BTC Racing targeting 2013 entry with NGTC Cruze

Chris Stockton’s BTC Racing team plans to enter next year’s British Touring Car Championship with a full NGTC-specification Chevrolet Cruze, which was in development by RML late last year before they decided to withdraw from the Championship.

Stockton, who last raced in the BTCC in 2008 with Stuart Oliver and Gareth Howell as his team-mates in a pair of SEAT Toledos, was due to take part last weekend with Thorney Motorsport in their Vauxhall Insignia, but pulled out of the meeting shortly after qualifying.

BTC Racing have now confirmed they’ve purchased the Chevrolet Cruze NGTC shell which was being developed by RML to compete in the 2012 season, but ultimately was never finished with Chevrolet UK pulling out of the Championship.

“A lot of development work has already been completed by RML to get to this stage, and it is nearly ready to start assembling the TOCA parts, subject to a final inspection by the British Touring Car technical chief Peter Riches this week,” said Stockton.

“Ningbo had the marketing budget in place for 2013 for BTCC, but have decided to spend a lot of it on buying the best equipment I can use, rather than running with an existing team. This might
delay the first outing, but it is a price I think is worth paying. I’ve tried competing in older machinery, and without making excuses, it’s impossible to take on the best in less developed machinery.”