The official Season Launch event ahead of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Silverstone on 22 April.

Official championship photography and ITV filming duties will be carried out at the venue, as well as a number of other media interviews and activities.

The full quota of 29 BTCC cars will then take to the Silverstone National Circuit for the only official pre-season test day, with all teams and drivers due on-track together for the first time this year.

Six hours of testing will commence with the opening session between 1000-1300, before the afternoon segment runs from 1400-1700.

Live timing will be provided by TSL, whilst the official BTCC website and social media channels will be keeping fans up to date throughout the day.

Following the Government’s latest COVID-19 directives, spectators will unfortunately not be permitted to attend this event. Media access is set to be severely restricted, with details to follow from the BTCC Media Team.

Entries for the 2021 BTCC campaign closed at midday today (26 February), with all 29 participants now confirmed by Series Organiser TOCA. The official 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship entry list will be released, as per normal, on or just before the Season Launch.

This week the Official BTCC website caught up with Team HARD. Racing's Managing Director, Tony Gilham, to find out some behind the scenes information about the squad's fleet of Cupra Leons, its plans for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship and more.

Check out the Q&A below for the latest...

We’ve seen a few sneak peeks of the new Cupra Leons in the factory, how is the build coming along?
It’s coming along nicely, with three of the four shells back at base and being prepared for their on-track debut. We are putting in all of the work now so that we are not only ready for the 2021 season but also the 2022 hybrid era. The 2022 season will see a number of changes to the cars under the bodywork and to get ahead of the game by preparing our cars now is a big step.

With four drivers out there gathering data, the development process for the cars should be really interesting, what are your expectations for it?
As everyone knows, anything can happen in racing and often does when you least expect it. However, we are building brand new cars for this season so, without making any predictions, all I would like is for our cars to be right at the sharp end and challenging for honours whenever possible. It’s a big year for the team and I have every faith in the work that everyone is doing and the development that has gone into them.

What are your plans for testing with the new cars?
We don’t have an official launch date yet, we are keeping that one a surprise until nearer the time. However, we have an extensive test plan scheduled before the season opener with all four of our drivers and, COVID-19 permitting, we are hoping to be able to invite along some of our partners and fans so they can see our new charger in action!

Obviously in 2020 you had a few different drivers in the Volkswagen CCs throughout the year, including 2021 driver Glynn Geddie, how did their performance effect which drivers you considered for this coming campaign?
The second seat in the Volkswagen CC in 2020 turned into a bit of a hot seat after Mike [Bushell's] illness. Long term Team HARD. driver Howard [Fuller] was due to race and then COVID-19 halted the entire country. From that moment I got the feeling it wasn’t going to be an easy season.

It would have been easy to retire the car for the season but that’s not how we do things here. Instead, we took the opportunity to bring in new talent and reignite our relationships with some former drivers, which was fantastic.

Glynn was fantastic from the get-go and really impressed the whole team. It had been a while since he’d been in front-wheel-drive machinery but the cohesion between Jack [Goff] and him was brilliant to see. When Glynn joined the team for the final two events, it was always with a view to then do the 2021 season in full and in those two weekends he proved to us just as much as we proved to him, that together we can mix it at the sharp end this year.

Your line-up so far sees Aron Taylor-Smith return to the BTCC after three years away from the series; what are your expectations for him considering returning drivers often comment on the ever-increasing level of the championship?

Aron is a fantastic driver, whom I’ve worked with before, with a successful history in the BTCC. It’s true that the championship is getting more competitive every year, but Aron is no slouch and has been working hard in the off-season to come back stronger and fitter than ever.

Aron and Jack have worked together before and that should help Aron settle into the team quickly. His enthusiasm for our Cupra project is infectious – I think he might actually be more excited than me. Together we can achieve great things!

When can we expect to hear about your final driver signing?

So, the final driver has signed on the dotted line for this season. The announcement? Well that’s still up for debate… watch this space.

Talk us through what your commercial partnership with Laser Tools Racing will mean for both teams?

We have had a good friendship with the Moffat family for several years now, so this commercial agreement was no surprise to us.

The Laser Tools Racing name is well established within the BTCC as it enters its eighth consecutive season and as such, we feel that collectively we can increase the building of the corporate side of our business, which is a key element of what we do. We now both have what we believe is a complete package that is unrivalled both on and off track.

 

Having announced its new Team Manager for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, the Official BTCC website talked with BTC Racing's Mick Sergeant as he steps into his new role with the squad.

Sergeant, who has a wealth of experience in Britain's elite motorsport series, discusses his route into the championship, as well as what is required within his role...

"You've got to be a bit of everything I suppose," said Sergeant. "Generally, steering the ship in the right direction, being organised, building a team and encouraging it to do well, getting the right people doing the right job, organising the movement of the whole team around the country. It's a bit different in the wintertime as you've got big rebuilds and you've got to put the team together. Then once we're into the season we're all where we want to be. We're all racers at heart and we've got to be doing that job, so it's slightly different. You've got to be a bit of everything, and keeping track of the drivers is a bit like hearding cats...

"You need to understand what everybody's job is. You wouldn't ask someone to do a job you couldn't do yourself is how I look at it. I'm lucky to have worked my way up and done pretty much every job you can in the team... I've done a bit of everything so I understand what's involved in the role."

Listen to the full interview below...

EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars has signed multiple British GT Championship winner Rick Parfitt Jr for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

The 46-year-old will be embarking on a new and exciting challenge in his motorsport career as he makes the switch into Britain’s premier racing series, completing EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars’ four-car line-up alongside Tom Ingram, Chris Smiley and Jack Butel.

The son of late Status Quo singer and guitarist Rick Parfitt was a successful karter in his early years, before following in his famous father’s footsteps by launching a career in the music industry with his group – The RPJ Band – and becoming firmly established as one of the top events bands in the world.

Having long held a passion for motorsport, Parfitt Jr jumped at the opportunity to return to the track when he was invited to take part in the Celebrity Challenge race during the 2010 running of the Silverstone Classic – which he promptly won, having qualified on pole position.

That reignited the desire to compete and led to Rick re-launching his racing career in 2011 with a move into the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, which in turn opened the door to graduation to the British GT Championship.

The Surrey racer went on to lift the GT4 title in 2013, before becoming the first – and so far only – driver to add the overall GT3 Championship crown to his CV, securing the latter at the wheel of a Bentley Continental GT in 2017.

That success saw Parfitt Jr recognised for his performances on-track by the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) whilst, as winner of the Sunoco 240 Challenge, he was given the chance to race on the support bill to the famous 24 Hours of Daytona.

Having taken the decision to sit out the 2020 season in order to undergo surgery for Crohn’s disease, Parfitt Jr joins Suffolk-based EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars in the best physical shape of his career, and with a firm desire to entertain BTCC fans on-track in the same way he entertains on the stage.

His first run in the Hyundai i30N Fastback will come in due course, with a pre-season testing programme having been put in place ahead of the opening rounds of the year at Thruxton in early May.

Like second-year team-mate Butel, Parfitt Jr will be eligible for the Jack Sears Trophy this season, with the award only open to those drivers without an overall BTCC podium to their name.

As an ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis UK, Rick will use his programme this year to raise awareness for the charity, and to show that the illness shouldn’t be seen as a barrier to anyone in achieving their dreams.

"I’m massively excited about the prospect of moving into the BTCC with EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars,” enthused Parfitt Jr. “When I was younger, I used to sell advertising in Motorsport News and Autosport and was a huge fan of the series, so it’s amazing to now have the opportunity be part of the grid myself. It’s a chance to live the dream.

"After undergoing major surgery for my Crohn’s disease in early 2020, the last 12 months have provided me with a chance to get myself in better physical shape than ever before, and I hope to use this season to show people in a similar position to me that Crohn’s shouldn’t be a barrier towards doing anything that they want to do in life.

"Throughout my career in the music industry, I have loved the opportunity to go out and entertain people, and entertainment is what the BTCC is all about. There is so much energy and buzz around the series and even before doing this deal, the reaction from fans to the possibility of me racing has been fantastic. I can’t wait to be part of it all and to help put on a show.

"I’m under no illusions about how tough it’s going to be, but I’m more than ready for the challenge that lies ahead. In EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars, I have a good team around me and in Tom Ingram in particular, I have a team-mate who I can learn a massive amount from. There is no point entering a series like this thinking it will be for a single year, so I want to learn as much as I can this season with an eye on then pushing for the Jack Sears Trophy in 2022.

"Having not raced a car since 2019, I want to go out there and have fun this year – and try to kick some ass along the way!"

"I’m thrilled that we have been able to conclude a deal with Rick for 2021, as he was the person who I really wanted in the car to complete our new-look driver line-up,” added EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars Team Owner, Justina Williams. "Alongside Tom Ingram, Chris Smiley and Jack Butel, we now have four drivers that I feel give us a fantastic chance to make the season ahead a success both on and off the track.

"Rick’s performances in the British GT Championship in recent years have been hugely impressive, particularly when you consider the competitive nature of the field. I’m looking forward to seeing him develop as a touring car driver this year, and am confident that he will be able to make his mark on the BTCC as the season goes on.

"As a born entertainer, I have no doubt in my mind that Rick is going to be a hugely popular addition to the team and to the series, and hopefully this will be the start of a long and successful partnership together."

Race engineer Dan Millard will join Laser Tools Racing to spearhead Aiden Moffat’s 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship campaign.

Millard, from Horsham, West Sussex, will be embarking on his tenth season in the BTCC and brings a wealth of rear-wheel drive experience and success after being a part of the 2017 and 2019 championship titles.

Further to the change of engineer, Moffat is also having a new Infiniti Q50 being built for him by Team HARD. Racing, which follows the commercial partnership announcement between Laser Tools Racing and the Kent-based squad.

“For 2021 the guys and girls at Team HARD. Racing are building me a brand-new Infiniti Q50 and I can’t thank them enough,” said Moffat. “A fresh car is always a benefit to a driver, especially this season with so many new cars joining the grid. It was important to leave no stone unturned which is why we have brought in Dan.

“Dan is already proving to be a great asset to the team and has highlighted a couple of areas on the data where I can improve to take full benefit of the Infiniti’s rear-wheel drive strengths.

“The simulator is due to arrive any time now and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and put into practice what we have already discovered, hopefully finding a few more areas where we can improve.

“We have a clear goal and a detailed plan on how we are going to achieve our goals this season, and this is just the start of our journey together as we look to move up the grid in 2021.”

“I think Aiden has great potential,” commented Millard. “He’s a young driver who’s been in the championship for a few years now and is a proven race winner. He’s dedicated, and I can see he’s motivated to improve every aspect of his race weekend. I’m really looking forward toworking together and seeing what we can achieve. 

“Our preparation has already started. We’ve been going through data from last year, highlighting areas of improvement, setting goals and putting plans in place to achieve this. Once we’ve finished this phase, we’ll begin our simulator program that builds up to pre-season testing which will hopefully take place in April.”

This week's announcement that Stephen Jelley would complete Team BMW's 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship driver line-up sees the Leicester racer make his return to the squad he made his BTCC debut with, in 2008, WSR.

Jelley, who secured a podium finish last year in the Team Parker Racing BMW 125i M Sport, will get behind the wheel of one of the multiple title-winning BMW 330i M Sports in 2021, alongside team-mates Colin Turkington and Tom Oliphant.

In an exclusive interview with the Official BTCC website, the 38-year-old discussed what the move means for him and just how he plans to make the most of an opportunity which he believed he would never get again.

Listen to the full interview below...

Power Maxed Car Care Racing has today (18 February) announced that Jac Constable will be joining the team as its BTCC Development Driver. The Fleet-based driver is no stranger to the team, as he was due to drive one of the Power Maxed Car Care Racing Vauxhall Astras during the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship rounds at Croft last year, before a last-minute bout of appendicitis forced him to step down after qualifying.

The Warwickshire-based team has been vocal about its ethos of giving drivers a chance in the UK’s most popular series and, having given the likes of Josh Cook, Senna Proctor and Jade Edwards their big break in the sport, show no signs of abating with this latest announcement, revealing the intention for Jac to join the team as a fully-fledged BTCC racer in 2022.

Constable will be taking to the track in one of the team’s Leon Cupra TCRs in the TCR-UK Championship during 2021, before aiming to step up to the pinnacle of British Motorsport, the BTCC. Constable will be working closely with PMR to develop the BTCC Astra, with a number of test sessions already confirmed, and will be learning the ropes at events throughout the year, with hopes for his first BTCC assault with the team in the near future.

The 23-year-old is no stranger to the TOCA paddock, having taken the Ginetta GT4 Am title in 2017, after winning 13 of 23 races outright, with a further win in the Dubai 24-hour “Championship of The Continents” in 2018.

The team is still in talks with various experienced drivers to determine who will join double Champion Jason Plato in the second Astra for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, utilising the delayed start to the season in order to assess the best candidate for the seat.

“The decision to postpone the start of the season has given us more time to make sure we do the right deal for our second driver this year,” said Team Principal Adam Weaver. “With JP’s win at the end of 2019 and the extensive development process the cars have undergone during the winter break, we’re quietly confident of some great results this season and are looking to ensure that whoever takes the seat is capable of racing at the front straight out of the box. I’m really looking forward to working with Jac as part of the Development Programme – he slotted into the team perfectly last year, showed a lot of potential at his test and will be a valuable asset over the years to come.”

“We’re really looking forward to working with Jac again, after his chance in the car was unfortunately cut short last year through no fault of his own,” added Team Manager Martin Broadhurst. “He really impressed us with not only his skill on track, but his attitude and professionalism away from it, and we’ve been discussing how we can continue working together since Croft. The programme we’ve put together is a great way of giving him the experience necessary to join the fiercely competitive BTCC grid, transferring his skills in rear-wheel-drive cars to front-wheel drive-touring cars.”

“When I had the call from Martin [Broadhurst] offering me the Development Drive I was over the moon!” Constable declared. “I’m so excited to be helping Power Maxed Car Care Racing in the push to challenge for BTCC titles, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in. This will be my first year racing front-wheel-drive, and I’m relishing the challenge. What better way is there to attack my first season away from rear-wheel-drive than with PMR’s guidance and experience? The team helped me get my first taste of the BTCC last year at Croft, and with this new Development Driver role, I’m one step closer to progressing my dream of joining the BTCC grid.”

Stephen Jelley has completed Team BMW’s line-up for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship, marking a return to the WSR-run team for the first time in 12 years. 

The signing of the 38-year-old Leicester racer reunites him with four-time BTCC champion Colin Turkington – his former team-mate – and Tom Oliphant for the coming season.   

Jelley made his BTCC debut in a WSR-run BMW 320si in 2008, gaining his first pole position in his rookie season at Brands Hatch and his first podium finish at Croft the following year. 

His most successful event came at Rockingham in 2009 when he claimed a memorable double-victory; a result that proved instrumental in the team’s title success that year. 

After a stint racing GT cars in the UK and internationally, he returned to touring cars in 2017 and has spent the past three seasons with Team Parker Racing in a WSR-built BMW 125i M Sport, which he took to victory at Oulton Park in 2019. 

In total, Jelley has three BTCC wins, eight podium finishes, one pole position and two fastest laps.  

The partnership of Stephen, Colin and Tom totals 60 BTCC wins and 168 podiums, with WSR having won 14 outright BTCC titles - including 13 in the past seven seasons. 

The 64th British Touring Car Championship begins on May 8-9 at Thruxton, Hampshire, and takes in eight venues the length and breadth of the country. Each one of the 30 races will be screened live and exclusively in HD on ITV4. 

Stephen Jelley said: “I’m thrilled to return to WSR as part of Team BMW for 2021. There were times over the past few years – even when I was winning and getting podiums in the 1 Series – that I wasn’t sure I’d have an opportunity like this again, so to say that I’m looking forward to the season would be a huge understatement. When I walked into the workshop for the first time in over a decade, the first thing that I noticed was just how many trophies there are on the shelves now, and that’s incredibly inspiring. I’ve spent the past few years in a WSR-built BMW 1 Series, so there won’t be an issue adapting to the 330i M Sport, and I’m pleased to have both Colin and Tom in the team because I think we can all work together well to keep pushing ourselves forwards. I’ve been given the best possible platform to achieve what I want to in the BTCC and I don’t intend to waste it.” 

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “We’re very pleased to have Stephen back at WSR and part of the Team BMW line-up for 2021. When Stephen joined us first-time around, he’d come out of single-seaters and was completely new to touring car racing, but he knuckled down and did a good job to score his first pole position in his rookie year and then a magnificent double win at Rockingham in 2009. His performances in the WSR-built 1 Series over the past couple of years have shown that he remains a tenacious racer who performs best in rear-wheel-drive cars. Personality-wise, he fits in very well with the whole team as well as Colin and Tom so we’re very pleased with the strength of our line-up heading into the new season.” 

 

The official BTCC website has been speaking to Carl Boardley, ahead of the Jack Sears Trophy runner-up’s switch to title-winning Infiniti machinery in 2021…

Switching to the Infiniti is an exciting move for you, what are your expectations of driving a much newer car?

I’m really excited to get my hands on some up to date machinery, a car which has been engineered very well and one which I hope will enable me to show just what I can do given the right car and environment with which to operate in. I’m expecting to be in the mix right from the off. 

You seemed to be better suited to RWD machinery in 2020, is this something you enjoy more, or feel is better suited to your driving style?

I certainly enjoyed 2020 more than 2019. I wouldn’t say that the FWD/RWD is really an issue as I have driven in a variety of disciplines and feel that I can adapt reasonably quickly to my surroundings. In the BTCC you have to have everything spot on, both on and off track to be competitive.

Last year you proved to be quite the contender in the Jack Sears Trophy, finishing second in the standings. Who do you think will be your biggest competitor in the title battle this year?

There’s a few that will fancy their chances but I really think that I should be going one better this year!

In 2020, you significantly increased your number of points finishes, and with the Infiniti proving its speed last year, your first top ten finish must be in your sights in 2021? What other goals do you have for this campaign?

The car has proven itself so it’s now down to the driver to do the same, as I feel for the first time, I have all the tools at my disposal. We improved our number of points finishes in 2020 but in honesty that wasn’t difficult! The aim is to gain confidence with the car, score regular top ten finishes and push towards the podium.

Obviously prior to the BTCC you raced in various series, was the BTCC always a goal for you to get into?

Pretty much, we were close to it around 2012/13 time, but then I had three years of health problems and underwent multiple operations. Being told by surgeons that you’ll never be able to even race again was motivation enough to work harder to achieve that goal.

Following a full campaign without the option tyre, how do you expect its reintroduction will affect your tactics on a race weekend?

I’m really looking forward to maximising that tactic to my advantage, I missed that last year and really believe it spices things up for both the drivers and the fans alike.

How excited are you about the Laser Tools/Team HARD collaboration, it seems like there will be lots of talent and experience on hand which will surely benefit everyone?

I think it will be really good for everyone! Experience in this championship is vital so I’m sure we will all benefit in multiple ways and both teams will have a fruitful campaign.

On Wednesday this week, we saw Team BMW confirm Tom Oliphant would be back with the squad once again for the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Ahead of his fourth year in the series, and his third with the WSR-backed outfit, we caught up with the 30-year-old in an exclusive interview to talk about how he's been spending the off-season so far, his progression throughout 2020 and more.

Catch the full interview below...