British Touring Car Championship supreme Richard West visited a cold and windy Thruxton this week to see some of the teams contesting the series trying out there 2003 cars. Before he left, mahbx.com asked 𒀰a few questions in 📖this exclusive interview about the forthcoming season.

With another British Touring Car Championship season fast approaching, how are things looking for the series?

Richard West: "It's been a tough winter, and I think it is a testimony to a lot of people's hard work that we are now seeing things like Rob Collard out there with a♛ Touring Car, Gary Ayles with two, and Synchro Motorsport have now concluded a deal where they will be running Touring Class as well. With three Vauxhalls, three Hondas, MG still to make their final plans - I think we'll see 17 or 18 cars out there, which i༒s what we were looking for, plus a good back-up from the Production teams.

"In thꦫe current climate it's looking very good and I'm very pleased."

What was the thinking behind the new rule changes for this season?

RW: "What we've tended to do in the last two years is to involve the teams far more i♑n the discussion process. In polling the readers of various magazines, on our web-site, as well as doing some market research, we found there was a fine tuning of the regulations that people were l💟ooking for, to try to make the sport a little more understandable.

"By creating equal distance races, introducing a pit-stop into both, and various other things, what it's done is to make 🎃the formula easier to understand. At a time when we are all trying to raise money, anything that eases communi💝cation to the consumer, and therefore to potential sponsors, is a good thing."

Are we going to be seeing the same TV package this season?

RW: "You are. ITV are now in their second year, through Granada Sport, of their production of the series, and in the same way as last year🐎 we'll have one week delayed transmission of series, of one hour's duration.

"Likewise, we have a two year extension w𒊎ith Green Flag, so we are all working very hard to try to get longevity into the package now."

Also new for this year will be a visit for Rockingham. Is that going to be a trip into the unknown for everybody?

RW: "I'm looking forward to that immensely. Towards the end of last ✨year I visited Rockingham to🌠 meet Ashley Plover and some of his people and have a look at the circuit, and I think it's an ideal Touring Car venue. I think it will be good there, the facilities are superb, and likewise the tie-up with CART on May 5th is another very exciting prospect.

"Obviously we expect to draw a good crowd there, though 💜it means a little bit of movement on our side regarding paddock space and othe🥃r issues. We have two cracking events to look forward to with those meetings."

Are those the personal highlights you are looking forward to this year?

RW: "I think th🎃e highlight is when we actually get the end of a season, people are happy and the sponsors have a good return.

"Every weekend comes out with something s𓆉pecial, we saw some classic racing last year, some very close battles. I particularly enjoy Mondello Park as a venue, a very good meeting, I enjoyed Croft𝔍 last year - and also here at Thruxton where we got big crowds. People are coming back."