NAPA Racing UK returns for its third season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship... this time as champions.

Ahead of the season opener NAPA Racing UK has proudly unveiled its 2024 lineup and liveries that will be competing across the BTCC and a host of other series'. 

All vehicles will be decked out once again in the iconic yellow and blue colours of NAPA and NAPA Auto Parts, but this season there is an added splash of white to tie in with the US-based NASCAR team.

The Ford Focus STs – prepared by Alliance Racing – proudly displays the #1 and gold plate to identify Ash Sutton as the reigning champion. Whilst the silhouette of the car may look similar to last year, Chief Engineer Tony Carrozza and the team have again worked on the details during the off-season to ensure NAPA Racing UK is again challenging for victories and overall honours.

Ash leads an unchanged driver lineup with Dan Cammish, Dan Rowbottom and Sam Osborne, all aiming to repeat the historic season in 2023.  

Enjoy our exclusive interview with Dan Rowbottom as he talks about his motorsport journey so far and his hopes for the 2024 BTCC season.

Dan is preparing to contest his fifth campaign in the UK's premier motorsport championship, and having taken the Jack Sears Trophy, pole positions and race wins during the first four years, we asked him if a title challenge is next on his list...

As we build towards the much-anticipated 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Season Launch we thought we would take a look back at one of our previous iconic events.

It's ten years since this particular launch at Donington Park and it turned into another classic season as first-time champion Andrew Jordan attempted to defend his crown.

Colin Turkington would eventually go on to claim the title in a championship campaign that also included the likes of Jason Plato, Matt Neal, Alain Menu, Gordon Shedden and Fabrizio Giovanardi.

The 2024 edition is now less than two months away with the event taking place at Donington Park once again, with the 16 April date expected to attract a good crowd at the legendary venue.

Gates will open to the public from 10:00, with Circuit Owner MSV opening its food and refreshment outlets, whilst spectators can get up close and personal with the latest line-up in the open paddock area throughout the day.

Keep an eye across the BTCC, MSV and BARC channels for further information on each event nearer the time.

In case you've missed it... tickets for all events on the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship calendar are now on sale.

The eight circuits visited represent the very best of what UK motorsport has to offer. From Fife to Kent to Northamptonshire, with the trackside viewing and facilities guaranteeing fans get the best experience possible.

Motorsport Vision – circuit owners at Donington Park, Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Snetterton – were the first to launch availability for all of its events.

BARC will be hosting two BTCC race weekends in 2024 – at Thruxton and Croft respectively – and tickets for both are available to purchase online, whilst Knockhill then added its name to the list of venues selling its tin-top tickets for next season. 

Silverstone completed the 2024 line up by releasing their BTCC tickets just in time for Christmas. The iconic British circuit will host the penultimate race weekend, once again running the National layout.

A full weekend programme from the BTCC includes Free Practice and the all-new Quick Six Qualifying format on Saturday, before a high-octane triple header of races taking place on the Sunday. There will also be a full support programme too, so these events are not to be missed for any British motorsport fan!

Here is the full calendar for the 2024 season with further information and ticket booking hyperlinked. We look forward to welcoming you next year!

2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship 

Rounds	Date	Venue/Circuit/Tickets
1, 2, 3	27/ 28 April	Donington Park (National)
4, 5, 6	11/ 12 May	Brands Hatch (Indy)
7, 8, 9	25/ 26 May	Snetterton (300)
10, 11, 12	08/ 09 June	Thruxton
13, 14, 15	22/ 23 June	Oulton Park (Island)
16, 17, 18	27/ 28 July	Croft
19, 20, 21	10/ 11 August	Knockhill
22, 23, 24	24/ 25 August	Donington Park (GP)
25, 26, 27	21/ 22 September	Silverstone (National)
28, 29, 30	05/ 06 October	Brands Hatch (GP)

The Application of Hybrid Technology to the British Touring Car Championship claimed first prize for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Motorsport Engineering at a Silverstone ceremony earlier today (16 February).

The IMechE’s Automobile Division held its annual presentation of the Adrian Reynard Motorsports Medal, an award that recognises an individual or a team of people, working in the field of motorsports engineering, who have demonstrated an outstanding technical achievement or have made a significant contribution to the advancement of engineering in motorsports.

The award, this year, was presented to both TOCA – operator of the BTCC – and Cosworth Electronics Ltd, for their joint efforts in applying hybrid technology to the British Touring Car Championship. 

TOCA introduced hybrid technology in 2021, before its competitive debut the following season, which now sees each car provided with a certain amount of additional ‘boosts’ to use during qualifying and the races.

The technical definition of the hybrid system was led by TOCA and the development and application of the system to the BTCC race cars was undertaken jointly by TOCA and Cosworth Electronics. The two companies worked closely together on this project, which is why they were both recognised.

Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “We are extremely proud that TOCA – alongside its trusted partner in Cosworth Electronics – has been recognised for an outstanding achievement in the field of motorsport engineering.

“It required a huge effort after announcing the project back in 2018 – becoming the first major touring car championship to do so – with everything that then happened in the world significantly adding to that challenge.

“The introduction of hybrid technology has been widely praised and a huge success and we are delighted that its engineering advances have also been rewarded today. Incorporating hybrid ensures the BTCC remains absolutely relevant to manufacturers, sponsors and the public, as well as further enhancing our great racing. 

“It’s important that I acknowledge and thank the outstanding work from Cosworth, the teams, our suppliers and my TOCA Technical Team for playing their part in winning this fantastic award.”

Richard Woodgate, Lead Applications Engineer at Cosworth Electronics, said: “The requirements given by TOCA to Cosworth, to supply the first ever cost-effective Hybrid system for touring car competition was a huge challenge. Using our expertise in the knowledge of drivetrain technology and electronics, we are thrilled to have achieved just that, a turn-key solution that could be used by any formula, with practicality, costs, ease of use and performance at the fore.

“We are very proud of every team member who has contributed to this ground-breaking achievement within the motorsport sector, this award will go towards spurring on our next generation of engineers chasing the demanding challenges of an ever changing, cleaner and efficient motorsport arena.”

We caught up with Power Maxed Racing’s Adam Weaver earlier this week as the Team Principal looked back at an impressive 2023 season for the outfit and ahead to the upcoming BTCC campaign.

PMR enjoyed a memorable season with Mikey Doble and Andrew Watson duelling it out for the Jack Sears Trophy, whilst fans’ favourite Aron Taylor-Smith made a welcome return to the overall podium.

The good news for the team continued with Doble and Taylor-Smith being retained for 2024 – their early signatures providing important consistency and experience for the squad – and now Weaver is looking to complete his line-up for the season ahead.

Click below to listen to the full exclusive interview…

Mikey Doble, 25, ended 2023 as the only non-NAPA Racing UK driver to take pole position. To do so in his rookie season – along with fighting for the Jack Sears Trophy – was certainly no mean feat. The Power Maxed Racing driver reminisces on some highlights on what made 2023 a season that surpassed expectations.

“Coming into your rookie season, you never know quite what to expect.” Doble said. “But I came in with no specific goals other than to just try and hold my own. I didn't want to go out and kind of be off the back or not be able to keep up and give it a proper fight. 

“Obviously the highlight being the pole position at Silverstone, only one of four drivers to do that and the only non-Napa driver in the whole field to score a pole position, that was by far the highlight. 

“We also had other strong runnings with top ten finishes and qualifying fourth at Thruxton. We were solidly in the top ten at Brands Hatch at the finale. There's a lot of positives to take away and I think that we should only be stronger this year.”

The Jack Sears Trophy is a stalwart for drivers of the future with current and four-time champion Ash Sutton being one name to have previously taken the prize. Not only was Doble in contention but team-mate and eventual winner Andrew Watson was also in the fight.

“It was a very captivating battle because we're both from very different racing backgrounds. We're both very new to touring cars and we were sort of the new kids on the block. We had a lot of following from the crowd, which is always nice. 

“It's nice to see PMR back towards the front end again after a couple of years off. It was an interesting battle. We both led the Jack Sears title standings at various points of the season, and it was nip and tuck all the way to the end and that's what makes a good championship.”

In 2023, PMR scored over six times as many points as the team had accrued in 2022, as Doble and the rest of the squad proved they could the mix it at the sharp end of the grid.

“It's a nice position to be in as a rookie because you come into the season perhaps with a car that people aren't expecting any results from. So, you feel like you can only really do good because if you don't do so well, people are like, ‘Well, it's his first season, he's in an older car’.” 

“We've proved that the car is still more than capable, particularly with Árón (Taylor-Smith) and some of the podium finishes he had. We were also outperforming other rookies and other experienced drivers in championship winning cars. There was a lot of good to come from it and I think PMR are firmly back on the map for 2024.”

Doble alone scored more points in 2023 than PMR as a team did in 2022. Along with finishing runner-up in the Jack Sears Trophy he has already been announced, alongside Taylor-Smith, to return to PMR in 2024.

“I'm arguably looking forward to this season more than I was last season. Now I've got a season under my belt, I know what to expect, I've gelled with the team, I know how to work in that sort of environment now whereas I had no experience of that before.

“There's less nerves and more promise. For me, going into the season I want to start strong and pick up where we left off at the end of last year. It's nice to get the announcement done early before Christmas, myself and Árón are both in that same boat. 

“We're just focusing on getting our car developed and improving it going into this year. We've got a little bit of testing planned before the season starts.”

After that strong 2023 campaign, Doble is looking for trophies and championships in 2024.

“Last year I wanted to contend for the Jack Sears Trophy, but this year I definitely want to win it. I think that coming so close last year and arguably having it taken away from me by getting shunted off in one of the races was unfortunate, but it's not all negatives.

“I think I can come into it this year with more confidence that I've got the pace and that I'm a true contender to win it. I'm also going to set my sights on contending for the Independents’ Championship.

“I think that the last couple of rounds we were probably overall the quickest independent runner on the grid. So, with some consistency thrown in throughout the season, there's no reason why we shouldn't challenge for that title as well.”

The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship gets underway with a trip to Donington Park on the 27/28 April. 

Speedworks to field new two-car entry alongside existing Toyota Gazoo Racing UK effort

Speedworks will run four Toyota Corollas in the country’s premier motor racing series this year – two Toyota Gazoo Racing UK entries, and two under the new LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ satellite banner.

Owned by the LKQ Corporation – a leading provider of recycled and manufactured parts – Euro Car Parts distributes car, LCV and speciality parts throughout the UK, the Republic of Ireland and Europe. Boasting more than 330 branches and a comprehensive stock of over 160,000 different parts, the brand operates in three key markets – trade, retail and collision – while SYNETIQ, an IAA company, is Britain’s foremost integrated vehicle salvage and recycling company, maximising the economic and environmental benefit of every vehicle they receive.

To fans of the BTCC – with some 15 million tuning into ITV’s cutting-edge primetime coverage last season – Cook needs little introduction. A familiar face in the paddock since 2015, the West Country ace has tallied no fewer than 18 victories – making him the 19th ‘winningest’ driver in the championship’s 66-year history – 42 podium finishes, three pole positions and 24 fastest laps. It is an impressive set of statistics by any standards. 

Like Speedworks, Cook has twice lifted the Independents’ laurels in the fiercely-contested series – in 2022 and 2023 – while finishing inside the top six in the overall standings in five of the past six campaigns, placing a career-high third in 2021. The 32-year-old is hoping the move to LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ will prove to be the final piece of the puzzle to kick-start his quest to clinch the biggest prize of all – the coveted Drivers’ crown.

The team’s second driver will be announced in due course. Racing will get underway at popular Leicestershire circuit Donington Park on 27/28 April – home soil for the British-built Corolla GR Sport, whose road-going cousins are produced at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) in nearby Burnaston. All of the action season-long will be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV channels.

Christian Dick, Team Principal, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said:

“All of us here at Speedworks are really pumped to launch LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ alongside our existing Toyota Gazoo Racing UK programme for the upcoming BTCC campaign. Having expanded from two cars to three last year, to now take the next step up to run four Toyota Corollas in the series is tremendously motivating for the entire team and a hugely exciting prospect. It’s a well-proven package, and we know there is still more pace and potential to be extracted from it.

“By the same token, we’re absolutely thrilled to be bringing Josh on-board. Having raced against him since 2015, we know just how tough a competitor he is. He’s quick, switched-on and a first-class racer, and the kind of driver who is capable of extracting a result out of any given situation. He’s been a leading contender for the past six years and is very much ready to put together a proper championship push. Hopefully we can help him to achieve that.”

Josh Cook, Driver, LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ, said:

“I’m delighted to be joining Speedworks to compete for LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ in the BTCC in 2024. After sharing the paddock with them in recent years, it has been clear to see how professional and dedicated Christian [Dick] and the entire team are. The Toyota Corolla will be a new challenge for me, and one I’m very much looking forward to getting to grips with during the forthcoming campaign.”

Colin Cottrell, Trade B2B and Marketing Director, LKQ Euro Car Parts, said:

“We’re excited to be continuing our support for the BTCC alongside our new partner SYNETIQ for the 2024 campaign, and to carry on working closely with Josh. We’ve witnessed his success first-hand and are looking forward to seeing him in action as part of LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ and Speedworks this year. Best of luck to Josh and the whole team.”

Tom Rumboll, UK Managing Director for IAA and CEO of SYNETIQ, said:

“We’re thrilled that Josh is joining the LKQ Euro Car Parts with SYNETIQ team. Many of our colleagues and customers are huge motorsport fans, so this is a particularly proud moment for us all. We’re looking forward to following the season and wish Josh – and his future team-mates – the best of luck.”

Chris Smiley and Scott Sumpton will be on the #BTCC grid this season with new entry Restart Racing.

The BTCC Media Team caught up with them both recently and here's what they had to say...

Former Champion Tom Ingram is fully focussed on trying to take back the Drivers’ title this year as the 2024 BTCC season fast approaches.

“It will come around soon enough and we’re looking forward to trying to take it back from Ash (Sutton),” enthused Ingram.

Whilst the EXCELR8 Motorsport driver line-up is yet to be confirmed for 2024, the 30-year-old has had time to reflect on his and the team’s title defence last season.

“I don’t think Ash was that dominant last year,” he continued. “I don’t necessarily think it was like Formula One with Max Verstappen and Red Bull… that was dominant. 

“Ash was just a little bit quicker at some places and if you look at it over the course of the year, take away our bad event at Knockhill, we could have taken them down to the wire. That would’ve changed the course of the season with a car that we also know wasn’t quite right.

“So, I’m encouraged that we were able to challenge all the way through the year – we were probably the only ones that we were able to stay very close to him, which is great, and means the improvements that we’ve got planned will help us to come back really strong for this season, we can fight.”

Whilst the grid for the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship continues to take shape, Ingram only has eyes on his own preparations for the season ahead.

“Ultimately, we’re focusing on our own game, what everyone else does is, is none of my business in the nicest possible way,” concluded the 2022 champ. “So, as long as we keep our heads down and focus on what we need to do and what we are doing… we’ve got a big year ahead of us trying to snatch back the title.

“The package last season was a good one. It was consistent as well. There are some changes coming – big changes and subtle changes – so it’s going to be nice to see how those unfold. 

“A lot of the changes will be based off facts and figures that we saw in 2023 – what worked and what didn’t work – we never really had enough chance to test a lot of those items. 

“We’re still actively pushing for improvements – we’re not just settling for what has worked in the past, so yeah it’s exciting.”

The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship gets underway at Donington Park on 27/28 April, tickets for every event can be purchased here while every qualifying session and race will be broadcast live across the ITV network.