Turkington in surprise BTCC test return

4-time British Touring Automotive Championship title winner Colin Turkington has made an surprising return to the West Surrey Racing BMW crew 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 industrial 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 broad open to a full-time resumption ought to the monetary numbers stack up.

“It’s the final word birthday current to get a take a look at again within the touring automotive,” Turkington advised 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 yr, it’s a good way to maintain myself sharp.

“The plan for the yr is to drive no matter I can get my fingers on and preserve myself prepared for any alternative that comes up.”

WSR boss Dick Bennetts mentioned: “We’re on the lookout for sponsors for subsequent yr 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 vitality on behalf of West Surrey Racing to get me within the seat for 2025 however sadly we simply fell brief,” added Turkington.

“The constructive facet is, it offers us one other 12 months to make it occur. These industrial realities have hit me twice earlier than within the BTCC. Typically a yr out permits you to breathe and reset, and go for one more 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 fingers 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 Traditional Sports activities Automotive Membership assembly at Donington Park on 12-13 April. He received 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.”