Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship team BTC Racing regrets to announce it has parted ways with driver Michael Crees ahead of the start of the 2021 season.

Crees, who was set to contest the new BTCC campaign in the No.777 Honda Civic Type-R FK8, will no longer be participating in the championship and leaves the Brackley team – with which he won the Jack Sears Trophy last year – on amicable terms.

BTC Racing’s preparations for the new 30-round touring car season continue apace with drivers Josh Cook and Jade Edwards ahead of the first event of 2021, at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, over the weekend 8th/9th May.

A replacement driver will be announced in the next few days, prior to Thruxton.

Steve Dudman, BTC Racing Owner and Team Principal, said: “On behalf of everyone at BTC Racing, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Michael for his participation with the team in the British Touring Car Championship. It’s a shame the partnership isn’t continuing, but we wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Having announced the new monthly Ask Alan feature at the end of March, the Official BTCC website has been collating your questions in order to gather exclusive answers from series Chief Executive Alan Gow on all the hot topics in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship.

Here's the latest selection of questions (and answers of course!) with many more to come throughout the year:

Have you ever considered a one-off BTCC event abroad? (Joel Taylor)

There is simply no real benefit to the championship in doing so; it would cost the teams a lot more money and it would inevitably result in one less BTCC race weekend within the UK... which would be pretty nonsensical, given that we are a British championship.

How did you start off in motorsport? (Sharon Milburn)

I joined a car club (in Melbourne, Australia) and just started helping some teams/drivers at local club events.

Joining a club is such a great and inexpensive way to become involved in the sport. After all, if I can go from being a ‘gopher’ cleaning wheels on a 1967 Mini Cooper in a local club event, to running the BTCC then anything is possible…  

For more information: https://www.barc.net/membership

Will you ever bring back the end-of-season shoot-out? (Richard Edwards)

As that would be an additional race meeting, then it would also be significantly more budget for teams to find. But if the teams wanted to increase their budgets and have an additional event, then I imagine it would be better applied to having an extra race meeting of the BTCC.
 
Are there any discussions about taking the BTCC to other tracks in the UK or even maybe returning to Mondello Park in Ireland? (Colm McCrilly)

There are simply no other venues in the UK (that we don’t already visit) which have the infrastructure capable of handling the size of our events. There are no discussions regarding Mondello.

In an interview it was discussed that Team Dynamics tried to get a third car in the championship but couldn't; why is the limit on the number of cars what it is now when you could have more cars? (Colm McCrilly)

Limiting the size of the grid enables the teams to maximise their very considerable investment in the BTCC. It’s the same in most other major sports; there is usually a cap on the number of teams that can participate.

So increasing the size of the grid would really undermine their investment, as well as destroying the fundamental commitment that was made to all our teams that we would not increase it from the current level.

Are there any plans in the future to reintroduce races with pit-stops or a feature-length race once a season, like a finale at Silverstone GP or the like? (Jamie House)

Each time the subject of pit-stops/longer races is discussed with the teams, there is never a clear consensus. My own view is that, given we have relatively short sprint races which are always close and hard-fought, it actually makes little sense to break up an exciting race by doing a pit-stop for no real reason.

Of all the developments that you've instigated since you took over as BTCC Chief Executive, what's the one you are most proud of? (Wendda Knapp)

Without a doubt the current NGTC regulations. They have proven to be an outstanding set of technical regulations which have now been in place for ten years and are set to continue until 2027.

To my mind, they are the best technical regulations ever developed for the BTCC… and that is underlined by our capacity grids, the great diversity of such evenly-matched cars, the closeness of our racing and the longevity of the regulations.

Do you think that as we go into the hybrid/electric era, that you may start to see interest for the BTCC from companies such as Tesla? Would you be happy to see these manufacturers join the BTCC and the TOCA paddock? (Nicky Byrne)

As Tesla doesn’t make hybrid cars, then it’s highly unlikely they would be interested.  But of course, we would welcome manufacturers who are invested in hybrid technology.

We're giving fans the opportunity to send in their questions for Ask Alan on a monthly basis, with the next batch due to be published at the end of May. Click here to send in your questions now.

With just ten days left until the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship roars into action at Thruxton (8/9 May), find out how four-time champion Colin Turkington found the official pre-season test at Silverstone last week and his feelings ahead of the 2021 campaign in the Q&A below...

HOW DID SEASON LAUNCH GO FOR YOU?

Season Launch is the first group test of the year, and it was great to get the whole pack back together again.

The test was really productive for me – I put in a fair few laps, and feel like we're constantly making steps forward.

Pre-season testing has allowed us to try out lots of different things, which is something we’d be too apprehensive to do over the course of a race weekend. There were some good, and some we’ll leave for later in the season, but my confidence is definitely up!

ARE YOU FEELING WELL-PREPARED, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY, FOR THE BATTLE AHEAD?

There’s a short window to rebuild yourself and get ready to fight again in the BTCC, but I really tried to look after myself during this off-season.

It’s always a tough, intense season, and for sure, it can break you towards the end, so I know how important it is to look after myself – especially as I’m approaching my 40th birthday!!

I’m energised, I’m hungry and ready to fight for wins!

DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT FOR ANOTHER CRACK AT THE CROWN?

I’m buzzing for the season, and so excited to get going again. We had a great 2020, and I’m just so happy to be back in the BTCC with Team BMW.

I have got a great chance again this year – I’ve got myself in a top car with a top team, and that means I’m in the best position I possibly can be. 

One thing to remember though, this series is the toughest in the world to win! 

I’m prepared for a fierce season, some thriller races, and will take it one step at a time.

Team HARD successfully built, prepared and introduced the new Cupra Leon to the BTCC during the off-season, and Jack Goff set about unlocking some of its potential during the Season Launch event at Silverstone last week (22 April).

The Cupra proved to be one of the most eye-catching unveilings ahead of the 2021 campaign and the Kent-based squad has also been one of the more active in terms of on-track running, but it wasn’t until the official pre-season test at Silverstone that we were able to gauge the new car’s early credentials.

Goff was the standout performer of the team’s quartet of drivers as both Glynn Geddie and Nic Hamilton continue to acclimatise to the new machine, whilst Aron Taylor-Smith’s #40 car endured a few complications on the day.

The team completed a total of 300 laps of the National circuit, producing another 500 miles of data for the squad to assess in the ongoing development of the new car. Goff was the quickest car overall in the morning session, and the multiple race winner duly backed up that pace by setting the second fastest lap in the afternoon – just 0.194s shy of Gordon Shedden’s benchmark.

“That’s the quickest I’ve ever been around Silverstone,” enthused Goff. “In the afternoon session, we had the soft tyres on, but we went well in the morning on the mediums too.

“The nicest thing about this car is that when you make a small tweak, you can really feel the difference, so it really helps to make significant progress. We made some changes throughout the day, and because you can feel it in the car almost immediately, we were able to quickly see the things that work and those that don’t.”

While testing is not a clear barometer for things to come in the season ahead – particularly as car weights, setup and tyres are largely only known to each individual team ­– the early form of the all-new Cupra is at least encouraging with little over a week to go before the opening rounds.

“It’s looking positive, but I’ve been around long enough to be a realist in these situations, and I know our competition probably aren’t at their maximum yet. I’m sure other teams have got more to come, and I’m keeping my feet firmly on the ground until Thruxton.

“I honestly still believe we’re aiming for top ten currently – that’s where I want to be realistically – and if we’re battling in the top ten at the first race weekend, I think we’ll have done a pretty decent job.”

Rounds 1, 2 and 3 of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will take place at Thruxton in Hampshire on 8/9 May.

Following last week’s Season Launch, and with the opening rounds of the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship less than a fortnight away, the official BTCC website has today (26 April) revealed the key session times for the first two events of the season.

The schedules, which include all the essential times for on-track action at Thruxton (8/9 May) and Snetterton (12/13 June) on both the Saturday and Sunday, are available on the relevant circuit pages under the ‘Timetable’ tabs.

The times drawn up for each of the BTCC sessions – as well as those for the Mini Challenge Trophy, F4 British Championship, Michelin Ginetta Junior Championship, Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge Great Britain, Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge and The Mini Challlenge – remain provisional and subject to change.

Further information, including the Qualifying stream and TV broadcasting times, will follow next week.

The 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is getting closer and closer!

Brackley team BTC Racing enjoyed a strong and productive day of running at Silverstone National Circuit during last week’s Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship Season Launch (22 April).

Marking the first, and only, officially timed outing of the pre-season ahead of the BTCC curtain-raiser in just under two weeks’ time, the team's headline performance came from Michael Crees in the #777 Honda Civic Type R, with the 37-year-old setting the third-fastest time in the combined timesheets.

Team-mate Josh Cook ended the test 11th overall, only 0.3 seconds adrift of Crees, while Jade Edwards was 19th on combined times during her first official outing in the PHSC with BTC Racing machine.

Crees was rapid all day in the Northamptonshire sunshine, ending the three-hour morning run as the fastest of the BTC trio, fifth overall and fourth of the Independents’ Trophy competitors. In the afternoon, he sliced 0.3 seconds off his previous best to lap, heading the timesheets into the final half hour.

Multiple BTCC race-winner Cook, who spent the day chasing set-up, was eighth overall in the morning, before setting a marginally faster lap during the second session to go tenth-quickest.

Edwards, the sole female racer in the BTCC and first to contest a full season since 2007, was an impressive 12th in session one as she set her fastest lap of the day. During the afternoon, as she continued to rack up the miles and get to grips with the Honda, the 31-year-old was ultimately unable to beat her lap from the first session and settled for 22nd on the timesheets.

“It doesn’t matter what anyone says down the grid, to finish on top at Season Launch – everyone is trying to do that,” said Crees. “So, to end the day top three is fantastic. We put one set of new tyres on in the afternoon and that’s the time we did. I set a fast enough lap time to have been on pole here last year, so now I’m looking forward to Thruxton to see what we can really do. There’s more to come!”

“We didn’t get a clean run at all really, we went in the wrong direction a bit out of the box in the morning and it took the momentum out of the day,” admitted Cook. “It wasn’t the most efficient of days for us, but sometimes it goes that way. It’s not just about what’s on the stopwatch though, it’s also about what you learn. We’ve got another test coming up at Snetterton so, hopefully, that will be better.

“Overall it was a very positive day,” reflected Edwards. “We tried a lot of different things in the afternoon and made a lot of changes so the optimum lap time wasn’t what we were going for. We left Silverstone very happy campers! Top ten in the morning, and we were top ten for a good chunk of the afternoon as well, and it was only my second day in the car so I’m still learning massively every time I go out.”

“I’m very pleased by the job everyone did at Silverstone,” concluded Steve Dudman, Team Owner and Principal. “I feel it’s gone exceptionally well overall. Michael had a cracking day, Josh’s day was mixed unfortunately, but he worked hard as always, and Jade excelled really and was extremely strong all day. We’ve made a number of changes over the winter so I’m very happy with how everything has gone and feeling very confident for Thruxton.”

The new-look EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com team put in a solid performance on track as it officially launched its 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship programme yesterday at Silverstone.

The Suffolk-based team headed for the Northants circuit prepared to see how its quartet of drivers matched up against the rest of the capacity field, with the traditional Season Launch featuring the only official test prior to the start of the campaign.

Having revealed the dramatic new livery on the cars of Chris Smiley, Jack Butel and Rick Parfitt on the eve of the test, all four of the EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com Hyundai i30 N Fastbacks then hit the track for six hours of official testing spread across two sessions.

A busy morning session saw Tom Ingram in his Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com entry leading the team’s challenge with the sixth-quickest time, having completed an impressive 55 laps, with team-mate Smiley in 20th spot in the Draper Tools-backed car, albeit with a time that was only three-tenths of a second slower.

On the EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com side of the garage, an encouraging morning for Butel saw him lap just a tenth of a second behind the Northern Irishman, whilst touring car newcomer Parfitt managed to set a time within a second of the outright pace as he continued to learn the ropes in a front-wheel drive touring car.

The afternoon session saw three of the four drivers improve their times, with the team electing to focus on its own programme rather than chase a headline quick time.

Ingram would again be the quickest of the quartet as he ended up fourth on the timesheets, improving his lap time by three-tenths of a second compared to the morning running. Smiley also improved by a similar margin, which resulted in him ending up just outside the top ten.

Although a minor electrical issue delayed his programme during the afternoon, Butel managed to break the 58s marker to end the day in 24th overall, whilst Parfitt narrowly missed out on setting a faster lap than his effort in the morning, although the former British GT champion remained pleased with the progress made across the day.

The team will head to Brands Hatch next week for the final day of pre-season testing prior to the opening race meeting at Thruxton on 8/9 May.

"I’m really pleased,” said Smiley. “We chipped away at things throughout the day and have taken a massive step forwards. We improved in key areas, particularly with the traction off the two main corners, although our tyre strategy means we didn’t really show our hand in terms of the ultimate lap time. The difference in the car now is night and day from last year, and I’m looking forward to getting a few more laps in at Brands Hatch to refine things ahead of the opening rounds."

"I loved it!” announced Parfitt. “The learning process was brilliant as I started the day with limited laps under my belt, but I feel a lot more confident now and can start to look at the times. We went way more aggressive on the set-up of the car so I’m closer to what Tom is running, and I seem more at home with the car being a bit more loose. It’s obvious there were some games going on with what people were running in terms of tyres and weight, but I was on old rubber all day and could have done a 57.9 before the engine went into limp mode, which would have put me in the mix. That’s really good progression for me and I’m happy with how things have gone."

"It’s been an interesting day as you always get people who run the soft tyre late on and take the weight out, so it’s hard to see where everyone really sits,” Ingram remarked. “On our side, the car felt good and was doing everything I wanted from it, so you can’t really ask for more than that. I think that is the quickest I’ve been around Silverstone so I’m happy with how I performed, and our testing as a whole has gone well at all the circuits we have visited so far. It looks like being a quick year based on what we have seen and it’s certainly going to be close, but I feel we’re in a good position as a team as we look towards the first round."

"We had a bit of a mixed afternoon after an electrical issue,” admitted Butel. “But overall, we’ve made a lot of changes and adjustments and made a huge amount of progress. We’ve had some really good days so far with the car and I hope that we can have another solid outing at Brands Hatch next week to build on what we have learned so far. The car is a huge step forwards from what I raced last season and I feel at home with the team already; I can’t wait for the season to get started."

"As a team, we have always put a lot of time and effort into presentation and this season is no exception,” Team Owner Justina Williams explained. “Having already shown off Tom’s car, we’re proud to have now revealed the eye-catching colour schemes that Chris, Rick and Jack will be running this season, and I think all three look fantastic. Yesterday was a really productive day for all four drivers and we have been able to collect a lot more data that will be beneficial when we get to Thruxton for the opening rounds."

MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square enjoyed a positive start to the 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship during the official Season Launch at a sun-drenched Silverstone circuit, with both Ollie Jackson and Jake Hill working their way through comprehensive testing programmes throughout the day.

After much anticipation, the curtain was lifted on the new season at the Home of British Motorsport as the 2021 BTCC grid was revealed in its entirety and MB Motorsport took to the track for the first official running with Jackson and Hill piloting the team’s pair of Ford Focus ST’s.

Once the grid had completed media tracking laps and official grid photos, the pit lane went live for the first of two three-hour sessions. Both with pre-planned formal programmes to work to, Jackson and Hill began their work prioritising longer race runs.

At the close of the morning session, a 57.726 was enough to earn Hill 11th on the timesheets, while a 57.928 placed Jackson in P19 at the halfway mark of the day. Most importantly, the MB Motorsport duo had racked up 99 laps between them, as they continued to gain valuable insight throughout the morning.

Following the lunch break, Jackson continued to rack up the laps and work his way through his scheduled programme lapping with excellent consistency.

After a strong afternoon, the 36-year-old found himself in P12 on the combined timesheets, having completed a mammoth 128 laps over the course of the day.

Unfortunately for Hill, his afternoon running was cut short by a technical issue, which saw the Kent-based driver restricted to a limited amount of running. Hill would end the day 18th on the combined results, having secured his fastest lap during the morning’s session.

“I’m really pleased with the work that we have gotten through,” said Jackson. “For us, [Season Launch] was about working through the programme we had planned, and we’ve learnt an awful lot – this can only put us in a good position heading into the opener in a couple of weeks. All in all, it’s been a really positive pre-season period – now I just can’t wait to get to Thruxton for the real fun to begin!”

“It was an up and down day for me admittedly,” reflected Hill. “We came into it with a clear picture of what we wanted to run and to achieve. We managed all of that in the morning perfectly, but the afternoon was a bit frustrating as there was nothing we could do about the issue which hampered our running time. Despite that, I’m loving the feel of this Ford Focus ST and am confident that we will be well in the fight come Thruxton.”

“After much anticipation, it was great to get the first official running of the season in the books today at Silverstone,” added the team’s Sporting Director, Mark Blundell. “On the whole, the pre-season has been a really positive one for both Ollie and Jake and we are all heading into the opening weekend in confident mood. It’s also been great to unveil our refreshed look with the new Focus’ - so a huge thank you as always to our partners for their support and to Motorbase Performance for their continued efforts.”

Series returnee and three-time champion Gordon Shedden signalled his title intentions by topping the pre-season Kwik Fit British Touring Championship test at Silverstone today (22 April).

Halfords Racing with Cataclean star Shedden was the quickest driver on track during the early afternoon running, and the Honda racer was followed by two familiar faces in the shape of Team BMW's Colin Turkington and Power Maxed Car Care Racing's Jason Plato.

As the 29 cars set about completing longer runs and set-up adjustments, it was BTC Racing's Michael Crees that moved into P1, as the Kent driver prepares for his second season with the squad.

Shedden would not be denied, however, as the Scotsman set the fastest lap of the day in the closing moments of the six hours of scheduled running. Such was the impressive pace on this pre-season test day, that Shedden clocked the 1.64-mile Silverstone National Circuit in 57.108s – more than two tenths quicker than the current qualifying lap record.

Jack Goff enjoyed an impressive day as the Team HARD. with Auotbrite Direct man topped the morning session, before recording the second-best lap time in the afternoon, as the all-new CUPRA Leon made its competitive bow in the BTCC.

Crees settled for third at the finish, ahead of Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com's Tom Ingram and the Vauxhall Astra of Plato – the latter returning to the BTCC after a one-year hiatus.

Team BMW's Colin Turkington was next in the order with Laser Tools Racing's Ash Sutton close behind, as last year's top two drivers look to rekindle their battle for supremacy.

Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport has graduated to the BMW 330i M Sports over the winter, and Adam Morgan continued to acclimatise to rear-wheel drive machinery by setting the eighth-fastest time.

Daniel Lloyd and Daniel Rowbottom ensured that both Power Maxed Car Care Racing and Halfords Racing with Cataclean cars were inside the top ten, whilst the top 26 drivers were separated by the tiny margin of just 0.759s.

As expected, there were some minor stoppages during the day, but it was largely a trouble-free run for all competitors with an incredible 2,741 laps completed, amounting to nearly 4,500 miles of testing.

The 2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship gets underway on 8/9 May at Thruxton in Hampshire.

Gordon Shedden said: “That was a great day. We worked diligently through our programme and I gained more and more confidence in the car as the day went on. You never know what everyone else is doing during Season Launch, but to finish atop the times is mega. I’m definitely happy with that!”

Jack Goff said: “It’s been a good day – that’s the quickest I’ve ever been round Silverstone. The nicest thing about this car compared to the VW is that when you make a small tweak, you can really feel the difference. I’m sure other teams have got more to come, so I’m keeping my feet firmly on the ground until Thruxton. I honestly still believe we’re aiming for top ten currently – that’s where I realistically want to be .”

Michael Crees said: “Unbelievable – I even shocked myself! We knew we were there or thereabouts in the morning and then in the afternoon, we tweaked a few little bits and pieces, got the car right, put the tyres on and delivered the time. I had everything crossed for that last half-hour, but Shedden did what he does best and put a great time in and then Goff just pipped me too. Still, I’m over the moon, and going towards the first round, and I think we’re in good shape.”

Tom Ingram said: “It felt good. For my first time round here in the Hyundai, I’m really pleased. If I’m honest, it feels like I’ve been driving this car for years – everything feels very easy. It was the fastest I’ve ever been around Silverstone, which is great. Most importantly, it still doesn’t feel like we’ve maximised it. Everybody will say that up and down the grid, of course they will, but I know we’ve got more to find, which is actually a really nice place to be going towards the first couple of rounds.”

2021 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship – Official Pre-Season Test – Silverstone

1       Gordon SHEDDEN (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean 57.108s
2       Jack GOFF (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +0.194s
3       Michael CREES (GBR) BTC Racing +0.199s
4       Tom INGRAM (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.274s
5       Jason PLATO (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +0.377s
6       Colin TURKINGTON (GBR) Team BMW +0.423s
7       Ashley SUTTON (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.490s
8       Adam MORGAN (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.501s
9       Daniel LLOYD (GBR) Power Maxed Car Care Racing +0.516s
10     Daniel ROWBOTTOM (GBR) Halfords Racing with Cataclean +0.520s
11     Josh COOK (GBR) BTC Racing +0.545s
12     Ollie JACKSON (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.550s
13     Chris SMILEY (GBR) Ginsters EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.554s
14     Tom OLIPHANT (GBR) Team BMW +0.578s
15     Andy NEATE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +0.592s
16     Glynn GEDDIE (GBR) Team HARD. with Autobrite Direct +0.597s
17     Rory BUTCHER (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.598s
18     Jake HILL (GBR) MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square +0.618s
19     Jade EDWARDS (GBR) PHSC with BTC Racing +0.639s
20     Stephen JELLEY (GBR) Team BMW +0.649s
21     Sam OSBORNE (GBR) Racing with Wera & Photon Group +0.655s
22     Aiden MOFFAT (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.684s
23     Sam SMELT (GBR) Toyota Gazoo Racing UK +0.686s
24     Jack BUTEL (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +0.718s
25     Tom CHILTON (GBR) Car Gods with Ciceley Motorsport +0.731s
26     Carl BOARDLEY (GBR) Laser Tools Racing +0.759s       
27     Nicolas HAMILTON (GBR) ROKiT Racing with iQuoto Online Trading +1.097s
28     Árón TAYLOR-SMITH (IRL) Team HARD. with HUB Financial Solutions +1.174s
29     Rick PARFITT (GBR) EXCELR8 with TradePriceCars.com +1.253s

In addition to today’s (22 April) on track action at Silverstone, there was cause for celebration in the Laser Tools Racing garage as Antonio Carrozza received his 2020 Engineer of the Year trophy, which was donated by BTCC technical partner, Penske Racing Shocks UK.

The accolade, which was first introduced in 2016, recognises the achievement of the Chief Engineer behind the Championship winning car, with Carrozza attaining the honour, for his work on Ash Sutton’s Infiniti Q50 during the 2020 campaign.

Securing an impressive ten podiums during the 27-race campaign, the Infiniti’s impressive pace throughout the season saw Sutton bag points in all but one race, as the 27-year-old fought tooth and nail for his second title.

Carrozza remains with the Infiniti man for 2021, as they continue to build on the car’s pace and success of last year.

"I have worked with Ash since 2017 on the Subaru project and it has been a great journey ever since," said Carrozza. "We won the championship in our first year together, which was a dream come true, and it's amazing to have done it again.

"To start with a blank canvas for the Infiniti Q50 meant we were able to learn every aspect of the car straight out of the box. We expected to be there or thereabouts, but to win it in the first year was a huge achievement and a great testament to everyone in the team."

BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow awarded Carrozza with the impressive carbon fibre, machined alloy and laser engraved trophy, which was designed and produced by Penske Racing Shocks UK.

This accolade also follows the news that Penske Racing Shocks UK have been awarded with the ongoing exclusive supply of shock absorbers, parts and technical support to the BTCC until 2026.

"We have been supplying products to this exhilarating championship for over 20 years now and look forward to continuing our relationship into the Hybrid era," commented Richard Barnes, Chairman - SPA Technique UK.