Daniel Lloyd will make an unexpected return to the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship for the remainder of the 2026 season after re-signing with Restart Racing.
Huddersfield-based racer Daniel enjoyed a fine campaign with the Hyundai team last season that included an overall race win at Silverstone.
That win, the first for the team, helped Daniel to secure the Independents’ title as he beat Mikey Doble and team-mate Chris Smiley to the crown.
Fresh from that success, Daniel took the difficult decision to take a sabbatical this season in order to focus on the growth of his sponsorship and management company ProEdge Management as well as the launch of his latest venture, the Ignition Business Club.
Alongside those business commitments, Daniel has remained involved with Restart Racing in an off-track capacity but will now return to a race seat for the final four rounds of the year in place of James Dorlin.
The first of those events takes place this weekend when the BTCC heads for the Donington Park GP circuit before events at Croft, Silverstone and Brands Hatch GP – the latter three all being venues where Daniel has taken to the top step during his BTCC career.
Daniel’s unexpected return has been made possible through the support of DEVELOP, JLC Group, iab Lab and Calder IT, all of whom were partners during his successful 2025 campaign.
Daniel Lloyd said:
“On the one hand I’m obviously delighted to have the chance to return to the BTCC grid for the remainder of the season although at the same time, I feel for James as it’s never nice to have to stand down from a drive – as i know from personal experience.
“Last season was an unbelievable experience as I helped Restart Racing to a first win and both Independents’ titles, so this very much feels like home for me. A huge thank you has to go to Pete and the team for the opportunity to now return, as well as the partners who have made it possible.
“Whilst I haven’t been driving this season, the fact that I’ve been involved with the team off-track means the transition back into a race seat will be relatively straightforward and I can’t wait to get started.
“Unlike last year, I don’t have a championship battle to worry about and my only focus is on pushing for the best possible result every race to help the team end the year strongly.
“The four circuits remaining on the calendar are four where I have been particularly strong in the past and I’m confident of fighting for some positive results before the season is done.”
Pete Jones, Team Principal of Restart Racing, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to have Dan back in the car as he knows the team, he knows the car and we know exactly what he is capable of.
“Dan has remained a big part of the team this year and has been with us at race weekends in an advisory role, so he has stayed very close to what we are doing and how the car has developed.
“He also has a brilliant relationship with everyone in the team and with Chris, which means he can come straight back in and get on with the job.
“Bringing Dan back gives us a proven race winner who knows how to get the very best out of this car, and I think everyone in the team is excited to see what we can do together over the remaining rounds.”
