Daniel Lloyd is facing up to the possibility that the upcoming race meeting at Thruxton will be his final outing in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship this season as he continues to deal with the aftermath of a huge accident at Oulton Park earlier in the year.
The Huddersfield-based racer was left with a six figure repair bill after the incident in early June, leading to immediate concerns about whether his programme with the EXCELR8 Motorsport team would be able to continue.
Hard work from the team to repair the damaged car allowed Daniel to return to action just two weeks later at Croft, where he secured a fairytale double victory to keep his bid for a top ten championship finish on track.
Off track however, things have proved to be more of a challenge, with Daniel working around the clock in a bid to bring new commercial partners onboard to support his programme.
Although Wheel Gods, Technology Desking, Third Millennium and Optimum Vehicles have all signed up to his partner programme since the Oulton Park incident, Daniel still faces a shortfall of just over £50,000 if he is to compete in the final two meetings of the year.
As a result, the #123 Hyundai is set to be sidelined from the events at both Silverstone and Brands Hatch unless additional support can be found; a fact that Daniel admits would be a heartbreaking way to end what has been his strongest BTCC season to date.
“It was fantastic to bounce back from what happened at Oulton Park with the double win at Croft, but I think it might have given the false impression that we were okay in terms of being able to complete the season,” he says.
“Unfortunately that couldn’t be further from the truth and as it stands, there is a genuine possibility that Thruxton will be my final races of the campaign.
“Although we’ve been able to bring some fantastic new partners onboard since the accident, they were deals that I’d been working on for some time. I’m hugely grateful that they decided to back me – and that my existing partners have been so understanding of the situation – but the hard facts are that we are still around £50,000 short of being able to settle the repair bill and take part in the final two rounds.
“The prospect of being unable to finish what we have started this season is heartbreaking, because I feel I’ve developed a fantastic relationship with the team and we have made huge progress with the car to regularly fight towards the front of the field in what has been one of the competitive grids that the BTCC has had for a number of years.
“I’m certainly not giving up by any means, but a situation that was very difficult has now become critical, and time is running out.”
Whilst talks with potential partners remain ongoing, Daniel is eager to talk to potential businesses who are keen to make the most of the many benefits of being involved in Britain’s premier racing series – which includes bumper trackside crowds and a free-to-air TV deal that is a step above that available in any form of motorsport, including Formula 1.
Packages are available to suit all budgets, with the potential for small businesses and individuals to also get involved at a lower level through Daniel’s ‘Members Club‘ – which provides a range of incentives including race day VIP hospitality, access to an exclusive track day at Silverstone, and an end-of-year Members Only ball.
With a number of race fans having enquired about how they could help, Daniel is also now launching a range of special packages that will provide an opportunity to support his bid to keep his campaign on track.
Those packages – detailed below – include products and incentives from a number of partners including Abracs, Draper Tools and Autoglym, a unique poster designed by Coxi Cartoons, a simulator competition with FP Zero and the possibility of taking to the track for passenger laps alongside Daniel in a FastR Time Attack BMW.
“There is no escaping the fact that motorsport is an expensive sport, but getting involved doesn’t have to involve huge sums,” he continued. “We are able to offer a range of different packages that can be tailored to the needs of an individual business, and any support – big or small – will help.
“People have asked if crowdfunding was an option and whilst I know it has been done by other people, it isn’t something I personally feel comfortable with as I wouldn’t want to ask fans for money and not be able to offer something in return.
“We are however pleased to be in a position where we can launch some new packages that will allow any fans who want to support my effort to do so, but will also offer them exclusive rewards that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to – such as special merchandise and a Hot Lap event at Donington Park.
“If anyone wants to get involved then please get in touch.”
