The 2007 season of the British Touring Car Championship went down to the wire with Fabrizio Giovanardi pipping Jason Plato to the Drivers’ title. A 27-car entry list for 2008, with the possibility of more still to come, sets up the BTCC’s golden anniversary season to be even more exciting. The man behind the BTCC’s return to full strength over the past five years is Series Director Alan Gow. At the BTCC’s media launch at Rockingham, he took time out to tell us about his hopes for the 2008 season.

2008 marks the BTCC’s golden anniversary, making it a very special season for all those involved. During his two tenures in charge of the championship Alan Gow has got to know the series better than most, leaving him well placed to examine past, present and future.

“It’s the world’s oldest saloon car championship”, said Gow. “And I think the second oldest championship in the world, period, next to Formula One. It’s fantastic that it’s a golden anniversary of such a great championship, but I’m never one for looking back. I’m always one for looking forward and I’m focused on what we’ve got in front of us this year. It’s a fantastic championship with such a variety of cars and drivers. It’s the largest I can remember, but it’s also the variety. We have ten different models and seven different makes of car and that’s a fantastic variety for people to savour, so it’ll be great.”

Fifty years on from the very first season of BTCC racing, fans will be able to follow every second of action from the 2008 season on television. ITV is once again in charge of producing the coverage, opting this year to extend the time it dedicates to the championship on its own channels.

Gow continued: “ITV have been our TV partner for many years now and they’ve really stepped up to the plate this year. Between our digital and terrestrial TV coverage we have some 76 hours of TV coverage of the BTCC in the UK, live all afternoon on ITV4 and highights the next evening on ITV1, as well as repeats. It’s an unprecedented amount of TV coverage across the UK broadcast platform. It’s something that’s fantastic for the championship and the teams. It’s a three-year deal, so it gives everyone security in the knowledge of what’s happening in the future and it can only be for the benefit of the whole championship.”

“TV is vital to the companies, the manufacturers and the sponsors that are involved in the championship. To have a very strong TV package means you have a very strong championship. It’s as simple as that.”

Large grids, talented drivers, competitive cars and a great television package set up the 2008 season to be something very special when it kicks off at Brands Hatch over the weekend of 29/30 March. Like everyone else, Alan Gow is keen to get the action underway: “We haven’t been racing for a quite a few months now and I think there’s a great deal of anticipation and excitement about the championship this year, so I’m sure everyone’s looking forward to it.”