Photo: Speedworks

Andrew Watson makes Speedworks switch

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Reigning Jack Sears Trophy winner Andrew Watson will move to Speedworks for his second season in the BTCC.

Watson made his series debut with Power Maxed Racing last year having switched over to touring cars from sportscars, where he has competed successfully in the likes of the Blancpain GT series and the World Endurance Championship.

The Northern Irishman would score two podium finishes across the season en-route to the Jack Sears crown and is the first driver confirmed in the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK side of the expanded Speedworks line-up.

“I’m extremely excited to be joining Toyotos Gazoo Racing UK and Speedworks Motorsport for the 2024 season,” he said. “They are proven winners in the BTCC with a fantastic track record – and I’m hoping to add to that tally! With a year under my belt, I can go into the season properly acclimatised to the championship and hit the ground running.

“To be associated with one of the world’s leading manufacturers is an amazing opportunity for me, and I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone at Speedworks Motorsport, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK and MBP for all of their support.

“Having met the team and explored the facilities, there’s no doubt that this is one of the most professional organisations I have worked with, and that fills me with great confidence that we can achieve something special together this year!”

Team boss Christian Dick was quick to welcome Watson into the team.

“It’s a real coup to attract Andrew to the team for 2024,” he said. “Although he was by no means a rookie in the wider motorsport sense when he joined the BTCC last year, he was very new to both front wheel-drive and the unique style of racing in the series – but right from the start, you would have been hard-pressed to tell, so impressive were his performance, pace and racecraft.

“We also saw that the skills he acquired earlier in his career enable him to adapt very quickly to any given situation – a key attribute in the unpredictable world of the BTCC. He is an extremely accomplished racer and clearly a very special talent who looks destined for great things in the championship. We can’t wait to get going!”