Brands Hatch in Kent this weekend (3rd/4th/5th May) sets the scene for rounds three and four of the Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship and is likely to draw one of the biggest crowds in the series history.

Billed alongside Americas visiting CART Champ Car series, the BTCC, plus its supporting Formula Ford, Formula Renault, Elf Clio Renaultsport UK and Porsche Carrera Cup GB series, is expected to attract an enormous crowd inside Brands Indy circuit bowl for one of British motor racings biggest weekends of the year the London Champ Car Trophy meeting.

Reigning champion James Thompson will be looking to add to his two opening round victories at Mondello Park in Ireland when he lines up on the grid for his 200th BTCC race start.

The Vauxhall driver is under huge pressure to keep hold of his crown in 2003, not just from team-mate Yvan Muller, but also rivals MG, Honda and Protons drivers.

The BTCCs Hilton Independents Trophy for privateer entrants is just as hotly contested, as the top drivers aim to get in among the manufacturer teams star names. Rob Collard came away from Mondello with the lead in the points table and his confidence was further boosted when he was fastest of all in official BTCC testing at Thruxton last week.

In the BTCCs Production class, Edenbridge Racings Michael Bentwood and Team Vartas Jim Edwards are tied for the lead as they arrive at Brands, although teams from Barwell Motorsport and GA Motorsports showed at Mondello that they also deserve a taste of the winners champagne.

The BTCC action begins on Saturday (3rd May) with a single 40-minute free practice session at 13.30 ahead of what is sure to be an extremely intense 20 minutes of timed qualifying at 15.00 on Sunday.

Mondays two races, rounds three and four of the championship - both 35 laps in distance and each including the added excitement of mandatory tyre change pit stops for every competitor - are scheduled to start at 11.45 and 17.00 respectively.