2017 British Touring Car Champion Ash Sutton will join the grid for the TCR Europe season finale at Barcelona this weekend, racing with WestCoast Racing in a Volkswagen Golf GTi alongside Andreas and Jessica Bäckman.
Sutton has already made a guest appearance in the TCR UK Series in 2018, racing a Honda Civic Type R at the Oulton Park meeting for Verizon Connect Racing, deputising for Finlay Crocker. Sutton immediately impressed, taking pole position and two wins with a perfect score.
Sutton, who is managed by Team BMR owner Warren Scott, told TouringCars.Net back in August that he was looking to do more TCR racing in the future, admitting that the concept was ‘a good step for us’.
“I am very excited to be competing in the last round of the TCR Europe with WestCoast Racing,” said Sutton of his drive this weekend. “I have been keeping my eye on TCR full stop and I’ve been very keen on dipping my toe in the water.
“I managed to get a taste of TCR UK, but I haven’t raced TCR internationally, so when I was approached by WestCoast it was the perfect opportunity to do this as it favoured both parties.
“I’m looking forward to see what’s in store this weekend. I haven’t yet driven the Volkswagen Golf GTi and have only done a handful of laps around Catalunya itself. So we will be entering the unknown and be taking it as it comes.
“The team have just come off the back of wrapping up the UK Championship so they are in a good place and I would like to continue that this weekend.”
WestCoast Racing Team Principal Dick Jönsson Wigroth explained that the team’s entry into the European series this weekend was part of an exploration into where the team will race in 2019.
“We are considering our options for next year and this was a perfect opportunity for us to get a first taste of TCR Europe,” he said. “It is especially motivating to be able to work with Ashley Sutton for this race weekend.
“He will give us a very good indication of how competitive we can be in TCR Europe and a great opportunity for us to finish off this season strongly.
“At this moment this is just a one-off but TCR Europe is one of several championships we are considering for next year.”
As well as Ash Sutton, Warren Scott has also expressed his interest in TCR in recent years, with the BMR boss telling TouringCars.Net in June that he would “like to be part of it in the future”. The Buntingford-based team has been rumoured to be considering an entry into TCR.
WestCoast Racing Team Manager James Nixon already told TouringCars.Net at Donington Park on Sunday that he would like to see the team return to the series in 2019 to defend its Teams’ and Drivers’ titles.