James Cole to become Driving Standards Advisor

Former race winner James Cole has been named as the BTCC’s new Driving Standards Advisor after Jeff Allam took the decision to stand down from the role.

Allam elected to leave the position after the Brands Hatch season finale, with a number of different candidates being spoken to in relation to who would come in to replace him from 2021 onwards.

Cole – who raced for Team HARD, United Autosports, Motorbase and Team BMR during his time in the series – will take up the position from the opening round of next season and will be one of the three person panel that decides if any penalties should be handed out after on-track incidents.

“I am delighted to accept this wonderful opportunity and proud to be back in the BTCC paddock,” he said. “I always loved my time in Britain’s best motorsport series and feel that I can bring a well-rounded experience to the role, particularly having driven modern-day machinery, as well as understanding the dynamics of a BTCC race weekend.

“I will have been on both sides of the fence, having had many of my incidents assessed in the past, so I am as much there to understand the drivers’ point of view, as I am to ensure that the rules and regulations of the series are upheld.”

BTCC Chief Executive Alan Gow said he was pleased to bring the 32-year-old onboard for the new role.

“James has the ideal background for this important role,” he said. “He has raced in our championship over the course of six years in both front and rear wheel-drive current generation BTCC cars, is a race-winner and has been in the thick of the modern BTCC environment…so I’ve no doubt James will bring great equanimity to the role.”