As the  Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, prepares to blast back into action at Norfolk's Snetterton circuit this weekend (6-7 August), Series Director Alan Gow says the BTCC is in the rudest health possible.

Following a seven-week summer break, the BTCC's teams and drivers are infinal preparations for their first event on Snetterton's new and much longer'300' circuit lay-out. From their bases all around the UK, they will arrivethere on Friday ahead of their practice and qualifying sessions on Saturdayand then the latest three races of their season on Sunday. Former doublechampion Matt Neal and his factory Honda team lead the standings but by justnine points from young charger Mat Jackson, driving for the tremendouslydetermined privateer Ford team Airwaves Racing.In all, five different drivers in four different makes of car racing forfour different teams have shared the wins in the season's opening 15 races.A 26-car grid featuring ten different makes is anticipated at Snetterton.But 2011 is much more than just another season of close racing - it's markedthe beginning of a transitional period for the championship with theintroduction of cars built to the BTCC's new Next Generation Touring Cartechnical regulations.So with just a few days to go before the resumption of the title race, thetiming was perfect for Gow to reflect on the season so far and give hisviews on the BTCC's current condition.Asked how 2011's BTCC compared to those since the championship moved to atrend-setting all 2-litre formula in 1991, Gow said: "The BTCC has gonethrough its toughest period of the last 20 years - we are all still feelingthe effects of the global financial crisis - but, by any measure, it is muchstronger now than at any time this century. Year on year our grid numbersare up, our spectator numbers are up and our TV figures are up."We've been 'swimming against the tide' and, believe me, there are a greatmany sports - let alone other motor sports - that would dearly love to beable to produce the figures and the strong sustained growth that we have."Gow also praised those teams which have gone about developing NGTC-spec carsin full view of Britain's biggest motor racing crowds as well as the glareof live ITV cameras which will, as ever, be in force this weekend atSnetterton.He added: "Many 'armchair enthusiasts' totally underestimate what isrequired to develop a whole new type of front-running car in one of thetoughest touring car championships in the world... in the last couple ofevents we have seen glimpses of what they are capable of doing and no doubtthey will make much more progress as they continue to develop and learn thecars. The NGTC cars are the future of the BTCC and those teams developingtheirs now will be in the box-seat for the future."

Meanwhile, fans still have until midday Wednesday (3 August) to book theirtickets for Snetterton's big BTCC race day at the special advance price ofjust £25 per adult. Admission for children aged 12 and under is free. Moredetails are available from snetterton.co.uk

While the headlining BTCC will be in action three times on Sunday (7 Aug),the event will also include a further 11 races for five high-profilesupporting categories including Ginetta Juniors, Ginetta GT Supercup,Porsche Carrera Cup GB, Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK - theserepresent the very best in saloon, single-seater and sportscar racing.Among them will be Norfolk's Carl Breeze - the King's Lynn racer leads theGinetta GT Supercup standings - and Newmarket's Michael Caine, a titleprotagonist in the Carrera Cup.