Enckelman starts BTCC team

Peter Enckelman, of Premier Division football club Blackburn Rovers, is putting his name to a new team being formed to enter 2007’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship. The team will be known as Encke Sport and based in Manchester’s Salford Quays area, with the Finnish international goalkeeper, a keen BTCC fan, adding his support.

In a statement issued by team principal Ed Tilley, Enckelman said: “I’ve been a huge fan of the BTCC since coming to the UK; it is the premiership of motor sport and the only thing bigger is F1. To be a part of it is a dream come true. Obviously I’ll put the effort into the team as I have done into my football. No doubt some of the other players will be joining me at many of the rounds.”

Encke Sport plans to contest its first BTCC season with at least two Vauxhall Astra Coupés. The cars have already been liveried up (as pictured above).

Although of the old BTC-Touring specification, the cars remain a potent force. And while only teams fielding the latest Super 2000 machinery will be eligible to win the overall Drivers’ championship, Encke Sport could still score well in the overall Teams and Independents Trophy’s Drivers’ and Teams’ tables.

Tilley, meanwhile, has been busy putting the team infrastructure in place since it moved into its new workshops in early December.

Staff are being recruited at present, with Carl Ayriss already in place as team manager and Ray Grimes as driver coach and operations manager.