It is almost time for the lights to go out on the first race of the MSA Dunlop British Touring Car Championship season for 2015.

This season is really going to be one of the most interesting ones yet, with driver changes and new teams coming to the grid, with an impressive collection of champions and former champions.

There are a whole host of rookies who are taking to the grid for their first full seasons in the best saloon car series out there.

With plenty of Kent interest amongst those rookies for the new season, Andy Wilmot from Dartford takes to the track in the Welch Motorsport Proton.

He is joined by the current Renault Clio Cup champion Mike Bushell who makes the step-up from the BTCC support series to race an AMD Tuning  prepared Ford Focus for the new campaign. The racer from Tunbridge Wells has put in some impressive performances throughout pre-season.

They are both joined by the returning Team Hard, the team run by Tony Gilham based just round the corner from Brands Hatch. Tony and the team will be running a Toyota Avensis for the 2015 season which will be piloted by Kieran Gallagher who is also competing in his first season.

Unfortunately Wrotham based Motorbase racing won’t be taking their place on the grid in the first half of the season, but we hope to see their Ford Focuses back on track with Mat Jackson and James Cole soon.

The support series for the BTCC also feature a number of Kent drivers, as they look to make their way towards the main series itself.

2014 Ginetta Juniors Champion Jack Mitchell has made the step-up from the Ginetta’s to race in the Clio Cup for 2015. The youngster from Wrotham will be the youngest driver on the Clio Cup grid when he gets behind the wheel for SV racing this coming weekend.

A name to look out for in the Ginetta Junior Championship will be Esmee Hawkey. Esmee competed in the final three rounds of last season for AMD Tuning, this timeout she has switched to race for JHR Developments for her first full season in the championship.

One thing for sure is that it is going to be one hell of a season for all of the Kent based teams and racers on the BTCC package.

Images courtesy of www.psp-images.co.uk