Ryan Bensley has become a hugely popular paddock figure in the UK, taking an unconventional route in reaching his lifelong ambition of competing in the British Touring Car Championship.

After initially following the traditional karting path – racing against future seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton – the King’s Lynn driver switched his focus to Stock Hatch, admitting that single-seater racing had never been of particular interest.

He claimed the championship in 2008 before stepping away from full-time competition, with his long-term sabbatical punctuated by Citroen C1 outings alongside BTCC race winner and good friend Josh Cook.

Bensley made a proper racing return in the Civic Cup in 2020 and 2021, before earning his TCR UK breakthrough three years later.

A double top six finish at Donington Park in 2025 soon opened the door to a much greater opportunity… a one-off BTCC driver with Team VERTU at Snetterton.

A points finish on his BTCC debut, backed up by a further two assured performances, quickly caught the attention of the paddock, highlighting his natural pace, rapid learning curve and strong technical feedback.

Now, during the 2026 mid-season break, Bensley joins Speedworks Corolla Racing for the remainder of the campaign, taking the wheel of a Toyota Corolla GR Sport alongside Cook – the man he credits with being so instrumental in his career to date.