BTCC Countdown
It's exactly one month until the new season of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship gets underway at Brands Hatch, and the grid is shaping up. We take a look at the drivers announced so far.
The highest profile move over the winter has come from Team BMR, which has signed Jason Plato from MG and reigning champion Colin Turkington from WSR, to join Warren Scott and Aron Smith, further demonstrating the team's ambition.
BMR won their first BTCC races last season with Smith, and will be aiming to add many more to their tally this year.
WSR won three titles in 2014 and despite losing Colin Turkington have a strong-enough line-up to challenge again in 2015.
Rob Collard remains with the team, and is joined by three-times World Touring Car champion Andy Priaulx, returning to the BTCC after a 12 year absence, and Sam Tordoff, who moves from MG.
MG have an all new line-up, with 2013 champion Andrew Jordan, and former Clio Cup champion Jack Goff driving their MG6s this year, while Honda opt for consistency, retaining the combination of Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden for the sixth consecutive season.
Honda aren't the only team to go for the same driver line-up as last season:
Rob Austin and Hunter Abbott return in the Audi A4s, WIX Racing keep Adam Morgan, and Aiden Moffat is back at Laser Tools Racing, albeit in a Mercedes A class rather than the Chevrolet Cruze.
Chevrolet will still be represented on the 2015 grid, however, as Power Maxed Racing will be running a pair of Cruzes for Dave Newsham and Clio Cup runner-up Josh Cook.
Tom Ingram and Simon Belcher will each race in a Toyota Avensis, for Speedworks and Handy Motorsport respectively. Martin Depper stays at Eurotech, where he is joined by a returning Jeff Smith.
Among the new entries is Support Our Paras Racing, which will run two Infiniti Q50s for Richard Hawken and Derek Palmer Jr.
Team HARD returns to the BTCC after a one year absence, running a single-car entry with Kieran Gallagher at the wheel. Another returnee is Andy Wilmot, who joins Welch Motorsport.
Motorbase will be running a three car entry, but have only unveiled one driver so far: Alex Martin joins the BTCC after two years racing in the Ferrari Challenge.
Finally, Mike Bushell graduates to the BTCC from the Cio Cup. He'll race AmD's Ford Focus.
Only a few seats remain: The final line-up will be unveiled at the championship's official test at Donington Park in 12 days time, with the full field taking to the track in race conditions at brands Hatch on April 5th.
ITV4 and itv.com will have live coverage of every round of the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship