Toyota Gazoo Racing UK gathering momentum as BTCC heads for Brands Hatch

Motul partners Toyota Gazoo Racing UK head to Brands Hatch, Kent this weekend (26-27 June) for the next three rounds in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship keen to build on their recent momentum.

The Cheshire-based Speedworks Motorsport outfit have endured a rollercoaster start to the 2021 campaign, but Snetterton a fortnight ago represented a step in the right direction with Rory Butcher’s first silverware of the new season.

The 34-year-old qualified well and ran up front in the opener to secure third at the chequered flag, before backing up that showing with a further two top-six finishes to give his championship aspirations a boost.

Butcher’s record around the 1.2-mile Indy circuit at Brands Hatch is amongst the best in the field and was the scene of his breakthrough BTCC victory in 2019. The Scot has added a further two trips to the winner’s circle to his CV since, fuelling optimism that this weekend could prove to be a standout showing for the team.

Although team-mate Sam Smelt’s pace in Norfolk went unrewarded, the 24-year-old will look to use that track record as motivation as he looks to continue progressing through the field on his return to the highly competitive tin-top category after a three-year absence.

Due to scheduling clashes with the Tour de France, this weekend’s action will be broadcast live on ITV3 this Sunday, with three races at 11:30, 14:40 and 17:20 respectively.

Christian Dick, Team Principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“It’s fair to say we will travel to Brands Hatch with a much bigger spring in our step after Snetterton. We didn’t go there looking to grab any headlines, but rather to keep our heads down and proceed quietly about our business, and that approach clearly paid off. Three top six finishes and a first podium of the season was just reward for everybody’s stellar efforts.

“We now need to make sure we carry that form forward, and Brands Hatch has traditionally been a successful circuit for us, with some very happy memories. History has shown that we know how to make a car work around the short, technical Indy layout, and the Corolla was the highest scorer in the field there last year, which gives us a lot of reasons to feel optimistic going into the weekend.

Rory Butcher, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“I’m feeling very positive. It’s nice to be heading into a new event looking to build upon some momentum, rather than needing to fight back as was the case after Thruxton. The five-week break before Snetterton gave us the opportunity to reset and our aim there was three decent points finishes, which is exactly what we delivered to haul ourselves up into the top six in the championship standings. Now we’ve got that monkey off our back, we can crack on.

“There are certain tracks you particularly look forward to going to, and I’ve always loved racing at Brands Indy. I won the Formula Ford Festival there in 2009 and achieved my first BTCC victory at the circuit – I don’t know why, but I’ve always just seemed to connect with it pretty well. Maybe it’s because the lap is so short and undulating, a bit like Knockhill.

“Qualifying is the most important element of any BTCC weekend, but even more so at Brands Indy because it’s invariably super close on times and tricky to overtake. We’ve managed to start up towards the sharp end in both of the first two events and we’re not carrying too much ballast, so hopefully we can do that again to set ourselves up for another strong race day.

“I’m continuing to find my feet in the Corolla, and learning more every time I get behind the wheel. It clearly has the potential to win races because it’s done so before, so now it comes down to nailing that sweet spot – and ultimately, our strategy remains the same. We’re still playing catch-up to a certain extent, so we need to keep on bagging the points and hopefully pick up some more silverware. To win at Brands Hatch for the third year in a row and in a third different car, well, that would just be a dream…”

Sam Smelt, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:

“The good thing about it being a short gap between Snetterton and Brands Hatch is that we’ve got the opportunity to quickly put that weekend behind us and move on – it’s not like we’ve got six weeks to sit and dwell upon what happened. We’ve left no stone unturned to ensure we get to the bottom of the issues, and I’m fully focussed on bouncing back at Brands and putting all of those wrongs right.

“My BTCC debut was actually the only previous time I’ve raced around the Indy circuit, and there was obviously a lot to take in that weekend. I’m looking forward to going back now without that ‘new boy’ pressure and with more experience under my belt.

“With its short lap and the close-fought nature of the BTCC, the finer margins will make even more of a difference than usual, so it’s really important that we are on top of our game – particularly in qualifying, when the times will be incredibly tight. It’s vital that we maximise every single area of our performance, and dealing effectively with the traffic to get some clear laps in will be key, especially as overtaking won’t be massively easy. Hopefully we can conquer that challenge and take a step up the grid.

“The biggest positive we took from Snetterton was that when it was working properly, the car gave me a good feeling and I’m getting more comfortable in the Corolla every time out. It also performed extremely well at Brands Indy last year, so we have all that data to fall back upon, and Speedworks as a team has a great record around the track. That gives me a lot of confidence, so hopefully we can start off from a good place straightaway on Saturday morning and then just focus on fine-tuning…”