BTCC race winner Dan Lloyd has today (3 February) announced he will return for his second consecutive full season on the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship grid in 2022 after signing a deal with front-running outfit EXCELR8 Motorsport.
With the series about to embark on its ground-breaking new hybrid era, the move signals Lloyd’s most serious BTCC challenge to date as the Huddersfield-based racer teams up with title contender and two-time Independent Drivers’ Champion Tom Ingram in the squad’s Hyundai i30 Fastback N machines.
No stranger to the BTCC paddock, Lloyd celebrated four podium visits within the last three events of the season in 2021, turning a tricky start to the year around to demonstrate the benefits of experiencing a full campaign.
“I’m very excited to announce that I’m joining EXCELR8 for 2022,” said Lloyd. “Although I’ve been involved in the BTCC for a number of years, 2021 marked my first opportunity to really show my full potential across the season, and between some great race results and growing my network of partners, it was probably one of my most successful years in motorsport.
“My main goal for the 2022 campaign is to become a more consistent front-runner, and I feel that EXCELR8 has the full package to help me to achieve this. I’m hoping to learn as much as I can from the team and as quickly as possible transfer that into results on the track. It’s going to be great to have Tom [Ingram] as a team-mate and to be able to lean on his experience whilst getting used to the new car.
"Although we enjoyed a hugely successful season in 2021, in a series as competitive as the BTCC, you can’t afford to stand still and have to constantly look for ways to improve,” added Team Owner Justina Williams. “Bringing Dan into the team alongside Tom as we prepare for the start of the new hybrid era adds further strength to our driver line-up, and we’re confident that he will be able to help us work towards our goals for the year ahead.
"Dan is clearly a quick driver as his results in both the BTCC and elsewhere have shown, but he also has a strong understanding of what is required from a racing programme in a commercial sense. We look forward to working with him to make a success of 2022 both on, and off, the track."
Following an extensive pre-season testing programme for Lloyd and the EXCELR8 Motorsport squad in the coming weeks, the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season will get underway at Donington Park on 23/24 April.
