BTCC: Toyota GAZOO Racing UK expands line-up

Toyota GAZOO Racing UK has revealed an expanded BTCC line-up this season.

The Toyota GAZOO Racing UK team has announced a three-car line-up for the first time in Speedworks Motorsport’s history. The team will continue to race the Toyota Corolla GR Sport, which has had great success.

Rory Butcher will return to the Toyota GAZOO Racing UK team for the 2023 BTCC season, spending his third season with the team. Butcher has had great success in his BTCC career, winning multiple races.

Butcher enters his third season with the Toyota GAZOO Racing UK team in 2023, after joining the team in 2020. The Scotsman had a successful 2022 season, finishing fifth in the standings, and securing eight podiums.

Ricky Collard will also return to the team this season, as he aims to build on his first season in the Corolla. Collard had a “tough” season last year but is ready to continue his journey with the Speedworks Motorsport team.

Ricky Collard ended last season in a respectable 16^th position in the BTCC standings, with a best result of fourth. He first entered the Championship in 2018, replacing his dad, Rob Collard who was injured. 

Joining the team this year is George Gamble who was impressive in his first season in the BTCC. Gamble is incredibly excited about this new opportunity with Toyota GAZOO Racing UK and will switch from the rear-wheel drive BMW.

Gamble took his first race win last season, at the final race at Knockhill, racing for Ciceley Motorsport. The 26-year-old finished 13^th in the Championship standings, finishing the year ahead of Bobby Thompson. 

Butcher said: “I feel like I’m going into 2023 in the best shape so far, not just in terms of the updates brought to the Corolla but also in terms of the people I have around me. It’s great to have that continuity of team and car for the third year in a row, and having ended last season so strongly, I really want to pick up from where we left off and be right in the mix and gunning for glory from the outset. 

“Ricky and George are both top drivers and real assets to the team, and I’m looking forward to working closely with the pair of them to push this whole project forward.”

Collard said: “It’s no secret that some tough times last year made me seriously question my future in racing and whether or not I should carry on, but there were also a lot of positives and after talking very openly and honestly with Christian [Dick] and John [Gilbert – Speedworks Managing Director] over the winter, I realised I wanted to give this my very best shot in a competitive package, which is what I believe we’ve got. 

“The Corolla clearly has great potential and I really appreciate all the hard work that Toyota (GB) are putting in. The future looks very bright for this team, and I absolutely want to be a part of that.”

Gamble concluded: “Joining Toyota GAZOO Racing UK is a mega opportunity for me in only my second year in the championship. To be associated with one of the world’s leading manufacturers – which is successful in pretty much everything it turns its hand to – is massive, and I think I’m in a really good position. 

“It takes a season to properly acclimatise to the BTCC because it’s just so different to any other series and the racing is incredibly hard, but now I know much more what to expect, I can hopefully hit the ground running. 

“There’s tremendous motivation inside this team; everybody really wants to win, and it’s great to be in such a competitive environment. I’m really excited.”

Image credit: BTCC.net