Total Control Racing is to enter the world of endurance racing full-time this year after finalising a deal to run a SEAT Leon Cupra, piloted by Mike Robinson and Graham Johnson, in the 2013 Britcar Production Cup.
Although having dabbled in endurance competition previously, this year marks the first sustained campaign for Wednesday-based TCR in the disciplinethe squad more widely known for its hugely successful history in sprint racing such as the Renault UK Clio Cup and Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup.
Robinson and Johnson, who are both part of the management team at UKIP Media & Events which publishes Professional Motorsport World, are to team-up in the Britcar Production Cup having raced against each other with TCR in the Total Quartz Ginetta GT5 Challenge last year.
Concluding 2012 as Vice-Champion in the headline G40 Class of the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, Surbiton 30-year-old Robinson has also been a front-runner in the Renault UK Clio Cup with TCR and the new motor racing season will mark his seventh with the Lee Brookes-led team.
Johnson, who resides in East Horsley, joined TCRs ranks midway through last year and ended the Ginetta GT5 Challenge sixth overall. Prior to that, the 38-year-old raced successfully in Caterham Roadsports where he was third overall in the Roadsport A Class in 2009 and second in 2010.
TCR, of course, has vast experience of running SEAT machinery from the squads time in the now defunct SEAT Cupra Championship. Winning back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008 with current GT ace Jonathan Adam, the team is now relishing the prospect of tackling the Britcar Production Cup.
Its fantastic for TCR to be branching out into Britcar full-time and were all delighted to be able to continue working with Mike and Graham, said team principal Brookes, They both complement each other really well and, along with being colleagues off the track, theyre great friends. We dont enter any championship without the intention of trying to win it, so were setting our sights high.
Added to the Production Cup, were already confirmed for the Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup this year [with reigning G50 Cup Champion Mark Davies] and were set to make more announcements in the coming weeks.
Donington Park National Circuit will host the opening 90-minute race of the 2013 Britcar Production Cup on Saturday, 13th April. Particular highlights of the eight-event season will be the 1,000km race at Silverstone in September and the series concluding night race at Brands Hatch in November.
