BTCC back with a bang!

With more drivers than you could shake a stick at, freezing conditions and a new soft compound tyre to add into the mix, the start of the 2013 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship was sure to get off to a chaotic start at Brands Hatch.

The action started on Saturday during the first qualifying session of the year, in which Pirtek Racing's Andrew Jordan took pole position. Two minutes into the session and a slight mistake coming out of Druids from returning driver Colin Turkington saw his eBay Motors BMW half spin on the racing line, which caused Jack Goff - Team HARD's debut driver - to hit the car, leaving both of them out of the session.

Snowy conditions put pay to drivers making any last minute lap improvements, but for Frank Wrathall, a failed ride height check minutes before the end saw him dash out on track to attempt another lap, but aborted due to track conditions. Andrew Jordan took pole ahead of 2012 champion Gordon Shedden and Jason Plato in the newly liveried KX Momentum MG.

Goff had an unfortunate start to his BTCC career.
Picture Credit: Marc Waller Motorsport Media

Despite no knowing how the new soft option tyres were going to perform, Rob Austin made a brilliant start in his rear-wheel drive Audi in the first race from seventh on the grid to take second place, before making a move on leading man Andrew Jordan. 

The Honda Yuasa duo Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden had an opening race to forget. Shedden saved a slide going through Paddock Hill bend, which left him fighting back, whilst team mate Neal had acquired some damage to the rear of his car, which resulted in him holding up the field, albeit maintaining fourth. An incident between the two which saw Shedden pushed onto the grass going across the start/finish straight, saw Shedden's radiator filled with grass, forcing him to pit to clear, with Neal also coming in for a new tyre - resulting in the pair rejoining the pack a lap down.

Jason Plato won his seventy-fifth career victory, despite a last lap frenzy as Andrew Jordan attempted a move to lead which put both of them in the gravel for a short time before getting themselves out to hold their respective positions. Rob Austin, who had fallen behind due to the soft tyres not making the distance, also managed to maintain a podium position.

Having not completed a full season in the series since 2006, James Kaye took the first Jack Sears Trophy win of the year on his return with AmDTuning.com, beating the likes of Lea Wood and Liam Griffin.

What a start; Honda Racing didn't have the start
they wanted to their 2013 season.

In the second race of the day, Jason Plato and Andrew Jordan held on to their first race finishing positions, whilst Gordon Shedden came back through the field to take third. However, a failed ride height check after the race excluded him from the results, promoting Pirtek's Jeff Smith to the third podium step. Liam Griffin became the second S2000 winner of the day in his Addison Lee Motorbase Ford Focus.

Rob Austin, despite make another rocket start, didn't have the same amount of luck as in race one, when an incident with Frank Wrathall saw him retire the Audi with damage. Wrathall too retired from the race after ending up in the Druids gravel trap. 

Shedden's exclusion resulted in Airwaves Racing's Mat Jackson - who hadn't had the best start to  his weekend after a mechanical issue in the first race saw him slow on track - promoted to pole position for the third and final race of the day.

Andrew Jordan led a Pirtek Racing 2-3 finish in the second race of the day.
Picture Credit: Marc Waller Motorsport Media

In true Jackson style, he made a storming start to the race, however his lead was shortened when a safety car period was needed after a heavy shunt involving Dave Newsham and Rob Austin, which left considerable damage to to Wix Racing Audi, however both drivers were unharmed.

Having lost the lead at the re-start, Jackson was fighting for fifth with KX Momentum Racing's  newest recruit Sam Tordoff, who had had a fantastic start to his first full season in the championship. Following his race two exclusion, Gordon Shedden was making his way through the field and pressuring team mate Matt Neal in the latter stages of the race for the lead.

The pair ultimately went on to take a 1-2 finish for Honda Racing, on what looked to be a bad start to their season. Tordoff took his first podium in the series for KX Momentum, whilst Lea Wood took the S2000 win on track, but was later excluded through a failed ride height check. Liam Griffin capitalised, making Motorbase's home race a little better after some mechanical issues throughout the day.

eBay Motors had a disappointing weekend, with Rob Collard retiring from the three races bringing home no points. Colin Turkington also had a tough weekend back with a couple of race excursions, however did bring home some points for West Surrey Racing, with Nick Foster following suite.

Sam Tordoff impressed onlookers by achieving his first BTCC podium.
Picture Credit: Marc Waller Motorsport Media

With Jason Plato now leading the championship standings going into the second meeting at Donington Park in just under three weeks' time, the battle is well and truly on for the 2013 championship.