Lloyd completes deal for BTCC return with Restart

Four-time British Touring Car Championship race winner Dan Lloyd has finally cemented his series return in 2025 at the wheel of a Restart Racing Hyundai.

The 32-year-old Yorkshireman dropped off the grid last season in the wake of the collapse of Team Hard after the 2023 campaign, and spent the year racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.

In joining Restart, Lloyd reunites with some of his past associates from his BTCC career. Team principal Ben Taylor and team-mate Chris Smiley were both at BTC Racing in 2018 when Lloyd claimed his maiden race victory in the series, managing director Pete Jones was a sponsor at Excelr8 Motorsport when he scored his other three wins in 2022, and race engineer Tom Hunt looked after him when he raced the Hard Cupra Leon in 2023.

With Restart making the switch for 2025 to new-build, Excelr8-built Hyundai i30 N Fastbacks, which replace the ex-Hard Cupras it fielded in its maiden BTCC season in 2024, Lloyd also finds himself back in the same model of car with which he enjoyed his most successful campaign.

“I’m absolutely buzzing to be back on the BTCC grid with Restart Racing,” said Lloyd. “The last 12 months have been a rollercoaster – I’ve had to fight harder than ever to get back to this point, but that’s only made me hungrier.

“When Pete Jones contacted me about the seat and the investment in the car, I knew exactly where I wanted to be. I know what the Hyundai is capable of and, with the team’s commitment to the best package possible, I’m confident we can be right in the mix this season.

“Tom Hunt has a fantastic pedigree from his time with Team Dynamics, so having that familiarity and experience alongside me is another big positive. I can’t wait to get to work and see what we can achieve together.”

Jones added: “From the moment we secured the Hyundai i30s for 2025, we knew we needed a strong driver pairing to unlock their full potential.

“Dan was at the top of our list. He’s a proven winner, has experience with this car, and his determination to fight his way back onto the grid says everything about the competitor he is.

“With Dan and Chris leading the charge, we’re confident that we have a line-up capable of pushing for podiums and delivering strong results.

“More than that, Dan is another cornerstone in the long-term vision of Restart Racing. We’re not just building a team for this season – we’re laying the foundation for sustained success in the BTCC, and Dan is a key part of that journey.”

It is unclear when Smiley and Lloyd will turn their first laps in the Hyundai machinery, although it is understood that they will be ready to go in time for the first of the pre-season official tests at Croft on 1-2 April.

Restart team manager joins Un-Limited

Daryl DeLeon, Duckhams Racing with Un-Limited Motorsport Cupra Leon

Photo by: JEP

While Restart is believed to be close to bolstering its engineering and management staff with some firmly established BTCC names for 2025, its 2024 team manager Jamie Warren has switched to Un-Limited Motorsport, where he will take up a similar role.

Warren made his name in the BTCC with Team Hard and went with the Cupras to Restart last year. Un-Limited is the only team to continue with that car in 2025 as it expands to two entries, with series returnee Dexter Patterson joining Mini Challenge standout Max Hall.

Team owner Bob Sharpless said: “We’ve made huge strides in a short amount of time, and we’re not stopping here. Our goal for 2025 is clear: to extract maximum performance from both cars and fight for strong results throughout the season.

“Jamie’s experience in BTCC will be instrumental as we enter our biggest challenge yet. Having him on board now means we can hit the ground running when the season starts.”