The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship kicks off its 2013 season this Easter weekend at Brands Hatch.
In a 32 strong field there will be local teams and drivers lining up on the grid for the season opener, including Wrotham based Motorbase who will compete as Airwaves racing in the Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) and also the Motorbase Performance team who will compete in the Jack Sears Trophy.
Racing in the title sponsored and in-house built Airwaves Ford Focus ST’s will be Mat Jackson and Aron Smith in the NGTC while Liam Griffin will line-up in the S2000 Ford Focus ST in the Jack Sears Trophy.
It is the biggest field to enter a season of BTCC with 26 drivers contesting the NGTC title while six will compete for the Jack Sears Trophy. Jackson will race in car number seven, Smith will have number eight whilst Griffin will have number 66.
The man that they will all be looking to beat is Gordon Shedden, who will be defending the British Touring Car title for the first time. He has some tough competition not just from Mat Jackson and Aron Smith but also from his team mate, the vastly experienced Matt Neal.
It will once again be a strong field that they are all competing in with Jason Plato lining up on the grid and there is also a return for former champion Colin Turkington in his BMW 1 series.
Speaking about his return to the BTCC, Colin said: “It’s going to be great; I’m very much looking forward to it. The buzz and excitement about a BTCC race is something you never forget, especially at a theatre like Brands Hatch.”
Plato and Neal will be renewing their rivalry when the season gets underway on Saturday and Sunday, and whilst they will be among the favourites to win the title they aren’t going to have it all their own way.
Mat Jackson will be looking to lead the Kent challenge for the Airwaves Racing team, and he will be looking to challenge for race wins in 2013 in the NGTC as he did when they were developing the car towards the end of the 2012 season. We will bring you more from the Wrotham based Motorbase team ahead of the season opener tomorrow.
Tickets for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch on 30/31 March are available from £26, with free entry for children aged 12 and under. For more information call 0843 453 9000 or visit www.brandshatch.co.uk