Photo: WSR

Daryl DeLeon joins West Surrey Racing for 2025 campaign

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West Surrey Racing has announced Daryl DeLeon as their second signing for the 2025 British Touring Car Championship season.

Becoming the youngest driver to race for the Sunbury-based squad since Tom Onslow-Cole in 2007, the Anglo-Filipino racer will race a BMW 330i M Sport with the team who won both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles this year.

Off the back of much success across karting, Radicals and GTs, the 19-year-old made his debut in the UK’s premier motorsport in 2023 as he joined Team HARD from the mid-season mark and he would put points on the board in the Cupra Leon before the year was out.

For 2024, DeLeon continued his BTCC journey as he joined forces with Un-Limited Motorsport for his first full season in the series. Building on his experience of the previous campaign, the teenager was a regular fixture in the battle for Independent honours.

With defending BTCC champion Jake Hill already announced and two other seats yet to be confir,ed, DeLeon now has his sights set on commencing pre-season testing in the New Year.

“It’s a dream come true to join WSR and to be with the best team in the BTCC after only one full season in touring cars. I still can’t quite believe it,” said DeLeon.

“I’m excited to return to a rear-wheel drive car as that’s been my background pre-BTCC and the BMW is clearly a mega machine as it proved by winning the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ Championships in 2024.

“The first aim will be to score a podium finish and I’ll also be trying to win the Jack Sears Trophy across the season. I think both are realistic targets and I’ll be working hard with the team to raise my performance level to where it needs to be for a team like WSR.”

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, added: “We’re very pleased to welcome Daryl to WSR for the 2025 season.

“He’s impressed us with what he’s achieved in challenging circumstances across the year and has a lot of the raw potential and determination that we’ve seen in a number of young drivers that have gone on to achieve great things in our cars and beyond.

“Given his background racing rear-wheel drive cars he should have little trouble getting used to our race-winning BMW. We look forward to helping him develop and move towards the front of the grid.”