Speedworks Motorsport Explained

Speedworks Motorsport is a British motor racing team based in Great Budworth, Cheshire. The team was formed in 2005 by Christian and Amy Dick. They are best known for competing in the British Touring Car Championship since 2011, and since 2021 have entered under the name of Toyota Gazoo Racing UK. They also compete in the 24H Series.[1] [2]

History

Speedworks Motorsport first started racing in the MaX5 Racing Series, before switching to Ginetta racing in 2007. They have also entered a Chevrolet Corvette GT3 in the British GT Championship.

British Touring Car Championship

Toyota Avensis (2011–2018)

Alongside their British GT commitments, Speedworks also become one of the first teams to compete with a full Next Generation Touring Car specification car in the British Touring Car Championship with a Toyota Avensis driven by Tony Hughes in 2011.[3] They missed the third round of the championship at Thruxton in order to fix the technical problems they had been experiencing with the new car in the opening rounds.[4] The team returned at the following round at Oulton Park where they scored their best result of the season with fourteenth place in race two, but they were forced to miss the Croft round due to continuation of their power steering problems.[5] The team raced again at Snetterton and then skipped the next two rounds before racing in the final two events of the year.

The following season they expanded to a two car team, with a second car for Ginetta GT Supercup champion, Adam Morgan alongside Hughes.[6] On two occasions, former BTCC race winner Paul O'Neill deputised for Hughes due to the latter driver's business commitments, the first being at Croft.[7] O'Neill replaced Hughes once again at Knockhill.[8] In race two he finished fourth to achieve Speedworks' best result in the BTCC. At the end of the season Speedworks were 10th in the teams' standings and sixth in the independent teams' standings. At the end of the season Hughes announced his retirement from motor racing although he would remain involved with the team.[9] Morgan left the team to drive for his family run Cicely Racing team the following season.[10]

In November 2012, Speedworks tested Dave Newsham and Lea Wood at Donington Park.[11] The following month, Newsham was confirmed in the first car for the 2013 season.[12]

Tom Ingram joined the team for the 2014 season. He scored two podiums in 2015, and claimed two wins and six podiums in 2016. Ingram finished third in the 2017 season, with four wins and nine podiums in 30 races.

Toyota Corolla

For 2019, the team will campaign a single Toyota Corolla, for Tom Ingram, with manufacturer support from Toyota GB.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016-09-14 . Speedworks Motorsport - About Us . 2023-03-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160914154222/http://www.speedworksmotorsport.co.uk/about-us/#.V9lv4zbP01I . 14 September 2016 .
  2. Web site: SPEEDWORKS MOTORSPORT LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK . 2023-03-11 . find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk . en.
  3. News: BTCC official 2011 entry list. btcc.net. British Touring Car Championship. 2011-03-24. 2011-03-24. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120318012107/http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=2294&month=3&year=2011&form=browse&searchterm=. 18 March 2012. dmy-all.
  4. News: Hudson. Neil. Speedworks Toyota to miss Thruxton. TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 26 January 2013. 21 April 2011.
  5. News: Meissner. Johan. No Speedworks Motorsport at Croft. TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 26 January 2013. 13 June 2011.
  6. News: O'Leary. Jamie. Adam Morgan to step up to BTCC with Speedworks Toyota. Autosport. Haymarket Publications. 26 January 2013. 12 January 2012.
  7. News: O'Neill in Croft BTCC return. British Touring Car Championship. TOCA. 26 January 2013. 16 June 2012.
  8. News: Mitchell. Scott. O'Neill To Return For Speedworks At Knockhill. TheCheckeredFlag. BlackEagleMedia Network. 26 January 2013. 15 August 2012.
  9. News: Hudson. Neil. Tony Hughes steps aside after 2012 season. TouringCarTimes. Mediaempire Stockholm AB. 26 January 2013. 22 October 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20121024100740/http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=8324. 24 October 2012. dmy-all.
  10. News: Ciceley to run Morgan Toyota. British Touring Car Championship. TOCA. 26 January 2013. 5 November 2012.
  11. News: Newsham, Wood in Speedworks test. British Touring Car Championship. TOCA. 26 January 2013. 28 November 2012.
  12. News: Turner. Kevin. Dave Newsham to race Speedworks Toyota in the BTCC. Autosport. Haymarket Publications. 26 January 2013. 20 December 2012.
  13. News: Toyota GB returns as BTCC manufacturer with Speedworks for 2019. Matt. James. Autosport. Motorsport Network. 28 November 2018. 16 December 2018.