Nick Halstead will embark on a second full season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship after re-signing with Bristol Street Motors with EXCELR8 for the 2024 campaign.
Halstead took part in his rookie campaign last year at the wheel of one of the team’s Hyundai i30 Fastback N machines, scoring a fine seventh-place finish during the season's opening meeting at Donington Park.
That would be one of two overall points finishes for Nick during the season, with a 15th-place coming later in the year at Knockhill.
Both of those results would come in challenging mixed weather conditions and helped Nick to finish seventh in the Jack Sears Trophy; the competition for drivers who have yet to score an overall BTCC podium.
With a season in the series now under belt, Nick will head into 2024 eager to make progress up the order and will do so with the added support of Razor as a result of a major new partnership agreed over the winter.
Razor is synonymous for its expansive list of rideables, which includes kick and electric scooters and a wide range of hoverboards.
BTCC fans will best know Razor for being the driving force behind Crazy Carts, the award-winning drift carts that Halstead introduced to the paddock last year. A selection of races with fellow drivers were held across the season, drawing in ever-increasing crowds as fans embraced the new initiative.
Nick’s new partnership with Razor will not only see him adopt the moniker of 'Mr Crazy Cart' on track but will also see his Hyundai rebranded as the Crazy Cart XXXL - with a unique and eye-catching livery to be revealed prior to the new season getting underway at Donington Park in April.
Nick Halstead said:
"I’m delighted to not only announce my return to the BTCC grid this season with EXCELR8, but also to announce a new partnership with Crazy Carts that is going to be bigger and better than ever before!
"The way that fans and my fellow drivers embraced Crazy Carts last season was fantastic, and the events we put on proved to be hugely popular. People started to call me Mr Crazy Cart as the season wore on, so the logical thing was to speak to the team at Razor and see what we could do to make it official for 2024.
"The livery of the Crazy Cart XXXL is going to look fantastic and will really stand out on track, where I’m hoping I can push for some strong results as the season goes on. It was a big challenge for me last year, but I felt I made good progress behind the wheel, and towards the end of the season, I was regularly displaying pace comparable with the top 15.
"What held me back was a lack of experience, and generally on a weekend, it was race two or three before I would say I really felt comfortable in the car and was able to push. Now I’m going to be heading into events with knowledge already under my belt, and even though the grid looks like being a lot tougher in 2024, it leaves me feeling optimistic about what can be achieved.
"Obviously, I want to try and fight for overall points finishes, but I’d also love to try and get a Jack Sears Trophy win during the season and take Crazy Carts onto the podium!"
James Dobson, EMEA Sales and Marketing Director at Razor, said:
“We are incredibly excited to work alongside Nick Halstead and the brilliant EXCELR8 team, and increasing Razor’s involvement in the BTCC presents an enormous opportunity to introduce new fans to its events.
“The 2023 Crazy Cart Championship was a massive success, and we are looking forward to building on last year’s popularity and introducing the races across the entirety of the BTCC season.”
Justina Williams, EXCELR8 Team Owner, said:
"We’re delighted to have Nick onboard again in 2024 and are keen to see what he can achieve in his second full season in the Hyundai. Last year was a big learning year given how different the BTCC is from what he had done before, but he worked hard with the team and that was reflected in the way his pace improved as the season went on.
"Off track, he had a huge impact in the paddock with the Crazy Carts Championship, and it’s great to see that initiative now grow as a result of the increased partnership with Razor.”
