No products in the cart.

No products in the cart.

Trade Price Cars, EXCELR8 join forces for 2021 British Touring Car Championship programme

Trade Price Cars, EXCELR8 join forces for 2021 British Touring Car Championship programme

Trade Price Cars Racing and EXCELR8 Motorsport can today confirm that the two parties will join forces from the 2021 British Touring Car Championship season onwards.

The racing arm of award-winning, Essex-based motor dealership Trade Price Cars will team up with EXCELR8 – based in Brome in Suffolk – on a new and exciting programme running an expanded fleet of four Hyundai i30 N Fastbacks under the EXCELR8 Trade Price Cars banner.

Talks with potential drivers for the new programme are already underway as the team looks to build on the undoubted potential of the Hyundai, which appeared on track in Britain’s premier racing series for the first time this year having been developed by EXCELR8 from the ground up last winter.

Scoring a podium finish in its very first race meeting at Donington Park back in August, the all-new car also took a top three finish at Knockhill, and has an impressive record of scoring points in each of the 24 races run to date this year.

The performance of the new Hyundai has been key to the EXCELR8 team establishing itself as a true contender in only its second season in the BTCC, having made the step up into touring cars following years of success in the MINI CHALLENGE – where it has secured multiple championship titles.

With only the season finale at Brands Hatch this weekend still to run, EXCELR8 is well on course to secure a top ten finish in the Teams Championship, and holds a strong fifth place in the Independent Teams standings.

Having joined the grid as an entrant in its own right at the same time as EXCELR8, Trade Price Cars Racing has enjoyed plenty of success over the past two seasons whilst running in partnership with the AmD Tuning team – and scored a maiden victory last year at Knockhill with its Audi S3.

That victory, as well one further overall podium, saw the team battling for Independent class honours across the season and it was firmly in the fight for the Jack Sears Trophy this time around before an unfortunate incident at Croft ruled then points leader Bobby Thompson out of the final two rounds.

With confirmation of the new partnership between Trade Price Cars Racing and EXCELR8 now in place, work will shortly begin on the build of two further i30 N Fastbacks, with the rebranded team looking to challenge for championship silverware with the expanded, multi-car programme next year.

The 2021 BTCC season is currently scheduled to get underway at Brands Hatch on the weekend of 3/4 April.

Justina Williams, EXCELR8 Motorsport team principal, said:
“We’re delighted to announce this new partnership with Dan and Trade Price Cars for 2021, and the expansion of our programme in the BTCC. To be joining forces is a great way for both parties to increase our involvement in the series, and provides us with the chance to build on what we have achieved over the past two seasons.

“Like us, Dan is someone who is very focused on professionalism, presentation and on the commercial side of racing, which has been a key factor in this deal coming together. Of course, success on track is an important part of any racing programme, but we also need to deliver value for our partners, and that is an important view that we all share.

“As we said when we first embarked on our BTCC programme, our aim is to fight for championship titles as we have done elsewhere, and we know that that isn’t something that happens overnight. We are in it for the long term, and this partnership is the next step as we progress towards our ultimate goal.

“Based on what we have been able to learn about the Hyundai this season, we have a development programme in place for the winter to improve the package we have, and are looking to bring together a driver line-up that will allow us to regularly challenge for the podium places in 2021.

“With a further major step forward in performance to come through the development work planned for the start of the new hybrid era in 2022, these are hugely exciting times as we look to establish ourselves as a major force in the series in the coming seasons.”

Dan Kirby, Trade Price Cars Racing team owner, said:
“Over the past two seasons, we have enjoyed working together with Shaun Hollamby and the AmD team, and have been able to secure some memorable results – with the win at Knockhill last year being a dream come true for us.

“The Audi has served us well so far, but we could see that the latest generation of NGTC cars are a step forwards in terms of performance, and we also needed to think about the new hybrid regulations that will be coming into play in the series from 2022.

“We looked at the options that were available for 2021 and beyond, and the Hyundai was a really appealing option. The team at EXCELR8 has done a great job to build a car that is capable of running at the front in a highly-competitive field, and it is a car that has been designed with the new hybrid era in mind.

“Having spoken to Justina and the team about doing something next season, it was clear that we share very similar goals for the future. I’m delighted to be able to confirm this new partnership, and feel confident that we can enjoy a strong year together on track in 2021.”

Join the Fan Club