2002 British Touring Car Championship


The 2002 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 45th British Touring Car Championship season which began at Brands Hatch on 1 April and concluded at Donington Park on 22 September.

Changes for 2002

Teams and drivers

The second season of BTC-T rules in the top class saw two new manufacturer backed teams enter, with Honda returning and Proton entering for the first time.
Reigning champions Vauxhall again entered four Triple 8-run Vauxhall Astra Coupes. With reigning champion Jason Plato not returning, 2001 runner-up Yvan Muller was partnered by James Thompson in the Vauxhall Motorsport entries while Thompson's place in the Egg Sport entry was taken by Matt Neal, fresh from a season in the European Touring Car Championship, alongside Production class graduate Paul O'Neill.
MG, who had trialled their West Surrey Racing-prepared ZS in the closing stages of 2001 retained experienced touring car hand Anthony Reid and Warren Hughes at the wheel.
After a year absence Honda returned with a pair Honda Civic Type-R's prepared by Arena Motorsport, who had previously entered as an independent in 1999. Guernseyman Andy Priaulx, who crossed over from Formula 3 after impressing on a one off BTCC outing for Vauxhall in 2001, was signed alongside Northern Irishman Alan Morrison, the 2000 Production champion.
In late 2001 it was announced that Proton would enter a pair of manufacturer backed cars backed by Petronas and run under the Petronas Syntium Proton - Team banner. Jason Plato was initially linked with the drive before Scottish veteran David Leslie and Phil Bennett, who had been dropped by Vauxhall, were officially announced.
With Peugeot withdrawing their factory backing, Vic Lee Racing now headed the independents class, which was reinstated after a 1-year hiatus, with their pair of 406 Coupes, Dan Eaves remained and was joined by 1992 champion Tim Harvey, moving across from JSM. The pair were joined later in the year by Formula Renault championship winner Carl Breeze in a third car.
The works MG squad was supported from second meeting onwards by a WSR-run satellite team carrying the name of the girl band Atomic Kitten as part of a sponsorship deal. This team ran the young pairing of Fiesta racer Colin Turkington and Production graduate Gareth Howell.
Barwell Motorsport stepped up from the Production class to complete the Touring grid with a pair of ex-works Vauxhall Astra Coupes driven by New Zealand superbike racer Aaron Slight, who switched to car racing after a successful guest appearance for Peugeot in 2001, and 17-year-old rookie Tom Chilton.
In the Production class Synchro Motorsport gained the upper hand by stepping up from the Honda Accord to the brand new Civic Type R, recruiting former Honda factory driver James Kaye from Barwell alongside the returning Dave Allan.
The Accords were still campaigned by new squad Beacon Motorsport with Lotus Elise championship graduates Mark Thomas and Spencer Marsh, and John Batchelor's team swapped from Integras to a pair of Accords for Jim Edwards Jnr and Batchelor, who was injured in a crash during the second meeting at Oulton Park and replaced by Peter Cate and later Hyla Breese.
Tech-Speed Motorsport continued their Peugeot 306 campaign, with Lotus Elise champion Mark Fullalove replacing Vauxhall-bound Paul O'Neill alongside Annie Templeton, and GA Motorsport also returned with their Alfa Romeo 156s, this time campaigned by series newcomers Graham Saunders and Alan Blencowe, accompanied by 2001 driver Gavin Pyper at circuits with enough grid space to accommodate a third car. Pyper received a race ban following an incident at Thruxton and his car was driven by former Ford and Volvo driver Kelvin Burt.
Rob Collard also returned in his self-entered Renault Clio but did not contest a full programme.
The big new arrival to the class was Edenbridge Racing's pair of BMW 320is, driven by teenager Tom Boardman in his second year in the class, and experienced German production saloon racer Norman Simon who had raced in the European Super Production championship in 2001.
TH Motorsport also appeared at selected rounds with a Mitsubishi Carisma for Steve Wood.

Other changes

† Not eligible for points.

Race calendar and winners

All races were held in the United Kingdom.

Championship results tables

† Not eligible for points.

Independent's Championship

Manufacturers Championship

Touring Teams Championship

PosTeamBRHOULTHRSILMONCROSNEKNOBRHDONPts
1Vauxhall Motorsport1711111263
1Vauxhall Motorsport2102102Ret23RetRet
2MG Sport & Racing32102433612
2MG Sport & Racing8RetRet1171110Ret58
3egg:sport41333616445
3egg:sportRetRet745RetRet58Ret
4Honda Racing555662Ret121
4Honda RacingRetRet8RetRetRetRet1074
5Team Halfords7645Ret4793Ret
5Team Halfords13Ret67DSQRetDNSRet21Ret
6Team Atomic Kitten411810541316Ret34
6Team Atomic KittenRetRet12DNS95RetRetRet34
7Team Petronas639997188126
7Team PetronasRetDNSRet13118RetDNSRet9
8Barwell Motorsport128RetRet810879Ret
8Barwell MotorsportRet9DNSRetRetRet91210Ret
PosTeamBRHOULTHRSILMONCROSNEKNOBRHDONPts

Production Teams Championship

PosTeamBRHOULTHRSILMONCROSNEKNOBRHDONPts
1Synchro MotorsportNCRet1215161411171311127
1Synchro Motorsport1819RetRet15191917127
2Edenbridge Racing10131722151313151110115
2Edenbridge RacingRetDNSDNSRetRetRetRet22Ret15115
3Beacon MotorsportRet111617121517231513103
3Beacon MotorsportRet15RetRet1917RetRetRet16103
4Gary Ayles Motorsport11Ret131817Ret12111412
4Gary Ayles MotorsportRetRet1521RetRet141818Ret
5Team B&Q Jet York CityRet121420131621201714
5Team B&Q Jet York CityDNSDNS21Ret14DNSRetDNSDNSDNS
6Tech-Speed MotorsportRet1419RetRet18191620Ret43
6Tech-Speed MotorsportRet17RetRetDNSRetRet2422Ret43
7Collard Racing9DNSDNSRetDNS
8TH MotorsportDNS16Ret23Ret8
PosTeamBHGPOULTHRSILMONCROSNEKNOBHIDONPts