EXCELR8 Motorsport will retain Dan Zelos for this weekend’s British Touring Car Championship finale at Brands Hatch, following an impressive recent run of form.
Zelos, 26, joined the team for the eighth event of the year, replacing Ronan Pearson, and he got a second outing last time out at Silverstone, where his results were even better.
Having scored points in all three races on his BTCC début, Zelos then mastered the tricky wet conditions at Silverstone to record a trio of top ten finishes.
The three-time MINI Challenge champion will now continue his BTCC run with an outing on the legendary Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit this weekend to conclude his and EXCELR8’s season.
Zelos has managed to raise the budget to take his place on the BTCC grid this weekend, and he and the team have also managed to arrange for a substitute driver to take over behind the wheel of his MINI to see out sponsorship commitments in the supporting series.
“I honestly didn’t think Brands Hatch in the BTCC car is something that I would be talking about, but here we go again!” said Zelos.
“I walked away from Silverstone with my head held high after the weekend we had, and I felt proud to have put on such a strong performance on track and to have secured a trophy in only my second weekend.
“As I’ve said all along, getting onto the BTCC grid for me has been the realisation of a dream and I’m delighted that the dream now goes on to a third weekend.
“I really hope I can finish off what has been amazing year in style. Let’s go out there and do it!”
Team Owner Justina Williams said that Zelos was the team’s number one choice for this weekend, where he will potentially have a role to play in helping team-mate Tom Ingram’s title challenge.
“After the performances he has put in over the last two weekends, there was no-one we wanted in the car more than Dan for Brands Hatch,” added Williams.
“Stepping into a series like the BTCC in the middle of a season is a big ask, but he has done an amazing job and has really shown his talent on the biggest stage.
“There is no doubting the fact that this is a huge weekend for us as a team with a championship title on the line, and we know that Dan can be relied on to do his part to help us achieve the success we are aiming for.”