TOURING car stars Gordon Shedden and Rory Butcher have praised the groundbreaking introduction of hybrid power into this year's series.

Rounds four, five and six of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) take this place this weekend, at Brands Hatch, and the duo, both of whom have strong connections to Knockhill Racing Circuit, will go in search of more points.

Three-time champion Shedden, 43, clinched top spot in race two of the opening weekend at Donnington Park, having already earned a third place, while brother-in-law Butcher, 35, placed 10th and seventh in races two and three respectively.

The action across the curtain-raiser for 2022 marked the beginning of the series' integrating hybrid power in its race cars, which allows competitors to control when to deploy the system via a button, which gives them up to 15 seconds per lap of additional hybrid power, a benefit that can be used strategically to either attack or defend during race conditions.

Both drivers were impressed, with Halfords Racing with Cataclean's Shedden commenting: "It’s been a great start to this new chapter for the championship and of course it’s brilliant to get the first hybrid win for Halfords Racing with Cataclean.

"This is the first time that everyone’s had a different level of hybrid available to them and I’ve found it a really interesting addition to not only be managing what I want to do but also thinking about what my rivals are doing too.

"It’s definitely elevated the more strategic side to racing which has been really entertaining as a driver and for fans watching along too."

Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's Butcher, whose dad, Derek, is the CEO and owner of Knockhill, noted: "The hybrid element was fun and definitely gives us more to think about, requiring a little bit of strategy with regard to when and where is best to deploy it in order to make the most of it.

"It was a lot of fun – one of the most enjoyable weekends – and looking ahead to the rest of the season, as we become more attuned to it and the varying levels come into play, I think it’ll really add a new dimension to the racing."

Meanwhile, Butcher, who finished seventh in last year's championship, hopes that previous successes at Brands Hatch can ensure better results than the opening weekend.

He posted triumphs at the circuit in both 2019 and 2020, as well as a fastest lap in race three last year, and he said: "It has been a happy hunting ground for me in the past. I won the Formula Ford Festival there in 2009 and my first BTCC race in 2019, and it just seems to suit my style.

"We go back this year with a bit of a point to prove after not achieving what we wanted at Donington due to a failure in qualifying that was beyond our control, but we have an excellent package underneath us in the Toyota Corolla and a fantastic team spirit.

"One of the key differences with hybrid this season is that it has eradicated the up-and-down inevitability of race weekends that the success ballast system used to generate. Now, if you can start towards the front in race one, you have every possibility of scoring well in all three races – and that’s exactly what we intend to do at Brands Hatch."

Coverage of Sunday's race day will be available on ITV4 from 11am-1.55pm, and from 4.55pm-6.35pm, and on ITV from 2-5pm.