BTCC and National Saloons to merge in 2001.

New series promoters BMP announced at Silverstone on the eve of the 2000 British Touring Car Championship title decider that the new-look 2001 series will incorporate the current National Saloon Championship as a Class B, a move that virtually guarantees the biggest BTCC grids since the four-class days of the early 1980's.

Cars currently used in Class B will be eligible once more next year, as will all those competing in the highly popular National Saloon series. Not only will the current teams be able to continue developing their own cars, they will also be racing in the country's premier tin-top series for much the same cost.

Class B this year has seen an explosion of interest in the latter stages of the season although several of the leading Class B teams do not have the necessary finance to buy a brand new BTCC machine for next year's Championship. This gives many of the teams who have been loyal to the BTCC, a chance to continue in the series next year with a package that they have spent more than a year developing.

The move also opens the door for all the leading National Saloon Championship contenders and will add a great deal of colour and variety to the grid next year. BMP are predicting that between 16 and 20 'Class A' cars will be present next year from four different manufacturers and that grid numbers will spiral to at least 30 with the addition of the NSC. There is even talk of pre-qualification at some smaller venues such as Knockhill and Brands Hatch Indy and Class B entries will be closely monitored to ensure that there will be no mobile chicanes on the grid next year. Several of this year's crop have come in for stinging criticism from the Super Touring boys this year although the situation was magnified by the difference in pace between the two classes. Next year Class A and Class B will not be separated by as much and the problem should not be as bad.

The main problem that BMP faces is maintaining quality amongst the Class B runners. As seen in both the BTCC and NSC this year, many teams run on very small budgets and one major accident or failure can sideline a team for two or three races. If Class B is to be as competitive and entertaining as it was this year, BMP must ensure that the teams entering have the necessary finance to complete the season.

Class B may also be a way of keeping out-going manufacturers Ford and Honda in the series. Neither will run a factory Class A project next year although both have very competitive Class B cars. Honda's James Kaye came within a whisker of taking the Class B crown in his Barwell Motorsports Accord whereas Gareth Howell and Simon Harrison both impressed on their lone outings in the BTCC in their GR Motorsport Ford Focus.'