2003 British Touring Car Championship

The 2003 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 46th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season.

Changes for 2003

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The Drivers' Championship was won by Yvan Muller.

Team and driver changes - Touring

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For 2003 all three main manufacturers in the premier Touring class ran three cars. Reigning champions Vauxhall cut down to three Astra Coupes by axing its Egg Sport squad and entering three VX Racing-liveried cars, run once again by Triple 8. 2002 champion James Thompson and runner-up Yvan Muller remained, and Paul O'Neill moved across from Egg Sport to take the third seat.

MG expanded to three West Surrey Racing-run ZSs, with Colin Turkington joining 2002 drivers Anthony Reid and Warren Hughes after impressing in his debut season with the Team Atomic Kitten MG squad, which had also been run by WSR.

 
Mandatory pit stops became a feature for all races in the 'Touring' class

Arena Motorsport ran three Civic Type Rs for Honda, with only Irishman Alan Morrison remaining from the 2002 line-up. Matt Neal replaced Andy Priaulx (who left to contest the European Touring Car Championship with BMW) after moving from Vauxhall, and teenager Tom Chilton filled the third seat after an impressive debut year in the Barwell Motorsport-run Astra. Proton again returned as a fourth manufacturer, retaining both David Leslie and Phil Bennett in its two Impians.

Vic Lee Racing switched from the ex-works Peugeot 406 Coupe's to a pair of brand new Peugeot 307 designed by Sergio Rinland, former chief designer at the Sauber Formula 1 team.[1] Reigning independents cup champion Dan Eaves was retained alongside Carl Breeze who raced for the team for most of 2002. Meanwhile, Tim Harvey swapped his crash helmet for a microphone, joining ITV's commentary team. Breeze would leave the team after the Rockingham races, moving to GA Motorsport in the seat vacated by Gavin Pyper.[2] Daniel Buxton would in turn take Breeze's seat at VLR, graduating from the Clio Cup which he had been dominating at the time.

Gavin Pyper had started the season strongly in the GA Motorsport Vauxhall Astra Coupe, winning the independents class five times in the ten races he contested and leading the class when he was forced to withdraw due to a lack of funding.[2] With Breeze now in Pyper's car Paul Wallace switched from GA's production Alfa Romeo to a second Astra which the team had entered for Gareth Howell at Silverstone after a failed attempt to hire 2001 Champion Jason Plato. (https://www.crash.net/btcc/news/7632/1/wallace-moves-up-to-touring-class)

Howell himself later reappeared in another ex-Triple 8 Astra for Team Dynamics from the Snetterton rounds onwards.

Production class champions Synchro Motorsport graduated to the touring class with champion driver James Kaye running an ex-works Honda Civic Type R.[3]

Also stepping up was Rob Collard with his self-run team, entering an ex-works Vauxhall Astra Coupe that had been driven by Aaron Slight in 2002.[4]

Team and driver changes - Production

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Barwell Motorsport headed the Production class field after stepping back down from the Touring class and acquiring Synchro Motorsport's title winning Honda Civic Type Rs, which were driven by young debutante Luke Hines, and Alan Blencowe, moving from GA Motorsports. Edenbridge Racing cut down to a single BMW 320i for single seater convert Michael Bentwood, with Tom Boardman switching to John Batchelor's team (now known as Team Varta) in a new Peugeot 307. Jim Edwards Jnr returned in a Honda Accord as the team's second driver. A Peugeot 306 GTi and a second 307 joined the Varta line-up midway through the season together with Jay Wheals and Richard Marsh, and each of the four drivers raced more than one of these chassis across the remainder of the year.

GA Motorsport campaigned Alfa Romeo 156s for a fourth year, with Chris Ryan and Paul Wallace driving. However, Ryan withdrew after an expensive crash in the second round at Brands Hatch, and Wallace was called up to the team's Touring class assault mid-season. Mark Fullalove joined the grid mid-season with his own team, driving the Peugeot 306 he had raced for Tech-Speed Motorsport in 2002, while Jason Hughes was another late entry in a Nissan Primera run by his own Kartworld Racing team.

CMS Motorsport registered an entry with support from Macmillan Cancer for Nick Leason in a Ford Focus previously run by GR Motorsport in the 2001 Season but they were forced to delay their debut and ultimately never raced. (http://cameronleason.co.uk/Nick_gallery.htm)

Other changes

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  • Dunlop were confirmed as the sole tyre supplier, replacing BF Goodrich
  • The series included a race meeting at Rockingham for the first time, replacing Knockhill
  • Qualifying sessions at each race meeting lasted 20 minutes (compared to the 43 minutes of 2002) and only determined the starting grid for the first race
  • The finishing positions of race 1 determined the grid for race 2
  • Mandatory pit-stops were introduced for all Touring class cars in both races
  • Alan Gow returned as series administrator midway through the season, replacing Richard West who became the championship's commercial manager.[5]
  • In addition to the ITV coverage MotorsTV broadcast all races live.[6]

Teams and drivers

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Team Car No. Drivers Rounds
Works Entries
  VX Racing Vauxhall Astra Coupé 1   James Thompson All
2   Yvan Muller All
8   Paul O'Neill All
  Honda Racing Honda Civic Type-R 3   Matt Neal All
7   Tom Chilton All
9   Alan Morrison All
  MG Sport & Racing MG ZS 4   Anthony Reid All
5   Colin Turkington All
6   Warren Hughes All
  Petronas Syntium Proton Proton Impian 15   David Leslie All
20   Phil Bennett All
Independent Entries
  Team Halfords Peugeot 307 0   Dan Eaves All
10   Carl Breeze 1–5
30   Danny Buxton 6–10
  GA Motorsports Vauxhall Astra Coupé 10   Carl Breeze 6–10
44   Gavin Pyper 1–5
45   Gareth Howell 4
46   Paul Wallace 6–10
  Synchro Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R 11   James Kaye All
  Collard Racing Vauxhall Astra Coupé 21   Rob Collard All
  Team Dynamics Vauxhall Astra Coupé 45   Gareth Howell 7–10
Production Entries
  Barwell Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R 52   Luke Hines All
53   Alan Blencowe All
  GA Motorsports Alfa Romeo 156 54   Paul Wallace 1–5
55   Chris Ryan 1–2
  Mark Fullalove Racing Peugeot 306 GTi 60   Mark Fullalove 7–10
  Team Varta Honda Accord 69   Jim Edwards Jr. 1–6
71   Richard Marsh 7–10
Peugeot 307 69   Jim Edwards Jr. 7–10
70   Tom Boardman All
Peugeot 306 GTI 71   Richard Marsh 6
72   Jay Wheals 7–10
  Edenbridge Racing BMW 320i 77   Michael Bentwood All
  Kartworld Racing Nissan Primera 99   Jason Hughes 6–10

Race calendar and winners

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Round Circuit Date Pole Position Fastest Lap Winning Driver Winning Team Production Class winner
1 R1 Mondello Park 21 April   Yvan Muller   James Thompson   James Thompson VX Racing   Chris Ryan
R2   Warren Hughes   James Thompson VX Racing   Michael Bentwood
2 R3 Brands Hatch (Indy), Kent 5 May   James Thompson   Matt Neal   Matt Neal Honda Racing   Michael Bentwood
R4   James Thompson   Yvan Muller VX Racing   Michael Bentwood
3 R5 Thruxton Circuit, Hampshire 26 May   Matt Neal   Matt Neal   Yvan Muller VX Racing   Tom Boardman
R6   Warren Hughes   Yvan Muller VX Racing   Tom Boardman
4 R7 Silverstone Circuit
(International), Northamptonshire
8 June   James Thompson   James Thompson   James Thompson VX Racing   Luke Hines
R8   Matt Neal   Yvan Muller VX Racing   Luke Hines
5 R9 Rockingham Motor Speedway
(International Super Sports Car Long), Northamptonshire
22 June   Alan Morrison   Alan Morrison   Matt Neal Honda Racing   Tom Boardman
R10   Warren Hughes   Yvan Muller VX Racing   Luke Hines
6 R11 Croft Circuit, North Yorkshire 13 July   James Thompson   Matt Neal   Matt Neal Honda Racing   Tom Boardman
R12   Yvan Muller   Anthony Reid MG Sport & Racing   Luke Hines
7 R13 Snetterton Circuit, Norfolk 9 August   James Thompson   Alan Morrison   Paul O'Neill VX Racing   Luke Hines
R14   Matt Neal   Matt Neal Honda Racing   Tom Boardman
8 R15 Brands Hatch (Indy), Kent 25 August   Yvan Muller   Warren Hughes   Warren Hughes MG Sport & Racing   Michael Bentwood
R16   Colin Turkington   Colin Turkington MG Sport & Racing   Tom Boardman
9 R17 Donington Park (National), Leicestershire 7 September   James Thompson   Matt Neal   Matt Neal Honda Racing   Luke Hines
R18   Colin Turkington   Yvan Muller VX Racing   Luke Hines
10 R19 Oulton Park (Island), Cheshire 21 September   James Thompson   Anthony Reid   James Thompson VX Racing   Alan Blencowe
R20   Anthony Reid   Matt Neal Honda Racing   Tom Boardman

Championship results

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Points system
 1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th  Fastest Lap Lead a lap
15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 1
  • 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' Championships

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Pos Driver MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts
Touring Class (BTC-T)
1   Yvan Muller 2* 2* 2 1* 1* 1* 2* 1* 3 1* Ret 3 3 Ret 2* 5* 3 1* 3 2* 233
2   James Thompson 1* 1* 5 2 4 5 1* 2 5 4 2 2 2* Ret 5 10 2* 3 1* Ret* 199
3   Matt Neal Ret* Ret 1* 7 2* 11* Ret* Ret 1* Ret 1* 5* 4* 1* 4 Ret 1* 10 12 1* 148
4   Paul O'Neill Ret 4 3* 3 3 3* 7 5* 10 6* 3 6* 1* 10* 6 2 6 4 Ret 5 138
5   Alan Morrison 3 5 7 8* 5 2 4 Ret 2* Ret* Ret* 4 Ret* 2 14 3 5 5* 2* Ret 125
6   Anthony Reid Ret Ret 4 4 Ret 4* 10 4* 6 2* 5 1* 5 3 7 4 Ret 9 5 4 121
7   Warren Hughes 4 Ret Ret* 5* Ret 6 Ret 3 8* 3 Ret 10 Ret 8 1* 6* 4 7 4 8 98
8   Colin Turkington DNS Ret 6 Ret 8 Ret 3 8 Ret Ret 4 7 Ret 4 3* 1* 19 2 6 3 97
9   Tom Chilton Ret 3 DNS DNS 7 10 5 6 4 7 7 12 6 5 8* 7 7 6 Ret DNS 70
10   Rob Collard 6 7 13 Ret Ret DNS Ret 9 7 5 Ret 8 8 6 Ret Ret 9* 16 8 7 42
11   David Leslie 5 9 9 6 17 8 Ret 10 11 Ret 9 19 Ret 9 9 8 Ret Ret Ret DNS 28
12   Gavin Pyper Ret 6 8 Ret 6 Ret 6 7 9 Ret 24
13   Carl Breeze Ret 10 Ret 10 10 Ret Ret DNS Ret 9 8 9 Ret 7 10 15* 8 8 15 11 22
14   James Kaye Ret Ret 12 9 11 7 8 Ret Ret DNS 13 11 7* 11 11 Ret 10 11 10 12 16
15   Dan Eaves Ret 8 11* Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 6* Ret Ret 12 12 11 11 14 11 9 15
16   Gareth Howell 9* Ret 13 Ret 13 12 Ret 13 7* 6 14
17   Phil Bennett Ret Ret 10 Ret 14 9 Ret Ret 12 8 10 15 9 Ret Ret 9 Ret 12 9 10 14
18   Danny Buxton 12 Ret Ret Ret 15 14* 13 15 14 Ret 1
19   Paul Wallace 11 Ret DNS Ret 17 13 12 Ret 13 Ret 0
Production Class (BTC-P)
1   Luke Hines Ret DNS 15 12 13 13 11 11 18 11 16 13 10 14 18 18 14 17 17 14 243
2   Alan Blencowe 8 Ret 17 15 15 15 13 12 14 12 15 16 12 15 19 20 16 18 16 17 193
3   Michael Bentwood 10 11 14 11 16 14 12 14 16 Ret 17 14 Ret DNS 16 17 17 19 18 16 186
4   Jim Edwards Jr. 9 12 18 14 Ret 16 14 16 15 14 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 15 Ret DNS 15 96
5   Tom Boardman Ret Ret Ret DNS 12 12 Ret 15 13 DSQ 14 Ret Ret 13 Ret 16 Ret DSQ Ret 13 57
6   Paul Wallace Ret Ret 16 13 Ret Ret Ret 13 17 13 46
7   Richard Marsh 18 17 Ret Ret 22 22 20 21 19 19 46
8   Mark Fullalove 11 Ret 20 19 18 Ret Ret 18 39
9   Jay Wheals Ret 16 21 21 Ret 20 Ret Ret 27
10   Chris Ryan 7 Ret Ret Ret 15
11   Jason Hughes Ret 18 Ret Ret Ret DNS DNS DNS Ret DNS 6
Pos Driver MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts
  • Note: bold signifies pole position in class (1 point awarded in first race only), italics signifies fastest lap in class (1 point awarded all races) and * signifies at least one lap in the lead (1 point given all races).

Independents' Cup

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Pos Driver MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts
1   Rob Collard 6 7 13 Ret Ret DNS Ret 9 7 5 Ret 8 8 6 Ret Ret 9 16 8 7 160
2   James Kaye Ret Ret 12 9 11 7 8 Ret Ret DNS 13 11 7 11 11 Ret 10 11 10 12 151
3   Carl Breeze Ret 10 Ret 10 10 Ret Ret DNS Ret 9 8 9 Ret 7 10 15 8 8 15 11 141
4   Dan Eaves Ret 8 11 Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 6 Ret Ret 12 12 11 11 14 11 9 126
5   Gavin Pyper Ret 6 8 Ret 6 Ret 6 7 9 Ret 80
6   Gareth Howell 9 Ret 13 Ret 13 12 Ret 13 7 6 80
7   Danny Buxton 12 Ret Ret Ret 15 14 13 15 14 Ret 38
8   Paul Wallace 11 Ret DNS Ret 17 13 12 Ret 13 Ret 37
Pos Driver MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts

Manufacturers Championship

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Pos Manufacturer MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts
1 Vauxhall / VX Racing 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 2 1 10 2 2 2 1 1 2 528
2 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 5 4 3 3 2 Ret 5 5 3 3 3 5
Ret 4 5 3 4 5 7 5 10 6 Ret 6 3 Ret 6 10 6 4 Ret Ret
2 Honda / Honda Racing 3 3 1 7 2 2 4 6 1 7 1 4 4 1 4 3 1 5 2 1 318
Ret 5 7 8 5 10 5 Ret 2 Ret 7 5 6 2 8 7 5 6 12 Ret
Ret Ret DNS DNS 7 11 Ret Ret 4 Ret Ret 12 Ret 5 14 Ret 7 10 Ret DNS
3 MG / MG Sport & Racing 4 Ret 4 4 8 4 3 3 6 2 4 1 5 3 1 1 4 2 4 3 243
Ret Ret 6 5 Ret 6 10 4 8 3 5 7 Ret 4 3 4 19 7 5 4
DNS Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret 8 7 6 Ret 9 6 8
4 Proton / Petronas Syntium Proton 5 9 9 6 14 8 Ret 10 11 8 9 15 9 9 9 8 Ret 12 9 10 75
Ret Ret 10 Ret 17 9 Ret Ret 12 Ret 10 19 Ret Ret Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret DNS
Pos Manufacturer MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts

Touring Teams Championship

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Pos Team MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts
1 VX Racing 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 2 1 10 2 2 2 1 1 2 438
2 2 3 2 3 3 2 2 5 4 3 3 2 Ret 5 5 3 3 3 5
2 Honda Racing 3 3 1 7 2 2 4 6 1 7 1 4 4 1 4 3 1 5 2 1 299
Ret 5 7 8 5 10 5 Ret 2 Ret 7 5 6 2 8 7 5 6 12 Ret
3 MG Sport & Racing 4 Ret 4 4 8 4 3 3 6 2 4 1 5 3 1 1 4 2 4 3 216
Ret Ret 6 5 Ret 6 10 4 8 3 5 7 Ret 4 3 4 19 7 5 4
4 Petronas Syntium Proton 5 9 9 6 14 8 Ret 10 11 8 9 15 9 9 9 8 Ret 12 9 10 70
Ret Ret 10 Ret 17 9 Ret Ret 12 Ret 10 19 Ret Ret Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret DNS
5 Collard Racing 6 7 13 Ret Ret DNS Ret 9 7 5 Ret 8 8 6 Ret Ret 9 16 8 7 45
6 Team Halfords Ret 8 11 10 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret 9 6 Ret Ret 12 12 11 11 14 11 9 26
Ret 10 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret DNS Ret 10 12 Ret Ret Ret 15 14 13 15 14 Ret
7 GA Motorsports Ret 6 8 Ret 6 Ret 6 7 9 Ret 8 9 Ret 7 10 13 8 8 13 11 18
9 Ret 11 Ret DNS Ret 17 15 12 Ret 15 Ret
8 Synchro Motorsport Ret Ret 12 9 11 7 8 Ret Ret DNS 13 11 7 11 11 Ret 10 11 10 12 10
9 Team Dynamics 13 Ret 13 12 Ret 13 7 6 9
Pos Team MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts

Production Teams Championship

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Pos Team MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts
1 Barwell Motorsport 8 Ret 15 12 13 13 11 11 14 11 15 13 10 14 18 18 14 17 16 14 417
Ret DNS 17 15 15 15 13 12 18 12 16 16 12 15 19 20 16 18 17 17
2 Team Varta 9 12 18 14 12 12 14 15 13 14 14 17 Ret 13 21 16 15 20 19 13 196
Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret 16 Ret 16 15 DSQ 18 Ret Ret 16 22 21 20 21 Ret 15
3 Edenbridge Racing 10 11 14 11 16 14 12 14 16 Ret 17 14 Ret DNS 16 17 17 19 18 16 182
4 GA Motorsports 7 Ret 16 13 Ret Ret Ret 13 17 13 56
Ret Ret Ret Ret
5 Mark Fullalove Racing 11 Ret 20 19 18 Ret Ret 18 39
6 Kartworld Racing Ret 18 Ret Ret Ret DNS DNS DNS Ret DNS 6
Pos Team MON BRH THR SIL ROC CRO SNE BRH DON OUL Pts

References

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  1. ^ "F1 designer pens new Peugeot 307 - BTCC - Autosport". Autosport.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  2. ^ a b "Pyper's out, Breeze's in". Crash. 2003-07-10. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  3. ^ "Synchro graduates to Touring Class with Kaye". Crash. 2003-03-28. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  4. ^ "BTCT : Vauxhall Astra Coupé V2001-007". Touring Car Register. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  5. ^ Wilkins, Robert (29 May 2003). "Gow returns to help run BTCC". Crash. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Live coverage for Satellite TV channel". Autosport. 7 January 2003. Archived from the original on 2 December 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
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