Photo: PSP Images

Special Tuning Racing confirm 2012 WTCC programme

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British SEAT squad Special Tuning Racing have announced plans to enter the 2012 World Touring Car Championship season with a pair of SEAT Leóns powered by SEAT Sport’s newly announced 1.6 litre turbocharged engine.

The team, which has competed in the BTCC for the past two seasons, plans to enter the World Touring Car Championship next season with two of their stock of four SEAT Leóns, converted to run with the new 1.6 turbocharged engine which SEAT Sport are looking to homologate for next year.

Team Principal John Boardman, BTCC driver Tom Boardman and Technical Director Gary Robertshaw were at the final round of this season’s World Touring Car Championship at Macau, where one of their cars was entered by SUNRED for Macanese-driver André Couto, qualifying seventh in his only outing of the season.

It was at Macau where they agreed the deal in principle with SEAT Sport Director Jaime Puig, becoming the first team to commit to running SEAT’s new engine next year; with Martorell-based SUNRED Engineering still yet to confirm their intentions after developing their own 1.6 litre turbo engine this season with Lehmann – coincidentally the same technical partner which developed the 2.0 litre turbocharged engine for Special Tuning Racing in this year’s BTCC.

“We are very excited by the prospect of working closely with SEAT Sport as a customer ‘works’ team,” said STR Team Principal John Boardman.

“This will take our involvement with running SEAT touring cars to the next level. We have over eight years experience running the León in the WTCC, BTCC and SEAT single make series. This support from SEAT should make us even more competitive in next season’s Championship.”

The team confirmed they plan to continue to run a two car programme in the British Touring Car Championship, whilst they are still looking at driver options for their 2012 WTCC entry.

“We are currently looking at a number of options with drivers who wish to compete in a proven race winning car with manufacturer support and technical input,” said Technical Director Gary Robertshaw.

“We feel that running just two cars with our own technical expertise, and that of SEAT Sport, we can provide the attention to detail to be a front running team in the WTCC.”