Established Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship team Handy Motorsport is working on plans to expand its operation to a two-car entry for the 2016 season and can today, Thursday, 1st October, confirm its intention to field a proven front-running driver in a newly built Toyota Avensis.
As the current campaign nears its conclusion, with the final three rounds taking place at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit next weekend, 10th/11th October, team principal Simon Belcher says the Swindon squad is in extended talks with a number of leading BTCC competitors to spearhead Handy’s challenge in the UK’s biggest motor racing category next year.
With a brand new Toyota Avensis already in-build, which will feature the latest RML Group specification chassis and components, the goal is for the car to feature at the annual Autosport International Show early in the New Year where the squad is likely to reveal its new 2016 driver.
Should all plans fully come to fruition, and the budget fall into place, the team will field its existing Toyota alongside the new car next season with Belcher himself likely to return for his third season of BTCC action.
“These are very exciting times for Handy Motorsport”, said Belcher, “We’ve been working on our plans for 2016 and beyond for quite a while now and we’re obviously delighted to confirm the build of a brand new Avensis is already underway. The new RML spec car is an improved design over the existing car and significantly lighter too and the aim is to have the car on display at the Autosport Show in January.
“We have a strong desire to run two cars in 2016, that’s the main plan, and we want to field a front-running BTCC driver in at least one car next year. Discussions are currently taking place where that’s concerned and we’re actively pursuing sponsorship opportunities to help make it happen.”
Over the past two seasons, Handy Motorsport has become firmly established in the BTCC as one of the championship’s most professional and highly respected teams and will next year continue its key engineering and technical partnership with successful squad Speedworks Motorsport.
“We’ve had two fantastic seasons working hand-in-hand with the guys at Speedworks, forming a partnership with the team for our move into the BTCC back in 2014 really helped to make the step up possible”, added Belcher.
“There’s a lot of hard work ahead over the winter to prepare as well as we possibly can with the new car but we’re all absolutely determined to make a significant step forward in 2016. Bringing in an experienced front-running driver into at least one car is central to those goals.”
