BKR evaluating options for 2017 BTCC programme

Team BKR boss Nico Ferrari says his team is fully focused on preparations for the 2017 BTCC season following the news that the VW CCs campaigned this year have been sold to Team HARD.

BKR enjoyed a successful debut season in 2016 having made a last minute switch onto the grid when the BTEC Development Series was postponed; acquiring two TBLs to field cars for Aron Smith and Mark Howard.

Smith secured three podium finishes over the course of the season, including an impressive win at Rockingham, whilst Howard endured a character-building campaign but took Jack Sears Trophy honours at Knockhill.

With the VWs now moving on, Ferrari said he was evaluating the options available when it comes to next year, with no decision taken over which cars will be entered for the team’s second season in the series.

“Given how late our BTCC entry was last year, the plan was always to run the VW for a season and see where we stood,” he told TouringCarTimes. “We know that for 2017, we have to be running a car that has the RML spec parts fitted, and as the season went on, we made the decision that that car wouldn’t be the CC.

“The VW served us well in our debut season and we enjoyed some fantastic results, but we’re looking to move forwards with new cars for our second year. What those cars are hasn’t yet been decided, but there are a few options available to us and we need to look at which option gives us the best chance of building on what we achieved during 2016.”

Team HARD confirmed earlier that it has acquired three cars for next year, which will shortly be converted to run with the latest RML parts.