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New format announced for the 2014 Jack Sears Trophy

By MJP Media | 6 January 2014

Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship organiser TOCA recently announced the new format for the Jack Sears Trophy for the start of the 2014 BTCC season.

Lea Wood won the inaugural Jack Sears Trophy

In 2013 the Jack Sears Trophy, which is named in honour of the first ever BTCC champion back in 1958, was awarded on the basis of the greatest number of class wins during the season by drivers of the lower specification S2000 cars. In its inaugural year, the trophy was awarded to Lea Wood who achieved class wins in more than half of the 30 races throughout the season.

With all competitors in the 2014 BTCC season running cars built to the higher NGTC specifications, the organisers took the opportunity to revise the criteria for the Jack Sears Trophy. With effect from 2014, the trophy will we awarded to the Independent driver who achieves the greatest improvement from their respective grid positions over the entire season. The starting and finishing positions of all Independent drivers will be logged for each of the 30 races and the driver with the highest total number of positions gained over the season will become the Jack Sears Trophy champion.

Dan Welch made up more positions than any other driver in 2013

This prestigious trophy is aimed at rewarding excellent race-craft under intense competitive conditions. It is interesting to note that had the 2014 format been in place last year, the trophy would have been awarded to Welch Motorsport's Dan Welch, being the driver who made up the most positions of any driver in the 2013 BTCC season.

The 2014 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship gets under way at Brands Hatch in Kent on the weekend of 29/30 March, however if you can't wait that long, head to the NEC in Birmingham this weekend for the 2014 Autosport International show where you will be able to get up close to some of the cars and stars of the BTCC. Also on display will be a wide range of vehicles from the world of motor sport as well as high-octane activity in the Live Action Arena to enjoy.

The Autosport International Live Action Arena

Celebrities from all areas of motor sport will be attending the show which opens to the public on 11 January including former F1 racer turned commentator Martin Brundle, F1 star Adrian Sutil, FIA World Endurance Champions Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish plus John Surtees, the only man to have won World Championships on both two and four wheels. For more information about the show, visit www.autosportinternational.com.

A number of British Touring Car Championship teams and drivers are expected to unveil their cars and make important announcements about their 2014 campaign at the Autosport International show and we will bring you all the BTCC news from the show in these pages.

Touring Car content supplied by MJP Media