01

02 Welcome

04 The Present

08 2010 Calendar

10 The Contenders

16 TV & Media

22 Sponsorship & Marketing

28 Trackside Hospitality

30 Spectator Appeal

34 The Past

36 TV & Spectator Data

38 Support Races

42 TOCA Team

44 Contacts

Credits Editorial / MPA Creative LtdPhotography / Jakob EbreyDesign / Hutton Creative Ltd

03

Welcom

e That’s despite a cruel recession that has

really put the onus on ‘value for money’

as people cut back on the little luxuries in

life. Yet the figures show the public was

prepared to continue to spend its cash in

order to experience the thrill of the BTCC.

That popularity is again something of which I

am immensely proud, particularly given the

increasing number of options on which the

public could choose to spend its leisure time

and disposable income.

We continue to be blessed with a hugely

pro-active title sponsor in HiQ which, in

the middle of its own expansion in the UK,

increasingly interacts with our fans (and

future customers) with some great initiatives.

In 2009 we achieved a world first with our

pioneering regulation of limiting our race

cars’ CO2 emissions. In fact, make that two

world firsts as we were also Dunlop’s chosen

championship to pioneer race tyre technology

with its highly effective radio frequency

identification tagging system.

On the track, the action has rarely been

better. Eight different drivers racing for six

different teams in four different makes of car

shared the victories in the 30 races. In fact, all

seven main makes and models of car on the

grid – BMW 3-Series, Chevrolet Lacetti, Ford

Focus, Honda Civic, Honda Integra, SEAT Leon

and Vauxhall Vectra – took top three finishes.

We even celebrated the closest finish in BTCC

history – 0.015s to be precise. In all, 15 drivers

achieved podium results and, thanks to some

breathtaking giant-killing performances, 24

out of the 29 ended the season with points on

the board. It really was that wide open

and competitive!

All this only lends further credibility to the

quite superb success of our new champions:

Colin Turkington and the WSR/Team RAC

squad. For both, 2009 marked their first-ever

BTCC title and they did it by beating one of

the most energetic and determined grids –

including four past champions and a Formula

1 Grand Prix winner – seen in the BTCC since

we introduced the all two-litre format in 1991.

Notably, Colin became the first ‘post-90s era’

driver to win the BTCC and it’s no coincidence

that today’s grid is considerably more youthful

than a decade or so ago. For WSR boss Dick

Bennetts, watching one of his cars roll out in

2010 at last sporting No.1 on the side – after a

decade of trying – will be one of his proudest

moments…

For me, however, every team, driver and

sponsor who raced in the BTCC in 2009 is

a champion. The manner in which they

pulled together, in financially difficult times,

to make sure they were a part of the BTCC’s

success story and to entertain our watching

millions speaks volumes for their enthusiasm,

and for the passion they have for this great

championship.

Big or small, I look forward to welcoming

them all back onto our grid in 2010. Likewise,

new teams and drivers who are already

making serious noises about adding to our

numbers when the BTCC’s future breed of

car (Next Generation Touring Car – see p05)

begins to appear in 2011.

These are heady times for the BTCC with

many other major motor racing series looking

on with great envy. I know I’m not the only

one looking forward to our 2010 season with

high expectations and bated breath.

Alan J GowBTCC Series Director

02Television coverage of the championship’s

ten-round tour of the UK scaled new heights

thanks to the commitment and skill of the

ITV network. Live coverage from our events

on ITV4 equalled a staggering 58 hours-

plus. The total number of hours its channels

– ITV1, ITV4 and Men & Motors – dedicated

to the BTCC came to 116 hours-plus. It was

all watched by close to 13.8 million viewers.

Truly astronomical figures and ones that we

can look forward to again achieving in 2010

thanks to our long-term arrangement

with ITV.

Twelve months ago I labelled the BTCC as

the ‘great escape’ for hundreds of thousands

looking for the ideal way to switch off from

the pressures of everyday life – a claim

substantiated by the fact that in 2009 just as

many people attended our race events as in

2008. Again some 325,000 spectators came

through our gates – an impressive number in

any sporting sphere.

I’m fortunate enough to have been in this

job for nearly two decades now and can

genuinely say that 2009 was one of the most

enjoyable years I have had in the British

Touring Car Championship.

A global recession was going to drastically

cut our grid sizes, people would hold on to

their pennies and not come flooding through

the gates and we’d be left to stumble our way

through the season. Or so said the doom-

mongers…

Instead, the BTCC will go into 2010 off the

back of another tremendous season – one

of the most competitive, exciting and

mesmerising it has ever known in its 50-years

plus history.

“On the track, the action has rarely been better. Eight different drivers racing for six different teams in four different makes of car shared the victories in the 30 races”

05

The cars will be bigger and, using turbo-

charged engines, ultimately produce more

power. For the first few years, however,

that power will be reigned in so as to allow

all teams, whether running newer NGTC

or existing S2000 cars, to fight equally for

outright honours. This helps safeguard those

teams who have recently invested in S2000

equipment and, wisely, provides a sensible

period of transition before the NGTC machines

become the BTCC’s primary formula in 2013.

The turbo-charged engines, all two-litre in

size, are expected to last an entire season

without requiring a rebuild. Teams will be

permitted to choose from a manufacturer’s

‘broad family’ and develop them within set

parameters. Smaller teams will also have the

option of purchasing or leasing an unbranded

TOCA engine. The most any team could

spend purchasing an engine will be

about £25,000.

Those teams opting to go the NGTC route

early will achieve an instant and dramatic

reduction in costs. It is estimated that a ready-

to-race NGTC car will cost around £100,000,

some 50 per cent less than a front-running

S2000 machine. This could prove a catalyst

for teams and sponsors in other categories,

but with grand designs on the BTCC, to finally

make their entrance.

Greater use of common components such as

ECU, brakes, hubs, steering rack, fuel tank,

gearboxes, suspension and subframes will

then further save tens of thousands of pounds

in development costs. On-event technical

support will also remove the need for teams

to carry such large spares inventories, further

lowering costs.

04

No other car racing series in Britain – indeed,

very few around the world – comes remotely

close to enjoying the levels of media profile,

audience numbers, marketability, public

appeal and great racing generated by the

BTCC.

As a sporting spectacle, BTCC race days

are equal to Premiership football, rugby

and county cricket in terms of numbers,

excitement and atmosphere. Much of that is

down to some unique selling points: unlike

other sports, children are admitted for free

and the crowds are invited to rub shoulders

with their heroes thanks to an open-paddock

policy plus specially organised pit lane

autograph sessions.

The BTCC also boasts great heritage dating

back to 1958 and in the 50-plus years since

has stood out as Britain’s most charismatic

and popular form of motor sport. It also sets

an example to other race series around the

world when it comes to helping address

environmental targets (see case study p07).

The 2010 grid will be filled once more

predominantly by cars based on the FIA’s

Super 2000 technical regulations, which are

used in most other senior touring car series.

These types of cars have been in the BTCC

since 2004 and the most successful in recent

years have included the BMW 3-Series,

Chevrolet Lacetti, Ford Focus, Honda Civic,

SEAT Leon and Vauxhall Vectra. Cars that,

in other words, are akin to those in which

the public have driven to the circuit, further

encouraging great brand loyalty among

followers…

However, an exciting major technical change

that, importantly, will slash costs for teams

is on the horizon. A new breed of car (NGTC

or Next Generation Touring Car) will start to

appear in 2011 alongside S2000 machinery.

The Present

“Very few car racing series around the world come even remotely close to enjoying the levels of media profile, audience numbers, marketability, public appeal and great racing generated by the BTCC”

07Proof that the regulations work is

underlined by the fact that in 2009:

• Eight different drivers representing six different teams shared the 30 race victories

• Another seven drivers celebrated podium results

• Nine different teams fielding seven different models of car achieved top three finishes

• Out of ten qualifying sessions, seven different drivers set pole position

• The 30 fastest race laps were shared between 12 different drivers

• 13 different drivers racing for nine different teams led races

• 24 out of 29 drivers who raced in the BTCC scored championship points

The BTCC not only moves with the times,

but keeps a firm check on its core values:

providing manufacturers, teams and sponsors

with an unrivalled return on their investment

while delivering unparalleled, value-for-

money entertainment for the public.

The BTCC’s green credentials down the years have been well documented, but in 2009 it accomplished a world first by implementing – and enforcing – new regulations that limit its cars’ CO2 emissions to those of their showroom counterparts.

Each car is now tested regularly on a rolling road inside a neutral laboratory at Land Rover’s hi-tech Solihull base to ensure it complies with the regulations.

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow explains: “Instead of simply mandating the use of bio-fuels, which have little relevance in everyday public life, or off-setting our emissions by planting a few trees, the measures we have taken are far more meaningful. They actually challenge engine builders and car manufacturers and help drive technology forward.”

Indeed, the BTCC’s smart thinking has received glowing praise from Energy Efficient Motorsport – the UK Government-sponsored initiative set up to encourage energy efficiency in motor sport.

EEMS’ Marc de Jong says the BTCC’s lead should act as a wake-up call to other race series, commenting: “The BTCC is the first championship to make CO2 emissions directly relevant to the competition. It has created a platform and now motor sport can showcase real and quantifiable solutions to the broader industry.”

CASE STUDY: Green Credentials

06

“An exciting major technical change that will slash costs for teams is on the horizon”

Equally, race three’s starting grid order is

decided by race two’s result, but with the

leading positions reversed. This has led to

several smaller teams starting race three from

the front of the grid and, as a consequence,

enjoying the full attention of the ITV cameras.

Notably, this is not the first time the

BTCC has led a technical revolution: in the

early Nineties it pioneered the all two-litre

formula that changed the face of touring car

competition globally forever.

The BTCC also constantly monitors its sporting

regulations to ensure the racing is kept close

for participants and fans. For example, a

success ballast system – whereby extra weight

is applied to the most successful cars – is used

to prevent any runaway winners.

09

More than just taking the action to the

people right around the UK, the wide mix of

circuits presents the teams and drivers with

different challenges. Whether it be super-fast

Thruxton’s daunting, high-speed corners or

Knockhill’s undulating, off-camber twists,

all the individual venues have their own

characteristics to test the competitors’ nerves

and skills to the limit. It’s worth noting that in

2010 the teams will have a welcome seven-

week mid-season break so as to allow for the

British Formula 1 Grand Prix, football’s World

Cup and cycling’s Tour de France.

Furthermore, the BTCC takes great care in

selecting the best possible track layouts to

ensure maximum spectator appeal. That’s

why races are held on a variety of tracks

from the epic Brands Hatch Grand Prix to the

picturesque Oulton Park Island and hurly-

burly Silverstone National circuits.

April 03-04 / Thruxton, Hampshire

April 24-25 / Rockingham, Northamptonshire

May 01-02 / Brands Hatch (Grand Prix), Kent

June 05-06 / Oulton Park (Island), Cheshire

June 19-20 / Croft, North Yorkshire

August 07-08 / Snetterton, Norfolk

August 21-22 / Silverstone (National), Northamptonshire

September 04-05 / Knockhill, Fife

September 18-19 / Donington Park, Leicestershire

October 09-10 / Brands Hatch (Indy), Kent

2010 Dates

After Brands Hatch attracted 35,000 spectators

for its Finals Day event in 2009 – a record

BTCC crowd for the track since it was taken

over by the MotorSport Vision group in

2004 – it is little wonder that Chief Executive

Jonathan Palmer commented: “I’d like to

congratulate BTCC Series Director Alan Gow

and Dennis Carter at the BARC for evolving

the championship into such an outstanding

package of entertainment for the fans. It was

fantastic to see so many spectators at Brands

Hatch – the circuit really was heaving!”

The BTCC really does add up to the best

value-for-money entertainment possible for

both trackside crowds and TV audiences.

08

Living up to its status as the country’s premier

race series, the HiQ BTCC headlines at all of

the UK’s top motor sport venues. The cleverly

constructed ten-weekend calendar ensures

that hundreds of thousands of fans throughout

the nation can catch the premier league tin-

top thrills at their local circuits.

The 2010 calendar includes circuits in

Cheshire, Fife, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire,

Norfolk, Northamptonshire and North

Yorkshire. With each race meeting hosting

three full points-scoring BTCC showdowns,

there’s never a dull moment.

“The BTCC selects the best possible tracks to ensure maximum spectator appeal”

11

For many, the BTCC is at its most exciting and

competitive in over a decade with several

new pretenders having joined the list of

established stars expected to challenge for

outright honours in the coming years…

Each is taking full advantage of the BTCC’s

accessibility and level playing field to make

a name for itself in the UK’s – and one of the

world’s – most celebrated and charismatic

motor racing championships. Furthermore,

each knows success carries tremendous kudos

with every race being broadcast live into

living rooms across the nation on ITV4.

Another beauty of the BTCC is that it doesn’t

limit the number of cars entered by a team.

This enables those with bigger budgets to

put out two or maybe three cars and those

running to smaller budgets, but with just as

much determination, to field single-car entries.

Some teams, perhaps in their nascent years in

the BTCC, operate with considerable success

on very modest budgets compared to the

top-line outfits. But because the rewards in

the BTCC are so high – both on and off the

track – the championship remains a hugely

cost-effective exercise compared to other, less

high-profile series. Big or small, each team

has an opportunity to capture the public’s

imagination.

Today, independent squads rule the roost

but the appeal for sponsors and big name

drivers is as appealing as ever. Indeed, the

levels of professionalism and attention to

detail achieved by the leading independent

squads in particular are equal to those of a

manufacturer-backed outfit. Proof of that is

the fact that in 2009 it was independent team

WSR (Team RAC) that won the outright title

– its first in the BTCC – by beating Vauxhall’s

outgoing manufacturer-backed VX Racing,

the most successful of modern times, plus

Racing Silverline, an off-shoot of the RML

Chevrolet World Touring Car team.

For WSR’s Colin Turkington, 2009 also brought

him his first outright Drivers’ title – a highly

significant achievement for he became the

first of a newer generation of drivers to be

crowned Champion. Indeed, it is noticeable

that the BTCC grid has taken on a younger

feel during the past five years, as drivers

identify the series at an earlier age as a fairer

and much more exciting long-term career

opportunity with the chance to build a huge

profile.

10Although not a factory team, Ford, notably, still used Team Aon’s results to help promote its innovative suspension design fitted to its Focus RS models on the road.

Arena boss Mike Earle says: “Investment, getting the pre-season engineering programme right, not compromising on solutions and being realistic – the rewards are incremental – would be my top four pieces of advice.

“The Focus is something that no-one else has, so I suppose we hope it may attract some manufacturer support. BTCC is the most cost-effective form of motor sport and in the current economic climate one of very few formulae that comes in under the rate card for sponsors.

“We’ve now got a strong package for 2010 thanks to the progress we’ve made in ‘09. That progress is something that Ford is beginning to appreciate.”

After an absence of almost a decade, 2009 saw the return of one of the BTCC’s truly giant names, Ford, as independent squad Arena International Motorsport entered a pair of Focus STs.

Significantly, the Aon-backed project demonstrated that BTCC regulations give privateers the option of choosing their own car and developing it into a front-runner. The Focus was later than hoped for – only turning a wheel for the first time at a blustery, deserted Silverstone just a month before the opening round – and it took until mid-season before points finishes became a reality. By Rockingham’s penultimate round, the hard work really started to be rewarded as Tom Chilton finished on the podium in third.

Then, at Brands Hatch’s final round, there were ecstatic scenes as Chilton qualified on pole position before daring to lead two of Sunday’s three races – missing victory in one by the closest winning margin in BTCC history (0.015s).

CASE STUDY: Fast forward with a Ford

13

But WSR, VXR and RML were not the only

teams to spray the victory champagne in

2009. Adding to the mix were Team Dynamics

with its Honda Civic and, joining the winner’s

circle for the first time, Motorbase (running as

Airwaves BMW after a strong run of results

in 2008 attracted title sponsorship from the

Wrigley’s high-street brand).

Team Principal David Bartrum says: “Two

wins in 2009, only our fourth year, has been

a dream come true. It’s one thing that every

team in the BTCC has in common: they are all

run by real enthusiasts who are in the sport for

the right reasons, and although competition is

fierce, it’s a very healthy type of competition.

“For 2010 we feel ready as a team to

challenge for titles. Switching to the BMWs

in 2008 was the making of us – these cars

were already proven winners so we had no

excuses. Furthermore, we’re permitted great

technical support from BMW and that’s hugely

important as we don’t have the budget for our

own development programme.

“We are still a true privateer team with

minimal full-time staff supported by ‘weekend

warriors’ at race events. We probably present

a façade that belies the size of our budget.

Our template is WSR but with a character all

of our own.”

Entering with cars already proven on the

world stage is one obvious way into the series.

However, the BTCC also allows – and very

much encourages – teams to join the grid with

cars of their own choice by taking advantage

of the championship’s local homologation.

For 2009, the BTCC created a Manufacturer/

Constructor trophy to recognise and reward

those using local homologation to introduce

cars of their own design as opposed to those

already developed by other manufacturers

or teams. Dynamics with its Honda Civic and

Arena International Motorsport, with its new,

self-developed Ford Focus STs (see case study

p10), both scored highly and received

podium silverware in this championship.

“It’s one thing that every team in the BTCC has in common: they are all run by real enthusiasts who are in the sport for the right reasons”

The BTCC also permits teams to continue using

older BTC-spec cars. The benchmark in their

heyday (2001-06), these cars offer smaller

independent teams a competitive and highly

cost-effective way into the series – and the

watching public with the very real possibility

of some giant-killing acts to celebrate. In

2009 both Paul O’Neill, with a third place

outright, and Martyn Bell scored points in their

sunshine.co.uk Honda Integras (see case study

p14), as did newcomer Martin Johnson in his

Boulevard Team Racing squad’s Vauxhall

Astra – a car originally used by Vauxhall’s

factory team as long ago as 2001!

The Contenders

JAG

12

The BTCC is famed for its ability to conjure

up some real David vs Goliath moments

and a number of incentives are in place

to encourage and aid the smaller outfits.

Included in entry fees is a handsome

allocation of paddock and pit lane passes

for working team personnel and VIPs. All

teams are given the same opportunities to

participate in the BTCC’s promotional activity,

whether PR stunts in the build-up to a race

weekends or during race day’s Pit Lane

Walkabout public autograph sessions. Also on

race day, there’s the reversing of the leading

positions on race three’s starting grid, thereby

allowing minnows to start from the front live

on ITV4. Dunlop, meanwhile, generously

rewards teams with tyre bonuses that alone

equate to £70,000. That’s on top of the BTCC’s

own £75,000 prize fund, shared out across the

ten rounds to reward each event’s top three

highest-scoring teams.

15

The Contenders

In terms of accessibility, exposure, return on

investment, profile and following there has

been no better time for teams to join – and

thrive in – Britain’s premier motor racing

arena.

14

As the boss of thriving online travel agency, sunshine.co.uk, Chris Brown’s story tells how achievable it is to live the BTCC dream.

Brown had been a personal sponsor to privateer Martyn Bell from 2006 to 2008. For 2009, the BTCC bug having truly bitten, he invested in the two ex-Team Dynamics title-winning Honda Integras.

Now owned by him, Brown contracted experienced squad Tech-Speed to fettle the cars for the popular Bell and Paul O’Neill. Twenty top ten finishes were probably beyond even Brown’s wildest dreams, let alone the awe-inspiring third-place outright achieved by former factory Vauxhall driver O’Neill at Snetterton…

Brown says: “We’ve a modest outlay compared to the bigger teams yet in some respects get more out of it. The sunshine.co.uk name is now very popular with BTCC audiences, which are huge in numbers and, importantly to us as a company, consist of a high percentage of families.

“Yes, my dream of being a part of the BTCC grid has come true – I still pinch myself – but purchasing the Hondas has also proved to be a very shrewd marketing investment. The BTCC’s rules enable the older cars to still have their day of days and the public always loves an underdog. It’s a strength we’re very happy to play to… for now.”

CASE STUDY: Ray of sunshine

17UK TV Audience

Channel Total Broadcast Hours (50 Programmes)

ITV4 93 hours 37 minsITV1 12 hours 30 minsMen & Motors 10 hours 19 mins

Total hours 116 hours 26 mins

Total viewers 13,767,535*

* Cumulative audience number, weighted according to programme duration hours, which reflects sustained viewing of more than three minutes

As Britain’s biggest motor racing

championship, the BTCC commands

enormous media coverage throughout the

UK and globally.

Television has always been the BTCC’s most

powerful medium and since the late Eighties

the championship has received regular

coverage through Britain’s biggest

TV operators.

TV &

Media

It is therefore virtually impossible to miss

a round of the BTCC. Indeed, in 2009 an

accumulative audience of 13.8 million

watched the BTCC across ITV’s channels, with

the same levels of coverage and viewership

scheduled to continue throughout 2010.

ITV’s terrific support of the championship

also extends online with its itv.com website

streaming each live broadcast. In addition,

a dedicated section on the itv.com site – that

also includes expert editorial coverage –

allows visitors to watch re-runs of each race in

full by using the ITV Player facility.

ITV’s hugely popular on-screen Teletext

service carries regular news updates as well

throughout the season.

Global TV

The BTCC is watched around the world on

a variety of networks (both terrestrial and

digital) spanning some 20 countries across

six continents: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe,

North America and South America (see

chart). This means a potential audience

reach of close to 135 million households per

viewing (some 1.35bn when annualised). The

championship also enjoys further significant

global reach through a new programme

called The Grid, distributed worldwide with

race reports and footage from each round.

The total reach for each viewing is over

400m households.

ITV

In 2009, the BTCC enjoyed unprecedented

levels of live television exposure with free-to-

air channel ITV4 broadcasting a minimum of

five hours direct from each round into living

rooms all across the UK.

In total, ITV4’s coverage of the BTCC in 2009

equated to a staggering 93 hours and 37

minutes. It’s a TV broadcasting arrangement

that many other high-profile sports, let alone

motor racing series, around the world would

die for. For those involved in the BTCC –

teams, drivers, sponsors and fans – such

exposure is clearly terrific news as ITV4 now

reaches 94 per cent of the UK population.

Furthermore, 90-minute race highlights

were shown four times after each event on

terrestrial channel ITV1, again on ITV4 and

also Men & Motors – bringing the network’s

total coverage for the season to 116 and a

half hours.

BTCC: Global TV

Country Broadcaster Audience reach USA Speed 80mCanada Speed 8mS America (inc. Mex) Speed Latin America 15mCzech Republic Sport5 800kDenmark Canal Plus 46kFinland Canal Plus 68kGreece Supersports 280kNetherlands Raceworld tbaNorway Canal Plus 225kSweden Canal Plus 425kSlovakia Sport5 630kRussia 7TV 26mAustralia One HD tbaHong Kong I-Cable 2.2m

16

19Media Partnership

The BTCC enjoys an enviable media partnership with major publishing group Dennis’s raved-about Auto Express and evo titles (both magazine and online), with a stream of broad editorial features and news updates, ticket competitions and advertising of race meetings that widens exposure to key new audiences. The group’s new online publication imotormag was also part of the mix in 2009.

In addition, the magazines’ databases

– running into hundreds of thousands of

subscribers – are targeted with further BTCC

news and promotions. In return, Dennis

chiefly uses the BTCC to promote the Auto

Express and evo brands with prominent

logos on the side of every BTCC car and the

championship’s podium and TV interview

backdrops.

Dennis Publishing Figures

Magazine ABCTitle circulation/readership Annual

Auto Express 69,000 / 291,000 3,519,000 / 14,841,000evo 62,282 / 217,000 747,384 / 2,604,000

UniqueWebsite monthly visitors Annual

autoexpress.co.uk 1,073,720 12,884,640evo.co.uk 285,860 3,430,320

18

TV Extra

The BTCC is big news as it tours around

the UK, no more so than on regional TV news

broadcast. Both ITV and BBC crews often

roll up to preview the forthcoming big race

weekend. Indeed, it is not uncommon for their

entire news sports round-ups to be broadcast

live from the colourful backdrop of the BTCC’s

pit lane or paddock. This of course means

tremendous added media value as the BTCC

is paraded before new audiences of millions

during lunch and teatime broadcasts. In

2009, BTCC generated an extra 90 minutes

of pre-event coverage on regional TV outlets,

namely: Brands Hatch (ITV Meridian &

BBC South East), Thruxton (ITV Meridian),

Donington Park (BBC East Midlands), Croft

(ITV Tyne Tees, BBC Look North Leeds &

BBC Look North Newcastle), Snetterton (ITV

Anglia), Knockhill (BBC Scotland), Silverstone

(ITV Anglia, BBC Oxford, BBC Look East) and

Brands Hatch Finals Day (ITV Meridian, BBC

South East and BBC London Tonight).

Through its contacts and appeal, the BTCC

also generates exposure on some of the

nation’s most-watched lifestyle and consumer

programmes. BBC2’s motoring show Top Gear

regularly features drivers from the BTCC as

part of its mad-cap adventures that attract

seven million-plus viewers per episode.

CBBC’s Sportsround show (BBC2 Friday pm

and repeated BBC2 Saturday am) went

behind the scenes with the BTCC at Brands

Hatch. Similarly, its Help! Teach is Coming

To Stay programme also provided younger

viewers with an insight into the championship.

Daytime cooking and celebrity shows Ready

Steady Cook (BBC) and Loose Women (ITV), as

well as the investigative Tonight (ITV), have

also contained BTCC content recently.

“In 2009, the BTCC enjoyed unprecedented levels of live television exposure”

21

Previews, plus qualifying and race reports,

regularly appear in the national media (both

in-print and online). Noticeably, the UK’s

biggest selling daily newspaper, The Sun,

has significantly increased coverage of the

BTCC on its website – see sidebar. Similarly,

fellow ‘red top’ The Mirror also forged its

own partnership with leading squad Team

RAC, underlining the BTCC’s credentials as a

recognised major sporting spectacle.

As the BTCC travels the land, the big regional

newspapers print plenty of column inches

about the championship, with a heavy focus

on the championship’s star names and local

drivers and teams. Some circuits, working in

conjunction with the BTCC, have arranged tie-

ins with some of their most influential regional

publications that have brought instant

Radio, Magazines, Newspapers & Online

results and longer-term benefits (see Crowds

chapter). Widely read trade and lifestyle

publications covering education, emergency

and utility services, event organisation and

other sports have all featured BTCC content.

The BTCC also provides perfect material

for the UK’s many radio stations. At Croft in

2009, BBC Radio 5 Live broadcast three live

interview-based pieces from the paddock

during its breakfast show. At Brands

Hatch’s final round, Nick Ferrari, presenter

on London’s massive LBC station, was an

enthusiastic visitor.

Britain’s best-selling daily newspaper The Sun has become a fervent supporter of the BTCC in recent years, particularly via its online publication.

A million people a day visit the-sun.co.uk and, after football, the BTCC has helped make motor racing its most popular sports section.

After signing BTCC ace Jason Plato as a columnist, the website has rapidly expanded its coverage of the championship to include videos and regular reports on other characters within the series.

The Sun, as a brand, has also exploited the BTCC’s public appeal elsewhere; at Rockingham it provided Page 3 models as grid girls for Plato’s Racing Silverline team and brought along a pop band to play for the crowds. The Sun’s Chris Hockley says: “The reason we’re behind the BTCC is because it shares many attributes with The Sun: excitement, drama, glamour and endeavour.

“It’s always good to be associated with an outspoken, colourful big-name driver like Jason because that raises our profile.

“But we also have the obvious benefit of good TV coverage that shows our colours on Jason’s car. For us it’s great to be involved with Britain’s premier racing series so we can hopefully share its popularity.”

Meanwhile, appointed radio agency Talking

Point Broadcasting schedules interviews

and reports as well as updating the audio

interview page on the official btcc.net

website. In 2009 the BTCC received 50 hours,

six minutes of total airtime across 154 BBC

and independent radio stations, including

immensely popular ticket promotions and

special features on talkSPORT, BBC 5 Live

with Gabby Logan, and BBC Radio 2 with

Steve Wright and Chris Evans – three of the

nation’s most listened-to radio show hosts.

BTCC broadcasts on radio in the UK in 2009

attracted an estimated 53.95 million listeners.

CASE STUDY: Black & white, red all over

20BTCC Media/btcc.net

The BTCC’s media and many millions

of fans are also kept updated with news

by the championship’s busy Media Office,

which of course also stimulates coverage

across many types of outlets. Central to this

service is the BTCC’s official website www.

btcc.net – the ultimate on-line BTCC fix that

provides information about every aspect of

the championship.

btcc.net attracts up to 94,000 unique visitors

per month. It now has some 22,500 registered

fans with around half of those signing up to

receive official championship newsletters and

details of exclusive competitions – many of

which help teams to market their sponsors’

products.

One of the site’s most popular sections is its

Fans Forum that allows fans to discuss all

manner of BTCC-related topics and also offers

them a chance to put their questions to Series

Director Alan Gow – a feature almost unique

among major sports websites and which

further emphasises the BTCC’s accessibility.

The high profile HiQ MSA BTCC offers sponsors

a range of possibilities that are unique in

contemporary motor racing and clearly make

the BTCC one of the best-value investments in

the sporting market place. For any astute and

imaginative company, participation grants

an instant golden opportunity to bring alive

a brand in front of hundreds of thousands

of trackside spectators and millions more TV

viewers.

There is increased exposure through the

BTCC’s prime time terrestrial, Freeview and

satellite television packages, which reach

millions of households throughout the UK and

around the world.

“Our involvement has also enabled us to achieve plenty of internal engagement with staff at our many RAC centres around the UK with driver visits and so forth. To be seen to be winning in such a competitive sporting arena is obviously motivating for staff, but also increases your standing in the public eye.

“It’s fair to say that compared to previous activities, the BTCC has given us far greater interaction with the public, particularly families. You’re not limiting your audience appeal as the events are popular with both sexes and people of many different ages from all types of backgrounds.”

BTCC Series Director Alan Gow says: “The

beauty of the BTCC is that it appeals to both

consumer and business-to-business products.

A lot of sports and championships are perhaps

orientated more towards business products

whereas that split doesn’t exist in the BTCC.

The broad range of companies involved –

many of them blue chip – whether suppliers to

the BTCC or team sponsors, also demonstrates

the power of a large crowd and prime time TV

audience, particularly when there is a strong

demographic profile.”

2322

“Participation in the BTCC grants a golden opportunity to bring alive a brand”

In 2009, RAC hit the jackpot in terms of winning over the millions of public who either attend BTCC race events or watch them on television across the UK.

In its fourth season as title sponsor to the WSR squad, it found itself at the very heart of the title battle as driver Colin Turkington challenged for – and won – the coveted Champion’s trophy in his heavily-liveried RAC BMW.

RAC’s Sponsorship and PR Consultant Kerry Gazzard explains: “The three big boxes we initially set out to tick were very much brand awareness, business-to-business hospitality and media value. All three started being ticked almost immediately in our first season of 2006. We reaped instant rewards and it’s kept growing from there.

CASE STUDY: RAC for the title

25

“The BTCC’s geographical reach has enabled

us to enhance our profile across the United

Kingdom and reach further markets with

its extensive television coverage in front of

BTCC’s extremely receptive audience and

loyal supporters. That reach has also opened

many potential new business partnerships

and enabled us to communicate our re-

brand and new brand positioning to hotel

users across both the business and leisure

sectors. On top of that, the BTCC’s high

profile, mass audience and very exciting

sporting environment provides us with further

opportunities to integrate our wider marketing

strategies to great effect.”

While doing wonders for a company’s brand

or product, the BTCC also offers sponsors and

partners money-can’t-buy experiences at its

race events. The feedback from teams and

sponsors is always the same: no other motor

sport arena in the UK provides such wonderful

marketing and sponsorship possibilities as

the BTCC.

““We work closely with our sponsors to ensure

they all maximise the full potential of their

involvement in the BTCC,” explains Richard

Tait-Harris, Group Marketing Manager,

Team Dynamics. “These sponsors down the

years have been predominantly blue-chip

companies from both the motor industry

plus high street brands. The BTCC provides

them with a broad spectrum of opportunities.

Obviously the media value generated in the

UK and beyond is the main attraction. Our

research reveals that the worth of the TV

coverage alone is at least three times greater

than normal TV advertising.

The Goodyear Dunlop group is entering

its sixth year as major title sponsor with the

BTCC in 2010. From 2004-07, its Dunlop tyre

brand was the championship’s title sponsor

before handing over until the end of the 2010

season to sister UK fast-fit company HiQ. Its

Marketing Manager Geraldine McGovern

reports: “Our title sponsorship of the BTCC has

become a vital component as we challenge

for pole position in the fast-fit industry, and in

our second year (2009) that sponsorship has

helped the network establish itself as a fast-fit

brand the public can be sure of.

“The BTCC is a product that we are excited to be closely associated with as it remains a hugely popular sport with an ever-growing fan base”

HiQ’s title sponsorship of the BTCC, entering its third season in 2010, has added great credibility to its standing in the vehicle fast-fit marketplace. Its association has come as it pushes to make its expanding network of centres across the country the number one choice for vehicle servicing.

On race weekend the benefits of branding-up each BTCC track in its corporate cyan colours are obvious: massive exposure in front of millions of motorists – many of them hugely loyal and passionate fans – watching trackside or on TV.

But HiQ’s allegiance to the BTCC reaps it great rewards away from the track as well. Many of its centres have taken on a fun and racy BTCC theme. In return, this sends out a clear and comforting message to existing and potentially new customers that they are receiving the very highest standards in customer care.

Furthermore, HiQ’s title sponsorship means it can call on some of the BTCC’s biggest names – all influential role models – to endorse its messages. In 2009, reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, team-mate Andrew Jordan and fellow BTCC racer Tom Chilton all added vocal support to HiQ’s 1-2-3 road safety campaign.

HiQ also used its involvement in the BTCC to help raise awareness and funds for its chosen charity, Breast Cancer Care, with a number of high-profile stunts at race events. Other hugely popular fan-friendly activities online – such as voting for favourite drivers, a grid girl competition and product promotions to the official btcc.net website and its database of tens of thousands – have all added to increase HiQ’s public profile considerably compared to two years ago (see main chapter).

“Our franchisees have interacted with the

series and used each race weekend to

generate a new, growing customer base. TV

coverage, newspaper column inches and

online social networking have also helped

elevate HiQ to an increased position of

strength within the industry, courtesy of our

sponsorship of the BTCC.

“The BTCC is a product that we are excited

to be closely associated with as it remains a

hugely popular sport with an ever-growing

fan base. Having our name alongside the

series has certainly created more awareness

and affection for our network of fast-fit

centres.”

Other major high-street names have also

formed strong partnerships with the BTCC.

One such is the Intercontinental Hotel Group

(IHG) through its Holiday Inn brand, whose

Partnership Marketing Director Adrian White

says: “Our involvement in the BTCC has

been a great experience for the IHG group,

particularly for raising awareness of our

brands in the UK.

Sponsorship & M

arketing

CASE STUDY: Perfect fit for fast fit

24

RML’s Sponsorship and Marketing Director

Rupert Manwaring says: “The BTCC is a

magnet for UK domestic sponsors. When we

decided to enter the 2009 championship

the week before the first race, we faced the

daunting task of securing sponsorship for

the programme during the racing season.

Thanks to the BTCC’s audience appeal

and our on-track performance, we met our

funding target, to the point of running three

cars during the second half of the year. Our

1-2-3 finish at Silverstone delivered for all our

sponsors, and so did the BTCC.”

2009 also marked the year in which David

Bartrum’s Motorbase team matured into a

genuine, potential title challenger. Not only

did it achieve its first race wins in the series

but it did so much to the delight of new title

sponsor, Wrigley’s famous chewing gum

brand Airwaves. Another major global

company PPG was also part of the success

story as it added its support for the team

through its Leyland Paints company. Its

Brand Manager Nicola Hickman enthuses:

“The primary objective of our Airwaves BMW

team sponsorship has been to raise brand

awareness with Leyland’s target audience.

The BTCC offers us a sporting platform to align

the brand with a fast paced, prestigious and

popular national event.

“Leyland Paints is predominantly known as

a ‘trade’ brand. However, the sponsorship

has also enabled us to impact on the

mass market, broadening the impact

and awareness of the Leyland brand into

consumer environments. This has helped to

establish a strong brand association through

brand visibility and a positive association and

credibility among existing and potential users,

stockists and media.

“In addition, our association with the

championship has proven to be a highly

effective motivator for trade and consumer

incentives through hospitality packages,

additional track experiences and driver

appearances.”

Sponsorship & M

arketing

2726

“Our association with the championship has proven to be a highly effective motivator for trade and consumer incentives”

For the past four seasons, the RAC has

taken full advantage of its highly visible

involvement in the BTCC to promote its

renowned range of motoring services. This has

been achieved by becoming team sponsor to

the WSR outfit, and in 2009 it hit the jackpot

with a highly successful bid for the title (see

case study p22).

Another team to have really captured the

media’s and public’s imagination of late is

RML. Having run Chevrolets in the World

Touring Car series, it effectively decided to

enter the BTCC as a privateer just a week

before the 2009 season started, yet was

still able to attract sufficient backing for its

programme – at the time with a single-car

entry for former champion Jason Plato. By

the next event a second car had been added

for rising star Mat Jackson as the project

attracted title sponsorship from high-power

tools brand Silverline. Success on track then

also brought additional funding from major

car buying website matchthedeal.com.

“More importantly perhaps, these sponsors

can interact face-to-face with the general

public who are hugely passionate about

drivers, teams, competing marques and

those brands actively involved in the series.

The race events also provide an important

opportunity for data collection. Interestingly,

we ran five individual promotions with Honda

UK with a live show going into dealerships

local to circuits. These proved to be hugely

popular, attracting audiences of over

three hundred people to each event. The

dealerships burgeoned and cars were sold,

exactly on target.”

And continues Tait-Harris: “We also take our

story out to the greater public well beyond

BTCC race weekends by presenting ourselves

at other high-profile events such as the British

Motorshow and Goodwood Festival of Speed,

which together reach more than half a million

people. For example, our fully-liveried Honda

Civic show car was in demand so much with

appearances for Honda (UK) plus at shows

and other exhibitions that it was back at base

for just one weekend during the 2009 season.”

“The BTCC is a magnet forUK domestic sponsors... Our 1-2-3 finish at Silverstone delivered for all our sponsors, and so did the BTCC”

29

The high-profile, high-drama, big-crowd

backdrop makes the BTCC the perfect

platform and environment for teams and

sponsors to entertain guests. So it’s no surprise

that a wealth of far-reaching corporate

activities are available… catering for all tastes

and budgets.

The BTCC’s pedigree and well-established

TV coverage means it enjoys an enviable

status among the UK’s elite sports. This status

gives each BTCC meeting a real prominence

and true sense of occasion, enabling hosts to

take the ‘wining and dining’ of VIP guests to

new levels. Furthermore, the BTCC is able to

provide its teams and commercial partners

with an opportunity to invite guests from

across the UK, thanks to a careful selection

of venues that sees the series headlining at

circuits the length and breadth of Britain.

While some race meetings are staged at

internationally renowned racing circuits such

as Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Donington

Park, others take place at smaller, lesser-

known but equally important circuits such

as Croft in the North-East and Knockhill in

Scotland. Wherever the location, however,

there’s always a real buzz and ‘big event’

atmosphere when the BTCC bandwagon rolls

into town.

Inevitably, local amenities vary enormously

at these different venues. Some provide

permanent hospitality suites that can be

rented on a race-by-race basis, providing

businesses with the perfect opportunity to

entertain clients and reward employees in

purpose-built surroundings. Typically, major

manufacturers and big-name sponsors prefer

to welcome guests into their own strongly

branded bespoke structures and dedicated

hospitality units. Furthermore, live television

ensures that no-one misses any of the bumper-

to-bumper thrills on the race track.

These hospitality ‘villages’ – often situated

right at the heart of the action – provide

VIPs with the best possible seats in the

house, adding to their race-day experience.

Moreover, the busy BTCC timetable is

specifically organised to allow drivers and key

team management time to make personal

appearances during the day’s racing,

providing an extra dimension and insight to

these important corporate activities.

“We’ve been involved in other activities before

but, without doubt, we get far greater return

in the BTCC when it comes to hospitality,”

reports Kerry Gazzard, Sponsorship and PR

Consultant, RAC. “We’ve used our BTCC

hospitality programme successfully to

entertain a wide selection of key guests, and

notably to strengthen our business ties with

existing partners as well as those of our parent

group, Aviva.”

Whatever your particular requirements, the

high-flying BTCC offers both large and small

organisations unrivalled opportunities, as well

as the very real promise of an exhilarating

taste of life in the fast lane.

“We’ve been involved in other activities before but, without doubt, we get far greater return in the BTCC when it comes to hospitality”

28

31

“The BTCC was everything I expected it to be: exciting and very competitive, which is what it has always been famous for. There’s great interaction with and support from the public”

Johnny Herbert

Encouraging ‘bums on seats’ is a top priority for the BTCC and it maps out well in advance with each circuit a bespoke plan designed to attract the public through the gates.

BTCC race days guarantee excitement, public interaction and free admission for children, yet rather than rest on its laurels the championship never lets up in driving home those messages.

In 2009, the Thruxton and Croft circuits really benefited from the BTCC’s PR and marketing know-how that led to media partnerships with the highly influential Southern Daily Echo and Northern Echo media groups. The result was massive levels of pre-event exposure, this stimulating strong regional radio and TV interest and thereby increasing the hype.

As a result, ticket sales at the two circuits boomed. Furthermore, both Echo titles are keen to repeat the exercise in 2010, having now successfully used the BTCC’s arrival in their respective regions to generate a feel-good factor among readers.

Knockhill was another to capture a potential new audience of many hundreds of thousands when the BTCC secured it a deal with Scotland’s biggest selling daily newspaper, The Scottish Sun, which carried near non-stop coverage pre-event. Rarely have the Fife track’s car parks been fuller than those on BTCC race day 2009…

CASE STUDY: Working with the circuits30

The BTCC is firmly established not only as

Britain’s most popular form of motor racing

but also as one of the UK’s top sporting

attractions with crowds similar in size to those

at Premiership football and Test Match cricket

matches.

It is estimated that trackside figures in 2009

held steady with around 325,000 people

attending the championship’s ten fixtures –

this is highly significant considering the UK

was sucked into a financial recession.

That popularity is further reinforced by

the fact that the average attendance at

grounds on the opening day of the 2009/10

Premiership football season was 30,235 –

figures that really do put the BTCC firmly in

the ‘big league’ of British sporting events.

The secret to the BTCC’s on-going success is

simple: unrivalled entertainment at affordable

prices. Most of all, the BTCC is a fast-moving

show designed to compete against theme

parks, shopping centres just as much as other

sports for the public’s leisure time.

‘Fast and friendly’ best describes the

atmosphere. As well as the buzz of the BTCC

action, a busy bill of top-class support races

guarantees a non-stop programme of

on-track thrills.

The customer-focused BTCC is unique among

other major sports in encouraging interaction

between the public and the stars of the show.

An ‘open paddock’ policy at most circuits,

plus officially-organised driver autograph

sessions in the pit lane means the fans can

easily rub shoulders and grab a word or photo

with their heroes. One of the biggest draws

in 2009 was former Le Mans 24 Hours and

three-times grand prix winner Johnny Herbert

who followed in the wheel tracks of the likes

of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Damon Hill, David

Coulthard and Nigel Mansell by becoming

the latest big name from Formula 1 to join the

BTCC grid.

BTCC Spectator Demographic

Male FemaleGender 64% 36%Social Class AB 35% AB 21% C1 47% C1 59% C2 13% C2 3% DE 5% DE 17%Under 35 AB 20% C1 54% C2 17% DE 9% 35 or over AB 47% C1 43% C2 4% DE 6%

“The BTCC is unique among major sports events in encouraging interaction between the public and the stars of the show”

No surprise then that spectator loyalty

has always been one of the BTCC’s major

strengths – a fact proven by exit polls

conducted by independent survey specialists.

Remarkably, 95 per cent of those interviewed

said they would attend again and more than

85 per cent indicated they would recommend

BTCC race events to their friends. Survey data

also confirmed far above-average levels of

sponsorship recall, with the majority of people

interviewed expressing loyalty to products

promoted via the championship.

An unwavering commitment by the

championship to a coordinated programme of

pre-event promotion in conjunction with each

circuit means the BTCC’s popularity is sure to

continue spiraling to new heights.

33

Spectator Appeal

Certainly, the BTCC provides almost

unrivalled value-for-money public

entertainment, particularly for families. Race

day admission for children up to 16 is free

whilst adult tickets can be pre-ordered for as

little as £23.

The phrase ‘when the BTCC rolls into town’

really has taken on a whole new meaning

as well. Edinburgh, during the height of its

world-famous Festivals period in August, set

the scene for the championship’s fourth major

city centre show in as many years in 2009. A

road closure enabled the drivers and teams

to demonstrate their race cars at full speed

right by Edinburgh’s iconic castle as the BTCC

made its only visit north of the border for its

annual round at the Knockhill circuit in Fife.

The event, free for the public and a marketing

dream for teams and their sponsors, followed

on from similar demonstration runs in

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Milton Keynes and

Edinburgh several years before. Thanks to the

BTCC’s unrivalled attention to detail, planning

expertise and promotional skills, each of these

highly unique and spectacular events have

“The BTCC provides almost unrivalled value-for-money public entertainment, particularly for families…”

drawn mammoth levels of interest from the

public and media alike – Edinburgh’s city

council estimates that some 18,000 people, all

of them potentially new fans, lined Johnston

Terrace in 2009 to see the BTCC’s stars

in action.

And the BTCC is already a long way down

the path of encouraging its next generation of

fans thanks to a proactive schools programme

which invites a local class or youth group

into the paddock on Friday afternoons for

a VIP tour of the pit lane. The youngsters

are shown around the cars – some are even

selected to sit in the driver’s seat – and also

meet key team members plus the star drivers

for autographs, Q&A sessions and photos.

It’s a programme that in 2010 will enter is

seventh year and which, since its inception in

2004, has provided some 1500 primary and

secondary-aged youngsters with arguably

their most inspiring and motivating day out of

their school years.

Elsewhere, the championship’s status also

attracts high-profile celebrities from both motor

sport and other entertainment fields. Celebrity

faces are regularly spotted at BTCC meetings.

Those spotted in the paddock and on the grid

in 2009 included pop star Mel C, Olympic

cycling and rowing gold medalists Ed Clancy

MBE and Ben Ainslie CBE plus Great Britian

rugby league player Jon Wilkin.

32

In addition, race-goers can take

advantage of give-away offers from teams

and sponsors, reinforcing the exhilarating

family atmosphere. During the BTCC’s Pit

Lane Walkabout sessions – when the public,

including children, are invited into the pit

lane to meet the drivers for autographs

and photos – a staggering amount of team

merchandise and sponsor-related products

ranging from caps, pens, posters, stickers and

autographs cards are handed out. Indeed,

some teams have turned the exercise into a

fine art, using the sessions to run successful

product competitions for their commercial

partners. In short, it’s an ‘open goal’ for teams

to ensure it is their sponsor’s colours that paint

the spectator banks and grandstands and go

home with the fans.

No matter the size of the team, whether one

of the established grandee outfits or a smaller

one-car newcomer, all know the BTCC is a

golden opportunity to interact with – and

win over – one of the world’s most excitable,

knowledgeable and enthusiastic motor sport

audiences.

35

Witty one-liners, tears and laughter, dirty

moves, crashes, controversy, drama, heroes

and villains – the BTCC had it all and became

one of sport’s biggest overnight success stories.

Few other sports can have enjoyed such

a rapid growth in popularity. ‘Being there’

suddenly became fashionable – indeed, the

BTCC was more than just a day at the races.

It was a UK tour, no longer confined to just

England but now also heading to Scotland

and Wales. It was a social occasion and, as a

result, live trackside audiences often reached

the 40,000 mark. People who had previously

never taken an interest in motor sport were

suddenly going car-racing mad.

The manufacturers simply could not afford

to miss out and the number taking part in

the series grew rapidly. Alfa Romeo, Audi,

BMW, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot,

Renault, Toyota, Vauxhall and Volvo: all

realised the enormous marketing value of

competing in the BTCC and were quick to

capitalise on the opportunity. Every one

of them has the BTCC to thank for their

continued growth in the UK today. All fielded

full factory teams – often run by crack

Formula 1 outfits such as Williams, TWR and

Prodrive – and hired megastar drivers. There

was, quite simply, no other sporting arena

like the BTCC.

The paddock was extraordinary to behold,

a fantastic mixture of languages, styles,

tastes, smells, colours, facial expressions

and hand gestures. And then there was the

racing – the roars and cheers from the packed

grandstands and spectator banks, the sea of

hats, T-shirts, jackets and flags that people

waved in support of their favourites.

For competitors and spectators alike, the BTCC

became a ‘must see’ event and that remains

the same today as the world’s most famous

and time-honoured touring car championship

enters its second 50 years on yet another

remarkable high. 34

Highlighting the enduring success of the British

Touring Car Championship, the series has

recently celebrated its golden anniversary.

The inaugural BTCC was staged back in 1958

and, since then, the championship has grown

into this country’s biggest motor racing show,

with massive national and international

audience appeal.

From the start, saloon car racing was a huge

success with the public, who would pack

into Britain’s racing venues to watch drivers

compete in racing versions of their road cars

at simply unbelievable speeds. Traditional,

great British names such as Jaguar, Austin,

Ford, Mini, Lotus, Sunbeam, Hillman and

Triumph were all winners in the first 20 years,

each aware of the importance of using the

BTCC to showcase their latest models.

By the Eighties, the BTCC was moving with

the times and beginning to attract a truly

international flavour. Mazda, Toyota and Alfa

Romeo were the first three winners of the decade

as the championship continued to be run for

several classes of car, but the mighty Ford Sierra

RS500 and BMW M3 – dominant as the Nineties

loomed – are probably the two most evocative

models of the period.

It was in the Nineties, however, that the BTCC

truly boomed. The championship was already

beginning to grow in stature with regular

television coverage on the BBC’s flagship sports

show, Grandstand, on Saturday afternoons.

When the decision was taken to make the BTCC

exclusively for two-litre cars, it instantly created

closer racing and attracted a host of high-profile

manufacturers and teams to the series. Combined

with enhanced television coverage and

marketing genius, this made the BTCC essential

viewing for millions throughout the UK – and

many millions more worldwide.

50 Years Young

“From the start, saloon car racing was a huge success with the public, who would pack into Britain’s racing venues to watch drivers compete in racing versions of their road cars at simply unbelievable speeds”

BTCC: Global TVCountry Broadcaster Audience reach USA Speed 80mCanada Speed 8mS America (inc. Mex) Speed Latin America 15mCzech Republic Sport5 800kDenmark Canal Plus 46kFinland Canal Plus 68kGreece Supersports 280kNetherlands Raceworld tbaNorway Canal Plus 225kSweden Canal Plus 425kSlovakia Sport5 630kRussia 7TV 26mAustralia One HD tbaHong Kong I-Cable 2.2m

TV &

Spectator Data

Dennis Publishing Figures Magazine ABCTitle circulation/readership Annual

Auto Express 69,000 / 291,000 3,519,000 / 14,841,000evo 62,282 / 217,000 747,384 / 2,604,000

UniqueWebsite monthly visitors Annual

autoexpress.co.uk 1,073,720 12,884,640evo.co.uk 285,860 3,430,320

UK TV Audience

Channel Total Broadcast Hours (50 Programmes)

ITV4 93 hours 37 minsITV1 12 hours 30 minsMen & Motors 10 hours 19 mins

Total hours 116 hours 26 mins

Total viewers 13,767,535*

* Cumulative audience number, weighted according to programme duration hours, which reflects sustained viewing of more than three minutes

Total UK TV audience in 2009

Estimated listeners

UK Radio coverage in 2009

154 stations

5 3 .95 million

5 0 hrs6mins

Male Female Under 35 35 or over

Average number of events attended in 2009 1.81 1.38 1.65 1.86

Percentage who havebought merchandise 42% 30% 39% 41%

Top five aspects enjoyed Racing 43% Racing 33% Racing 46% Racing 35%most during the day Atmosphere 20% Atmosphere 17% Atmosphere 19% Atmosphere 18% Weather 11% Weather 13% Weather 11% Weather 14% Good day out 9% Good day out 10% Good day out 10% Good day out 11% Food & Drink 8% Food & Drink 7% Food & Drink 5% Food & Drink 10%

Five aspects the Nothing 44% Nothing 40% Nothing 43% Nothing 44%public disliked Crowds/queues 10% Crowds/queues 17% Crowds/queues 12% Crowds/queue 12% Travelling 10% Travelling 13% Travelling 10% Travelling 12% Quality of food 6% Quality of food 7% Quality of food 7% Quality of food 9% Toilet queues 6% Toilet queues 3% Toilet queues 6% Toilet queues 4%

Social class AB 35% AB 21% AB 20% AB 47% C1 47% C1 59% C1 54% C1 43% C2 13% C2 3% C2 17% C2 4% DE 5% DE 17% DE 9% DE 6%

Personal income under £10,000 3% 4% 4% 1%£10,000 - £14,999 5% 7% 9% -%£15,000 - £19,999 6% 15% 9% 5%£20,000 - £24,999 19% 15% 22% 13%£25,000 - £29,999 14% 11% 9% 20%£30,000 - £39,999 18% 22% 19% 18%£40,000 - £49,999 13% 11% 11% 15%£50,000 - £59,999 8% 4% 6% 10%£60,000 or over 14% 11% 11% 18%

Top three other sports Formula 1 74% Tennis 48% Formula 1 71% Formula 1 74% watched on TV Football 67% Formula 1 36% Football 63% Football 74% Athletics 26% Football 32% Athletics 23% Cricket 74%

Top three national The Sun 25% Daily Mail 29% The Sun 29% Daily Mail 28%papers read Daily Mail 19% The Times 13% Daily Mail 15% Telegraph 18% Telegraph 10% Express 10% Express 9% The Sun 8%

Research carried out by Sports Marketing Surveys

TV &

Spectator Data

In 2009 the BTCC attracted a total trackside audience of

36

64%36 %Gender profile

37

Global Audience Reach

1.35 billion+

39

Few companies come close to matching

the illustrious motor sport pedigree of Porsche.

With a record number of Le Mans 24 Hours

victories behind it the German sportscar

marque nowadays concentrates on its Car-

rera Cup series in key global markets.

In the UK, only the BTCC offers Porsche a big

enough arena to captivate the audience

it desires. The championship is exclusively

for racing versions of Porsche’s 180mph 997

model. Big grids of the mouth-watering Ger-

man dream machines handled by top-line

drivers – many with international touring car,

GT and single-seater experience – make for

a sensational sight and sound. Porsche GB

also supports its Carrera Cup with a tower-

ing state-of-the-art hospitality suite that forms

an integral part of its high-profile marketing

programme.

Renaultsport runs two championships: its

Formula Renault single-seater category and

the thrill-a-minute, single-model Clio Cup.

Combined, the championships’ roots in the UK

stretch back more than 50 years.

Formula Renault has supported the BTCC

since 1993. The cars are identical two-litre,

carbon fibre machines that boast an authentic

F1 look and feel – this will be enhanced

further in 2010 when a new generation of car,

including seven-speed gearbox, is introduced

– and grids are full of aspiring F1 racers. The

series has produced some great names, most

notably the 2008 and 2007 F1 world champi-

ons Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen, who

were Formula Renault title winners in 2000

and 2003 respectively.

38

Each BTCC race event features not only three

headline touring car races, but also the very

best of UK single-seater, saloon and sportscar

action. The weekend’s non-stop programme

includes up to 13 races, guaranteeing fans

a top-class entertainment package which

exceeds that offered by any other major sport

in the country.

In total, there are five specially selected

championships on the regular BTCC support-

ing bill to boost the appeal of each weekend.

World title-winning Formula 1 manufacturer

Renault and legendary supercar maker

Porsche provide three of those championships,

while the other two come from flourishing

British sportscar make Ginetta. All five series

are fully manufacturer-supported, ensuring

that levels of professionalism and excitement

for crowds are unrivalled by any other motor

sport experience in the UK.

41

Ginetta is very much the new kid on the

block – quite literally. Its Junior championship,

for drivers aged 14 to 17, has been a major

hit since it joined the ‘BTCC family’ in 2008,

providing regular thrills and spills as the

youngsters battle it out doorhandle-to-

doorhandle. For 2010, the company’s new

five-speed, 1.8-litre G40 model (see above

image) will replace that used in recent years,

adding to the unpredictability for teams,

drivers and spectators.

The Yorkshire-based manufacturer’s presence

on BTCC race weekends was doubled in 2008

with the addition of the more powerful Ginetta

G50 championship. The racing is fast, furious

and unpredictable as the drivers – many

with reputations to uphold – fight to tame the

spectacular, 3.5-litre, 300bhp V6-powered

G50 coupes.

After a highly dramatic debut season in

2009, the G50s retain their coveted position

alongside Renault and Porsche on the BTCC

bill for 2010.

All five championships not only deliver the

best possible entertainment for trackside BTCC

fans, but also enjoy hitherto unprecedented

levels of television exposure thanks to the

live ITV4 coverage from each event with

highlights also shown on ITV1.

The new generation Formula Renault

40

The Clio Cup is the latest in a successful line

of single-model championships run by Renault

UK that dates back to the early Seventies,

when leaning 5TLs and TSs wowed the crowds

with big grids and crazy antics. The Clio Cup

has carried on that tradition as teams and

drivers – many with BTCC ambitions – eager

to get their hands on cost-effective, identical

racing versions of Renault’s potent 210bhp

Clio 200 model.

In recent years a number of drivers – notably

Mat Jackson, Andrew Jordan and champions

Tom Onslow-Cole and Jonathan Adam – have

learnt their craft in Clios and then gone on to

prove themselves in the BTCC.

“We have a wealth of experience and are

fully committed to maintaining the BTCC’s

position as the most versatile and valuable

motor sport property in Britain,” says Series

Director Gow. “Setting and meeting the

highest standards of professionalism is the

basis of everything we do.”

More than 50 years on from its humble origins

and long established as one of the world’s

most renowned national race series, the HiQ

MSA British Touring Car Championship could

not be in better hands.

43Alan GowSeries Director

Dan MayoCo-Ordinator

Rob KettleboroRace Director

Dennis CarterRace Director

Peter RichesTechnical Director

Carl McKellarMedia Officer

Dr Paul TraffordMedical Director

42The HiQ MSA British Touring Car

Championship is widely recognised as a

world leader. Under Alan Gow’s direction,

TOCA was formed to take over the running of

the BTCC in 1992 and throughout the Nineties

it set new standards for sports marketing,

promotion and administration of motor sport

in Great Britain.

TOCA’s innovative leadership took the BTCC

from strength to strength, attracting top class

teams, world class drivers, unprecedented

numbers of motor manufacturers and Premier

League-sized crowds. Right around the globe,

the thriving BTCC was hailed as the world’s

most influential touring car championship,

providing spectacular action trackside and

huge television audiences, as well as budget-

friendly marketing opportunities for pro-active

car makers and business partners.

With this proven track record, the highly

respected TOCA team has the experience

and ability to deliver on all fronts. The

organisational structure includes experts in a

wide range of different specialist disciplines,

each and every one of them totally dedicated

to the overall success of the BTCC.

Their expertise encompasses a huge array of

skills from legal and technical right through to

promotion and PR. The sum of their individual

talents creates a thriving environment, which

is to the ultimate benefit of competitors,

business partners, race teams and everyone

else involved in the championship’s on-going

achievements.

There have been innovations including the

staging of city centre shows, the introduction

of new cost-conscious technical regulations

and the provision of a top-quality support race

package with the involvement of pro-active

manufacturers including Ginetta, Porsche

and Renault. Not least among the advances

is the development of world-class medical

facilities at each BTCC meeting. These include

the professionally staffed and well-equipped

TOCA Intensive Care Unit and Medivac

helicopter.

The TOC

A Team

44

Administrator & Series DirectorAlan Gow Telephone +44 (0) 7860 927637Email ajgtoca@aol.com

Co-OrdinatorDan Mayo

17 White House RoadElvington, YorkY041 4AL Telephone +44 (0) 1904 607320Mobile +44 (0) 7960 039758Email danjmayo@aol.com

Cham

pionship Officials

TechnicalDirector

Peter Riches The WillowsLow CommonDeophamNorfolk NR18 9DZTelephone +44 (0) 1953 850657Facsimile +44 (0) 1953 850657Mobile +44 (0) 7916 126448Email richesst@aol.com

MedicalDirector

Dr Paul Trafford

7 Victoria CircusDowanhillGlasgow G12 9LBFacsimile +44 (0) 141 404 2624Mobile +44 (0) 7785 557470Email paul@doctraff.co.uk

MediaOfficers

Carl McKellar

Telephone +44 (0) 1372 414120Mobile +44 (0) 7786 138905Email carl.mckellar@mpacreative.com

Deborah Tee

Telephone +44 (0) 1372 414120Mobile +44 (0) 7785 924400Email deborah.tee@mpacreative.com

Organising Club Series Management

British Automobile Racing Club (BARC)BARC (TOCA) LTD

Thruxton CircuitAndoverHampshire HP11 8PM

Telephone +44 (0) 1264 882200Facsimile +44 (0) 1264 882233