Daniel Lloyd has joined forces with another leading Yorkshire-based business after prestige car dealership Optimum Vehicles signed up as the latest partner of the British Touring Car Championship front-runner.
The new partnership was agreed on the back of Huddersfield racer Daniel’s best ever weekend in Britain’s premier racing series last month, where he carried his EXCELR8 Motorsport-run Hyundai to a pair of race wins.
That in itself was an impressive feat given the high level of competition in the series, but was all the more remarkable given the race meeting came just two weeks after a huge accident at Oulton Park left his car extensively damaged.
Daniel’s first meeting with Optimum support will come at Knockhill as the BTCC season resumes after the traditional summer break, and on a weekend where the series will once again benefit from coverage on the main ITV channel.
Over the past month, Daniel has worked around the clock to bring in new commercial partners in a bid to cover a repair bill of more than £100,000, with Optimum Vehicles being the latest business keen to partner with the multiple race winner – and the first on the back of his double success at Croft.
Based at Bilbrough Top services near to York, Optimum Vehicles operates from modern premises with a state-of-the-art service department that allows it to offer the very best service both pre and post sale.
Each vehicle undergoes a 100 point inspection, with Optimum Vehicles able to source specific models from across the UK as well as having an expansive collection of premium machinery available in stock at any one time.
The company is also involved in the performance motorcycle market, with a two floor showroom and race preparation centre from where it operates a front-running team in the British Superbike Championship-supporting Pirelli National Superstock series.
“At Optimum Vehicles we are huge fans of motor racing, and we are thoroughly excited to be joining Daniel and the team for this season’s BTCC as sponsors,” managing director Paul Sanderson said.
“Daniel’s passion is infectious, and we cannot wait to be part of the team for the remainder of the season. We wish him the best of luck with everything throughout the rest of the year, and cannot wait to see him in action at the next round at Knockhill!”
Daniel’s new partnership with Optimum Vehicles sees it become the latest business from the automotive industry to get involved in his BTCC programme
“With a shared passion for all things automotive, Optimum Vehicles are a perfect fit when it comes to the BTCC, so I’m delighted to have them onboard as my latest partner and am looking forward to working with Paul and his team,” he said. “It’s been a really tough month since Croft trying to find additional sponsors and Optimum are the first to have signed up since then, which I’m very thankful for.
“I’ve used Optimum myself to sell my own vehicle this year, and two of my other sponsors have also received fantastic service after I suggested they get in touch. With such first hand experience of how they operate, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommended them to anyone else in my network and beyond.
“Kicking off my relationship with Optimum on a weekend where we benefit from coverage on the main ITV channel is a great start, and I’m excited to see how it develops over the remainder of the season.”
On track, this weekend will mark only the third time that Daniel has raced at Knockhill in the BTCC, although he scored a double victory at the venue back in 2018 en-route to the TCR UK Championship title.
In a change to the planned broadcast arrangement for this weekend, coverage will now be split once again between the main ITV channel and ITV4 – with races one and two being aired on ITV at 12:08 and 14:15 before race three rounds out a busy day of action on ITV4 at 17:10.
Saturday’s qualifying session will be broadcast live on the ITV website – with coverage scheduled to start at 15:25 – whilst live timing throughout the weekend will be available on TSL Timing.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back on track this weekend at Knockhill,” he said. “Confidence is on a real high after the results at Croft, and we also had a positive few hours of running during the recent test at Snetterton, where we were able to work through various things.
“I don’t think it’s realistic to be going into this weekend thinking we can take a double win like we did last time out, but I’m hopeful that we will be able to fight for more strong points as I look to continue creeping up the standings.”
