Restart Racing confirms TCR Europe programme

Restart Racing has confirmed that it will add a programme in TCR Europe to a third season in the TCR UK championship in 2024.

The team will run a Honda Civic Type R FL5 for teenager Scott Sumpton, who has driven an older FK7 machine for the team in TCR Uk this season.

Sumpton will sample the Honda before that with outings in the final two events of the current TCR Spain season.

“I’m really looking forward to competing in the TCR Europe series next season,” Sumpton, part of the JAS Motorsport Driver Development Programme, said. “I’ve had a fantastic year this year with Restart Racing and JAS Motorsport, and racing in the highly-competitive European series is definitely the next step in my development.

“I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to race against some world-class drivers, and compete on some fantastic circuits, all while gathering more experience and fighting for podiums and race wins.

“I’ve had a terrific time in the TCR UK championship for the last two years and I’ve learned a lot. I also say goodbye to my FK7 Civic, which has been an amazing car, but I can’t wait to be racing the new FL5 Civic, which is now a fast and proven race-winner and should be the perfect car in which to make my European debut.”

Team principal Ben Taylor said he was excited at the prospect of expanding into a new series for 2024.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity ahead to race in the TCR Europe series next year with Scott,” he said. “Our TCR programme has been an exciting challenge for us, with winning the 2022 TCR UK championship in our first season a fantastic achievement.

“We followed that up with our development programme this year with Scott, working with him to become a regular front-runner in the series. We believe the TCR Europe series will provide an excellent opportunity for both Scott and us to grow as an operation. We’re also aiming for this to just be the start, with the plan to run more cars in the series and elsewhere next year.”