With just two events of the 2026 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship remaining, WSR aim to finish the season on a high, starting this weekend at Silverstone, where Daryl De Leon is set to make his 100th start in the championship.
The Northamptonshire venue is a world-renowned location and a special one for WSR as it was the scene of the team’s debut race win in 1981 and of their first BTCC success in 1998.
Now De Leon, plus teammates Charles Rainford and Lewis Gilbert, are gearing up with their BMW 330i M Sport race cars as all three aim to build on their recent strong pace.
De Leon, 21, made history last year at Silverstone as he became the first Filipino driver to score a BTCC pole position.
The Cambridgeshire-based racer reaches another milestone this time around as Race 1 is set to be his 100th in the BTCC in a career that has so far featured a maiden race win, five podiums and two pole positions.
He and teammate Rainford are among eight drivers in contention for the Independents’ crown; the pair having won the class four times between them across the season and sitting fourth and third in the standings.
For the Horsham racer, the visit to Silverstone provides an opportunity to add to his two overall race wins in 2026 at Snetterton and Oulton Park and to help WSR close on the lead of the Independent Teams’ standings, in which they sit third.
Gilbert, who joined WSR for his BTCC debut in July, enjoyed a breakthrough weekend at Croft last time out as the 22-year-old, from Dalry, North Ayrshire, scored his first top-10 finish.
The Scotsman was also the Jack Sears Trophy winner for the event, whilst winning the Goodyear Wingfoot Award - voted for by the fans - taking a double class win in the process and boosting his hopes of a repeat this weekend on the 1.6-mile National circuit.
Daryl De Leon: “I hadn’t realised my 100th BTCC race was so close, but it’s a good milestone to reach and I guess it makes me part of the furniture now. Silverstone was where I scored my first BTCC pole position last year, and with the improvement in form we saw last time out at Croft, I know we can be fast this weekend. We have an Independents’ title still to fight for and I’ll be aiming to finish right up at the front so I can keep the fight alive into the final event at Brands Hatch.”
Charles Rainford: “We showed some good speed at Silverstone last year and I was pretty pleased with a top-five finish and to see Daryl on pole, so that gives us a good bit of confidence that we can do something similar this time. I’ve been pretty happy with our pace over the past couple of events as we’ve been consistently in the top six on speed, but there’s been a bit of frustration that circumstances outside of our control have meant the results haven’t quite matched what we’ve been capable of. We’ll give it everything this weekend.”
Lewis Gilbert: “Croft was a massive weekend for me. It looked like a real breakthrough weekend with the results we scored, winning the Jack Sears Trophy, finishing in the top 10, but the reality is we had the speed to do that earlier, had circumstances not got in the way. I’ve now had a clean race weekend – even if it was one of very changeable conditions – and I’m definitely adjusting my targets now as we head to Silverstone. I can’t wait to get out on track.”
