The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship has revealed its extended points scoring system for 2012.

From next season, Shenstone-based reigning champion Matt Neal and his rivals will score championship points for finishing in the top 15.

The 15 highest-placed independent runners will also score in the Independents Trophy.

Previously, only the top 10 in both championships were awarded points.

The outright HiQ Teams Championship and Independent Teams Trophy have been similarly altered.

BTCC series director Alan Gow said: “Fundamentally, the new system doesn’t really change that much as we’ve maintained the same spread of points between the top-10 placings as before. However, what this does is to give drivers outside of the top 10 something extra to go for and is thus an extra reward for their efforts.”

The 2012 BTCC season, featuring 10 rounds at top race circuits across the country, will begin on the weekend of March 31-April 1 at Brands Hatch.

BTCC points scoring system 2012 — 1st: 20 points, 2nd: 17 pts, 3rd: 15 pts, 4th: 13 pts, 5th: 11 pts, 6th: 10 pts, 7th: 9 pts, 8th: 8 pts, 9th: 7 pts, 10th: 6 pts, 11th: 5 pts, 12th: 4 pts, 13th: 3 pts, 14th: 2 pts, 15th: 1 pt.

There will also be one extra point awarded to the driver who starts on pole position for the first race of each meeting.

Drivers will also receive one additional point for setting the fastest lap in a race and to the driver who is classified as the race leader, on crossing the start-finish line, during each race.

One point is awarded to each driver who has led each race, irrespective of how many times that driver has led that race.

In the independent drivers and teams trophies, points for drivers are awarded as per the outright drivers championship, but bonus points are not scored.

Points for teams are awarded to each team’s highest-placed finisher only as per the outright drivers championship points system, but again bonus points are not scored.

In the HiQ BTCC Teams Championship, points are awarded to each team’s two highest-finishing cars in each race, provided each car is classified as a finisher in the official results.

Points are awarded as per the outright drivers championship, but bonus points are not scored.

Meanhwhile, in the BTCC Manufacturers/Constructors Championship, points are awarded to a maximum of two cars per registered manufacturer or constructor in each race, provided each car is classified as a finisher in the official results.

Each manufacturer or constructor must nominate their two cars prior to 5pm on qualifying day.

Points are awarded as per the outright drivers championship, yet bonus points are not scored.