Excelr8 reserve Zelos to defend Mini crown
Reigning Mini Challenge champion Dan Zelos will continue in the series this season as he attempts to become the first driver to successfully defend their JCW class crown.
Zelos had targeted a move into the British Touring Car Championship for this year but admitted he “couldn’t really get the budget together to go and do it properly”, believing it is “better to wait for when the time was right” as he eyes a long-term future in the series.
He has, however, been named as the Excelr8 Motorsport team’s reserve for the 2022 BTCC season and will drive one of its Hyundais in the mid-season Oulton Park tyre test. “It’s a small step but it’s a step in the right direction,” added Zelos of the reserve role.
He will also continue with Excelr8 for another season in the Mini Challenge, having considered joining a variety of other categories. “We did look at other packages – TCR UK seems to be getting bigger and bigger and that’s a more competitive grid this year, but for me and my current partners, I’ve got the exposure from the
ITV4 coverage [with Minis],” Zelos explained. “My sponsors have been with me for many years and I’ve been on the BTCC package with big trackside audiences.
“We also looked at Porsche Carrera Cup and Ginetta
GT4 Supercup as well for something different but all of my development has gone into front-wheel drive over the last six years and to then move to a rear-wheeldrive car would put me on the back foot.”
Zelos described this year’s Mini line-up as being “even more competitive” than when he claimed the title in a nail-biting final race decider last October.