4-time British Touring Automobile Championship title winner Colin Turkington has made an surprising return to the West Surrey Racing BMW group for a Manufacturers Hatch take a look at.
The Northern Irishman is celebrating his forty third birthday on Friday by filling in for reigning champion Jake Hill, who has a clashing dedication racing a Ferrari 296 GT3 within the Mugello 12 Hours.
The present business local weather resulted in Turkington and WSR suspending their full-time relationship in 2025, however the take a look at hints that the door is extensive open to a full-time resumption ought to the monetary numbers stack up.
“It’s the last word birthday current to get a take a look at again within the touring automotive,” Turkington informed Autosport, moments after being offered within the pit storage with a birthday cake (naturally, it was Colin the Caterpillar).
“Clearly Jake had clashing commitments and I jumped on the likelihood. With me not having a race programme this 12 months, it’s an effective way to maintain myself sharp.
“The plan for the 12 months is to drive no matter I can get my arms on and maintain myself prepared for any alternative that comes up.”
Colin Turkington, Staff BMW
Photograph by: JEP
WSR boss Dick Bennetts stated: “We’re searching for sponsors for subsequent 12 months to place Colin again into the championship.
“He’s a part of the household; he’s not retired – it is a sabbatical.”
“There was an enormous quantity of power on behalf of West Surrey Racing to get me within the seat for 2025 however sadly we simply fell quick,” added Turkington.
“The constructive facet is, it provides us one other 12 months to make it occur. These business realities have hit me twice earlier than within the BTCC. Typically a 12 months out enables you to breathe and reset, and go for an additional spell.”
4 of the BTCC groups are in motion at Manufacturers Hatch in what’s a non-public take a look at organised by Alliance Racing.
Its NAPA Ford Focus STs are being piloted by the common quartet of Ash Sutton, Dan Cammish, Dan Rowbottom and Sam Osborne; WSR’s BMW 330i M Sports activities are within the arms of Turkington, Aiden Moffat, Daryl DeLeon and Charles Rainford; Excelr8 Motorsport’s Hyundai i30 Ns are in motion with Tom Ingram, Tom Chilton and Adam Morgan; and a brace of Un-Restricted Motorsport Cupra Leons are being pushed by Max Corridor and Dexter Patterson.
Turkington is anticipating his subsequent outing to be on the Basic Sports activities Automobile Membership assembly at Donington Park on 12-13 April. He gained his class final weekend at Silverstone in a SuperSport Endurance Cup spherical, sharing a Mazda MX-5 Mk3: “It was so refreshing to enter a race with no worries. I’ll drive no matter I can.”
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