Granada Sport unveils 2002 BTCC TV line-up.

Granada Sport has revealed the team that will front its exciting new coverage of the 2002 MSA British Touring Car Championship on all the major regions of the ITV1 network.

Vicki Butler-Henderson has been signed up to present the programme, while Ben Edwards will be the main commentator. The role of expert analyst will be filled by guests, including former drivers and team bosses, at selected races.

Both Butler-Henderson and Edwards are well qualified to talk about the sport, as they each have single-seater race experience.

Vicki rose to prominence as a presenter on Top Gear, but the BTCC opportunity offers her the biggest anchor role yet of her career. Edwards, meanwhile, has years of experience commentating both sides of the Atlantic on Formula One and Indycar. He was a leading contender to fill the shoes of Murray Walker when the veteran retired from ITV's Grand Prix coverage.

"I'm very excited to be involved," said Edwards. "Touring cars are definitely on the up again. Everyone has done a great job building the BTCC's profile in the past year and I'm very proud to be part of the show. I'm looking forward to working with Vicki, too. She's great fun."

BTCC Series Director Richard West welcomed the appointments. "It's a breath of fresh air for the championship - a new-look team to cover a new-look series," he said. 2Ben and Vicki are full of enthusiasm and that will shine through. I think Granada Sport's line-up and expertise will help take the BTCC from strength to strength."

"We are very excited at bringing Britain's premier motor racing series to the ITV regions," said Jim Raven, Managing Director of Granada Sport. "It will complement the network's coverage of Formula One, and give a complete package to motorsport fans around the country."

This year's BTCC will occupy a prime one-hour slot in all the major ITV regions. All 10 events will be televised on a one-week deferred basis, with seven of them screened after Grand Prix qualifying. The shows will be produced by Granada Sport, whose key players have a wealth of experience in televising major sporting events.