BTCC 2001 -2008
Upd: 24 Feb 08
In 2001, control of the BTCC was handed over from TOCA to British Motorsport Promoters (BMP), with ex-Williams F1 Marketing Director Richard West as Series Organiser.
Autotrader ended their sponsorship deal with the BTCC at the end of 2000, with the Automobile Association's e-commerce division taking over title sponsorship. Due to the series being run under Royal Automobile Club sanction, the series was renamed as the 'MSA British Touring Car Championship with www.theAA.com'.
With Volvo, Renault and Nissan quitting the BTCC at the end of 1999, and Ford and Honda quitting at the end of 2000, Vauxhall were left as the only works team. Fortunately, Peugeot decided to enter a two-car team, James Thompson and financial services company Egg arranged a last gasp deal for a two-car semi-works Vauxhall effort, and with privateer Lexus TS 200 and Alfa Romeo 147 entries, things were not quite lost for the BTCC in 2001.