TOCA has confirmed that the season finale of the British Touring Car Championship will take place as planned later this month, following advise from the government on elite sport.
A new England-wide lockdown, to prevent further spread of COVID-19, was announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday.
However, elite sport, which the BTCC is classified as, will be permitted to continue behind closed doors during the month-long lockdown.
TOCA has confirmed that the series will proceed as planned, in line with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) classification of ‘Elite Sport’.
It means that the event at Brands Hatch’s Grand Prix circuit on 14-15 November can take place as planned to decide the 2020 BTCC champion.
A statement released by TOCA said: “The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has ratified that ‘Elite Sport’ will be able to continue behind closed doors during this latest period of lockdown. The BTCC is included in that category.
“Therefore, we are pleased to confirm that the final rounds of the BTCC season will be completed as scheduled.
“The BTCC has worked tirelessly to maintain the safety of its drivers, teams, staff and all personnel through its own strict protocols that actually exceed those of the government guidelines.
“TOCA will continue to ensure those protocols are strictly adhered to, so as to provide a very safe and secure environment for all participants at our final event.
“We salute the support and professionalism consistently shown by everyone involved in the BTCC, and acknowledge this is hugely positive news for our drivers, teams and suppliers whose livelihoods depend upon our events.
“Most importantly of all, it will particularly lift the spirits of the many hundreds of thousands of BTCC fans throughout the UK who will be able to watch the finale live on ITV4.”