2007 British Touring Car Championship

Championship rivals Jason Plato and Fabrizio Giovanardi collide at Snetterton.

The 2007 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 50th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. It was won by Fabrizio Giovanardi with 10 race wins and 17 podiums. Going into the final race, Fabrizio Giovanardi was one point behind Jason Plato but a second place for Giovanardi and a fourth place for Plato resulted in Giovanardi taking the championship by 3 points. The Teams' championship was won by SEAT Sport UK, the Manufacturers' championship was won by Vauxhall, the Independents' Trophy was won by Colin Turkington and the Independent Teams' championship was won by Team RAC.

Changes for 2007

Teams and drivers

After two unhappy seasons with the Astra Sport Hatch, the Triple 8-run works Vauxhall team switched two an all-new chassis based on the Vectra built to the now-prevalent Super 2000 rules, retaining Italian veteran Fabrizio Giovanardi and young Englishman Tom Chilton as they sought to reassert their supremacy from the first half of the decade.

Reigning Manufacturers champions SEAT were again their only works opposition. Jason Plato remained on board as team leader and GT racer Darren Turner, who had shared the second Leon with James Thompson during 2006, stepped into the second seat full-time. With their Manufacturers title fight going down to the final rounds at Thruxton, both Vauxhall and SEAT added third cars to their line-ups for the closing meeting. Double champion Alain Menu, who had been racing for Vauxhall's sister marque Chevrolet in the World Touring Car Championship, returned to the British series for the first time since 2000 to drive the Vectra, while Dutchman Tom Coronel, fresh from claiming the WTCC Independents title at the wheel of a Leon, bolstered the SEAT charge.

After winning the Teams, Drivers and Independents titles for two straight years with their Integra, Team Dynamics (again under the Team Halfords banner) switched to another self-developed Honda chassis, this time built to Super 2000 specifications and based on the Civic. Reigning double champion Matt Neal stayed with his family team, with Gordon Shedden partnering him for a second year. The Dynamics cars were no longer eligible for Independents points due to their dominance of that championship in the previous two years.

Also changing machinery were West Surrey Racing (once again entered as Team RAC), who traded their venerable MGs for a pair of Super 2000-spec BMW 320si's acquired from BMW's works WTCC squads. Long-time collaborator Colin Turkington again headed the line-up, joined by reigning Renault Clio Cup champion Tom Onslow-Cole. Also running a 320si was former Production class race winner and reigning SEAT Cupra Cup champion Mat Jackson, making his debut in the top class of the BTCC with his family Jacksons M.Sport team.

Team Eurotech continued to run their ex-Dynamics Integra for team boss Mike Jordan for a second season, while Motorbase Performance abandoned their Integra and expanded to two ex-works Super 2000 SEAT Toledos, having run one in the closing rounds of 2006. Gareth Howell, who had raced a third Dynamics Integra in the latter stages of both 2005 and 2006, joined the team alongside former Clio Cup and British GT race-winner Matt Allison. Howell ran out of budget mid-season and was replaced first by Tom Ferrier, who had driven the car in 2006, and for the final round by ex-Vauxhall works driver Paul O'Neill.

WTCC Independent squad GR Asia also ran a Toledo for their expansion into the British championship, missing two rounds when their WTCC commitments left them unable to attend. The car was piloted by Adam Jones who had an impressive debut season in the BTCC aboard Xero Competition's Lexus the previous year. The team then added a Leon to their stable for the final three meetings. Former works Vauxhall driver Gavin Smith was behind the wheel for the first two, being replaced in the final round by the returning Rob Collard, who had abandoned his planned switch to the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain earlier in the season after a handful of races.

Quest Racing returned to the championship for a full campaign having joined the field in the second half of 2006, again fielding Irish youngster Eoin Murray in an ex-WTCC Alfa Romeo 156. The 156 was also the vehicle of choice for the brand-new A-Tech squad, with veteran David Pinkney joining the team from Motorbase alongside Richard Marsh, who had appeared in a Peugeot 307 for Team Griffin Racing the previous year.

Other returning independents included Kartworld Racing, who expanded a second ex-WSR MG ZS, with Fiona Leggate joining the team to partner team boss Jason Hughes after two years in a bio-ethanol powered Vauxhall Astra Coupe with Tech-Speed Motorsport, and BTC Racing, who took in a full season with their Lexus IS200s after debuting in the final two rounds of 2006. Chris Stockton remained from the previous year, and was joined by Nick Leason, who initially planned to run an Astra Coupe for Daniels Motorsport as he had done in the latter stages of 2006. Leason left the team after the first three meetings with the team cutting down to one car for Stockton.

Tech-Speed swapped the Astra Coupe for a newer Sport Hatch driven by former Turkish touring car champion Erkut Kizilirmak, who had trialed the car through two appearances for the works Vauxhall squad the previous year, while the list of returnees was completed by Geoff Steel Racing, who again ran Martyn Bell in their older-spec BMW 320i. A 320i was also purchased by former Dutch Supercar Challenge racer Jim Pocklington to race with his own J Team Motorsport squad in the first half of the year.

John George returned to the series for the first time since 2004 in an ex-Dynamics Integra run by former Production class entrant TH Motorsport, with club saloon driver Simon Blanckley also plumping for an Integra in his debut season in the category, running for his own Sibsport team with support from touring car preparation expert Graham Hathaway. Another Integra was entered for the final two rounds by Robertshaw Racing for Alan Taylor, with both team and driver stepping up from the Clio Cup.

The most ambitious of the year's new entries came from the tiny Team AFM Racing outfit, who fielded a self-built BMW 120d, the championship's first ever diesel-powered car, for team boss and long-time production BMW racer Rick Kerry.

Other changes

• In October 2005 Alan Gow announced that the 2007 championship will be contested by cars complying with the FIA's Super 2000 specification regulations.
• Cars built and raced to BTC-specification were still permitted to compete, although were ineligible for outright championship honours.
• The series had live coverage on ITV's digital channels for the first half of the season, returning to ITV1 for the final five race weekends. Full day's coverage (including support races) moved from MotorsTV to Setanta Sports.^[1]

Entry list

The official entry list was published on 13 March 2007 following Media Day at Rockingham^[2][3]

Team	Car	No.	Driver	Rounds
Works Entries
VX Racing	Vauxhall Vectra	5	Fabrizio Giovanardi	All
		7	Tom Chilton	All
		88	Alain Menu	10
SEAT Sport UK	SEAT León	11	Jason Plato	All
		12	Darren Turner	All
		22	Tom Coronel	10
Constructor Entries
Team Halfords	Honda Civic	1	Matt Neal	All
		52	Gordon Shedden	All
Independent S2000 Entries
Team RAC	BMW 320si	3	Colin Turkington	All
		33	Tom Onslow-Cole	All
GR Asia	SEAT León	8	Gavin Smith	8–9
		18	Rob Collard	10
Team Air Cool	SEAT Toledo Cupra	21	Adam Jones	1–2, 5–6, 8–10
Quest Racing	Alfa Romeo 156	14	Eoin Murray	1–4, 6–8, 10
Team allaboutproperty.com	BMW 320i	15	Martyn Bell	All
AFM Racing	BMW 120d	17	Rick Kerry	1–3, 5, 7–8, 10
BTC Racing	Lexus IS200	19	Nick Leason	1–3
		43	Chris Stockton	All
Motorbase Performance	SEAT Toledo Cupra	23	Matt Allison	1–8, 10
		24	Tom Ferrier	6–8
		25	Gareth Howell	1–5
		29	Paul O'Neill	10
J-Team Motorsport with Tech Tuning	BMW 320i	45	Jim Pocklington	1–2, 4–5
Jacksons M.Sport	BMW 320si	48	Mat Jackson	All
A-Tech	Alfa Romeo 156	56	Dave Pinkney	1–8, 10
		59	Richard Marsh	1–8
Independent BTC-T Entries
Kartworld Racing	MG ZS	28	Jason Hughes	All
		82	Fiona Leggate	All
Robertshaw Racing	Honda Integra Type-R	32	Alan Taylor	9–10
TH Motorsport with JAG Racing	Honda Integra Type-R	55	John George	All
Sibsport	Honda Integra Type-R	69	Simon Blanckley	1–7
Team Eurotech Racing with John Guest Speedfit	Honda Integra Type-R	77	Mike Jordan	All
Arkas Racing	Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch	90	Erkut Kızılırmak	1–8, 10

• Team Halfords were neither a works or an independent entry.^[4]

Race results

All races were held in the United Kingdom. The 2007 season again had ten race weekends with three BTCC rounds at each.^[5][6]

Round		Circuit	Date	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Winning Driver	Winning Teams
1	R1	Brands Hatch Indy, Kent	1 April	Colin Turkington	Jason Plato	Jason Plato	SEAT Sport UK
	R2				Darren Turner	Jason Plato	SEAT Sport UK
	R3				Mat Jackson	Matt Neal	Team Halfords
2	R4	Rockingham Motor Speedway	22 April	Darren Turner	Fabrizio Giovanardi	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R5				Darren Turner	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R6				Jason Plato	Jason Plato	SEAT Sport UK
3	R7	Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire	6 May	Fabrizio Giovanardi	Tom Chilton	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R8				Fabrizio Giovanardi	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R9				Gordon Shedden	Jason Plato	SEAT Sport UK
4	R10	Croft Circuit, Yorkshire	3 June	Gordon Shedden	Colin Turkington	Colin Turkington	Team RAC
	R11				Darren Turner	Darren Turner	SEAT Sport UK
	R12				Fabrizio Giovanardi	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
5	R13	Oulton Park Island, Cheshire	24 June	Colin Turkington	Colin Turkington	Gordon Shedden	Team Halfords
	R14				Fabrizio Giovanardi Mike Jordan	Colin Turkington	Team RAC
	R15				Gordon Shedden	Mat Jackson	Jacksons M.Sport
6	R16	Donington Park National	15 July	Gordon Shedden	Matt Neal	Gordon Shedden	Team Halfords
	R17				Jason Plato	Jason Plato	SEAT Sport UK
	R18				Matt Neal	Jason Plato	SEAT Sport UK
7	R19	Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit, Norfolk	29 July	Colin Turkington	Tom Chilton	Gordon Shedden	Team Halfords
	R20				Matt Neal	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R21				Gordon Shedden	Tom Onslow-Cole	Team RAC
8	R22	Brands Hatch Indy, Kent	19 August	Colin Turkington	Tom Onslow-Cole	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R23				Colin Turkington	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R24				Mike Jordan	Colin Turkington	Team RAC
9	R25	Knockhill Racing Circuit, Fife	2 September	Darren Turner	Gordon Shedden	Darren Turner	SEAT Sport UK
	R26				Gordon Shedden	Darren Turner	SEAT Sport UK
	R27				Gordon Shedden	Gordon Shedden	Team Halfords
10	R28	Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire	14 October	Tom Chilton	Tom Chilton	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R29				Matt Neal	Fabrizio Giovanardi	VX Racing
	R30				Mike Jordan	Mat Jackson	Jacksons M.Sport

Final championship standings

• No driver may collect more than one "Lead a Lap" point per race no matter how many laps they lead.
• Race 1 polesitter receives 1 point.

Drivers' Championship

Pos	Driver	BHI			ROC			THR			CRO			OUL			DON			SNE			BHI			KNO			THR			Pts
1	Fabrizio Giovanardi	10	7	2	1*	1*	5	1*	1*	4	6	6	1*	2	2	Ret	8	3	11	5	1*	3	1*	1*	4	6	3	5	1*	1*	2	300
2	Jason Plato	1*	1*	4	3	5	1*	2	6	1*	7	2*	8	7	5	2	5	1*	1*	8	3	4	2	2	5	3	5	3	2	2	4	297
3	Gordon Shedden	8	Ret	Ret	4	Ret	6	Ret	8	2	2	Ret*	4	1*	Ret	4	1*	2*	5	1*	Ret*	5	Ret	3	2	Ret	4	1*	3	Ret	9	200
4	Matt Neal	3	5	1*	5	Ret	7	5	2	5	3	13	6	4	4	Ret	3	4	2	18	2	2	Ret	DNS	DNS	Ret	6	2*	5	3	5	195
5	Colin Turkington	2	2	Ret	7	Ret	Ret	4	5*	17	1*	Ret*	9	3*	1*	Ret	7	9	6*	DSQ	9	6	4*	9	1*	2	2	6	6	4	11	184
6	Darren Turner	Ret	4	DSQ	Ret	6	3	3	Ret	6	4	1*	5	Ret	7	3	12	6	9	6	4	9	3	Ret	15	1*	1*	7	18	11	6	160
7	Mat Jackson	DSQ	8	3	10	4	2	Ret	Ret	DNS	9	4	3	5	6	1*	9	10	4	4	5	7	Ret	4	3	Ret	10	9	7	5	1*	158
8	Mike Jordan	4	Ret	8	6	Ret	8	10	4	3	5	3	10	8	3	9	4	7	3*	7	Ret	DNS	13	5	8*	5	8	4*	Ret	8	Ret	131
9	Tom Chilton	6	3	7	2	3	4	6	3	8	8	Ret	7	6	9	6	15	12	7	3	8	8	6	Ret	9	Ret	11	Ret	Ret*	9	3	130
10	Tom Onslow-Cole	5	15	6	8	2	Ret	8	7	10	Ret	7	2*	9	13	7	10	11	8	2	6	1*	5	Ret	6	DSQ	13	10	10	10	Ret	109
11	Adam Jones	7	6	5	DNS	DNS	DNS							Ret	8	5	2	5	Ret				7	6	Ret	4	7	8	9	12	7	72
12	Matt Allison	12	9	10	11	7	9	7	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	8	6	8	10	12	10	Ret	9	Ret	12				Ret	Ret	Ret	29
13	Gavin Smith																						8	7	7	7	9	11				17
14	Gareth Howell	9	11	9	Ret	Ret	DNS	11	Ret	7	10	5	Ret	10	Ret	DNS																16
15	Alain Menu																												4	6	12	13
16	Jason Hughes	Ret	Ret	12	12	9	Ret	12	9	9	Ret	8	11	11	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	15	10	11	13	Ret	8	11	Ret	14	12	14	Ret	14	13
17	Tom Coronel																												8	7	8	10
18	Eoin Murray	DNS	DNS	DNS	9	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret				11	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	10	Ret	DNS	Ret				12	Ret	Ret	9
19	John George	19	16	19	14	10	Ret	Ret	DNS	12	17	9	Ret	15	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	19	13	13	17	Ret	NC	10	8	12	Ret	16	13	13	7
20	David Pinkney	20	Ret	13	13	8	12	15	10	13*	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	DNS	16	16	14	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS	DNS				Ret	Ret	15	5
21	Martyn Bell	13	13	11	15	12	DNS	13	Ret	15	14	12	Ret	13	14	10	Ret	20	20	15	12	16	Ret	Ret	14	9	17	13	Ret	16	Ret	3
22	Tom Ferrier																Ret	14	12	9	Ret	12	Ret	DNS	DNS							2
23	Chris Stockton	11	10	Ret	17	DNS	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	11	10	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	13	16	Ret	Ret	14	11	Ret	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	2
24	Erkut Kizilirmak	14	12	15	16	DNS	11	17	13	14	13	Ret	Ret	14	Ret	11	14	15	13	11	Ret	11	10	10	Ret				15	Ret	Ret	2
25	Simon Blanckley	16	14	16	Ret	Ret	10	18	11	16	12	Ret	DNS	12	Ret	DNS	Ret	17	Ret	16	14	15										1
26	Alan Taylor																									10	16	Ret	17	Ret	17	1
27	Rob Collard																												11	Ret	10	1
28	Rick Kerry	17	19	18	NC	11	14	NC	14	Ret				17	16	12				DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	16				Ret	15	19	0
29	Jim Pocklington	18	18	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret				16	11	14	18	17	Ret																0
30	Richard Marsh	Ret	17	17	Ret	DNS	DNS	16	Ret	Ret	18	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	13	18	17	14	Ret	DNS	12	11	13							0
31	Fiona Leggate	Ret	DNS	14	Ret	DNS	Ret	14	12	Ret	15	Ret	13	16	15	Ret	Ret	19	18	17	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	15	14	19	DNS	18	0
32	Nick Leason	15	DNS	DNS	18	Ret	13	Ret	DNS	DNS																						0
33	Paul O'Neill																												13	14	16	0
Pos	Driver	BHI			ROC			THR			CRO			OUL			DON			SNE			BHI			KNO			THR			Pts

• Note: bold signifies pole position (1 point given in first race only, and race 2 and 3 poles are based on race results), italics signifies fastest lap (1 point given all races) and * signifies at least one lap in the lead (1 point given all races).

Manufacturers Championship

Teams Championship

Note – * denotes engine change penalty

Independents Trophy

Pos	Driver	BHI			ROC			THR			CRO			OUL			DON			SNE			BHI			KNO			THR			Pts
1	Colin Turkington	2	2	Ret	7	Ret	Ret	4	5	17	1	Ret	9	3	1	Ret	7	9	6	DSQ	9	6	4	9	1	2	2	6	6	4	11	285
2	Mat Jackson	DSQ	8	3	10	4	2	Ret	Ret	DNS	9	4	3	5	6	1	9	10	4	4	5	7	Ret	4	3	Ret	10	9	7	5	1	270
3	Mike Jordan	4	Ret	8	6	Ret	8	10	4	3	5	3	10	8	3	9	4	7	3	7	Ret	DNS	13	5	8	5	8	4	Ret	8	Ret	260
4	Tom Onslow-Cole	5	15	6	8	2	Ret	8	7	10	Ret	7	2	9	13	7	10	11	8	2	6	1	5	Ret	6	DSQ	13	10	10	10	Ret	226
5	Adam Jones	7	6	5	DNS	DNS	DNS							Ret	8	5	2	5	Ret				7	6	Ret	4	7	8	9	12	7	164
6	Matt Allison	12	9	10	11	7	9	7	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	8	6	8	10	12	10	Ret	9	Ret	12				Ret	Ret	Ret	119
7	Jason Hughes	Ret	Ret	12	12	9	Ret	12	9	9	Ret	8	11	11	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	15	10	11	13	Ret	8	11	Ret	14	12	14	Ret	14	94
8	Gareth Howell	9	11	9	Ret	Ret	DNS	11	Ret	7	10	5	Ret	10	Ret	DNS																58
9	Erkut Kizilirmak	14	12	15	16	DNS	11	17	13	14	13	Ret	Ret	14	Ret	11	14	15	13	11	Ret	11	10	10	Ret				15	Ret	Ret	58
10	John George	19	16	19	14	10	Ret	Ret	DNS	12	17	9	Ret	15	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	19	13	13	17	Ret	NC	10	8	12	Ret	16	13	13	56
11	Martyn Bell	13	13	11	15	12	DNS	13	Ret	15	14	12	Ret	13	14	10	Ret	20	20	15	12	16	Ret	Ret	14	9	17	13	Ret	16	Ret	55
12	Gavin Smith																						8	7	7	7	9	11				45
13	Eoin Murray	DNS	DNS	DNS	9	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret			11	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	10	Ret	DNS	Ret				12	Ret	Ret	43
14	David Pinkney	20	Ret	13	13	8	12	15	10	13	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	DNS	16	16	14	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS	DNS				Ret	Ret	15	43
15	Chris Stockton	11	10	Ret	17	DNS	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	11	10	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	13	16	Ret	Ret	14	11	Ret	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	37
16	Simon Blanckley	16	14	16	Ret	Ret	10	18	11	16	12	Ret	DNS	12	Ret	DNS	Ret	17	Ret	16	14	15										29
17	Tom Ferrier																Ret	14	12	9	Ret	12	Ret	DNS	DNS							21
18	Fiona Leggate	Ret	DNS	14	Ret	DNS	Ret	14	12	Ret	15	Ret	13	16	15	Ret	Ret	19	18	17	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	15	14	19	DNS	18	19
19	Rob Collard																												11	Ret	10	16
20	Rick Kerry	17	19	18	NC	11	14	NC	14	Ret				17	16	12				DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	16				Ret	15	19	14
21	Richard Marsh	Ret	17	17	Ret	DNS	DNS	16	Ret	Ret	18	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	13	18	17	14	Ret	DNS	12	11	13							13
22	Paul O'Neill																												13	14	16	10
23	Jim Pocklington	18	18	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret				16	11	14	18	17	Ret																7
24	Alan Taylor																									10	16	Ret	17	Ret	17	7
25	Nick Leason	15	DNS	DNS	18	Ret	13	Ret	DNS	DNS																						5
Pos	Driver	BHI			ROC			THR			CRO			OUL			DON			SNE			BHI			KNO			THR			Pts

Independent Teams Championship

Note – * denotes engine change penalty

References