The BTCC’s great 8 – who will win Brands Hatch showdown?

But that’s the way Britain’s biggest championship rolls. A perfect storm of finely honed rules that ensures pretty equal machinery, plenty of evenly matched drivers and a three-race weekend format with success ballast and a reversed grid thrown in means it’s tough – and tight – at the top. A record 12 different drivers have won at least one race so far – for eight different marques – which proves beyond any doubt just how competitive the series is.

Ahead of the title showdown on Sunday, here’s our little guide to who’s in the frame, in order of their current position in the points table, how they’ve fared in the 27 races of the year to date, and who we think will nail it. 

Sam Tordoff, BMW – 278 points, 2 wins

The West Surrey Racing BMW driver, who’s only in his fourth season in the BTCC, has led the points since race number 19, the opening salvo at Knockhill. The 27-year-old has won only twice but he’s been very consistent in the Dick Bennetts-run 125i M Sport. The team has won two titles for BMW, with Colin Turkington, so knows the deal.

Gordon Shedden, Honda – 267 points, 4 wins, 2 poles

Two-time champion ‘Flash’ has fought back from a dismal first half of the year, where he shouldered the bulk of the poor luck in the Dynamics Honda squad. He won during the opening weekend but didn’t take another scalp until race 18, at Snetterton. Wins at Rockingham and Silverstone in the past two rounds have brought him right back into contention.  

Matt Neal, Honda – 265 points, 3 wins

The veteran racer has been fast and consistent in 2016, scoring points in 26 of the 27 races – only missing out on the penultimate lap of the opener last time out at Silverstone thanks to a puncture. He’s also won three times. In fact, Neal can match the great Andy Rouse’s tally of 60 wins this weekend to go joint second in the all-time list.

Rob Collard, BMW – 261 points, 2 wins

Two victories – at Donington Park and Croft – and plenty of solid points hauls have helped Sam Tordoff’s team-mate to mount a serious challenge in 2016. Collard’s known for getting his elbows out when he needs to, but that’s been tempered of late with intelligent drives to rack up the points.

Mat Jackson, Ford – 257 points, 4 wins

Now the most successful BTCC driver, in terms of race wins (29), without a title, Jackson deserves to land his first crown. He’s stayed loyal to Motorbase in their mutual quest to win the big one and his seventh season with David Bartrum’s squad may yet pay dividends. He’s won four times, as many as anyone, and heads his highly rated former champion team-mate Andrew Jordan by 10 points.

Andrew Jordan, Ford – 247 points, 2 wins

Ahead of long-standing Motorbase team-mate Jackson in the points at various stages of the year, former champion Jordan has settled in well in his first year in the Focus. He’s had to dial in three different cars in the past three years, remember, and without some poor luck this year he’d certainly be higher up. Nonetheless, he took two strong wins – at Thruxton and Silverstone – and is heading to Brands with his sleeves rolled up ready to get stuck in.  

Colin Turkington, Subaru – 241 points, 3 wins, 2 poles

The two-time champion, who clinched both his titles at Brands showdowns in 2009 and 2014, has been the leading player in the all-new Subaru squad. After a slow start, during which the team got a handle on the new Levorg and engineered speed and reliability into it, Turkington flew, taking three race-one wins on the bounce – at Oulton Park, Croft and Snetterton. There may well be too much to do too late this time around, but you never know…

Jason Plato, Subaru – 220 points, 1 win, 1 pole

The championship’s biggest name and, in terms of outright race wins, its most successful by miles, JP has the most work to do at Brands. He won superbly from pole at Knockhill to maintain his incredible strike rate in the BTCC, but a third title for the Subaru man would require a miracle. He won’t give up until it’s over, though, and heads to Brands with nothing to lose.

Predicting a winner is nigh-on impossible with so many protagonists and so many points on offer, including for taking pole, leading a race and setting fastest lap. But we reckon Gordon Shedden is in a pretty good place to make it title number three, as long his late-season speed/reliability/luck combo holds. All we can say, with utter certainty, is that it’ll be a mega weekend and the bloke with the most points after race three will win it!