Daniel Lloyd has staked his claim to a seat at Restart Racing on the 2025 British Touring Car Championship grid, with the 32-year-old hopeful of being able to generate enough sponsorship to make the drive a reality.
Lloyd, who has had an on-off relationship with the BTCC since 2010, last raced in the championship in 2023, concluding a stint of three consecutive seasons in the top UK championship.
The Huddersfield racer has made 135 starts in the BTCC since 2010, with the majority of those coming between the 2021 and 2023 seasons, when he raced with three different teams: Power Maxed Racing, EXCELR8 Motorsport and Team HARD.
In 2024, Lloyd competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, although a challenging season saw him end up tenth overall out of 12 drivers in the Professional Category.
Lloyd is now targeting a BTCC return with Restart Racing, which has acquired a brace of EXCELR8-built Hyundai i30 N cars, the same model with which Lloyd enjoyed his best-ever BTCC season in 2022 when he finished tenth overall and won three races.
Talks are ongoing, but Lloyd is hopeful of returning to the BTCC grid alongside Chris Smiley, his team-mate in 2018, next year.
“I always felt I had unfinished business with the BTCC, so it’s really exciting that there is now a real possibility of making a return to the grid for 2025,” said Lloyd, who has a previous relationship with Restart Managing Director Pete Jones.
“When I heard the news that Pete and Restart Racing were switching to the Hyundai for next season then it was something that obviously grabbed my attention as I know the car well from my time with EXCELR8, where I scored three of my four BTCC wins and had my best finish in the championship.
“We’ve had some productive talks as I feel they will be able to offer a very competitive package for 2025 and I’d like to think that my experience with the car would really help to push the team up the grid in the second season.
“There is still work to be done to get a deal over the line, but I’ll keep working hard with my partners, and the team, to make it all happen.
“If anyone wishes to get in touch about a partnership for 2025, then please get in touch!”
Talks are continuing over the festive period, and Jones is keen to make the driver line-up a reality.
“We’ve seen a lot of excitement about the idea of Dan joining Chris in the Hyundai i30s, and it’s no secret that we’d love to make it happen,” said Jones.
“Dan is incredibly close to securing the sponsorship he needs, and we’re doing everything on our side to help him get over the line.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for sponsors to step in and back a driver who has the talent and experience to thrive in the BTCC.
“With the package we’re building, this potential lineup could be a real force to be reckoned with.”