The BTCC year in pictures

In 2009 the British Touring Car Championship went right down to the wire, with one of the series’ most memorable races coming in the final round. As we enter the winter ‘review season’, TouringCarTimes has looked back on a memorable season of touring car action in Britain, with a photo special, thanks to PSP Images.

With a number of popular drivers missing from the series as Round One at Brands Hatch drew close amid troubled economic times for the UK, there was apprehension for the season ahead.

But come race day and one of those missing drivers, Jason Plato, was on the grid in a RML Chevrolet Lacetti saying:

“This was too good an opportunity to miss. The BTCC has played such an important role in my life, so being at Brands Hatch is hugely important to me personally.”

Despite no preparation Plato was straight on the pace, although the first win of the year went to Matt Neal, a victory that was surprisingly his only visit to the top step of the podium all year. Rob Collard then gave the BTCC a breath of fresh air with a win in his Airwaves backed BMW before Plato took a controversial race three win after debutant Jonathan Adam was excluded.

By Round Two at Thruxton there were more returnees as James Thompson replaced Gordon Shedden at Team Dynamics, Mat Jackson appeared as Plato’s teammate, and Paul O’Neill joined in the second Sunshine.co.uk Honda Integra. There was still no MG for Jason Hughes though, and sadly the popular black and green machine would never make it out on track in 2009.

Further bad news came when Vauxhall announced that come the year’s end, they would leave the BTCC bringing down a 20-year association with the series and ridding the championship of manufacturer involvement.

Vauxhall were dominant in race one as if to make up for their announcement, with reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi getting his season back on track by leading home a 1-2-3 for the manufacturer. Tyre problems allowed Colin Turkington in for the win in race two before Jackson became the sixth winner from six races in the last race of the day.

Thompson made that seven from seven at Donington before winning again in race two with Collard picking up his second win of the season in race three as the BTCC looked set for a wide open championship fight.

Oulton Park saw one driver join the series, James Nash in a Lacetti, while another left, Liam McMillan, after numerous problems for his family run team, the majority of which appeared to be not of their making.

The Cheshire circuit also saw Vauxhall’s warm weather tyre problems surface, allowing Turkington to take a double win before a memorable drive in race three saw Collard carve his way through the field to finish fourth, with Thompson taking another win.

Post-Oulton came the announcement of the new NGTC rules that the BTCC would adopt from 2011, with consternation at the then apparent outlawing of rear wheel drive, although the regulations were said to meet with approval from competitors.

Another Turkington double came at Croft, with Stephen Jelley celebrating his first BTCC podium in race one, by repeating in the next two events of the day! A heavy accident for local driver Harry Vaulkhard marred race one before a fantastic move around the outside of a wet Sunny In and Sunny Out allowed Giovanardi past Thompson and into third in the championship battle at the mid-season break.

Describing his championship lead as “a fantastic position”, Turkington was ready for a tightly fought contest in the second half of the season. But nearest challenger Neal would fall away and instead it would be Giovanardi and Plato who would come good to take the title to the wire.

The summer holidays saw the shoots of Bamboo Engineering emerge from the wreckage of Tempus while Dynamics tested ex-Formula One driver Johnny Herbert, who’d eventually be confirmed as Thompson’s replacement in the Honda Civic.

A Giovanardi win in race one at Snetterton was overshadowed by a clash between Plato and Turkington at the Esses and an emotional O’Neill finally returning to the BTCC podium.

“A lot of people here have put their effort in to me, so it’s just trying to repay them. I can’t believe the reception I’ve got here, it’s unbelievable” said the popular driver afterwards.

Norfolk also saw another victory for Giovanardi, before Nash was disqualified from his maiden BTCC win after he was adjudged to have helped Collard out of the race lead and into a large accident with Jelley.

North of the border at Knockhill Giovanardi closed the championship battle to just 13 points, while Plato and Jackson also scored victories as the Lacetti gradually became the fastest car in the series, with Jackson’s win taking RML’s tally to 100 victories in all championships.

As the BTCC headed to the home of the British Racing Drivers Club, it was fitting that Herbert should finally make his bow, with tin top legend Anthony Reid also returning to bolster Turkington’s title battle.

The only thing Reid would go on to have an impact on at the Northamptonshire circuit would be Tom Onslow-Cole’s Focus, which he helped into a large accident.

Silverstone also saw Team CVR/Cartridge World Racing leave the series, amid an ongoing saga that would continue well beyond the season’s end. A happier story was touring car rookie Matt Hamilton confirming plans to join the series at Rockingham.

Three wins for Chevrolet at Silverstone, including a race one 1-2-3, put Plato firmly in the title hunt, despite his protestations otherwise, and another win at the ‘Rock’ would confirm this.

A chaotic race three saw Jelley take his second BTCC win, adding to his first in race three, while non-finishes for Plato and Giovanardi mean that Turkington would have a 13 point lead for the final meeting, back at Brands Hatch.

Brands saw the rapidly improving Team Aon Ford Focus get its first pole position of the year with Tom Chilton, before the same driver was denied by Plato in the BTCC’s closest ever finish in race one.

Another win for Plato in race two set up a final race decider, with just eight points separating three drivers at the top of the table. Once again the BTCC scriptwriters had done their job.

In the final race the Lacetti driver followed in the footsteps of Dan Eaves by becoming only the second ever man to win all three BTCC races at a meeting, but this, and the antics of Neal, weren’t enough to deny Turkington his first ever BTCC title in a race that will live long in the memories of fans.

“It really is a lifetime ambition to come true” said the Team RAC driver, who gave West Surrey Racing their first every BTCC title. “Ever since I started racing the only thing I’ve ever had my eyes on is the British Touring Car Championship”.