Everything You Need To Know About BTCC 2013 In One Place

We're just a week away from BTCC's 2013 bow at Brands Hatch, so it's time for CarThrottle's guide to Britain's top national motorsports and handbag-swinging series.

The 2013 event is the best attended ever, with the maximum possible 32 entries spread over the top tier NGTC event and the S2000 class. Thirteen different 2 litre cars represent eleven different manufacturers over the ten rounds and with seven past champions of the various classes driving, the 2013 season promises to be just as incident packed as ever.

Honda Yuasa Racing

Here are the teams:

1. Gordon Sheddon - Honda Civic 2. Matt Neal - Honda Civic

Champion team Honda Yuasa bring back their driver pairing of 2012 champion "Flash" Gordon Sheddon and triple champion Matt Neal to defend their honour. Taking just under half the race wins in 2012, they should be favourites for a third successive drivers' title and fifth successive manufacturers' crown.

Providing Neal can keep a lid on his rivalry with Jason Plato, of course...

Motorbase Performance/Airwaves

7. Mat Jackson - Ford Focus ST 8. Árón Smith - Ford Focus ST

Motorbase have entered four cars this season, the first two of which being the Airwaves Focuses of Jackson and Smith. Both won races in 2012, so look for their new Mk3 Focus ST fighting out regular podium finishes in 2013.

Motorbase Performance/Addison Lee

4. Michael Caine - Ford Focus ST 66. Liam Griffin - Ford Focus ST S2000

The second Motorbase crew is the two Addison Lee cars of Caine and Griffin. Caine comes fresh from winning the British GT drivers championship with Motorbase's Porsche 911 entry, so you can expect to see him in the mix with the other Motorbase team this year.

Griffin's S2000 Focus won't take the fight to the front end, but will stand him in good stead for the Jack Sears Trophy.

eBay Motors

5. Rob Collard - BMW 125i M Sport 18. Nick Foster - BMW 125i M Sport 29. Colin Turkington - BMW 125i M Sport

The rear drive BMWs of eBay Motors found themselves in 2nd place in the championship last season, with outstanding qualifying pace and acceleration from the grid. The NGTC cars they have for this season are all new, but with 2003's independent champion Collard and 2007-2009 independent (and 2009 overall) champion Turkington returning, we could see a RWD champion for the first time in 20 years.

Team HARD/PPCGB Kraftwerk Racing

6. Tom Onslow-Cole - Volkswagen CC 22. Rob Holland/Howard Fuller - Volkswagen CC

Tony Gilham's first of two team entries isn't actually ready yet, but the Passat-based Volkswagen CCs should bear resemblance to their Super 2000 Civic from last season (pictured above). Proven race winner Onslow-Cole has made the switch from eBay motors, so they could be at the sharp end of the grid if the money holds out. Given the cars aren't finished and Gilham's planning two more CCs for a six car assault later in the season, that's a coin toss.

Team HARD./RCIB Insurance Racing

20. James Cole - Vauxhall Insignia VXR-R 31. Jack Goff - Vauxhall Insignia VXR-R

Team HARD.'s second championship entry is a pair of Insignia VXR-Rs. These drivers are newbies to the series, but Cole is a British circuit veteran in a variety of single seaters - winning British Formula Ford in 2009 and finishing second in British Formula Three in 2010 - while Jack Goff comes from winning the Renault Clio Cup UK in 2012. Dark horses for a good points score.

Welch Motorsport

10. Daniel Welch - Proton Persona 12. David Nye - Ford Focus ST S2000

With only a single entry last year, Welch performed reasonably well in the drivers' championship but poorly in the teams'. The NGTC Persona might challenge for podium places this season, while the 55 year old Nye stands a chance in the Jack Sears Trophy if he can keep a wise head and stay out of trouble.

Dynojet

11. Frank Wrathall - Toyota Avensis

Dynojet return as a one man team with the Wrathall/Avensis combo that did well in 2012. Getting good points throughout the season, Wrathall managed three podium finishes and won the final race of 2012, so look for him in the mix particularly during reverse grid races.

Wixracing

13. Rob Austin - Audi A4 14. Will Bratt - Audi A4

Austin's A4s were barely more than also-rans last year, being well outclassed by the only other rear drive entries. They've seen some development over winter and could improve to occasional podium challengers.

AmD Tuning

15. James Kaye - Volkswagen Golf

AmD ran the S2000 Golf last year as a lone entry with Ollie Jackson, achieving mediocre results. They retain the car as one of the six S2000 entries, but have a driver change to 1992 & 1994 independent champion and 2002 production champion James Kaye, so expectation is on them to bring the Jack Sears Trophy back.

Speedworks Motorsport

17. Dave Newsham - Toyota Avensis 48. Ollie Jackson - Toyota Avensis

Speedworks enjoyed a very banal season in 2012 and have replaced their entire driver line up while improving the Avensis. Ollie Jackson's best ever finish of 8th doesn't inspire, but Dave Newsham is a BTCC race winner and regularly haunts the podium. Expect sporadic successes, but no consistency.

Ciceley Racing

33. Adam Morgan - Toyota Avensis

Morgan was Ginetta Supercup champion in 2011 and his prize was a seat at Speedworks in the Avensis in 2012. His season didn't go brilliantly in the underperforming Avensis, notably being obliterated by journeyman Andy Neate in the rain at Brands.

He's driving for his family-run Ciceley team in 2012, so don't expect results to improve noticeably.

BMR Restart

39. Warren Scott - SEAT Leon

An all-new team with an all-new driver. Scott's a motorbike racer who's latterly tried his hand racing Lotus Elises. Don't expect the Super 2000 car to do... anything remarkable.

Wheel Heaven/Houseman Racing

43. Lea Wood - Vauxhall Vectra

This is Wood's fourth season in BTCC with 2012 being his most successful to date, regularly netting points but no podium finishes (best was 5th). He's stepped down into the Super 2000s this year and his familiarity with the tracks and his car should make him a challenger for the Jack Sears Trophy.

Pirtek Racing

55.  Jeff Smith - Honda Civic 77.Andrew Jordan - Honda Civic

Jordan and Smith got the privateer Civic up onto the podium on many occasions last season, winning the Independents' Trophy and Teams championships. Between Yuasa and Pirtek there was a Civic on the podium in just about every race and you should look for it to be the same in 2013.

MG KX Momentum

88. Jason Plato - MG6 99. Sam Tordoff - MG6

2001 and 2010 champion Jason Plato is always in the mix, taking as many wins last year as 2nd place Yuasa man Matt Neal. Of course having the two of them in the same place on the track at the same time is often a bad idea... If he can come close to keeping out of this kind of trouble yet again, expect a top three finish. Or the stewards to be forced into finally growing a pair...

Tordoff is an unknown quantity, only managing a couple of races previously for the team in Triple Eight guise in 2010. He comes from a good season in the Porsche Carrera Cup and could prove a more challenging teammate than Andy Neate to drag the team up the table.

M247 Racing

90. Joe Girling - Chevrolet Cruze S2000

Girling finally gets the Tech-Speed seat he was supposed to have last season that never materialised, but as a newcomer to the series in a Super 2000 Cruze there's no expectations of greatness.

The grid will eventually be rounded off by a pair of Chevrolet Cruzes, the #28 car of BTC Racing and Chris Stockton and the #44 car of Team Club 44 and Andy Neate. Both will be NGTC entries but neither are ready yet and will not race before Donington Park in April.

Brands Hatch will host the first race of the season on March 31st, with all races televised live on ITV4 and ITV4 HD.