Toyota Gazoo Racing UK set for home soil start to BTCC title challenge
Donington Park awaits this weekend for 2023 BTCC curtain-raiser
Team hoping to give colleagues from nearby TMUK reason for cheer
Speedworks-prepped trio of British-built Corollas primed for battle
Toyota Gazoo Racing UK will get its bid for British Touring Car Championship glory underway on home soil this weekend (22-23 April), as Rory Butcher, Ricky Collard and George Gamble set their sights on silverware at Donington Park.
The British-built Toyota Corolla GR Sport has been a front-runner in the country’s premier motor racing series since making its debut back in 2019, tallying 11 race wins and a further 22 rostrum finishes. The road-going version of the Japanese car maker’s popular hatchback is produced less than 15 miles away from Donington at Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK (TMUK) in Burnaston – so strong support this weekend can be guaranteed.
Kirkcaldy native Butcher was the series’ top scorer over the final three events of 2022 on his way to fifth in the Drivers’ standings, and was only off the podium once during the last six races. The 36-year-old former BTCC Independents’ Champion and Jack Sears Trophy winner has reached the rostrum at Donington on four previous occasions – twice behind the wheel of the Corolla – and after lapping up at the sharp end in the official pre-season test at Brands Hatch, he is firmly focussed on getting his challenge off to a flying start.
Team-mate Collard is embarking upon his second full campaign in the championship following a winter of reflection. The 26-year-old Surrey-born star’s raw speed last season was palpable from the outset, but Lady Luck rarely deigned to smile upon him. He heads to Donington – where he twice finished runner-up in MSA Formula in 2015 – with a new mindset and fresh motivation, and has promised ‘not to hold back’.
Joining Butcher and Collard in a third Speedworks Motorsport-prepared Corolla in 2023 is series sophomore George Gamble – a race-winner last season in only his 18th BTCC start. Hailing from Nottingham, Donington is his home circuit, and the 26-year-old stunned onlookers in ascending the podium there 12 months ago. After lapping confidently inside the top ten during the Brands Hatch group test despite admitting to not giving it the ‘full beans’, Gamble is approaching the weekend in optimistic mood.
Following Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session at 15:40 – broadcast on itv.com/btcc – every moment of Sunday’s doorhandle-to-doorhandle action will be televised live and in high-definition on ITV4, beginning at 10:45.
Christian Dick, Team Principal, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:
“This season will be our 13th in the BTCC as a team, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt so excited ahead of the opening round. There are a lot of unknowns, of course, both internally and externally from the new engine we are running to the re-introduction of the ‘option’ tyre and tweaks to the hybrid system, but when you combine the form in which we ended 2022 and the relentless work that has gone on behind-the-scenes over the winter to expand to a three-car squad, I honestly think we could be in for our best year yet.
“We have a first-rate driver line-up in Rory, Ricky and George, an excellent chassis in the Corolla and the Toyota-derived engine should eradicate the lack of straight-line speed we struggled with last season, which was unquestionably our Achilles’ heel. Donington Park is where the Corolla achieved its first win four years ago, and we are expecting a large turnout again from TMUK to spur us on. Hopefully we can give them a result to really cheer about.”
Rory Butcher, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:
“We finished last year on a real high and have carried that momentum with us through the winter. The team has worked extremely hard to bring further developments to the Corolla, and I’ve got a positive feeling going into the new season. Everything is looking good, but obviously you never know where you truly are until the first qualifying session. The aim is to get off to a stronger start than in 2022 and put up a proper fight for the championship.
“Our car really likes high-grip tracks, so I’m hoping the Corolla will be in its element on Donington’s resurfaced asphalt, and I think the return of the ‘option’ tyre will generate some great racing – not to mention plenty of strategic head-scratching when it comes to deciding which tyre to run when. Racking up the points is key in the BTCC, and consistency was a big strength of ours last year; if we can consistently finish just a little bit higher in every race, we’ll be right in the mix. I’m excited to get going!”
Ricky Collard, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:
“The fire is still in my belly – that’s why I’m here again. I’m a racer and if there’s a gap, I’m going to go for it; I’m never going to hold back. That’s just who I am – it’s in my DNA. If I’m being truthful, I didn’t think I would be on the grid this year; 2022 was a steep learning curve for me as my first time competing in a front wheel-drive car and for a variety of reasons, we didn’t achieve the results I feel we deserved, but I want to put that right. There were certainly chinks of light, and ultimately they are what convinced me to return.
“We don’t really know where we stand right now – it’s a bit of a step into the unknown in that respect, especially with the new engine, which I’m optimistic will enable us to take a significant step forward. I’m eager to see where we shake out in the pecking order when we get to Donington; hopefully we can get a good first weekend under our belts and then push on from there.”
George Gamble, Driver, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK, said:
“Pre-season testing has been a little bit limited by the weather, but we’ve made some solid progress nonetheless and the feeling is really positive. I’ve obviously still got a bit of learning to do in moving from rear wheel-drive to front wheel-drive, which requires a different technique, but I have to say, I’m loving the Corolla and the team couldn’t have been more helpful as I settle in and get to grips with everything.
“It’s tough to predict exactly where we are at the moment, because you never know what anybody else is doing during testing and what programmes other teams and drivers are following, but I tend to go pretty well at Donington. It’s my home track and the local circuit for a lot of my sponsors, so I usually receive plenty of support. Obviously I’ve also got happy memories there from last year – that was a cracking start to my BTCC career – and if we can get anywhere near that kind of result again, I’ll be well-chuffed.”
Images: Jakob Ebrey Photography