Teams and drivers

With the admittance of Super 2000-spec cars into the championship, the BTCC welcomed with it a new manufacturer, with SEAT Sport's UK division entering a pair of Toledos identical to those used in the European Touring Car Championship, run by RML. At the wheel were Jason Plato, returning to the championship for the first time since his title victory in 2001, and youngster Rob Huff, who earned his drive through winning the inaugural SEAT Cupra UK Championship, for which Plato had acted as a driver coach.

They were joined by reigning champions of the last three seasons Vauxhall, with Triple 8 Engineering again running a trio of Astra Coupes. 2003 champion Yvan Muller remained along with runner-up and 2002 title winner James Thompson, with Luke Hines replacing Paul O'Neill in the third car on the back of claiming the Production class title in his debut season the previous year.

Honda cut its Arena Motorsport-run Civic Type-R campaign down to a single car for the returning Tom Chilton. A three-car entry was registered on the official entry list with Alan Morrison intended as one of the other drivers but only Chilton's entry would appear all season.

The Civic challenge was augmented by a pair of cars entered by Team Dynamics for Matt Neal, returning to his family team from the works Honda set-up, and Dan Eaves, who brought with him Halfords sponsorship after the withdrawal of Vic Lee Racing. A possible 3rd entry for Gareth Howell was mentioned but didn't come to fruition.

Proton completed the line-up of works teams, its two Impians now driven by two newcomers to British motorsport; the experienced South African Shaun Watson-Smith and the young Malaysian Farique Hairuman.

Financial trouble forced MG Rover to pull its works backing from West Surrey Racing's MG ZS assault, but the team cut down from three to two cars and returned as an independent with young gun Colin Turkington and veteran Anthony Reid staying on board.

Ex-works Vauxhall Astra Coupes were a popular choice amongst the other independents, with Michael Bentwood stepping up from the Production ranks in a 'VXR Junior' team prepared by Tech-Speed Motorsport and 2003 Independents champion Rob Collard continuing to campaign an Astra for his self-run team.

GA Motorsport (now under the 'Team Sureterm' banner) continued to run a pair of Astra Coupes for the returning Paul Wallace and Renault Clio Cup graduate Charlie Butler-Henderson, while a Super 2000-spec Alfa Romeo 156 was also entered for Carl Breeze. Wallace was soon replaced by experienced former Ford and Volvo factory driver Kelvin Burt, then later Irishman Gavin Smith and Stefan Hodgetts (son of ex-BTCC champion Chris), the latter then stepping in to replace Butler-Henderson when his funds ran out. Hodgetts then swapped cars with Breeze, who himself was replaced by Gavin Pyper for the final round.

Synchro Motorsport again returned with an ex-works Honda Civic Type R for former works driver James Kaye. Jason Hughes stepped up from the Production class, racing an ex-WSR MG ZS for his Kartworld Racing team, and John Batchelor's 'Team Varta' also switched classes, running Richard Marsh from the second round onwards in first a Super 2000 Civic Type-R, then later an ex-Vic Lee Racing Peugeot 307. Marsh was replaced by Jay Wheals for the final round, for which the team returned to the Civic.

Mardi Gras Motorsport had an abortive campaign, entering a Super 2000 Civic and later an ex-works Peugeot 406 Coupe, both LPG-powered, for businessman John George, and Edenbridge Racing briefly entered a Super 2000 BMW 320i for Justin Keen.

Carly Motors intended to enter a pair of BMW 320is for ex-Alfa Romeo driver Tom Ferrier and ex-Volvo ETCC driver James Hanson but this entry never materialised.

Other changes

• The number of total races was increased from 20 to 30 by holding three races at each meeting instead of two
• The grid for the second race of each meeting was decided by the results of the first but with the top ten reversed; the grid for the third race was simply the finishing order of the second race
• Cars built to Super 2000 specification were allowed, with an equivalency formula designed to ensure that they would have similar performance to their BTC Spec counterparts
• Points penalties for engine changes now apply only to the team, not the driver
• The "production class" and its associated championship was abolished

Manufacturers Championship

Teams Championship

Independents Championship

More information Pos, Driver ...

Pos	Driver	THR			BHI			SIL			OUL			MON			CRO			KNO			BHI			SNE			DON			Pts
1	Anthony Reid	4	6	2	Ret	4	2	6	3	4	10	3	Ret	2	5	9	1	8	6	1	7	1	12	Ret	6	8	2	5	5	4	8	312
2	Colin Turkington	14	10	6	6	5	5	11	5	12	4	6	5	3	6	1	6	7	3	4	Ret	3	10	2	11	4	5	7	3	7	6	300
3	Dan Eaves	5	4	12	8	8	8	5	6	6	9	1	8	Ret	Ret	3	7	3	12	6	3	2	Ret	9	Ret	6	11	6	8	3	4	254
4	Matt Neal	2	Ret	9	1	DNS	7	1	8	8	3	4	2	4	10	Ret	3	5	Ret	9	2	8	1	5	4	2	Ret	4	Ret	Ret	Ret	253
5	James Kaye	13	9	7	12	7	Ret	13	15	9	6	12	9	15	7	Ret	Ret	12	13	13	9	11	4	6	Ret	9	6	13	11	9	9	164
6	Rob Collard	11	5	8	10	15	15	Ret	13	DNS	5	Ret	4	13	11	Ret	15	Ret	9	8	11	Ret	15	Ret	9	7	9	11	13	8	7	152
7	Michael Bentwood	7	3	Ret	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	12	10	13	11	7	10	12	Ret	14	11	11				11	7	3	Ret	14	14	4	Ret	13	131
8	Jason Hughes	Ret	12	Ret	14	12	12	Ret	19	17	15	16	12	14	13	7	12	Ret	Ret	11	10	12	14	11	Ret	14	13	16	Ret	13	11	89
9	Carl Breeze	Ret	Ret	11	Ret	DNS	DNS	7	16	5	Ret	13	Ret	11	Ret	8	11	13	14	Ret	Ret	DNS	13	12	10	15	Ret	Ret				75
10	Charlie Butler-Henderson	12	11	Ret	11	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	13	Ret	10	Ret				Ret	15	Ret													33
11	John George	15	13	Ret	Ret	DNS	DNS	17	20	Ret							17	Ret	15	12	13	13	Ret	Ret	Ret	16	16	17	Ret	DNS	DNS	27
12	Richard Marsh				15	14	16	16	DNS	DNS	Ret	DNS	DNS	17	Ret	DNS	18	16	16	14	14	14	16	Ret	Ret	NC	17	18				27
13	Kelvin Burt							9	4	Ret	12	Ret	Ret																			22
14	Justin Keen				13	9	Ret	14	18	16	Ret	15	Ret																			18
15	Stefan Hodgetts													Ret	DNS	Ret	10	Ret	Ret				Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS	9	Ret	Ret	10	17
16	Paul Wallace	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	13																									9
17	Gavin Smith													Ret	9	Ret																8
18	Jay Wheals																												15	14	DNS	7
19	Gavin Pyper																												12	Ret	Ret	5
Pos.	Driver	THR			BHI			SIL			OUL			MON			CRO			KNO			BHI			SNE			DON			Pts

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