The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship title race looks set to go down to the wire this year and this weekend’s (October 24/25) annual trip to Snetterton for the penultimate meeting of the season will be critical in deciding who will head to into the finale in contention.

Blasting into life back in August, it has proven to be another vintage year of high drama and entertainment in the BTCC – and it is only set to continue as the series speeds into Norfolk for what will undoubtedly be three pulsating contests.

As it stands, with six races remaining, a total of 11 drivers remain in mathematical contention to claim the country’s most coveted motorsport prize however it is the top four where things are extremely tight.

Recent rounds have seen the pendulum swing back and forth in the battle for supremacy but it is Laser Tools Racing’s Ashley Sutton that tops the table heading into the weekend.

Bidding to become champion for a second time, the Infiniti Q50 driver has been superlative since the opening round and has bagged four wins alongside a string of astounding comeback drives to ease into a slender seven point lead over Halfords Yuasa Racing’s Dan Cammish.

Once again showcasing consistency is key when it comes to launching a title challenge, Cammish has played the long game and brought himself back into the fight over recent rounds. The Honda star has established himself as a force to be reckoned with and will be one to watch around a circuit that should be well-suited to the Civic Type R.

Reigning champion Colin Turkington remains firmly in contention as he chases a historic fifth crown. The Team BMW driver has been in the thick of the action recently and trails Sutton by 12 points; but with a wealth of experience, the Northern Irishman can’t be discounted at all.

Arguably donning the mantel of being the dark horse in this year’s battle for supremacy is Toyota Gazoo Racing UK with Ginsters star Tom Ingram. It has been a year of highs and lows for the Corolla ace but he fought his way into the title scrap and you can bet he will be throwing everything he has to close the gap even further.

Team BMW’s Tom Oliphant and Motorbase Performance’s Rory Butcher round out the top six in the points and both will be optimistic they could be in with a shout if things fall their way, however both will need big scores at Snetterton to keep their hopes alive.

Beyond the main protagonists, the likes of Matt Neal, Jake Hill, Adam Morgan, Tom Chilton, Josh Cook and Senna Proctor are just a handful of names that will be in the mix for outright honours – adding further to the intrigue of what is to come.

Snetterton will see a one-off qualifying format undoubtedly add further entertainment to the series in the shape of a ‘pole position showdown’.

Replacing the usual 30-minute session, drivers will have a marginally reduced window of 25 minutes to record their lap times next Saturday. The fastest ten competitors will then progress to a ten-minute pole position session to determine the top ten places on the grid.

With every point proving crucial and three races set to take centre stage on Sunday, the chase for the BTCC title is very much on and it’s not to be missed.

To view more information on this weekend’s event, including links to the timetable and live timing, click here.