ITV1 announces live BTCC coverage details.

Further details of the five Green Flag MSA British Touring Car Championship race meetings to be screened live by UK terrestrial television channel ITV1 have been released today.

Live coverage - part of ITV1's regular new Speed Sunday brand will start at the BTCC's opening raceday at Thruxton, on 11th April. The final four race meetings of the season, at Knockhill, Brands Hatch, Snetterton and Donington Park in August and September will also be broadcast live.

At Thruxton and Donington, the third of the day's three BTCC races will be televised live after highlights of races one and two. At Knockhill, Brands Hatch and Snetterton, races two and three will be live with a break in between. Race two coverage will include highlights of the day's first race.

ITV1 has confirmed it will screen a BTCC preview feature on 28th March and a season review on 17th October. Highlights of the BTCC's non-championship race on British Formula One Grand Prix raceday at Silverstone will be shown the following weekend within Speed Sunday. This is in addition to further week-delayed one-hour highlights on ITV1 for all non-live championship rounds giving the BTCC in excess of 14 hours of prime airtime on ITV1.

BTCC Series director Alan Gow said: "ITV1's commitment to the BTCC underlines the championship's massive public appeal and will help make the BTCC the biggest show in town for every region of the UK that it visits. This sits extremely well with manufacturers, teams and sponsors, as does, of course, the incredible value for money they each receive from exposure on ITV1."

ITV1's controller of sport Brian Barwick added: "The BTCC fits perfectly into Speed Sunday's line-up alongside Formula One and the World Rally Championship. The racing has drama and action written all over it and is bound to be enormously popular with our viewers. We are sure our live coverage will prove to be very spectacular."

BTCC on ITV1:

Season Preview 28th March
Round 1, Thruxton 11th April LIVE
Round 2, Brands Hatch 2nd May 1 hr HIGHLIGHTS
Round 3, Silverstone 16th May 1 hr HIGHLIGHTS
Round 4, Oulton Park 30th May 1 hr HIGHLIGHTS
Round 5, Mondello Park 20th June 1 hr HIGHLIGHTS
British GP, Silverstone 18th July 1 hr HIGHLIGHTS
Round 6, Croft 1st August 1 hr HIGHLIGHTS
Round 7, Knockhill 8th August LIVE
Round 8, Brands Hatch 22nd August LIVE
Round 9, Snetterton 5th September LIVE
Round 10, Donington Park 26th September LIVE
Season Review 17th October HIGHLIGHTS

The BTCC and its superb line-up of support race championships from BMW, Porsche, Renault and SEAT will also benefit from extensive coverage on satellite television channel Motors TV which will broadcast each raceday live and in its entirety.