The 2006 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season was the 49th British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season. As in 2005, there were ten racing weekends at nine different circuits; each round comprising three races, making a thirty round competition in total. Changes for 2006 Teams and drivers The Triple 8-run works Vauxhall effort continued with a trio of entries in their second season with the Astra Sport Hatch. Yvan Muller left the team after six seasons to contest the World Touring Car Championship for SEAT, and was replaced by Italian veteran Fabrizio Giovanardi, a multiple champion in several European series but contesting his first season in British touring cars. Tom Chilton replaced Colin Turkington in the second car after three seasons with the Arena Motorsport-run Honda programme, while Gavin Smith spent a second season in the third car. Turkish touring car champion Erkut Kizilirmak also appeared at two rounds in a fourth entry. Vauxhall's only opposition for a sixth straight Manufacturers title came from SEAT, who replaced its trio of Toledos with a pair of new Leons. Jason Plato again headed their assault, while the second seat was alternated throughout the year between the returning James Thompson (also racing for SEAT in the WTCC) and sportscar star Darren Turner. Both drivers ran at the final meeting with Thompson using his WTCC car. Reigning Teams and Independents champions Team Dynamics ran their pair of self-developed Honda Integra Type Rs for a second year, with champion Matt Neal remaining with his family team. Scottish driver Gordon Shedden graduated from the SEAT Cupra championship to replace Dan Eaves, while Gareth Howell again appeared in a third car later in the season as he had in 2005. In its third year as an independent, West Surrey Racing continued to run its ex-works MG ZSs, in spite of (MG Rover in fact having gone out of business during 2005. Colin Turkington returned to the team after a disappointing year at Vauxhall, partnering Rob Collard, who had been the team's sole driver in 2005. Among the most competitive newcomers to the series were two teams making the transition from GT racing with Team Dynamics' 2005 title-winning Integras. Team Eurotech ran team boss Mike Jordan, the most experienced driver on the grid, back in the BTCC after well over a decade away in sportscar and GT racing. Motorbase Performance ran David Pinkney, another returning veteran, who