- Types of Car
- Race format
- Untimed sessions
- Qualifying sessions
- Starting grids
- Championship points system
- Tyres
- Success ballast
- Review of handicaps
- Driver discipline
- Drive-through penalties
- Pit lane speed limit
- Safety car
- Spare cars
- Spare engines
- Race stoppages
- Wet races
- False starts
- Testing

TYPES OF CAR

In 2004, the BTCC is open to drivers, manufacturers and teams using two types of car: either BTC Touring or "Super 2000". BTC Touring is for cars that were built to meet the technical specifications introduced in 2001. Super 2000 is for the cars that meet the technical specifications currently used in the European Touring Car Championship. Both types of cars will fight for the BTCC outright, with no seperate "class" title in existence. A weight ballast system is used to bridge any performance gap and this can be reviewed five times during the season. Uniquely, cars competing in the BTCC can use either petrol, diesel or gas-powered engines.

RACE FORMAT

All 10 BTCC meetings feature three rounds of equal distance, each counting towards a driver's championship points total. All races commence with a standing start off the grid. There are no longer mandatory tyre-changing pitstops, meaning each race is now a straight sprint race to the chequered flag.

UNTIMED PRACTICE

The BTCC action on each race weekend begins on the Saturday morning with two 40-minute free practice sessions. If a session is disrupted, the BTCC's Clerk of the Course is not obliged to resume it.

OFFICIAL QUALIFYING

A 30 minute qualifying session is held on Saturday afternoon. This determines the starting grid order for the first of Sunday's three races. Should two drivers set the same time, the one setting it first will be ahead of the other on the grid.

STARTING GRIDS

The first race's starting grid takes the order from Saturday afternoon's qualifying session. Race two's starting grid is decided by the finishing order in race one, but with the added twist of the top ten positions being reversed. Race three's starting grid is decided by the finishing order in race two.

Drivers retiring from the race will be allocated starting positions for the next race depending on the number of laps completed before retiring. The free practice, qualifying, race and starting grid process is repeated at each race meeting.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS SYSTEM

Points are awarded in every race and all 30 rounds are counted. There are four titles to be won: Drivers, Independents Trophy, Manufacturers, Teams

Green Flag BTCC Drivers Championship

In each race, the following points are awarded to classified finishers:

1st	- 15 points
2nd	- 12
3rd	- 10
4th	- 8
5th	- 6
6th	- 5
7th	- 4
8th	- 3
9th	- 2
10th	- 1

i - Pole position: One additional point will be awarded to the driver who starts on pole position for the first race of each meeting.

ii - Fastest lap: One additional point will be awarded to the driver setting the fastest lap in each race. If two or more drivers achieve the same fastest lap time each will be awarded one point.

iii - Race leader: One additional point will be awarded to each driver who is classified as the race leader (on crossing the start/finish line during the course of the race) during each race. A driver can only earn this point once, irrespective of how many times he or she has led that race.

HarrierZeuros Independents Trophy for Drivers

Independent drivers are not manufacturer-supported. Points are awarded as per the BTCC Drivers Championship, but with no additional points for Pole Position, Fastest Lap or leading a race. Independents Trophy competitors also score points in the BTCC Drivers Championship.

BTCC Manufacturers Championship

Points are awarded to a maximum of three nominated cars of the same make, provided they are listed as a classified finisher in the final results. Points are awarded as per the BTCC Drivers Championship, but without additional points for Pole Position, Fastest Lap or leading a race. Manufacturers must nominate their three points-scoring cars at or before the drivers briefing at each race meeting.

BTCC Teams Championship

Points are awarded to the two highest-placed cars from each team in each race (provided they are listed as a classified finisher in the final results). Points are awarded as per the BTCC Drivers Championship, but without additional points for Pole Position, Fastest Lap or leading a race.

TYRES

Dunlop is the BTCC's official tyre supplier. Competitors are each permitted a maximum of 20 slick racing tyres per race meeting. There is no limit on the number of grooved tyres. The use of tyre warmers if prohibited.

SUCCESS BALLAST

After each race, the following success ballast weight handicaps are added or removed to the most successful competitors cars in time for the next race:

1st position: +42 Kg
2nd: +30 Kg
3rd: +18 Kg
4th: +9 Kg
5th: +0 Kg
6th: -9 Kg
7th: -15 Kg
8th: -21 Kg
9th or lower: -24 Kg

REVIEW OF HANDICAPS

Weight handicaps, minimum car weights, throttle body size and/or the maximum permitted engine rpm of both types of car can each be reviewed by the BTCC Series Director up to five times during the course of the season

DRIVER DISCIPLINE

A range of penalties can be imposed against offending drivers. These include fines, "drive-through" penalties, point deductions, exclusion from results, suspension from the next race(s) and so on. Video evidence made available within ten days of an incident may be used as grounds for an enquiry, even if the incident has already been investigated.

DRIVE-THROUGH PENALITIES

These are served in the pit lane and drivers must serve them within three laos of being instructed to do so. Additional offences may result in a fain or exclusion. Drivers deemed to have committed an offence carrying a drive-through penalty in the last six laps of a race shall instead be punished by means of a time penalty of between 30 and 60 seconds being added to their final race result.

PIT LANE SPEED LIMIT

Competitors must not exceed 40mph while driving in the pit lane. Drivers exceeding this may be fines or lose their qualifying times. If the limit is broken during a race, that driver may be ordered to serve a drive-through penality.

SAFETY CAR

The BTCC Safety Car may be sent onto the circuit at any time during a race. All laps completed by the Safety Car period will be counted as racing laps.

SPARE CARS

No replacement cars are permitted at any race meeting.

SPARE ENGINES

Entrants are permitted to use a maximum of four engines during the course of the championship. Any extra engines used will result in deduction of ten points from the entrants Manufacturer/Teams Championship scores for each additional engine. Substitute drivers will use the engine allocation of the driver they replace.

RACE STOPPAGES

If the race is stopped before the leader has completed two laos it will be delcared null and void. The race may be re-started with competitors taking their original grid positions. If the race is stopped after the leader has completed two laos but before the 75 per cent of the scheduled distance it may be restarted. Competitors will line up on the starting grid for the re-start in the order of their positions when the race was stopped. Race results will be decided by the finishing order at the end of the restarted race only. Competitors not running when the race was stopped may be permitted to rake the restart at the discretion of the BTCC Clerk of the Course, but from the back of the grid. If the race is stopped after the leader has completed 75 per cent of the original distance then the BTCC Clerk of the Course is not obliged to restart it and may declare it a final result.

WET RACES

Competitors will be permitted two reconnaissance laps before forming on the starting grid, if the BTCC Clerk of the Course decides that conditions have deteriorated sufficiently since qualifying. The onus is on competitors to ensure their cars are fitted with a tyre suitable for the track conditions at the time. At the order of the BTCC Clerk, if conditions have deteriorated while competitors and their teams are on the starting grids, they will be permitted to fit treaded, wet weather tyres.

FALSE STARTS

Competitors judged to have made a false start will be offered to serve a drive-through penalty.

TESTING

Testing outside free practice sessions at race weekends is not permitted during the course of the BTCC. However, Independents Trophy competitors are permitted to test on up to four dates during the season. This must be at circuits' general test sessions and on tyres marked at a previous race meeting. The BTCC Co-ordinator must be notified no later than 48 hours prior to this test. New manufacturers may be permitted up to five additional test dates at non-BTCC circuits at the discretion of the BTCC Administrator.