BTCC: 2020 Calendar Announced; two visits to Silverstone

Sunday morning saw the 2020 British Touring Car Championship calendar announced with a shake-up to the calendar.

Normally the BTCC calendar remains very static with minor tweaks but for 2020, the series will head to Silverstone twice and Donington Park will host the series opener rather than Brands Hatch in March.

The first visit to Silverstone will take place at the National Circuit which is what the championship uses now anyway in September. Now, the September Silverstone date will see the drivers tackle the International layout.

This season, the BTCC will head to Thruxton on two occasions so the two Silverstone races next year will effectively take over that mantle. It is a great move from Alan Gow (BTCC Chief Executive) as it is much better to race on two different circuits rather than using the same layout twice in a season.

2020 British Touring Car Championship Calendar

28/29 March: Donington Park (National)
11/12 April: Brands Hatch (Indy)
25/26 April: Silverstone (National)
16/17 May: Thruxton
13/14 June: Oulton Park (Island)
25/26 July: Snetterton (300)
15/16 August: Croft
29/30 August: Knockhill
26/27 September: Silverstone (International)
10/11 October: Brands Hatch (Grand Prix)

Other changes include Oulton Park and Knockhill moving two weeks earlier than their current dates and the Croft round moving to the middle of August.

Brands Hatch remains as the season finale in October but it is the first time in 15 years that Donnington will open the new season.

Overall, it is a big improvement and the only negative is that there isn’t enough BTCC action! It has some of the most exciting racing in the world and BTCC fans want more. That said, you can’t have too much of a good thing.

I would like to see Anglesey used so that there is a round in Wales, as currently there is no Welsh event.

Using the Silverstone International Circuit plus keeping the National Circuit is perfect. Both will create some brilliant racing and the International Circuit does not use the same parts as the National layout so it will present new challenges for the drivers and teams.

The BTCC has got its 2020 calendar absolutely spot on.