BTC cars given reprieve for 2011

Series director Alan Gow had previously said that the cars, which include the Vauxhall Astra Coupe and the Honda Integra-R, would be outlawed for 2011.

But he has now agreed to give the cars a year's reprieve, but will impose a heavier minimum weight limit on them too.

Gow confirmed the news on his personal forum on the BTCC website.

"At our annual teams meeting it was agreed to let the BTC-spec cars have one final year in 2011," he said.

"However their base weight will be +50kg's on this year. Therefore we don't realistically expect to see many BTC-spec cars on the grid.

"As well, the only BTC-spec cars that can still compete next year are those cars that competed in this year's championship...no others are allowed to join."

The decision means that only the six specific BTC cars that competed this year will be eligible to race again.

These are the Integras driven by Paul O'Neill, John George, James Kaye and Lea Wood, Martin Johnson's Astra and Matt Hamilton's Honda Civic-R.

O'Neill was the best of the BTC competitors this year, scoring three podium finishes and taking ninth in the championship.