I still have what it takes to lift record fifth British title: Turkington
BRITISH Touring Car Championship stalwart Colin Turkington says he still has the qualities to be “the best and most competitive” version of himself as he targets a record fifth drivers’ crown.
Turkington is tied on four titles with Ashley Sutton — the reigning British Touring Car champion — and Andy Rouse and is relying on West Surrey Racing and Team BMW to help him bag another. If successful, it would make the dad-of-two the most decorated driver in the history of the tin-top series.
To ensure he has every chance of fulfilling his dream — and adding to his 67 career wins and 181 podium finishes — he will have a heavily-revised BMW 330e M Sport saloon to call upon.
The rear-wheel-drive propellor-badged machine has been reworked and now incorporates aerodynamic tweaks, a different cooling package and also chassis upgrades.
Turkington, sharing garage space with Englishman Adam Morgan, has been busy putting in hard yards off the track and reckons man and machine are a winning combination.
“I’m extremely pleased to be a part of Team BMW for the 2024 season and to race the BMW 330e M Sport,” said Turkington, who finished fourth in last season’s BTCC campaign. “This will be my 18th year with WSR and you could not ask for a better team to be a part of.
“The team have worked incredibly hard to enhance the performance of our BMWS and I am focused on being the best and most competitive version of myself I can be, so that we can put ourselves in the hunt for podiums and wins.”
Turkington will get his first taste of the car today when official pre-season testing begins at Snetterton in Norfolk, with West Surrey Racing Team Principal Dick Bennetts also getting the chance to see the fruits of his labour.
“The target is to add to the 16 overall championships won by West Surrey Racing in the British Touring Car Championship and in Colin and Adam I believe that we have two first-rate drivers at BMW to help us achieve this,” said the New Zealander.
Meanwhile, in a surprise development, Hillsborough’s Dan Harper will be heading back to the British GT Championship to defend his title after a very late call-up.
He will be reunited with Century Motorsport for the domestic competition and is co-driving with Michael Johnston as part of a new Pro-am line-up.
Initially, Harper looked set to miss out on a drive only for plans to change meaning he will take his place on the grid at Oulton Park over Easter weekend.