My 2020 British Touring Car Championship Predictions

After a four month delay, the 2020 British Touring Car Championship finally gets underway with a trip to Donnington Park this weekend.

Despite the delayed beginning, BTCC will still run 27 of the original 30 rounds, dropping only one of two visits to Silverstone.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the driver lineup somewhat from the originally planned March start, with Power Maxed Racing taking a year out, with a 2021 return with Jason Plato planned, while one of BMW’s championship contenders Andrew Jordan and Team-HARD’s Mike Bushell dropping out due to financial difficulties.

Here are my predictions for the upcoming season…

Driver’s Champion- Tom Ingram

After a solid first year with the new Toyota Corolla, Speedworks have received further factory support from the Japanese manufacturer who have brought the team under the Gazoo Racing banner.

Runner-up in 2018 during the final season with the Avensis, Ingram has already proved capable of a title challenge, and with a year behind the wheel of the Corolla I believe the 26-year-old is capable of going one step further than 2018 after encouraging runs in pre-season testing, finishing in the top three in four of six sessions.

I also believe Toyota’s front-wheel-drive layout will give them and other FWD runners a big advantage with nine rounds now in October or later as opposed to three previously, with front drive usually holding the wet weather advantage.

Manufacturer’s Champion- Honda/Halfords Yuasa Racing

A smaller competition this year with Subaru (BMR) and Vauxhall (Power Maxed) leaving the championship, and I think we’ll have a new new make’s champion. BMW won comfortably last year, with driver’s one-two Colin Turkington and Andrew Jordan leading the charge with support from Tom Oliphant. However, with Jordan gone and Oliphant finishing behind Toyota’s Ingram and Honda’s Dan Cammish and Matt Neal, I can’t see BMW winning a fifth constructor’s title on the trott.

So with BMW out and Toyota only running a one car, I think Honda will seal the top make honours. A decent pre-season showing and the aforementioned front-wheel-drive advantage as the season continues towards winter, I think the Neal and Cammish combination will deliver the Japanese make’s first constructor’s title since 2013.

Team’s Championship/Independent Team’s Championship- BTC Racing

Fourth place last year as a two-car outfit, BTC has a new-look lineup with Tom Chilton replacing Chris Smiley and Michael Crees piloting the third car in the BTC stable while Josh Cook remains from 2019. With the extra car to pick up points when one slips up and Chilton, who picked up five podiums, including a win, in the struggling Motorbase Focus Mk.III, I think BTC will have the firepower throughout the season to see them top the table.

A tough final day for Cook saw him slip behind Dan Cammish in the 2019 driver’s standings, with Cammish himself losing the title on the final lap due to a mechanical failure. However, with two drivers I think are capable of a title challenge, I think they’ll have enough to see them past WSR, Halfords Yuasa and AMD (now Mark Blundell Motorsport).

Coming with taking the overall team’s crown, is of course, the Independent team’s title as well.

Independent Driver’s Championship- Josh Cook

Missing out by two points on the final day of 2019, I think this is Cook’s year for the Independent title. He had a great first year in the BTC Honda and with a year under his belt, I think that will serve him well against his team-mate Tom Chilton.

Jack Sears’ Trophy Winner- Bobby Thompson

Thompson had an impressive year in the difficult Volkswagen CC, just being beaten by race-winning teammate Jack Goff. A switch to Trade Price Cars’ Audi S3 gives him the equipment to do the job after finishing third in the 2019 JST standings. Thompson’s 2019 teammate Michael Crees and Sam Osborne, both now in Civic’s for BTC and MB Motorsport respectively, will run Thompson close, but I think the 23-year-old will just take it.