

The2002 Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 45thBritish Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season which began at Brands Hatch on 1 April and concluded at Donington Park on 22 September.
The second season of BTC-T rules in the top class saw two new manufacturer backed teams enter, with Honda returning[1] and Proton entering for the first time.
Reigning championsVauxhall again entered four Triple 8-run Vauxhall Astra Coupes. With reigning championJason Plato not returning,[2] 2001 runner-upYvan Muller was partnered byJames Thompson in the Vauxhall Motorsport entries while Thompson's place in the Egg Sport entry was taken byMatt Neal, fresh from a season in theEuropean Touring Car Championship, alongside Production class graduatePaul O'Neill.
MG, who had trialled theirWest Surrey Racing-prepared ZS in the closing stages of 2001 retained experienced touring car handAnthony Reid andWarren Hughes at the wheel.
After a year absenceHonda returned with a pair Honda Civic Type-R's prepared byArena Motorsport, who had previously entered as an independent in 1999. GuernseymanAndy Priaulx, who crossed over fromFormula 3 after impressing on a one off BTCC outing for Vauxhall in 2001, was signed alongside Northern IrishmanAlan Morrison, the 2000 Production (then Class B) champion.
In late 2001 it was announced thatProton would enter a pair of manufacturer backed cars[3] backed by Petronas and run under the Petronas Syntium Proton - Team [PSP] banner. Jason Plato was initially linked with the drive before Scottish veteranDavid Leslie andPhil Bennett, who had been dropped by Vauxhall, were officially announced.
WithPeugeot withdrawing their factory backing,Vic Lee Racing now headed the independents class, which was reinstated after a 1-year hiatus, with their pair of 406 Coupes, and acquired sponsorship from the motoring retailerHalfords.Dan Eaves remained and was joined by 1992 championTim Harvey, moving across from JSM. The pair were joined later in the year byFormula Renault championship winnerCarl Breeze in a third car.
The works MG squad was supported from second meeting onwards by a WSR-run satellite team carrying the name of the girl bandAtomic Kitten as part of a sponsorship deal. This team ran the young pairing of Fiesta racerColin Turkington and Production graduateGareth Howell.
Barwell Motorsport stepped up from the Production class to complete the Touring grid with a pair of ex-works Vauxhall Astra Coupes driven by New Zealandsuperbike racerAaron Slight, who switched to car racing after a successful guest appearance for Peugeot in 2001, and 17-year-old rookieTom Chilton.
Total Motorsport planned to continue running the Lexus IS200 they had run the previous year with a two-car entry forSteve Sutcliffe and Richard Dean[4] and GR Motorsport planned to graduate from the Production Class withGordon Shedden driving an ex-JS Motorsport Alfa Romeo 147[5] but neither of these entries came to fruition.
In the Production classSynchro Motorsport gained the upper hand by stepping up from the Honda Accord to the brand new Civic Type R, recruiting former Honda factory driverJames Kaye from Barwell alongside the returningDave Allan.
The Accords were still campaigned by new squad Beacon Motorsport withLotus Elise championship graduates Mark Thomas and Spencer Marsh, and John Batchelor's team swapped from Integras to a pair of Accords for Jim Edwards Jnr and Batchelor (again under the name of John B-and-Q), who was injured in a crash during the second meeting atOulton Park and replaced by Peter Cate and later Hyla Breese.
Tech-Speed Motorsport continued their Peugeot 306 campaign, with Lotus Elise champion Mark Fullalove replacing Vauxhall-bound Paul O'Neill alongside Annie Templeton, and GA Motorsport also returned with their Alfa Romeo 156s, this time campaigned by series newcomers Graham Saunders and Alan Blencowe, accompanied by 2001 driverGavin Pyper at circuits with enough grid space to accommodate a third car. Pyper received a race ban following an incident at Thruxton and his car was driven by former Ford and Volvo driverKelvin Burt.
Rob Collard also returned in his self-entered Renault Clio but did not contest a full programme.
The big new arrival to the class was Edenbridge Racing's pair of BMW 320is, after their planned 2001 entry never materialised. Their drivers were teenagerTom Boardman in his second year in the class, and experienced German production saloon racer Norman Simon who had raced in the European Super Production championship in 2001.
TH Motorsport also appeared at selected rounds with a Mitsubishi Carisma for Steve Wood.
† Not eligible for points.
All races were held in the United Kingdom (except Mondello Park which was held in Ireland).
| Round | Circuit | Date | Pole position | Fastest lap | Winning driver | Winning team | Production class winner | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | R1 | Brands Hatch (Grand Prix),Kent | 1 April | egg:sport | ||||
| R2 | Vauxhall Motorsport | |||||||
| 2 | R3 | Oulton Park (Island),Cheshire | 21 April | Vauxhall Motorsport | ||||
| R4 | egg:sport | |||||||
| 3 | R5 | Thruxton Circuit,Hampshire | 6 May | Vauxhall Motorsport | ||||
| R6 | Vauxhall Motorsport | |||||||
| 4 | R7 | Silverstone Circuit (International),Northamptonshire | 3 June | MG Sport & Racing | ||||
| R8 | Vauxhall Motorsport | |||||||
| 5 | R9 | Mondello Park | 23 June | egg:sport | ||||
| R10 | Vauxhall Motorsport | |||||||
| 6 | R11 | Croft Circuit,North Yorkshire | 14 July | Vauxhall Motorsport | ||||
| R12 | Vauxhall Motorsport | |||||||
| 7 | R13 | Snetterton Circuit,Norfolk | 28 July | Vauxhall Motorsport | ||||
| R14 | Vauxhall Motorsport | |||||||
| 8 | R15 | Knockhill Circuit,Fife | 11 August | egg:sport | ||||
| R16 | Honda Racing | |||||||
| 9 | R17 | Brands Hatch (Indy),Kent | 26 August | MG Sport & Racing | ||||
| R18 | MG Sport & Racing | |||||||
| 10 | R19 | Donington Park (Grand Prix),Leicestershire | 22 September | Vauxhall Motorsport | ||||
| R20 | Honda Racing | |||||||
| Points system | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Pole position | Fastest lap | Lead a lap in feature race | ||||||
| 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Pos. | Driver | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touring Class (BTC-T) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ret | 1* | 3 | 7* | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1* | 2 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | NC | Ret | 1 | 3 | 183 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 5 | 2* | 1 | 10* | Ret | 1* | 9 | 10 | Ret | 1* | Ret | 1* | 2 | 1* | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | Ret | 163 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Ret* | 2 | 3* | 6 | 3* | 1 | 3 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret* | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 3 | Ret | 145 | |||||||||||
| 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | Ret | 3 | Ret* | DSQ | 2* | 5 | 4* | Ret | 3 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 6* | 1 | 5* | 4 | 8 | 136 | |||||||||||
| 5 | 12 | 5 | 7 | Ret | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | Ret | 4 | 2* | 3 | Ret | 7 | 1* | 11 | 7* | 2 | 4* | 116 | |||||||||||
| 6 | Ret | 8* | 2 | 2 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 3 | Ret | Ret | 2 | 1* | 7 | 2* | 110 | |||||||||||
| 7 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 5 | Ret | 9 | 8* | 9 | Ret | 6 | 6 | 79 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 1* | 8 | 7 | 2 | 4* | 4 | 5* | Ret | 6* | 11 | 16 | 6 | 5* | 10 | 4 | Ret | 5 | 77 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 5 | Ret* | Ret | 6 | 6 | Ret* | 6 | Ret | 5 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 1* | 68 | |||||||||||
| 10 | 2 | 13 | 20 | Ret | 6 | 6 | 12 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 21 | 9 | Ret | 43 | |||||||||||
| 11 | Ret | 7* | Ret | 6 | 5 | 4* | Ret | 5 | 7 | DSQ | Ret | Ret | Ret | DNS | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 | Ret | Ret* | 43 | |||||||||||
| 12 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 11 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 10 | Ret | 9 | 10 | 5 | Ret | 13* | 5 | Ret* | Ret | Ret | 32 | |||||||||||||
| 13 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 7 | DNS | 10 | Ret | DNS | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 9 | Ret | 12 | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | 32 | |||||||||||
| 14 | 19 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 12 | DNS | DNS | 3 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 16 | 11 | Ret | 29 | |||||||||||||
| 15 | 3 | Ret | 11 | 9 | 13 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 8* | 10 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 12 | Ret | 14 | |||||||||||
| 16 | 11 | 6 | Ret | DNS | 14 | Ret | 7 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 18 | Ret | DNS | 7 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 9 | |||||||||||
| 17 | DNS | 16 | Ret | 18 | 8 | 12* | 14 | 6 | Ret | 14 | Ret | DNS | 13 | 7 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||
| Production Class (BTC-P) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | Ret | NC | 12 | Ret | 15 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 17 | Ret | 11 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 210 | |||||||||||
| 2 | 6 | Ret | 15 | 13 | Ret | DNS | 13 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 10 | 13 | 16 | Ret | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 180 | |||||||||||
| 3 | 8 | Ret | 16 | 11 | 17 | Ret | 20 | 17 | Ret | 12 | Ret | 15 | 22 | Ret | 15 | Ret | 17 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 122 | |||||||||||
| 4 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 20 | 15 | Ret | Ret | DNS | 15 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 107 | |||||||||||||||
| 5 | 10 | Ret | 17 | 12 | 21 | 14 | 17 | Ret | 18 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 24 | Ret | DSQ | 20 | 22 | 17 | 20 | 14 | 101 | |||||||||||
| 6 | Ret | 10 | DNS | DNS | 16 | 17 | Ret | 22 | 16 | 15 | 18 | Ret | 19 | 13 | 20 | 22 | 16 | Ret | 17 | 15 | 98 | |||||||||||
| 7 | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | Ret | 13 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 20 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 18 | Ret | Ret | 76 | |||||||||||
| 8 | Ret | Ret | 13 | 14 | 18 | Ret | 18 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 16 | Ret | Ret | 19 | Ret | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | Ret | 69 | |||||||||||
| 9 | Ret | 18 | 26 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 15 | Ret | 18 | 15 | 17 | 19 | Ret | 19 | Ret | 17 | 61 | |||||||||||||||
| 10 | Ret | Ret | 18 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 19 | Ret | Ret | 19 | Ret | 17 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 21 | Ret | 21 | 16 | 61 | |||||||||||
| 11 | Ret | 11 | DNS | DNS | 22 | 15 | 22 | 21 | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | 20 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 20 | Ret | Ret | DNS | 60 | |||||||||||
| 12 | 7 | 9 | DNS | DNS | DNS | DNS | 14 | Ret | DNS | DNS | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 13 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 17 | 24 | 19 | 25 | Ret | DNS | DNS | 19 | 18 | 25 | Ret | 22 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | Ret | 26 | |||||||||||
| 14 | 20 | 21 | 24 | 20 | Ret | 14 | 23 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15 | DNS | DNS | Ret | 16 | 23 | Ret | 23 | 23 | 23 | Ret | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| – | DNS | DNS | Ret | DNS | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | DNS | DNS | 23 | 21 | DNS | DNS | Ret | DNS | DNS | DNS | -16 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| guest drivers ineligible for points | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | 15 | 14 | 0† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pos. | Driver | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts | ||||||||||||||||||||
† Not eligible for points.
| Pos. | Driver | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 13 | 20 | Ret | 6 | 6 | 12 | 7 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 4 | 13 | 7 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 21 | 9 | Ret | 145 | |
| 2 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 7 | DNS | 10 | Ret | DNS | 8 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 9 | Ret | 12 | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | 142 | |
| 3 | Ret | 7 | Ret | 6 | 5 | 4 | Ret | 5 | 7 | DSQ | Ret | Ret | Ret | DNS | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 | Ret | Ret | 126 | |
| 4 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 11 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 10 | Ret | 9 | 10 | 5 | Ret | 13 | 5 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 126 | |||
| 5 | 3 | Ret | 11 | 9 | 13 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 8 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 12 | Ret | 123 | |
| 6 | 19 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 12 | DNS | DNS | 3 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 16 | 11 | Ret | 108 | |||
| 7 | DNS | 16 | Ret | 18 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 6 | Ret | 14 | Ret | DNS | 13 | 7 | 72 | |||||||
| Pos. | Driver | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts | ||||||||||
| Pos | Manufacturer | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vauxhall /Vauxhall Motorsport/egg:sport | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 471 |
| 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 3 | Ret | |||
| Ret | 4 | 4 | Ret | Ret | 3 | 9 | 10 | Ret | 3 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 4 | 4 | NC | Ret | 5 | Ret | |||
| 2 | MG /MG Sport & Racing | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 320 |
| Ret | 8 | 5 | Ret | 11 | Ret | DSQ | 11 | 10 | 7 | Ret | 11 | 7 | 10 | Ret | Ret | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | |||
| 3 | Honda /Honda Racing | 12 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | Ret | 5 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 212 |
| Ret | Ret | 10 | Ret | 12 | 8 | 5 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 6 | Ret | 6 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 4 | |||
| 4 | Proton /Petronas Syntium Proton | 11 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 145 |
| Ret | Ret | Ret | DNS | 14 | Ret | 7 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 8 | Ret | Ret | DNS | 9 | Ret | 8 | 9 | |||
| Pos | Manufacturer | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts | ||||||||||
| Pos | Team | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vauxhall Motorsport | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 161 |
| 2 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 2 | Ret | 2 | 3 | Ret | Ret | |||
| 2 | MG Sport & Racing | 3 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 107 |
| 8 | Ret | Ret | 11 | 7 | 11 | 10 | Ret | 5 | 8 | |||
| 3 | egg:sport | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 87 |
| Ret | Ret | 7 | 4 | 5 | Ret | Ret | 5 | 8 | Ret | |||
| 4 | Honda Racing | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 1 | 78 |
| Ret | Ret | 8 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 10 | 7 | 4 | |||
| 5 | Team Halfords | 7 | 6 | 4 | 5 | Ret | 4 | 7 | 9 | 3 | Ret | 47 |
| 13 | Ret | 6 | 7 | DSQ | Ret | DNS | Ret | 21 | Ret | |||
| 6 | Team Atomic Kitten | 4 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 16 | Ret | 34 | |
| Ret | Ret | 12 | DNS | 9 | 5 | Ret | Ret | Ret | ||||
| 7 | Team Petronas | 6 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 14 |
| Ret | DNS | Ret | 13 | 11 | 8 | Ret | DNS | Ret | 9 | |||
| 8 | Barwell Motorsport | 12 | 8 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 9 | Ret | 12 |
| Ret | 9 | DNS | Ret | Ret | Ret | 9 | 12 | 10 | Ret | |||
| Pos | Team | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts |
| Pos | Team | BRH | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BRH | DON | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Synchro Motorsport | NC | Ret | 12 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 11 | 127 |
| 18 | 19 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 | |||||
| 2 | Edenbridge Racing | 10 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 115 |
| Ret | DNS | DNS | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 22 | Ret | 15 | |||
| 3 | Beacon Motorsport | Ret | 11 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 23 | 15 | 13 | 103 |
| Ret | 15 | Ret | Ret | 19 | 17 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 16 | |||
| 4 | Gary Ayles Motorsport | 11 | Ret | 13 | 18 | 17 | Ret | 12 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 86 |
| Ret | Ret | 15 | 21 | Ret | Ret | 14 | 18 | 18 | Ret | |||
| 5 | Team B&Q Jet York City | Ret | 12 | 14 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 59 |
| DNS | DNS | 21 | Ret | 14 | DNS | Ret | DNS | DNS | DNS | |||
| 6 | Tech-Speed Motorsport | Ret | 14 | 19 | Ret | Ret | 18 | 19 | 16 | 20 | Ret | 43 |
| Ret | 17 | Ret | Ret | DNS | Ret | Ret | 24 | 22 | Ret | |||
| 7 | Collard Racing | 9 | DNS | DNS | Ret | DNS | 10 | |||||
| 8 | TH Motorsport | DNS | 16 | Ret | 23 | Ret | 8 | |||||
| Pos | Team | BHGP | OUL | THR | SIL | MON | CRO | SNE | KNO | BHI | DON | Pts |