The 2023 TCR UK Touring Car Championship is the sixth season of the TCR UK Touring Car Championship. The championship features production-based

touring cars Touring car racing is a motorsport road racing competition that uses race-prepared touring cars. It has both similarities to and significant differences from stock car racing, which is popular in the United States. While the cars do not move a ...

built to TCR specifications and will be held over fifteen races across seven meetings throughout

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The championship is operated by

Stewart Lines Stewart Alan Lines is a British racing driver currently competing in the 2019 Britcar Endurance Championship. He has also raced in the British Touring Car Championship, made his debut in 2015 Racing career Lines began his touring car career i ...

' Maximum Group in partnership with the

British Racing and Sports Car Club The British Racing and Sports Car Club (BRSCC) is one of the major organisers of motorsport events in the United Kingdom. The club currently runs around thirty circuit racing championships for cars as diverse as Citroën, BMWs and Mazda. Formed i ...

Calendar

The schedule for 2023 was announced on 10 October 2022 containing 15 races across 7 rounds.

Snetterton Snetterton is a village and civil parish in Norfolk, England. The village is about east-northeast of Thetford and southwest of Norwich. The civil parish has an area of . The United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census recorded a parish population ...

would host the season opener and move onto the 300 circuit. Both

Knockhill Knockhill Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Fife, Scotland. It opened in September 1974 and is Scotland's national motorsport centre. The circuit is in the countryside about north of Dunfermline. It is the only FIA-approved circui ...

and Croft would return for the first time since

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

and

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

respectively. The championship would makes its first appearance on the traditional clockwise layout at Knockhill. The series would also return to

Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. The village is about south-southwest of Towcester and northeast of Brackley, both accessed via the A43 road, A43 main ...

's National layout for the first time since the

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

season. Both

Donington Park Donington Park is a motorsport Race track, circuit located near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The circuit business is now owned by Jonathan Palmer's MotorSport Vision organisation, and the surrounding Donington Park Estate, sti ...

and

Oulton Park Oulton Park is a hard surfaced Race track, track used for motor racing, close to the village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England, from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington, with a nearby rail connection a ...

would slim down to a single meeting in 2023 while

Castle Combe Castle Combe is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The village is around north-west of Chippenham and north-east of Bath, Somerset, Bath. At the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census, the parish had ...

was left off the schedule altogether. It was also announced through social media that a media day would take place at

on the 29th March.

Changes

Organisational Changes

* In October 2022 it was revealed that the championship would be leaving the Time Attack UK package after 2 years to re-join the

. As part of a multi-year agreement, TCR UK would appear as the headline event at 7 BRSCC race weekends. Furthermore, the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship was announced as an official feeder series to TCR UK and would race at the same events in 2023. * Former Ginetta Motorsport Manager Ashley Gallagher joined as Championship Manager for both TCR UK and the Milltek Sport Civic Cup. * A total prize fund of £75,000 was announced by the organisers. At each meeting, cash prizes would be awarded to the pole position winner and the top 3 in each race. Moreover, the top 3 in the championship at seasons end would also receive prizes as well as the overall winners of the Goodyear Diamond Trophy and Tom Walker Memorial Trophy.

Technical Changes

* Carless Racing Fuels was introduced as the official control fuel supplier to the series. As part of this collaboration, a TCR Driver of the Day initiative was launched, with the winner receiving a 54 litre keg of control fuel.

Teams and drivers

Driver Changes

Entering/Re-Entering TCR UK * Both Gary Townsend and Joe Marshall-Birks will move from the

Ginetta GT4 Supercup The Ginetta GT4 Supercup is a one-make racing, Sports car racing series based in the United Kingdom, using identical Ginetta Cars, Ginetta Ginetta G50, G50 and Ginetta G55, G55 sports cars. The championship supported the British Touring Car Ch ...

to join Paul Sheard Racing. They will also be joined by

Ginetta GT5 Challenge The Ginetta GT5 Challenge, currently known as the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge for sponsorship reasons (it has also been previously known as the Ginetta 20 Challenge), is a one-make racing series based in the United Kingdom. The seri ...

racer Oliver Cottam. * After an appearance in the previous seasons finale, George Jaxon will join the championship full time, driving a Cupra León Competición TCR for JW Bird Motorsport. * Jenson Brickley joined the series driving a family run Cupra León Competición TCR. * Lewis Brown moved from the

Mini Challenge UK The Mini Challenge UK is a one-make race series began in 2002 and since 2020 the JCW and JCW Sport championships have run as a support package to the British Touring Car Championship. The series umbrella includes multiple classes: * JCW Class ...

to join Chameleon Motorsport. * Darron Lewis returned full time, having made a one-off appearance towards the end of the previous season. * Former

Kumho BMW Championship The Kumho BMW Championship is a single make racing series based in the UK. Exclusively for BMWs, the championship is run by the BMW Racing Drivers Club in conjunction with the British Automobile Racing Club (BARC). The championship is a BARC reg ...

champion Rick Kerry announced a partial season campaign at the wheel of a Cupra León TCR. * Luke Sargeant joined Area Motorsport for a partial season campaign driving a

Hyundai i30 N TCR The Hyundai i30 N TCR is a racing car developed by Hyundai Motorsport, which was built according to the TCR rule system. It is based on the Hyundai i30 5-door hatchback. The project started in September 2016 with the help of Gabriele Tarquini ...

. * Former

BTCC The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), officially known as the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by ...

driver Carl Boardley joined the series driving a Cupra León Competición TCR for Zest Racecar Engineering. * Dan Kirby returned the series after having last raced in 2021 for

Power Maxed Racing Power Maxed Racing is a British auto racing team based in Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. The team has raced in the British Touring Car Championship, since 2015 after purchasing BTC Racing in February 2015. British Touring Car Championship Ch ...

, driving a second car for Zest Racecar Engineering. Changed Teams * Scott Sumpton moved from Essex & Kent Motorsport to join defending champion

Chris Smiley Christopher Smiley (born 6 April 1992) is a British racing driver from Northern Ireland currently competing in the British Touring Car Championship for Restart Racing. He is the 2022 TCR UK champion. Racing career Early career Smiley began hi ...

at Restart Racing in a second Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK8). * George Jaxon moved from Team HARD. with GO FIX to join JW Bird Motorsport. * Alex Ley and Daniel James Motorsport joined forces with Area Motorsport. * Having joined MPHR part way through the previous season, Steve Gales will commit to a full season alongside Brad Hutchinson in his first generation

Audi RS 3 LMS TCR The Audi RS 3 LMS TCR is a racing car built according to the TCR Touring Car, TCR rule system. It is based on the Audi A3, Audi RS 3 sedan. It has also undergone significant widening, as well as racing spoilers have been fitted to the car, as we ...

. * Callum Newsham joined newcomers JH Racing and would drive a

. * Jac Constable moved from

to join Rob Boston Racing.

Team Changes

* Paul Sheard Racing will switch from running a Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR to the latest Gen II

. * Area Motorsport will enter a

Hyundai Elantra N TCR The Hyundai Elantra N TCR is a racing car developed by Hyundai Motorsport. It is Hyundai's third TCR Touring Car, TCR car after the Hyundai i30 N TCR and the Hyundai Veloster N TCR. Development The Elantra N TCR was unveiled by Hyundai Motors ...

for Jamie Tonks. This would be the first time this model would appear in the UK series. Bruce Winfield will also switch to Hyundai machinery ahead of the 2023 season. * Chameleon Motorsport expanded and upgraded to the latest generation Cupra León Competición TCR. * Daniel James Motorsport would collaborate with Area Motorsport and would run Alex Ley under the Area Motorsport with Daniel James banner. * Restart Racing will enter an all new Honda Civic Type R TCR (FL5) for reigning champion

Calendar

Changes

Organisational Changes

Technical Changes

Teams and drivers

Driver Changes

Team Changes

Race calendar and results

Championship standings

Drivers' Standings

Notes

References

External links