stockton and the second IP Tech Racing Engineering Cruze (which runs under the Team Club 44 banner) joining at Snetterton.
“The record entry list that we've announced today is a great validation of NGTC technical regulations and real testament to the continued success, growth and stability of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship,” series director Alan Gow revealed. “The current health of the
BTCC is absolutely fantastic and even more staggering, perhaps, with the challenging economic climate. Our teams have worked incredibly hard and have demonstrated real commitment to this championship – particularly as the majority have invested in the latest specification NGTC machinery. We continue to evolve this bright new era of the
BTCC and all the teams have benefitted from the success of the championship.
“We have a huge grid – including four champions in the line-up – culminating in fresh colours, cars and stars in the BTCC. The strength in depth continues to rise along with the undoubted professionalism and turnout of our loyal and committed teams. That is why the
BTCC is so firmly cemented as the UK's premier and most popular motor sport series.”
As well as confirming the entry list, the
BTCC has also extended its TV deal with ITV, which will now run through to the end of the 2016 season.
“ITV's commitment to the
BTCC is unrivalled in British motor sport,” Gow continued. “I'm absolutely delighted to have signed this new contract, which maintains the same vast level of free-to-air coverage the series currently enjoys until at least 2017.
“The determination from both parties to finalise this deal, more than a year before the expiration of our current contract, is testament to the strength and huge appeal of the BTCC. Many of our teams have been able to sign long-term deals with partners during what's become a record-breaking age for the
BTCC and this new broadcasting agreement will enable them to further build for the future.
“ITV's commitment means that more than 230 hours of each
BTCC season will be broadcast… and, of course, a great many more hours if we include ITV's '+1 hour' rebroadcast stations to those figures. This new deal further validates the unrivalled popularity and strength of the
BTCC and our incredibly strong relationship with
ITV is something that I'm immensely proud of.”
2013 BTCC entry list:1.
Gordon Shedden Honda Yuasa Racing
Honda Civic2.
Matt Neal Honda Yuasa Racing
Honda Civic4.
Michael Caine Addison Lee Motorbase
Ford Focus5.
Rob Collard eBay Motors
BMW 125i M-Sport6.
Tom Onslow-Cole PPCGB.com/Kraftwerk Racing
Volkswagen CC7.
Mat Jackson Airwaves Racing
Ford Focus8.
Aron Smith Airwaves Racing
Ford Focus10.
Dan Welch Welch Automotive
Proton Persona11.
Frank Wrathall Dynojet
Toyota Avensis12.
David Nye Welch Automotive
Ford Focus S13.
Rob Austin Wix Racing
Audi A414.
Will Bratt Wix Racing
Audi A415.
James Kaye AmDTuning.com
Volkswagen Golf S17.
Dave Newsham Speedworks
Toyota Avensis18.
Nick Foster eBay Motors
BMW 125i M-Sport20.
James Cole RCIB Insurance Racing
Vauxhall Insignia22.
Howard Fuller PPCGB.com/Kraftwerk Racing
Volkswagen CC28.
Chris Stockton BTC Racing
Chevrolet Cruze29.
Colin Turkington eBay Motors
BMW 125i M-Sport31.
Jack Goff RCIB Insurance Racing
Vauxhall Insignia33.
Adam Morgan Ciceley Racing
Toyota Avensis39.
Warren Scott BMR Restart
SEAT Leon S43.
Lea Wood Wheel Heaven/Houseman Racing
Vauxhall Vectra S44.
Andy Neate Team Club 44
Chevrolet Cruze48.
Ollie Jackson Speedworks
Toyota Avensis55.
Jeff Smith Pirtek Racing
Honda Civic66.
Liam Griffin Addison Lee Motorbase
Ford Focus S77.
Andrew Jordan Pirtek Racing
Honda Civic88.
Sam Tordoff MG KX Momentum Racing
MG6 GT90.
Joe Girling M247 Racing
Chevrolet Cruze S99.
Jason Plato MG KX Momentum Racing
MG6 GTTBA.
TBA Team Club 44
Chevrolet CruzeS denotes S2000 car in the Jack Sears Trophy