Daniel Lloyd: “Independents’ title is one we’ve really had to fight for”

Daniel Lloyd was left delighted after closing out what had been a rollercoaster British Touring Car Championship season by lifting the Independent Drivers’ title.

Going into the Brands Hatch season finale holding a slender lead over rivals Mikey Doble and team-mate Chris Smiley, the Restart Racing driver was pushed all the way but managed to hold on to clinch the coveted prize in the very last race.

That crowning glory rounded out what had at times been a turbulent year for the Yorkshireman, who worked tirelessly to ensure he had the budget to complete the campaign in his Hyundai i30 N.

“It all feels a bit surreal, to be honest and I think that is partly because the Independents’ Championship hasn’t really been my main focus this season,” he said.

“We were on the back foot early on in the season and from that point on, it was a case of just keeping my head down and using the support I had from my partners and my fans to just push on and do my own thing.

“The win at Silverstone meant that suddenly we were in a position to have a go this weekend and whilst I’m delighted to win the title, I’m also glad it’s all over because it’s been a really stressful weekend. Race one was really good but race two was one of the hardest of my life because damage to the car meant the handling was all over the place and it wanted to kill me every time I got to a corner!

“Staying out and scoring points for third gave me some leeway for race three which was horrible in terms of just trying to stay out of trouble and bring the car home.

“This is a title that we’ve really had to fight for and I think it’s the most rewarding of my career so far. A lot of people on the outside look at these cars and think they are the same as the EXCELR8 ones that have won the overall title but you have to remember that they are new to the team and we’ve had various teething issues to deal with as we’ve worked to learn them.

“To win the Independents’ title for the team in only its second season in the series is brilliant and having at one stage this year wondered if this would be my final campaign in the BTCC, I’ve now got a title to try and defend in 2026 – so the hard work starts now to make sure we’re there on the grid.”