Ryan Bensley will make his debut in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this weekend at Snetterton after being drafted in by Team VERTU to substitute fan favourite Michael Crees.
Bensley will join the grid at his home circuit at the wheel of Hyundai i30 Fastback N, slotting in alongside Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton and Adam Morgan in the four-strong line-up.
The move to bring Bensley into the line-up in the Millers Oils-supported car comes on the back of a solid start to the campaign for Crees, who scored a brace of points finishes last time out at Brands Hatch - maintaining a record of scoring points every time he has competed on the short Indy circuit.
Crees joined the team earlier this year for a partial campaign in a series where he won the Jack Sears Trophy back in 2020, with Bensley amongst the commercial partners who backed the Kent-based racer through his business Mortgage Synergy.
Bensley himself is an accomplished racer who was a front-runner in the Milltek Sport Civic Cup before making his touring car debut last year in TCR UK.
Stepping into a BTCC race seat this weekend at his home circuit will be the realisation of a dream for the 40-year-old, with the deal being made possible thanks to his ties with Crees - who will be amongst his biggest supporters when he hits the track for the first time in Saturday’s opening practice session.
Sunday’s three races will be the most high-profile of Bensley’s career to date, airing live on ITV4 and ITVX and also being available to view outside the UK and North America on YouTube.
Michael Crees, #777 Team VERTU Hyundai i30 Fastback, said: “This season for me is all about building for the future, and over the first two weekends of the year I feel I’ve been able to show what I can do despite the fact that I went into the opening round with no testing and having been out of a car for twelve months.
“Ryan is someone who has been a long-term commercial partner of mine through his mortgage business, and it’s always been his dream to be able to compete in the BTCC at Snetterton given it’s his home circuit.
“As I didn’t sign up for a full season and don’t have a championship to think about, this was the perfect opportunity to help him achieve that dream, and he’ll have my full support on track this weekend.”
Justina Williams, Team VERTU Team Owner, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ryan into the team this weekend at his home circuit and are looking forward to supporting him to achieve his goals on track.
“Although he has shown what he can do in other championships, we are fully aware that joining the BTCC grid is a big step up, and there is no pressure in terms of results.”
