A capacity 32-car grid will blast off at Brands Hatch this weekend when the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season starts in Kent.

The 2016 line-up - which includes 11 different marques - represents the largest ever full-season entry in the championship’s history.

Wrotham-based Motorbase Performance will be looking to continue their fine form from 2015, which saw the squad dominate the last round at Brands in October.

Team bosses have signed 2013 champion Andrew Jordan for the new campaign, who will partner Motorbase stalwart Mat Jackson in a Ford Focus.

Team manager Oly Collins, who gave KentOnline an exclusive tour of his squad’s Tower Industrial Estate workshop over the winter, says pre-season testing has gone to plan.

He said: "We've had a really positive pre-season with our cars running the new RML components and we've managed to get a fair amount of miles under our belt.

"It’s a very difficult one to predict this season as we've all kind of hit the reset button with the new suspension kits and we've all had to start afresh.

"Andrew and Mat have been working really well together during the close season and hopefully they can continue to do the same on track. Our target is simple - we're here to win the championship - but I guess that’s the same for everyone before the lights go out.”

Goudhurst’s Jake Hill will start his first full BTCC campaign aboard a Team HARD Toyota Avensis.

The 22-year-old, who announced his deal earlier this month, will partner Chris Smiley and Michael Epps at the Dartford-based team.

Hill will line up alongside Team BMR’s four Subaru Levorg estate cars, which will take on three Halfords Yuasa Racing Hondas and two MG Racing RCIB Insurance MG6s among the entry list.

They will join Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher, who will make his BTCC debut this weekend in a Power Maxed Racing Chevrolet Cruze.

Adult tickets cost £15 on Saturday and £33 on Sunday for raceday. Admission is free on both days for under 13s. Action starts at 9am on Saturday and 10am on Sunday. Visit www.brandshatch.co.uk for details.