The wraps have officially come off Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship contender, sporting a livery reminiscent of the brand’s ultra-successful, multiple World Championship-winning FIA WEC and WRC models as the Speedworks Motorsport-run squad targets title glory in the country’s premier motor racing series.

After achieving impressive results with a single-car effort since 2014 – recording 16 race wins, 41 podium finishes and back-to-back Independent Drivers’ and Teams’ crowns – the forthcoming campaign marks Speedworks’ expansion to two cars for the first time in eight years.

Former BTCC Independents’ Champion Rory Butcher and series returnee Sam Smelt will pilot the Northwich, Cheshire-based outfit’s brace of Motul-backed Toyota Corollas, which will take to the track to begin Toyota Gazoo Racing UK’s pre-season testing programme later this week, starting at Donington Park before moving on to Snetterton and Brands Hatch.

The action will then get underway in earnest on 8/9 May at super-fast Thruxton – scene of a superb double victory for the British-built Corolla last September. Every race will be televised live and in high-definition on ITV4.

Rory Butcher, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“I think the new livery is amazing! It’s typically Toyota, and it looks so cool with the red and black lines against a white background – it’s unmistakably a member of the Toyota Gazoo Racing family. It will definitely stand out on the BTCC grid, and I’m so excited to be carrying such iconic colours this year.

“I’ve got to say, I’ve settled into the team very well. All the guys and girls have made me feel extremely welcome from the outset, and everybody is so focussed on the objective of fighting for the championship, pushing hard in every single area to ensure we really maximise our performance.

“I’ve been getting to know the mechanics and my new engineer Paul Ridgway, who has been involved in the BTCC for a long time and arrives with an excellent reputation. My brother-in-law Gordon Shedden – who worked with Paul a couple of years ago – gave him a ringing endorsement too, so I’m excited to see what we can accomplish together.

“The whole vibe right now is hugely positive, and I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the first test at Donington Park. I’ve been counting down the days ever since I signed up, and having raced closely against the Corolla over the past couple of years, I can’t wait to climb behind the wheel for myself and discover what all the buzz is about!”

Sam Smelt, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“I was at the team workshop when they were just starting the wrapping process, so it’s fantastic to now see the Corolla up close in the flesh with my name on the side. I think it looks really striking and reinforces the team’s ties with Toyota Gazoo Racing, a brand that has become synonymous with success in recent years. That’s a really powerful association and great motivation for all of us.

“After testing the Corolla for the first time towards the end of last year on a wet and greasy day at Snetterton, I’m looking forward to hopefully benefitting from some proper running over the next few days and really familiarising myself with the car. I’m excited about getting into the groove and back into ‘touring car mode’ following a couple of years away – it feels a bit more real with every passing day.

“The start of the campaign is now less than seven weeks off and it’s coming around fast. I’ve not been to Thruxton since 2018, but it’s a great place to begin the season and obviously the Corolla was super-strong there last year, so I think it’s fair to say the whole team will return with a great deal of optimism and ready to fight up at the sharp end. ”

Christian Dick, Team Principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, added:

“We’re delighted to show off the Corolla’s ‘new clothes’ for 2021! Since first gaining official BTCC ‘Manufacturer’ status two years ago, we’ve worked hard to foster ever-closer relations with Toyota Gazoo Racing and to now see not just one but two Speedworks-built touring cars in the brand’s signature red, black and white colour scheme is a very special moment indeed. I must also pay tribute to Motul and [official UK importer and distributor] Witham Motorsport for their ongoing support in stepping up to the role of Primary Partner this season.

“I have no doubt that the cars will look even better at speed, and we are all excited to go testing this week to try out everything we’ve been working on back at base over the winter months. We are quietly confident of taking another step forward with the Corolla this year, and once the action gets underway, we look forward to seeing the Toyota Gazoo Racing colours where they belong – right at the front of the pack.”

British racing driver Nic Hamilton has today (19 March) been confirmed as the final driver on the upcoming Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship grid, completing Team HARD. Racing’s new-for-2021 Cupra Leon line-up.

Remaining with the team in which he achieved his best qualifying position and first points paying finish, in a Volkswagen CC in 2020, there’s great excitement for what a second consecutive campaign with the squad will bring, as Hamilton remains at the wheel of a ROKiT Phones and ABK Beer sponsored car this season.

The team has been working hard to build the brand-new quartet of Cupra Leons for the upcoming season, including Hamilton’s adapted machine, which allows him to compete with cerebral palsy. With the newest cars on the BTCC grid, the team will be aiming to move up the order in 2021.

“I am enormously proud to be back on the BTCC grid this year,” proclaimed Hamilton. “A lot of hard work and physical conditioning ensures I can participate in the sport and I am grateful to ROKiT Phones, ABK Beer and my other partners for their continued support and belief in me. Having accomplished some great personal results last year, in what was a difficult car to drive, I cannot wait to get behind the wheel of our new Cupra Leon and start a new chapter with Team HARD.

“Team HARD has made a huge decision to invest in the new car programme and I’m thankful for the decision to welcome me into their fold again. I really believe we can achieve some great results and memorable moments together this season. There’s a lot to look forward to.”

“It’s great that Nic has chosen to remain with the team for 2021,” added the squad’s Managing Director, Tony Gilham. “He was a fantastic asset last season, and his determination was rewarded with this best qualifying position and first BTCC points finish at Brands Hatch. These results only add to our optimism about what we can achieve together this year in our all new Cupra Leons.

“We made the decision to replace our trusted Volkswagen CCs midway through the season in 2020 in favour of the then to be released Cupra Leon. The engineers have done a great job to design the car from the ground up and have been working in cohesion with the mechanics who have built the cars. Team morale is high and the signing of Nic has only raised their spirits higher.

“Nic has a wealth of BTCC experience, and his specially adapted car is well into the build process. I look forward to seeing Nic and the car’s development as he continues to work alongside Jack [Goff], Glynn [Geddie] and Aron [Taylor-Smith]. We have a very strong line-up.”

“We are delighted to continue our support for Nic as he pursues his ambitions in BTCC,” said Jonathan Kendrick, Co-Founder & Chairman of the ROKiT Group of Companies. “He’s a tremendous inspiration for so many people and a great Ambassador for ROKiT and, in his new car, I’m confident that we’ll see his talent really shine through this year.”

With just 50 days remaining until Thruxton’s season opener, Hamilton and his new ROKiT stealth liveried Cupra will be heading out on track next week as his pre-season test programme gets underway.

Team Dynamics has today (18 March) announced Dan Rowbottom as its second driver as part of a multi-year partnership between Halfords and Cataclean. 

Rowbottom made his BTCC debut in 2019 when he contested a full campaign with Ciceley Motorsport, before the Worcestershire driver was forced to take a sabbatical last season. The 32-year-old will team up with Gordon Shedden in the Honda Civic Type Rs following the recent announcement confirming that the triple champion will also be returning the UK’s premier motorsport series. 

Halfords’ history in the sport dates back to sponsoring Team Dynamics in the squad’s championship winning years of 2005 and 2006. After a break from the sport, they returned in 2016 to instantly grab another title.  

Cataclean has been in the BTCC paddock for several years, with Rowbottom as their charger, having started in Clio Cup UK and more recently progressing to the BTCC grid.  

“For me this an absolute dream come true and I’m really looking forward to the season ahead,” said Rowbottom. “This is a great opportunity for me with a topflight team and the continued backing of Cataclean. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and see what this car can do, I’ve been studying the data and it looks fast on paper and has been proven to be fast on track, so I’m really excited to finally go testing next month.” 

“This is a great partnership for us,” said Team Manager James Rodgers. "In these uncertain times, to get a multi-year deal, means we can continue to invest and develop in our BTCC programme. Both drivers are highly motivated, and we hope for great things in 2021.” 

“This partnership makes sense for Halfords on many levels, particularly as we develop our motoring services platform across our UK-wide retail stores, Autocentres and Halfords Mobile Expert vans,” added Halfords Group Marketing Director, Lisa Bond. “It is also a hugely exciting time for the BTCC and looking ahead to 2022, the Hybrid development aligns very well with our strategy on electrification as we all move towards an electric and hybrid future. I can’t wait to get to see the team in action.” 

“We are delighted to be working with Team Dynamics and Halfords,” reflected Cataclean’s Managing Director, Ross Baigent. “Having been in and around the BTCC paddock for several years now, we know this is the perfect Championship for us to be in to build our brand and educate people on our fantastic range of products. Halfords are our largest high street retail partner, so this relationship provides a great synergy for our business. We wish Daniel and Gordon all the best for the coming season.” 

“Firstly, it is great to welcome Cataclean to the team and continue our long-standing relationship with Halfords,” concluded Team Dynamics’ Director, Matt Neal. “Secondly, I am going to be taking a year out of the sport this season, but I will still be representing Halfords as a Brand Ambassador and acting as a mentor, both on and off track, for both drivers. Honda and Yuasa have both decided to focus on different challenges this year so we have been working hard over the winter to pull a package together that will still see us contending at the sharp end of the grid and ultimately achieve our goals and aspirations, which is winning titles! I’m really excited for the coming season.”  

WSR is excited to today (17 March) reveal the livery that its three Team BMW 330i M Sports will carry in the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Sporting a revised colour scheme, the trio of black BMWs will be raced by four-time series champion Colin Turkington, and race-winners Tom Oliphant and Stephen Jelley this season.

Bearing the iconic BMW M stripes in Bavarian Blue, violet and red on a menacing matte-black base, the new-look race cars pay homage to some of BMW Motorsport’s greatest successes in GT and touring car racing of the past decade.

In 2020 Team BMW claimed the Teams’ title while BMW equalled the series' all-time record of five consecutive Manufacturers’ crowns, bringing WSR to a total of 14 BTCC championship successes.

The trio of 3 Series will carry the new livery on-track for the first time on 23 March at Brands Hatch as pre-season testing continues over two days.

The BTCC season begins at Thruxton on 8/9 May and comprises ten triple-header events the length and breadth of the country. All 30 races will be screened live on ITV4 in high definition.

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said:

“It’s been an intensive winter for WSR and Team BMW, but despite the 2020 season concluding a month later than we’re used to, we’ve still been able to work through a comprehensive development programme for the BMW 330i M Sport. We began our 2021 test programme at Silverstone last week and were pleased to see that most of the upgrades we’ve added to the car have had the desired effect. The new livery, created by Nick Moss Designs, looks fantastic and I can’t wait to see all three cars in formation when we continue our pre-season testing at Brands Hatch next week.”

Ahead of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, Speedworks Motorsport driver Rory Butcher answered a few questions looking back over his BTCC career, discussing his expectations of his new, manufacturer-backed team, and his preparations for the campaign ahead.

The opening round at Thruxton marks quite a milestone as you celebrate your 100th BTCC race, what’s been your favourite moment so far in the championship?

It's got to be my pole position and race win at Knockhill back in 2019. That was my very first pole, my very first victory and to do it on my home track where there's added pressure and expectation. It really was an incredible feeling.

With Speedworks Motorsport, you’ll be driving with a Manufacturer team for the first time, what differences do you expect to find from your previous experience with Independent teams?

Having an association with a manufacturer like Toyota from a personal standpoint means a lot and I’m excited to see where the relationship goes. I think the differences that I anticipate in a manufacturer team is just having that extra confidence alongside the backing and investment from Toyota to put towards developments in the car. They know what's coming around the corner, we're about to go into the hybrid era in a years’ time and I think it's important for Toyota and the team to be at the front of the field. Knowing that Toyota is backing the team just gives you that added confidence that the developments are going to be put in place and I'm excited to be part of that process.

Can you tell us about your plans for pre-season testing?

Testing for the season will be starting soon, so we're going to be trying to get as many test days in as possible. It's a brand new chassis that I'm driving, which had been built by custom cages and we begin testing at Donington. Then we get a couple of days at Snetterton, we’re going to do Croft, Knockhill and we'll also be at Silverstone for Season Launch. We're getting most of the tracks in, in just a short space of time and I'll be getting to know the Toyota pretty well.

In 2020 you equalled your 2019 overall finish of fifth place but secured 20 more points in three less rounds. Obviously it was a hugely competitive year, how would you in your experience as a driver compare the two years? Were you conscious of the higher level of competition?

2020 was extremely competitive, I gave it my best shot in fighting for the title but fell short in the last few rounds. I think I would say last year I was conscious of there being a kind of divide between maybe the top five and the rest of the field. The ones who were consistently qualifying in the top five and finishing on the podium, I was very aware of who those drivers were. I've been in the top five two years on the trot and it's only my fourth full season coming up. I think every year I’m building confidence and have higher expectations for myself. I’m always trying to find areas to improve in my performance and each season I’ve returned stronger, so I’m eager to build on 2020 and piece together the best 30 races I possibly can, as one thing I’ve learned is that consistency is key. If I do my job right then I’ll be in with a shout of the championship come Brands Hatch in October.

During the first lockdown you had a sim racing set-up as part of your pre-season preparation, have you continued to use this for the 2021 season?

I still use my sim, I'm on it on a daily basis, putting in the practice ahead of the first event. I find it very good training and have partnered up with a company which runs structured simulator sessions. We can simulate qualifying runs, races and do pressure runs where they basically structure a session where I might be on an oversteer setup or understeer. So that’s iZone Performance, based at Silverstone. They're running like a remote training programme for drivers like myself and it's quite interesting how that's helping me ahead of this year.

Obviously the Top Ten Showdown qualifying session at Snetterton didn’t work entirely in your favour, are you looking forward to its return? Do you think you’ll change your approach for the three events which will incorporate it this year?

The Top Ten Showdown qualifying session was really fun at Snetterton. I would say that at one point I felt like I was going to be on pole position, topping the times in the first run, but you know it's just one of those things. I'm not sure if I would do anything differently, we just ended up going quicker in the second session but it just wasn't quite good enough in the end, and we secured P4. I think I'll probably approach it in a similar manner; whoever pulls that lap out of the bag will just be the person who gets it done. I'm looking forward to those three events this year where we're doing the Top Ten Showdown. It definitely brings a little bit extra to the weekend and I'm sure the fans like it as well, I've heard a lot of good feedback myself, so that's great.

Having unveiled the squad’s new-for-2021 CUPRA Leon this evening, find out what drivers Jack Goff, Aron Taylor-Smith and Glynn Geddie, alongside Managing Director Tony Gilham and Team Manager Jamie Warren had to say about the latest machines to join the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship grid.

“Wow, just look at that. I know I’m going to be slightly biased, but I genuinely think this is the best-looking touring car I’ve seen, the guys and girls at Team HARD. have done a mega job and I can’t wait to get started.

“The results over the last two seasons haven’t reflected the hard work that Tony and the team have put in. This new project with the CUPRA Leon will provide us the platform to really stamp our authority on the BTCC as we move our way up the field. We are under no illusions it will be tough, but we are ready and more determined than ever to get the results we deserve out on track.”

Jack Goff

“I think what impresses me the most about the new CUPRA is the attention to detail that Team HARD. has put in. Every single component on the car has been designed with performance in mind, utilising some of the best engineers in the game. I have no doubt in my mind that this car will be a front runner after seeing it in person.

“From the outside, you can see how this car is the perfect fit for the BTCC. The wheelbase, the dimensions and even the bodywork are exactly what is needed for a car to be competitive in the series.

“Yes, getting to see the new CUPRA was brilliant but arguably even better was having the chance to properly meet my new team. Their passion for this new car is infectious and it's the first time in a long time that I have felt 'at home' within a team. It's shaping up to be an incredible year.

"I thought that I was already excited for the season but actually getting to see the car has taken this to a whole new level. It is, in my opinion, the best looking BTCC car on the grid and I can't wait to get out on track as early as next week to see what it is capable of."

Aron Taylor-Smith

“I dipped my toe into the water at the back of the 2020 season with Team HARD. and I was amazed at the commitment levels to winning that this team has yet they are still able to keep their core values of a close-knit, family orientated team. This has clearly shone through into the new car project.

“Credit to everyone who has helped develop and build the new CUPRA Leon, when I joined the team back in September it was just a thought which has very quickly turned into a reality. I can’t wait to get started with our testing programme, the car looks fast, aggressive and a contender for this season.”

Glynn Geddie

“What a special day for the team, it’s probably the biggest in our history. Pre-season is always an exhausting but equally exciting time and this year we’ve reached new heights in both. Huge credit to the team for all of their hard work so far. It’s been an incredibly tough few months with the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic trying it’s best to slow down our build program, but we are now ready to hit the track and put the new CUPRA Leon through its paces.

“To have the first hybrid ready BTCC car is a huge achievement for me and the team and something I am immensely proud of. To be the first puts us in a great position for the 2022 season as the BTCC races into a new era, it’s all incredibly exciting.

“Looking a bit closer to the now, we have the 2021 season to really get to grips with the new car and with a bunch of other teams changing cars but opting to run a satellite car this season is going to prove a great test, but we are up for the challenge.

“The team has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years and I’m immensely proud of everyone involved. If the new car goes as well as it looks, we will be fighting at the sharp end this season.”

Tony Gilham, Managing Director

“Big credit to Tony and the team for pulling through with this. We have spent the last couple of seasons wringing the Volkswagen CC’s neck to extract the most we could from the car unfortunately with limited success.

“Switching to the CUPRA Leon has provided the team with a breath of fresh air which has really helped kick the team into gear. The new car looks great and extreme attention to detail has gone into all elements of the build not to mention that everything on the car is brand new. We have left no stone unturned in our pursuit of performance.  

“A big credit has to go to our two leading engineers, Adam Tanner and Phil Overall who have been instrumental in developing the aero and overall balance of the car. Its time to hit the track and put our new challenger to the test. It’s an exciting time to be part of the team.”

Jamie Warren, Team Manager

TOCA, organiser of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, has today (15 March) confirmed minor revisions to the previously issued 2021 BTCC calendar as a result of the government recently issuing its roadmap for the easing of restrictions.

While the opening race weekend – at Thruxton on 8/9 May – remains unchanged and will unfortunately take place behind closed doors, amendments have been made to the scheduling of the next two events in order to further maximise the opportunity for spectators to attend.

The revised calendar sees the Snetterton event now scheduled for 12/13 June. The Brands Hatch Indy circuit event will be two weeks later, on 26/27 June, as all substantial spectator restrictions are expected to have been lifted by then.

No further changes have been made to the previously issued calendar, so the series will then head north to Oulton Park and Knockhill in late July/early August, before Thruxton’s second event of the year.

Back-to-back weekends at Croft and Silverstone in September precede the penultimate race weekend of the season, at Donington Park.

Brands Hatch’s legendary Grand Prix configuration will hold the Season Finale on 23/24 October.

2021 British Touring Car Championship Calendar (as issued on 15 March)

Rounds        Date                                 Venue/Circuit

1,2,3             8/9 May                            Thruxton

4,5,6             12/13 June                        Snetterton (300)

7,8,9             26/27 June                        Brands Hatch (Indy)

10,11,12       31 July/1 August               Oulton Park (Island)

13,14,15       14/15 August                     Knockhill

16,17,18       28/29 August                     Thruxton

19,20,21       18/19 September               Croft

22,23,24       25/26 September              Silverstone (National)

25,26,27       9/10 October                     Donington Park (National)

28,29,30       23/24 October                   Brands Hatch (Grand Prix)

Everyone involved in the British Touring Car Championship is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Murray Walker OBE.

Well known as the commentator on the network television coverage of Formula 1, Murray’s impact and effect on the growth of the British Touring Car Championship can’t be underestimated. 

National TV’s sporadic coverage of UK racing meant that Walker’s voice dipped in and out of the BTCC (then the British Saloon Car Championship) since the early 1980s.

When the British Touring Car Championship earned regular mainstream coverage on the BBC in 1988, Walker was an essential ingredient in what was and still remains as the greatest show in town.

Walker took his new role to heart and immersed himself in the category and its heroes. In his distinctive way, he wasn’t just there to talk about the races: he got to know the top drivers, their cars and their back story. This was Murray’s skill. 

As well as the ground-breaking broadcasts and the on-board camera coverage, the highlights packages that were shown to the public on BBC TV were also covered by the Voice of Motorsport, Murray Walker. It opened up tin-top racing to an audience it might not have been listening before.

For him, the BTCC was not a side-line to his F1 work: far from it. Walker loved to tell the story of the races and the human stories underneath those, whilst the multiple camera angles helped him show the viewer how exciting the racing was. 

Walker always had the perfect line for the perfect time. Famous lines like his – of which there are many – will be remembered forever, and they are the comments that help secure the BTCC, and Walker too, in legend…

Even after Murray had given up the microphone, he was a regular visitor to BTCC meetings. The BTCC will miss him. 

British Touring Car Championship Chief Executive Alan Gow has paid tribute…

“I’m just so incredibly sad to learn of Murray's passing,” he said.

“Not only was Murray such an important part of the success and history of the BTCC, he was also a person whom I hugely admired and thoroughly enjoyed spending my time with. Without doubt the whole BTCC community share in the great sorrow at the passing of 'Muzza'.

“Words will never be enough. But from the bottom of my heart... thank you and farewell Murray.”

Tom Ingram got a feel for his new ‘office’ at Snetterton Circuit this week, as he climbed behind the wheel of the EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars Hyundai i30 Fastback N Performance that he hopes will carry him to the top step of the rostrum in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this season.

Ingram joined EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars – by some margin the most-improved team on the high-calibre BTCC grid last year – back in January, but the 27-year-old’s trip to Norfolk marked his first opportunity to put the Hyundai through its paces. He was immediately impressed.

A new addition to the field in 2020, the i30 was a podium-finisher in only its third start and rapidly established itself as a bona fide front-runner. In 2021, Ingram – twice Independents’ Champion and 16 times an outright race-winner in the UK’s premier motorsport series – is aiming to help propel both the car and team to the next level, by turning EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars into a true title contender.

That process began at Snetterton, and despite a wet and windy start to his pre-season testing with the Hyundai, Ingram was left waxing lyrical about the potential of his new challenger and excited about what lies ahead. The forthcoming campaign – the gifted young Bucks ace’s eighth in the BTCC – will rev into life at super-fast Thruxton in Hampshire on 8/9 May, with all of the action season-long to be broadcast live and in high-definition on ITV4.

Tom Ingram, Driver, EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars, said:

“It felt awesome to get back into a race car! It had been ages since I’d been on-track in a touring car and the conditions were really wet, cold and greasy on the first day, but the Hyundai ran faultlessly and gave me a positive feeling straight out-of-the-box.

“The main objective was to make sure everything was working as expected, and we treated the test a little bit like a shakedown, putting into action a lot of our new development parts for 2021. We were running the 2020-spec car because mine is still in-build at the moment, but it was really good to gauge the i30’s performance and I was genuinely very impressed. It felt quick and very stable with it.

“Obviously it’s a completely new car for me with an entirely different philosophy to what I’ve driven before – the seat, the steering wheel, the gear lever...everything was in a different place to what I’m used to – but it fit like a glove and within just a handful of laps, I already felt very much at home.

“Given the weather, it was difficult to properly baseline ourselves against anybody else there, but everything felt very easy, if I’m honest – like it was what we had always done. I’ve got a great team of guys and girls around me here at EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars – everybody was absolutely brilliant – and my engineer ‘Spenny’ slotted in seamlessly, which was great to see.

“The second day was even better. We finally got some dry running and wound up setting a lap time that would have put us on the front row of the grid during the race weekend at Snetterton last October – and on old tyres, too! We were fast in all conditions, which was immensely encouraging, and with all the winter upgrades yet to be applied, we will improve the Hyundai considerably between now and the start of the season. We’re only just scratching the surface.

“There’s no question that the i30 has all the ingredients to be a cracking race car, and I think we’re in a really good place – I see no reason at all why we won’t be right up at the sharp end from the outset, which is very exciting. My goal come Thruxton in May is to pick up from where I left off at the end of last year. Ultimately, I want to win the championship.”

Justina Williams, Team Owner, EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars, added:

“It’s fair to say we’d all been looking forward to this test since signing Tom earlier in the year – and it certainly didn’t disappoint. He has settled into the team here at EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars so well, and it really doesn’t feel like building a new relationship. He immediately established an excellent rapport with our engineers and technicians, and the feedback he delivered during the course of just these initial two days is already allowing us to pursue exciting new avenues with the Hyundai i30.

“Tom is very much in my view the best BTCC driver on the grid, both on and off-track. I have no doubt that with his experience, skillset and raw pace behind the wheel, EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars will progress to become not only a regular podium-finisher and race-winner, but indeed a genuine championship challenger. He is also a perfect team player, and together with his talented team-mates Chris Smiley, Jack Butel and Rick Parfitt Jr, he will be a major factor in driving the whole team forward during what promises to be a fantastic season ahead.”

Power Maxed Car Care Racing has today (11 March) announced its second driver for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, with Dan Lloyd completing the two-car line-up for the Warwickshire-based team, alongside double champion Jason Plato. 

Lloyd is no stranger to the TOCA paddock, bagging a race win during his 21-round campaign in 2018, as well as taking the overall title in the 2009 Renault Clio UK Winter Cup. Despite contesting a number of BTCC rounds over various years, 2021 will be Lloyd’s first full assault on the UK’s most competitive series. 

Lloyd has earned a reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the world of touring cars, having taken the TCR-UK title in 2018, winning eight of 14 races, scoring podiums at all but two. In 2019 & 2020, he took on the European TCR Championship, winning races during both seasons, before making the decision to return to the BTCC. 

Both Power Maxed Car Care Racing and Lloyd are gearing up to mount a strong championship attack from the off, as well as voicing their intentions to develop a multi-year partnership. 

“I’m really excited to have Dan joining us for the upcoming season,” said Team Principal Adam Weaver. “He’s a driver that’s always been on our radar and has always impressed when he’s been on the grid in the past. I don’t think anyone can argue that, with the right equipment underneath him, he’s a genuine championship contender and with the championship’s most successful driver ever alongside him, we certainly think we have one of the strongest pairings on the grid this season.” 

“I have known Dan since his first venture into BTCC in 2010 in the Vectra,” added Team Manager Martin Broadhurst. “From that moment on he has impressed with great results and performances in every touring car championship he’s competed in, including his race win in the BTCC. I think he’ll be a great asset to the team. With Dan and Jason [Plato] in the cars this year, I believe we have one of the strongest pairings on the grid and, coupled with the development work we’ve done over the winter, I’m looking forward to this season more than ever!” 

“I’m mega excited to be racing back in the UK,” concluded Lloyd. “This will be the first time I’ll be heading into the championship with some pre-season testing under my belt. I’ve always been thrown in at the deep end a little bit, so I can’t wait to get stuck into the programme. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity, and really look forward to not only working with the team, but also learning from Jason with his vast experience. I’m really looking to build on this as a long-term partnership and launch a multi-year attack on the championship heavyweights.”