The championship was established in 1958 and initially ran with a mix of classes divided according to engine capacity, all competing simultaneously on track. This format meant that a driver who chose the right engine-size class could win the overall championship without contending for overall race victories, which tended to undermine the value of the title for spectators. In the 1980s, Chris Hodgetts won two overall titles in a small Toyota Corolla while most race victories were going to much larger cars. Similarly, Frank Sytner won a title in a Class B BMW M3 and John Cleland took his first title in a Class C Vauxhall Astra while Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500s dominated outright.
In 1990, the BTCC introduced a class for cars with engine displacement up to 2.0 litres, a specification that would later be adopted by the FIA and become the international Super Touring regulations. From 1991, these cars were the only class eligible to compete, replacing the multi-class structure. The one-class format attracted strong manufacturer support from the outset, with backed teams from BMW, Ford, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Toyota, and Vauxhall in the early seasons. Audi joined in 1996 with its four-wheel-drive A4 Quattro and won the championship that year. Rapidly rising development costs drove several manufacturers out through the late 1990s, and by 2000 only Ford, Honda, and Vauxhall remained in the championship. The Super Touring era of the 1990s is still widely regarded as the championship's most successful period, characterised by intense manufacturer rivalry, close on-track competition, and large spectator audiences.
New regulations introduced for the 2001 season — the BTC Touring rules — cut costs dramatically but failed to maintain manufacturer and spectator interest. Super 2000 regulations were adopted for the 2007 season. The 2000s saw reduced costs, fewer factory teams, and fewer international drivers than the Super Touring era. In 2005, Team Dynamics became the first independent team to win the BTCC drivers' and teams' championships; Matt Neal won the title in a Team Dynamics Honda Integra, completing all 30 championship rounds that season, a feat previously unachieved in the championship and equalled only by Adam Morgan some ten years later.
In 2009, BTCC released details of the Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) specification, introduced from 2011. The regulations were designed to dramatically reduce the design, build, and running costs of cars and engines and to lessen reliance on WTCC/S2000 equipment. Under NGTC rules, all cars share a number of common components supplied under a contract with RML Group, allowing independent teams to enter without manufacturer support. Teams may fit an engine from their marque's model family or lease an engine from TOCA built by Swindon Engines. From 2014, only NGTC cars are eligible to compete in the championship. A single tyre supplier governs all rubber, with Goodyear the current supplier.
Race weekends comprise two practice sessions followed by a 30-minute qualifying session. Three races are held on Sunday. The grid for Race 2 is based on Race 1 finishing positions, while Race 3 features a partial reverse grid determined by a draw. The draw decides at which finishing position in Race 2 the grid is inverted; a driver finishing in that position in Race 2 starts Race 3 from pole. Before 2006, the driver finishing tenth in Race 2 automatically started Race 3 from pole, a rule that led to deliberate manipulation of finishing positions by some drivers seeking a Race 3 pole advantage. The format change for 2006 removed this incentive.
The BTCC visits eight circuits across England and Scotland over ten meeting weekends. Regular venues include Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Thruxton, Oulton Park, Croft, Snetterton, Knockhill, and Silverstone. Past venues have included Mondello Park in Ireland, Pembrey in Wales, and the Birmingham Superprix street circuit, which was held in 1989 and 1990. Aintree, Crystal Palace, Goodwood, and Mallory Park have also hosted championship rounds. The BBC screened highlights from 1988 to 2001 with commentary from Murray Walker, and ITV covered the series from 2002.
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