2007 British Touring Car Championship

After two unhappy seasons with the Astra Sport Hatch, the Triple 8-run works Vauxhall team switched to an all-new chassis based on the Vectra C built to the now-prevalent Super 2000 rules, retaining Italian veteran Fabrizio Giovanardi and young Englishman Tom Chilton as they sought to reassert their supremacy from the first half of the decade.

Reigning Manufacturers champions SEAT were again their only works opposition. Jason Plato remained on board as team leader and GT racer Darren Turner, who had shared the second Leon with James Thompson during 2006, stepped into the second seat full-time. With their Manufacturers title fight going down to the final rounds at Thruxton, both Vauxhall and SEAT added third cars to their line-ups for the closing meeting. Double champion Alain Menu, who had been racing for Vauxhall's sister marque Chevrolet in the World Touring Car Championship, returned to the British series for the first time since 2000 to drive the Vectra, while Dutchman Tom Coronel, fresh from claiming the WTCC Independents title at the wheel of a Leon, bolstered the SEAT charge.

After winning the Teams, Drivers and Independents titles for two straight years with their Integra, Team Dynamics (again under the Team Halfords banner) switched to another self-developed Honda chassis, this time built to Super 2000 specifications and based on the Civic. Reigning double champion Matt Neal stayed with his family team, with Gordon Shedden partnering him for a second year. The Dynamics cars were no longer eligible for Independents points due to their dominance of that championship in the previous two years.

Also changing machinery were West Surrey Racing (once again entered as Team RAC), who traded their venerable MGs for a pair of Super 2000-spec BMW 320si's acquired from BMW's works WTCC squads. Long-time collaborator Colin Turkington again headed the line-up, joined by reigning Renault Clio Cup champion Tom Onslow-Cole. Also running a 320si was former Production class race winner and reigning SEAT Cupra Cup champion Mat Jackson, making his debut in the top class of the BTCC with his family Jacksons M.Sport team.

Team Eurotech continued to run their ex-Dynamics Integra for team boss Mike Jordan for a second season, while Motorbase Performance abandoned their Integra and expanded to two ex-works Super 2000 SEAT Toledos, having run one in the closing rounds of 2006. Gareth Howell, who had raced a third Dynamics Integra in the latter stages of both 2005 and 2006, joined the team alongside former Clio Cup and British GT race-winner Matt Allison. Howell ran out of budget mid-season and was replaced first by Tom Ferrier, who had driven the car in 2006, and for the final round by ex-Vauxhall works driver Paul O'Neill.

WTCC Independent squad GR Asia also ran a Toledo for their expansion into the British championship, missing two rounds when their WTCC commitments left them unable to attend. The car was piloted by Adam Jones who had an impressive debut season in the BTCC aboard Xero Competition's Lexus the previous year. The team then added a Leon to their stable for the final three meetings. Former works Vauxhall driver Gavin Smith was behind the wheel for the first two, being replaced in the final round by the returning Rob Collard, who had abandoned his planned switch to the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain earlier in the season after a handful of races.

Quest Racing returned to the championship for a full campaign having joined the field in the second half of 2006, again fielding Irish youngster Eoin Murray in an ex-WTCC Alfa Romeo 156. The 156 was also the vehicle of choice for the brand-new A-Tech squad, with veteran David Pinkney joining the team from Motorbase alongside Richard Marsh, who had appeared in a Peugeot 307 for Team Griffin Racing the previous year.

Other returning independents included Kartworld Racing, who expanded a second ex-WSR MG ZS, with Fiona Leggate joining the team to partner team boss Jason Hughes after two years in a bio-ethanol powered Vauxhall Astra Coupe with Tech-Speed Motorsport, and BTC Racing, who took in a full season with their Lexus IS200s after debuting in the final two rounds of 2006. Chris Stockton remained from the previous year, and was joined by Nick Leason, who initially planned to run an Astra Coupe for Daniels Motorsport as he had done in the latter stages of 2006. Leason left the team after the first three meetings with the team cutting down to one car for Stockton.

Tech-Speed swapped the Astra Coupe for a newer Sport Hatch driven by former Turkish touring car champion Erkut Kizilirmak, who had trialed the car through two appearances for the works Vauxhall squad the previous year, while the list of returnees was completed by Geoff Steel Racing, who again ran Martyn Bell in their older-spec BMW 320i. A 320i was also purchased by former Dutch Supercar Challenge racer Jim Pocklington to race with his own J Team Motorsport squad in the first half of the year.

John George returned to the series for the first time since 2004 in an ex-Dynamics Integra run by former Production class entrant TH Motorsport, with club saloon driver Simon Blanckley also plumping for an Integra in his debut season in the category, running for his own Sibsport team with support from touring car preparation expert Graham Hathaway. Another Integra was entered for the final two rounds by Robertshaw Racing for Alan Taylor, with both team and driver stepping up from the Clio Cup.

The most ambitious of the year's new entries came from the tiny Team AFM Racing outfit, who fielded a self-built BMW 120d, the championship's first ever diesel-powered car, for team boss and long-time production BMW racer Rick Kerry.

With Encke Sport's entry failing to materialize, Nick Leason leaving Daniels Motorsport and Tech-Speed switching to the Astra Sport Hatch, 2007 was the first season since 2000 in which the Vauxhall Astra Coupe did not grace the grid.

• In October 2005 Alan Gow announced that the 2007 championship will be contested by cars complying with the FIA's Super 2000 specification regulations.
• Cars built and raced to BTC-specification were still permitted to compete, although were ineligible for outright championship honours.
• The series had live coverage on ITV's digital channels for the first half of the season, returning to ITV1 for the final five race weekends. Full day's coverage (including support races) moved from MotorsTV to Setanta Sports.[1]

Pos	Driver	BHI			ROC			THR			CRO			OUL			DON			SNE			BHI			KNO			THR			Pts
1	Fabrizio Giovanardi	10	7	2	1*	1*	5	1*	1*	4	6	6	1*	2	2	Ret	8	3	11	5	1*	3	1*	1*	4	6	3	5	1*	1*	2	300
2	Jason Plato	1*	1*	4	3	5	1*	2	6	1*	7	2*	8	7	5	2	5	1*	1*	8	3	4	2	2	5	3	5	3	2	2	4	297
3	Gordon Shedden	8	Ret	Ret	4	Ret	6	Ret	8	2	2	Ret*	4	1*	Ret	4	1*	2*	5	1*	Ret*	5	Ret	3	2	Ret	4	1*	3	Ret	9	200
4	Matt Neal	3	5	1*	5	Ret	7	5	2	5	3	13	6	4	4	Ret	3	4	2	18	2	2	Ret	DNS	DNS	Ret	6	2*	5	3	5	195
5	Colin Turkington	2	2	Ret	7	Ret	Ret	4	5*	17	1*	Ret*	9	3*	1*	Ret	7	9	6*	DSQ	9	6	4*	9	1*	2	2	6	6	4	11	184
6	Darren Turner	Ret	4	DSQ	Ret	6	3	3	Ret	6	4	1*	5	Ret	7	3	12	6	9	6	4	9	3	Ret	15	1*	1*	7	18	11	6	160
7	Mat Jackson	DSQ	8	3	10	4	2	Ret	Ret	DNS	9	4	3	5	6	1*	9	10	4	4	5	7	Ret	4	3	Ret	10	9	7	5	1*	158
8	Mike Jordan	4	Ret	8	6	Ret	8	10	4	3	5	3	10	8	3	9	4	7	3*	7	Ret	DNS	13	5	8*	5	8	4*	Ret	8	Ret	131
9	Tom Chilton	6	3	7	2	3	4	6	3	8	8	Ret	7	6	9	6	15	12	7	3	8	8	6	Ret	9	Ret	11	Ret	Ret*	9	3	130
10	Tom Onslow-Cole	5	15	6	8	2	Ret	8	7	10	Ret	7	2*	9	13	7	10	11	8	2	6	1*	5	Ret	6	DSQ	13	10	10	10	Ret	109
11	Adam Jones	7	6	5	DNS	DNS	DNS							Ret	8	5	2	5	Ret				7	6	Ret	4	7	8	9	12	7	72
12	Matt Allison	12	9	10	11	7	9	7	Ret	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	8	6	8	10	12	10	Ret	9	Ret	12				Ret	Ret	Ret	29
13	Gavin Smith																						8	7	7	7	9	11				17
14	Gareth Howell	9	11	9	Ret	Ret	DNS	11	Ret	7	10	5	Ret	10	Ret	DNS																16
15	Alain Menu																												4	6	12	13
16	Jason Hughes	Ret	Ret	12	12	9	Ret	12	9	9	Ret	8	11	11	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	15	10	11	13	Ret	8	11	Ret	14	12	14	Ret	14	13
17	Tom Coronel																												8	7	8	10
18	Eoin Murray	DNS	DNS	DNS	9	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret				11	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	10	Ret	DNS	Ret				12	Ret	Ret	9
19	John George	19	16	19	14	10	Ret	Ret	DNS	12	17	9	Ret	15	11	Ret	Ret	Ret	19	13	13	17	Ret	NC	10	8	12	Ret	16	13	13	7
20	David Pinkney	20	Ret	13	13	8	12	15	10	13*	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	DNS	16	16	14	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNS	DNS				Ret	Ret	15	5
21	Martyn Bell	13	13	11	15	12	DNS	13	Ret	15	14	12	Ret	13	14	10	Ret	20	20	15	12	16	Ret	Ret	14	9	17	13	Ret	16	Ret	3
22	Tom Ferrier																Ret	14	12	9	Ret	12	Ret	DNS	DNS							2
23	Chris Stockton	11	10	Ret	17	DNS	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	11	10	Ret	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	13	16	Ret	Ret	14	11	Ret	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	2
24	Erkut Kizilirmak	14	12	15	16	DNS	11	17	13	14	13	Ret	Ret	14	Ret	11	14	15	13	11	Ret	11	10	10	Ret				15	Ret	Ret	2
25	Simon Blanckley	16	14	16	Ret	Ret	10	18	11	16	12	Ret	DNS	12	Ret	DNS	Ret	17	Ret	16	14	15										1
26	Alan Taylor																									10	16	Ret	17	Ret	17	1
27	Rob Collard																												11	Ret	10	1
28	Rick Kerry	17	19	18	NC	11	14	NC	14	Ret				17	16	12				DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	16				Ret	15	19	0
29	Jim Pocklington	18	18	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret				16	11	14	18	17	Ret																0
30	Richard Marsh	Ret	17	17	Ret	DNS	DNS	16	Ret	Ret	18	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	13	18	17	14	Ret	DNS	12	11	13							0
31	Fiona Leggate	Ret	DNS	14	Ret	DNS	Ret	14	12	Ret	15	Ret	13	16	15	Ret	Ret	19	18	17	Ret	DNS	Ret	DNS	Ret	Ret	15	14	19	DNS	18	0
32	Nick Leason	15	DNS	DNS	18	Ret	13	Ret	DNS	DNS																						0
33	Paul O'Neill																												13	14	16	0
Pos	Driver	BHI			ROC			THR			CRO			OUL			DON			SNE			BHI			KNO			THR			Pts

• Note: bold signifies pole position (1 point given in first race only, and race 2 and 3 poles are based on race results), italics signifies fastest lap (1 point given all races) and * signifies at least one lap in the lead (1 point given all races).

Note – * denotes engine change penalty

Note – * denotes engine change penalty