The 2009 British Touring Car Championship entry list is in, and at 21 cars I don’t think that’s bad at all, given the way the world is at the moment. Five down on last year’s grid, but considerably better than the dozen or so that started the 2005 season.

There’s a bit of a change this year, with the manufacturers championship being extended to include constructors – teams without manufacturer support but who build their own cars. So it’s not just VX Racing with the Vauxhall Vectra up for that title, but also Team Aon with the Ford Focus, and Team Dynamics (no longer as Team Halfords) with the Honda Civic.

Those three teams should all be fighting at the front for victories, but there at least a couple of independent teams with Super 2000 specification entries which will be hoping to be up there too. Team RAC is back exactly as last year, and that stability could well prove beneficial. Sponsorship for the Motorbase team sees them competing as Airwaves BMW in 2009, and after a strong end to 2008 they should be very competitive.

The Chevrolet Lacetti hasn’t had as much success in Britain as it did in the WTCC, but Tempus Sport is fielding a pair once more, and will hope to make a step forwards. Cartridge World Carbon Zero Racing is entering the only SEAT Leons, though Maxtreme is also running a Super 2000 SEAT Toledo.

The number of BTC cars is down to five from eight last season. Andrew Jordan – now at VX Racing – was the only person to achieve a podium in a BTC car last year, which he did twice, but I don’t think we’ll have any this year.

Despite noises from several teams over the winter that they’d run a third car should budgets allow, VX Racing is the only team running three cars. Which is hardly a surprise.

Other stories from the winter have failed to materialise. The Volvo team with Jason Plato at the wheel, for example. No sign either of James Thompson, who tested for a number of teams in recent months – including Tempus Sport, where there is one driver yet to be named. Also notable by their absense as of now are Mat Jackson, who was hoping to be back in his very successful family-run BMW, and Tom Onslow-Cole, who won races for VX Racing last year. With two spots on the grid still up for grabs – at Team Aon as well as Tempus Sport – we should see one or two of those drivers in 2009 at least.

Just quickly on the TV coverage, ITV4 will be showing all three BTCC races at each meeting live this year, resulting in even more hours live on a Sunday. Which is a good thing. I’m not so keen on the presentation team of Steve Ryder, who I consider broadly pointless, and Louise Goodman, who’s not quite abrasive enough. But Ben Edwards and Tim Harvey remain in their commentary positions, and that’s the most important thing.