00:01The thundering sound of engines can be heard as the British Touring Car Championship returns
00:06to the Brands Hatch race circuit for the season opener. The event marks the beginning of the
00:10series' 69th season and offers teams and drivers a final opportunity to test cars before the first
00:16round at Donington Park on the 18th of April.
00:192026 has started really well for us, we had a great pre-season test at Croft, at the right
00:25end of the timesheets, very happy with that. We've made some changes in the office over
00:30in the off-season and that's beginning to reap rewards already.
00:34But what is it about the BTCC series that draws in so many drivers and attracts a global fanbase?
00:41I've grown up watching British Touring Cars and I just love the spectacle of it. I love the
00:47close action on the racing, I love the sound of the cars, the way they look, it's just
00:51for me, in Europe certainly, this is the most exciting racing you will see.
00:57It was here at Brands Hatch back in 1957 that the very first British Saloon Car Championship race
01:02was held. That year saw the title come down to the head-to-head battle between Tommy Stockwith
01:07and Jack Sears. And at the final round of the season, again held at the Kentish circuit,
01:12it was Sears who claimed victory. But it's been almost 70 years since that inaugural season
01:17and though the name may have changed, the competitive spirit remains the same.
01:21The end of the season is really about how many points we score. If we score enough points,
01:26things like the Independent Drivers' Championship, the Independent Teams' Championship,
01:31Jack Sears will take care of themselves. We're only interested in winning this year.
01:35There are familiar faces returning to the paddock as well. Jason Plato began his BTCC career as a
01:41driver. Thirty years later, with two championship titles to his name, he's back, this time as a
01:46team owner. But what does this new role entail? Well, first thing is I look at when the drivers
01:51touch things, like they drive their wing mirrors or their front wings into tyres. I have a different
01:58feeling now to when I was in the car because I just see pounds going out the window. I mean,
02:04it's very different. It's not easy because I want to be in the car. I've got itchy feet.
02:08With competition high and drivers and teams eager to get out on the track,
02:12the season is off to a flying start.
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