Knockhill BTCC 2026: Full Schedule, Race Timetable, TV Coverage & Streaming Guide
Everything you need for the August 8–9 Knockhill weekend: the official BTCC timetable, Saturday’s new Qualifying Race, all three Sunday race starts, ET conversions for U.S. viewers, and the confirmed ITV, YouTube and RACER broadcast framework.
The 2026 BTCC season crosses into its second half at Knockhill on August 8–9, and this year the Scottish round is bigger than the familiar three-race Sunday. Saturday now includes a 17-lap Qualifying Race that carries championship points and helps shape Race 1.
Knockhill is the sixth event of the 10-event season and hosts Rounds 16, 17 and 18. The official BTCC timetable lists the main Sunday races at 11:15 a.m., 2:15 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. British Summer Time. For U.S. readers, those starts are 6:15 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. Eastern Time.
Broadcasting is unusually strong for a national touring-car championship. ITV remains the UK home through the end of 2026, while RACER carries every BTCC race live in the United States and Canada. Outside the UK and North America, race day is streamed on the BTCC YouTube channel.
Knockhill BTCC 2026 Schedule: Quick Guide
The 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship races at Knockhill on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9. Saturday features practice, qualifying and the new 17-lap Qualifying Race. Sunday contains the three championship races at 11:15, 14:15 and 17:20 BST.
| Key BTCC session | UK time (BST) | U.S. Eastern (ET) | Laps / duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday Free Practice | 10:30–11:10 | 5:30–6:10 AM | 40 minutes |
| Saturday Qualifying | 14:00–14:35 | 9:00–9:35 AM | 35 minutes |
| Qualifying Race | 15:05 | 10:05 AM | 17 laps |
| Race 1 | 11:15 Sunday | 6:15 AM | 24 laps |
| Race 2 | 14:15 Sunday | 9:15 AM | 24 laps |
| Race 3 | 17:20 Sunday | 12:20 PM | 24 laps |
The time conversion is straightforward in August: Scotland is on British Summer Time, UTC+1, while the U.S. East Coast is on Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-4. That makes Knockhill five hours ahead of Eastern Time.
If you are new to touring-car weekends, our car racing guide explains the basic structure of practice, qualifying and races. Our qualifying explainer is also useful before Saturday’s sessions.
Saturday, August 8: Full Knockhill BTCC Timetable
Saturday is no longer just a support day. The 2026 regulations add a Qualifying Race to each BTCC weekend, and Knockhill’s is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. BST after the normal qualifying session.
BTCC free practice runs from 10:30 to 11:10 a.m. BST, qualifying is scheduled from 2:00 to 2:35 p.m. BST, and the 17-lap Qualifying Race starts at 3:05 p.m. BST. In Eastern Time, those begin at 5:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m. and 10:05 a.m.
| Time BST | Time ET | Session | Championship | Laps / duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00–09:10 | 4:00 AM | Free Practice | Scottish Legends | 10 mins |
| 09:20–09:50 | 4:20 AM | Qualifying | Porsche Sprint Challenge GB | 30 mins |
| 10:00–10:20 | 5:00 AM | Qualifying | Caterham Seven Championship UK | 20 mins |
| 10:30–11:10 | 5:30 AM | BTCC Free Practice | BTCC | 40 mins |
| 11:35 | 6:35 AM | Race | Scottish Legends | 8 laps |
| 12:00–12:20 | 7:00 AM | Qualifying | MINI CHALLENGE | 20 mins |
| 13:20 | 8:20 AM | Race | Porsche Sprint Challenge GB | 20 mins |
| 14:00–14:35 | 9:00 AM | BTCC Qualifying | BTCC | 35 mins |
| 14:50 | 9:50 AM | BTCC Pit Lane Opens | BTCC | — |
| 15:05 | 10:05 AM | BTCC Qualifying Race | BTCC | 17 laps |
| 15:35 | 10:35 AM | Race | Scottish Legends | 8 laps |
| 16:10 | 11:10 AM | Race | Caterham Seven Championship UK | 20 mins |
| 16:45 | 11:45 AM | Race | MINI CHALLENGE | 20 mins |
| 17:25 | 12:25 PM | Race | Scottish Legends | 10 laps |
How the Qualifying Race changes Saturday
The 17-lap Qualifying Race is approximately 15 minutes long and awards reduced championship points. The winner scores 10 points, second gets nine, third eight and points continue to 15th.
Unlike the three full Sunday rounds, the Qualifying Race does not award manufacturers’, constructors’, teams’, Independent Drivers’, Independent Teams’ or Jack Sears Trophy points. It also does not award bonus points for fastest lap or leading a lap.
The practical effect is important. Saturday now has real championship consequences. Drivers cannot treat qualifying as the final competitive session of the day.
For readers who want to understand how the starting order influences the next session, our grid-position guide and pole-position explainer cover the basics.
Sunday, August 9: Knockhill BTCC Race Day Timetable
Sunday’s three championship races start at 11:15 a.m., 2:15 p.m. and 5:20 p.m. BST. Each is scheduled for 24 laps. For U.S. viewers on Eastern Time, the starts are 6:15 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 12:20 p.m.
| Time BST | Time ET | Sunday activity | Laps / duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:15 | 4:15 AM | Scottish Legends Race | 8 laps |
| 09:45 | 4:45 AM | Porsche Sprint Challenge GB | 20 mins |
| 10:20 | 5:20 AM | Caterham Seven Championship UK | 20 mins |
| 11:00 | 6:00 AM | BTCC Pit Lane Opens | — |
| 11:15 | 6:15 AM | BTCC Race 1 — Round 16 | 24 laps |
| 11:55 | 6:55 AM | MINI CHALLENGE | 20 mins |
| 12:30 | 7:30 AM | Scottish Legends Race | 8 laps |
| 13:10–13:40 | 8:10 AM | BTCC Paddock Autograph Session (TBC) | 30 mins |
| 14:00 | 9:00 AM | BTCC Pit Lane Opens | — |
| 14:15 | 9:15 AM | BTCC Race 2 — Round 17 | 24 laps |
| 14:55 | 9:55 AM | Porsche Sprint Challenge GB | 20 mins |
| 15:25 | 10:25 AM | MINI CHALLENGE | 20 mins |
| 16:05 | 11:05 AM | Caterham Seven Championship UK | 20 mins |
| 16:35 | 11:35 AM | Scottish Legends Race | 10 laps |
| 17:05 | 12:05 PM | BTCC Pit Lane Opens | — |
| 17:20 | 12:20 PM | BTCC Race 3 — Round 18 | 24 laps |
Knockhill Racing Circuit says gates open at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, with the first race action scheduled from 9:00 a.m. The published programme contains 12 Sunday races across BTCC and its support categories.
The three BTCC rounds are spread across the day rather than run back-to-back. That gives teams time to repair damage, change setup within the regulations and prepare for the next grid.
If you are following the race order live, our race timing guide explains gaps and intervals, while how laps are counted helps when Safety Cars change the rhythm.
Knockhill BTCC 2026 TV Coverage and Live Streaming
In the UK, the BTCC’s 2026 broadcast agreement keeps race-day coverage on ITV4 and ITVX. Saturday qualifying and the Qualifying Race are streamed via ITV’s YouTube operation. In the United States and Canada, every BTCC race is carried live by RACER Network.
BTCC remains one of the easiest major domestic championships to watch. ITV and TOCA’s free-to-air agreement runs through the end of 2026, and ITV’s deal provides at least seven hours of race-day coverage from each event.
The championship’s own 2026 TV page describes around eight hours of live UK coverage across ITV4 and ITVX. It also confirms that qualifying and the new Qualifying Race are streamed live via YouTube.
United Kingdom: ITV4 and ITVX
For UK viewers, ITV4 remains the television home of BTCC race day, with ITVX providing the streaming route. That coverage includes the three BTCC races and a significant amount of support-series action.
Because individual ITV programme start and finish times can be adjusted around other sports, the circuit timetable should be used for the exact race starts. For Knockhill those are 11:15, 14:15 and 17:20 BST.
Saturday’s qualifying content is handled online. The 2026 format puts both qualifying and the Qualifying Race on the ITV YouTube operation, so viewers can follow the grid-setting action before Sunday’s long ITV4 broadcast.
Outside the UK and North America: BTCC YouTube
The championship’s 2026 policy is to stream race day worldwide on its YouTube channel, including support races, except in territories with existing broadcast agreements.
The two main exceptions are the UK and North America. UK viewers use ITV, while North American viewers use RACER.
Highlights
ITV also provides highlights across its channels and digital platforms during the season. Exact highlights transmission slots can change, so the BTCC and ITV programme guides are the safest final check when watching after race day.
Use the official Knockhill race start times as your anchor, then open the correct regional service before the pit lane opens. For U.S. viewers, that means being ready on RACER before 6:15 a.m. ET for Race 1.
How to Watch Knockhill BTCC 2026 in the United States and Canada
Every BTCC race is scheduled to air live in the United States and Canada through RACER Network. Knockhill Race 1 starts at 6:15 a.m. ET, Race 2 at 9:15 a.m. ET and Race 3 at 12:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 9.
The North American deal is important because the BTCC YouTube race-day stream is geo-restricted where an existing broadcast arrangement applies. U.S. and Canadian viewers should therefore use RACER rather than expecting the global YouTube race-day feed.
The championship says all 30 BTCC races are scheduled for the main RACER channel, while support-series programming and extended BTCC highlights are available through the RACER+ ecosystem.
U.S. Sunday watch plan
Race 1 is the early start. A 6:15 a.m. ET green flag means 5:15 a.m. Central, 4:15 a.m. Mountain and 3:15 a.m. Pacific.
Race 2 at 9:15 a.m. ET is much easier for most U.S. viewers. That converts to 8:15 Central, 7:15 Mountain and 6:15 Pacific.
Race 3 begins at 12:20 p.m. ET, or 11:20 a.m. Central, 10:20 Mountain and 9:20 Pacific. It is the most convenient live slot of the three for North America.
| Race | UK BST | ET | CT | MT | PT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 | 11:15 | 6:15 AM | 5:15 AM | 4:15 AM | 3:15 AM |
| Race 2 | 14:15 | 9:15 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:15 AM |
| Race 3 | 17:20 | 12:20 PM | 11:20 AM | 10:20 AM | 9:20 AM |
If you follow several series from the U.S., the structure feels closer to NASCAR than F1 because the BTCC runs three short championship races in one day. For comparison, see our NASCAR viewing guide or our Formula 1 viewing guide.
Knockhill Track Guide: Why the 1.27-Mile Circuit Produces Such Close BTCC Racing
Knockhill is the shortest, most compressed kind of circuit BTCC visits. The official championship profile lists eight corners and a lap length of 1.27 miles.
Knockhill’s own circuit information describes roughly 200 feet of elevation difference from the highest point to the lowest. That is a huge vertical change for a two-kilometre lap.
Duffus Dip
The first major sequence after the start is one of the most recognizable corners in British motorsport. Drivers crest the rise and commit downhill through Duffus Dip, where the road falls away and the car becomes light.
That makes placement critical. A driver who misses the line at the top carries the error downhill into the next section.
Blackcircles Chicane
The chicane rewards aggression, but it also punishes a car that cannot absorb kerb strikes. BTCC cars frequently lift wheels as drivers attack the kerbs.
Engineers therefore need a setup that remains responsive without becoming too stiff over Knockhill’s bumps and elevation changes. Our car-handling guide and grip explainer cover the underlying balance.
Clarks and the run toward the Hairpin
Clarks is another place where exit speed matters. A good run can put a driver close enough to attack later in the lap.
The Hairpin is the obvious overtaking point because the field arrives under heavy braking. It is also where contact can happen if a driver commits from too far back.
For the physics behind following another car before a braking move, see our slipstream explainer.
Why qualifying gaps are tiny
The official BTCC Knockhill page lists Rory Butcher’s 2019 qualifying lap record at 50.451 seconds. When a full lap takes roughly 50 seconds, a tenth is a large percentage of the total time.
That is why a small mistake can move a driver several grid positions. It also explains why traffic management matters so much in qualifying.
The official race lap record is 50.876 seconds, set by Ashley Sutton in 2020. Those figures underline how little time drivers have to recover from an error.
How the New 2026 BTCC Qualifying Race Works
One of the biggest changes for 2026 is the Saturday Qualifying Race. TOCA ratified a format of roughly 15 minutes, adjusted to a circuit-specific lap count. At Knockhill, that means 17 laps.
The race adds a real competitive session before Sunday’s three championship rounds. It also awards half-scale championship points.
| Qualifying Race position | Points | Qualifying Race position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 10 | 9th | 4 |
| 2nd | 9 | 10th | 3 |
| 3rd | 8 | 11th | 3 |
| 4th | 7 | 12th | 2 |
| 5th | 6 | 13th | 2 |
| 6th | 5 | 14th | 1 |
| 7th | 5 | 15th | 1 |
| 8th | 4 | — | — |
Only the event’s standard dry slick or the wet tyre can be used in the Qualifying Race. Option tyres are not permitted in that race.
The Qualifying Race also does not create manufacturers’ or teams’ points. Its scoring is focused on the drivers’ championship, which makes it an extra personal opportunity for title contenders.
For anyone tracking the title, our championship-scoring guide explains why even a few Saturday points can matter late in a season.
Where Knockhill Fits in the 2026 BTCC Calendar
Knockhill is Event 6 of 10. It follows Thruxton and begins the second half of the calendar after the July summer interval.
| Event | Date | Circuit | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apr. 18–19 | Donington Park | 1–3 |
| 2 | May 9–10 | Brands Hatch Indy | 4–6 |
| 3 | May 23–24 | Snetterton | 7–9 |
| 4 | Jun. 6–7 | Oulton Park | 10–12 |
| 5 | Jul. 25–26 | Thruxton | 13–15 |
| 6 | Aug. 8–9 | Knockhill | 16–18 |
| 7 | Aug. 22–23 | Donington Park GP | 19–21 |
| 8 | Sep. 5–6 | Croft | 22–24 |
| 9 | Sep. 26–27 | Silverstone | 25–27 |
| 10 | Oct. 10–11 | Brands Hatch GP | 28–30 |
That position makes Knockhill strategically important. After the Scottish round, only four events and 12 full Sunday races remain.
BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow described the 2026 calendar as a familiar structure with a different flow, partly because major summer sporting events affected ITV scheduling. Knockhill remains the first event after the summer break.
Attending Knockhill in Person
Knockhill’s event page lists Saturday gates opening at 7:30 a.m. and Sunday gates opening at 7:00 a.m. The venue is near Dunfermline in Fife and markets itself as Scotland’s National Motorsport Centre.
Saturday has seven races across the entire programme, while Sunday has 12. Support categories include Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain, MINI CHALLENGE, Caterham Seven Championship UK and Scottish Legends.
That support package matters for spectators because there are relatively few long gaps in the schedule. Even between BTCC races, the circuit stays active.
The venue also schedules a BTCC paddock autograph session on Sunday from 1:10 to 1:40 p.m., though the timetable marks it TBC. Fans attending in person should therefore check the circuit’s final event notice before planning around it.
Knockhill BTCC 2026 FAQs
Conclusion: Knockhill’s 2026 Weekend Is More Than a Three-Race Sunday
The 2026 Knockhill BTCC weekend is one of the easiest rounds to plan because the official timetable is unusually clear. Saturday begins the BTCC programme with free practice at 10:30 a.m. BST, qualifying at 2:00 p.m. and the new 17-lap Qualifying Race at 3:05 p.m.
Sunday delivers the familiar three-race BTCC format. Race 1 starts at 11:15 a.m., Race 2 at 2:15 p.m. and Race 3 at 5:20 p.m. BST. U.S. viewers can translate that to 6:15 a.m., 9:15 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. ET.
The broadcast setup is also strong. ITV4 and ITVX serve the UK, RACER carries the three races in the United States and Canada, and the championship’s YouTube race-day stream serves territories without those existing agreements. Saturday’s qualifying and Qualifying Race are streamed through ITV’s YouTube coverage.
Knockhill itself is only 1.27 miles long, but that is exactly why it creates such intense touring-car racing. Eight corners, major elevation change, high kerbs and the heavy-braking Hairpin keep the field close and make small qualifying differences important.
Most importantly, the Scottish round now carries more championship weight than in previous seasons. The Saturday Qualifying Race adds points before the traditional Sunday triple-header even begins.
For fans, the simple plan is this: watch Saturday for the grid-setting drama, then be ready for three 24-lap races on Sunday. Knockhill may be one of the shortest laps of the season, but the 2026 weekend is one of the fullest.
