Given how late the BTCC grid was formed this year, it’s amazing that eyes are already on who will be where in 2010. I don’t think we’ll know much before February. But hey, it’s fun to speculate.

What we do know is that Vauxhall won’t be there, meaning there will be no manufacturers. Or does it?

EDIT: The quotes that follow come from Crash.net. Though I linked to the source material, as a commenter pointed out, I didn’t credit Crash.net in the text. Apologies for that.

Team Dynamics are working on getting more Honda involvement, so that’s one potential manufacturer. With no VX Racing, it looks like the boss’s son, Matt Neal, will come back to the team.

It’s interesting what Steve Neal has to say about other drivers. The Honda team could be the main project, with a Team Dynamics squad for those who want to “pay a lump sum and drive the car,” who Neal is “careful” to refer to as “amateurs”. Dave Pinkney, we’re looking at you. It would be interesting to have a clear distinction between those in a top team such as Dynamics on merit, and those, well, not.

Another potential manufacturer is Chevrolet, after the success RML had as Racing Silverline this season with Jason Plato and Mat Jackson in the Lacetti. But theories around this are mixed.

Steve Neal is under the impression that “the Lacettis are pretty much sold,” and a big sponsor would be needed for RML to run the Cruze in the BTCC, as it has been in the WTCC this season.

Jason Plato, meanwhile, seems more optimistic. The least he’s hoping for is as this year, with sponsors he’s worked with personally, and potentially the Cruze. But with Vauxhall both out of the championship and no longer part of GM, Plato says there’s “a great opportunity” for manufacturer backing from Chevrolet.

Then, like last year, there’s the chance that Volvo could come to the British championship. Plato is still involved in that project: “I have first option on the number one seat there.” So that’s the third potential manufacturer we know about.

What about other teams? Having won the championship, hopefully WSR will be back in the guise of Team RAC.

Similarly, it would be a shame if Motorbase didn’t return as Airwaves BMW. There has to be a question mark over Airwaves though, the company having already announced that it will not continue its sponsorship of championship winners GSE Racing in British Superbikes.

Having developed the Ford Focus into a front-running car, Team Aon, run by Arena, are already talking about winter development and next year, so signs are that they should be on the grid.

Similarly positive noises are coming from bamboo engineering, having obtained a second Lacetti to run alongside that of Harry Vaulkhard next year.

But after the late drop-outs and late entrants this season, I’m taking nothing for granted until we see the cars on the grid at Thruxton next April.