Soft tyre choices announced for Brands Hatch opener

Exactly half of the field will start the final race at Brands Hatch on the soft tyre, with the majority of the expected title contenders opting for the latest option.

Only five cars will line up on the race one grid with soft tyres, the highest profile of which is the in-form man of the tail end of 2015 – Mat Jackson.

Eleven cars will don the softer rubber in race two, including Motorbase Performance’s Andrew Jordan, Jack Goff and Sam Tordoff in two of the three West Surrey Racing BMWs, Josh Cook in the Triple Eight Racing MG, race one pole-sitter Tom Ingram and Jason Plato and James Cole in two of the four Team BMR Subaru Levorgs.

The remaining sixteen leave their soft tyre choices until the third race, with Team Dynamics’ reigning champion Gordon Shedden and Matt Neal leading the charge, alongside the likes of Adam Morgan, Ashley Sutton and Rob Collard.

Race one: Mat Jackson, Dan Welch, Chris Smiley, Kelvin Fletcher, Stewart Lines

Race two: Alex Martin, Jack Goff, Aron Smith, James Cole, Andy Neate, Josh Cook, Andrew Jordan, Tom Ingram, Jason Plato, Matt Simpson, Sam Tordoff

Race three: Colin Turkington, Rob Austin, Michael Epps, Aiden Moffat, Jake Hill, Matt Neal, Martin Depper, Adam Morgan, Mark Howard, Warren Scott, Ollie Jackson, Gordon Shedden, Hunter Abbott, Rob Collard, Ashley Sutton