Daniel Lloyd’s bid to complete the 2022 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship season has been given a major boost after the multiple race winner secured fresh backing from Bristol Street Motors for the final three meetings of the campaign.
The Huddersfield racer was at risk of not being able to compete in the final two meetings of the year – at Silverstone and Brands Hatch – as a result of the huge accident he suffered at Oulton Park back in June, which resulted in a repair bill of more than £100,000.
Recent months have seen Daniel hard at work off track to raise the additional funding required to cover the costs of the damage, with Wheel Gods, Technology Desking, Third Millennium and Optimum Vehicles all pledging their support for the 30-year-old in his bid to keep his season on track.
Even with that additional backing however, Daniel – who won twice at Croft just two weeks after the Oulton Park incident – was still left needing to find more than £50,000 in order to fully settle the repair bill for his EXCELR8-run Hyundai i30 Fastback N, and also cover the costs of the final two race meetings.
A fresh push for support last week gained astonishing support from race fans, who have so far raised more than £10,000 through the purchase of a number of special packages that includes limited edition posters, a range of goodies from Daniel’s partners and access to a special track day at Donington Park.
A number of businesses have also expressed interest in Daniel’s racing programme, with Bristol Street Motors pledging a substantial amount to become a key backer of his Hyundai for the final three meetings of the season.
The support of both BTCC fans and Bristol Street Motors will help to cover the costs of the remaining races and goes some way towards settling the repair bill, with Daniel working to now find the remainder of the funds required whilst also focusing on ending the season strongly on track.
First up is a second visit of the season to Thruxton in Hampshire this weekend, where Daniel will be looking to try and strengthen his place inside the top ten in the championship standings.
The first visit to the fastest circuit on the calendar back in May saw Daniel secure three top ten finishes at the wheel of the #123 Hyundai, and he will now seek to take the knowledge gained that weekend – and in the races that have followed – to hit the ground running when track action kicks off.
“There is still work to do until I can finally say that the damage bill from Oulton Park has been settled, but I feel a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders thanks to the support I’ve gained over the past week,” Daniel admitted.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that I was absolutely blown away by the reaction from race fans to the packages that I put together with the support of my partners, and the money generated has been vital when it comes to helping to settle the damage bill and also being able to complete the season.
“For Bristol Street Motors to then throw their support behind me in this way is fantastic, and I’m incredibly grateful to them for the faith they have shown in me. Hopefully we can now look forwards to ending the season strongly on track, starting this weekend when we return to Thruxton.
“I have real fire in my belly and I feel confident that we chase some top results at a track where we know the Hyundai will be strong. When we visited earlier in the season I was still trying to find the sweet spot with the car, but the work we did allowed us to find a good set-up that we can now take into the weekend and look to hit the ground running.
“Strong points are the main aim as I still feel we can push for the top six in the championship standings despite a few difficult meetings, and there would be no better way to thank those who have come forwards to back me in the past week than if we could pick up a trophy – or two!”
Qualifying on Saturday will air on the ITV website at 15:25, with all three races being shown on ITV4 on Sunday at 11:45, 14:35 and 17:20.
Live timing will also be available via TSL-Timing.
