Luke Hines: “I’ve thrown myself in at the deep end”

BTCC returnee Luke Hines says he’s “thrown himself in at the deep end” after signing to race for United Autosports in the final two meetings of the 2014 season.

The former Production class champion is taking part in his first touring car weekend since 2005, and posted the 25th and 30th fastest times in the two Silverstone practice sessions – the latter after being slowed by throttle issues.

The 32-year-old GT racer said the two weekends are all about learning, but said he was considering a move back to touring cars full-time in 2015.

“Things have changed – the cars are different and the competition is really stiff. I was amazed how close the times were through the whole grid,” Hines told TouringCarTimes.

“I’ve thrown myself in at the deep end after doing GTs for the last three or four years. The first session was just to get my head around the car, and we had old tyres on.

“It is going to be a learning process over these two races. It’s a whole different kettle of fish with the racing – in GT you’ve got to look after the car, but in touring cars, rubbing is racing.

“To be honest, touring cars is very similar to karting, with how close the racing is. If you open the door, you’re going to have two inside you.

“I’m really excited to get into the race, although I’ve not done a practice start!”

Speaking after the first session, Hines said the Toyota Avensis was a very different car to drive than his usual machinery.

He said: “The car has less power, and is more technical to drive with the turbo, and making sure you get good exits. It’s totally different to how you drive a GT car. It’s just about getting my head around it.”

Asked about a possible full-time return to the series, Hines added: “I’m going to see how it goes, and how I progress. I need to settle myself and have a good year’s racing next year. Touring cars could be the right move for me.”