Jeff Smith will make his return to the British Touring Car Championship next season after becoming a shareholder in his former team, Eurotech Racing, for whom he will compete for a second time.
The 48-year-old finished the 2013 campaign in 14th place, having secured a second career podium at Brands Hatch at the start of the year, before business commitments forced him to miss the final round of the season.
Martin Depper replaced him in the squad’s second Honda Civic for 2014, but after sporadic outings in the British GT championship during his time away, Smith returns to the wheel for a second stint with the team, having become a part-owner.
Speaking of his return, Smith was delighted to be back in the series and admitted he could not afford to miss out on the chance to race after a year on the sidelines.
“This is the pinnacle of UK saloon car racing and there is no better place than the BTCC to race,” said Smith. “The chance to rejoin the ever-competitive grid was an opportunity not to be missed for me and my key sponsor ICD.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge and being part of the BTCC package again. With some updates on the cars we should be as competitive as we were in 2013.”
Team Manager Mike Jordan believed that the re-signing of Smith was a valuable one, both for the competitive and business interests of the team.
“Jeff has always put his full effort into the sport and is a very capable driver, so for us to put this deal together gives him an excellent platform for his racing, along with an ongoing business opportunity for the future.”