BTC Racing has announced that it will switch to the ex-Motorbase Performance SEAT Toledos for the remainder of the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship.
Having campaigned the Lexus IS200 since moving into the BTCC late in the 2006 season, the team will now move to the ex-works SEATs from the next round of the year at
Donington Park in a move which should see both Chris Stockton and Stuart Oliver make moves up the pecking order as the season progresses.
"We have been lucky enough to secure a pair of very good cars for the remainder of the 2008 season," team principle Bert Taylor said. "Although we weren't particularly successful with the BTC Lexus cars, they are still potential top ten cars and we will be sorry to not work with them for the remainder of the season.
"The knowledge we have learnt from racing the Lexus has given us the confidence to move forward and we feel that this is a great opportunity to become even more competitive."
Taylor added that the whole team is looking forward to the challenge of running the Toledos and said the input of former Motorbase man Gareth Howell – now the test and reserve driver at BTC – would be key in the teams hopes for the remaining eight rounds.
"The whole team is very excited about the switch," he said. "The SEATs are proven race winners and their purchase was an opportunity we couldn't turn down. Running them will put BTC Racing in a very strong position.
"We also have the advantage of having Gareth Howell as our reserve driver. Gareth raced one of these cars in the 2007 season and his knowledge of the cars will be invaluable."
