The #18 Cupra Leon driven by Daryl DeLeon met everyone's expectations and more in the Anglo-Filipino driver’s and the team’s first full season in the BTCC. As with all new entries to any championship a learning curve was expected, but today we focus on the high points of the Kent squad’s impressive introduction to the UK's premier motorsport series.
Snetterton
It took the team only until the third event of the year before getting a first top ten finish, in which they scored as many points in one race as they had at the seven previous. Starting 17th, DeLeon would star in a wet-dry-wet race as others debated whether to pit or not on the formation lap. As some did, along with a great launch from the Cupra Leon, the #18 would sit in ninth entering turn two.
Coming home in tenth, the Drogheda-born driver had no less than nine previous BTCC race winners behind him. Along with that, the performance would see DeLeon jump from sixth to fourth in the Jack Sears Trophy (JST)… the beginning of the upward curve that did not stop in 2024.
Oulton Park
The final event before the summer break saw the Cupra Leon shine again with a second place in the JST followed by another podium in the curtain closer to the first half of the season.
Starting from a lowly 18th in the second bout of the day, the #18 would once again showcase overtakes to make his way forward with six places gained en route to a 12th place finish. The final race would see the Kent-based outfit lose one overall position, but walk away with the team’s second-highest scoring event of the season so far.
Donington Park GP
Starting to get a taste for high-overtake races, the best was yet to come as DeLeon produced a mesmerising display in the final race at Donington Park GP.
The Anglo-Filipino would sit 17th on the grid, two positions ahead of 2022 Champion Tom Ingram who famously drove from 19th to second in the same race.
Despite the weekend producing no points up to that point, the Duckhams Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport star would go on a charge to gain eight places and bring home the team’s best overall finish to date.
Brands Hatch GP
After initially testing a new 100% sustainable fuel at the most recent round at Silverstone, the Kent-based team headed to its home circuit hoping for a drier event... not only did the Cupra Leon-driven outfit get its wish, they got more.
Different from previous great races, DeLeon would deliver a career-best qualifying to place the #18 eighth on the grid. That pace was there as the Drogheda-born driver would not look back, bringing the car home in seventh – again a career-best result. This late season performance saw DeLeon score 21 out of his 48 points in the final seven contests of the 30-race long season.
