WestCoast Racing Team Manager James Nixon praised the hard work of his outfit after Dan Lloyd secured the inaugural TCR UK series title at Donington Park, adding that he wants the team to defend the title in 2019.
Lloyd took pole position and a race one win to take the title which he had seemed destined to claim for much of the year, as his only rival Ollie Taylor slipped back in race one to allow Lloyd to wrap up the championship with a race to spare.
Nixon was relieved that Lloyd had at last lifted the title, even though he admitted that it could have been won sooner if it was not for the series’ points deductions system that helped it to go to the wire.
“I’m pleased – the guys deserved the championship,” said Nixon to TouringCars.Net. “They’ve worked really hard this year and done two championships and put a lot of effort in, and for Dan – he’s deserved the championship.
“Ollie has done a great job – you can see he has improved throughout the year – but even in [race one] I think Dan showed his class.
“He was talking to Paul, his engineer, every lap of the race, and he was controlling his pace. He is doing a good job – he’s in control of every lap.
“At Croft with the DNF in race two it didn’t help, and unfortunately with the regulation as it is with the penalty points, once you get points on your licence you lose points in the championship as well.
“You have to remember he lost 30 points with penalties, so it could have been wrapped up earlier, but there are not so many championships that get wrapped up early.”
Nixon says that the team are hoping to return to TCR UK in 2019, together with a possible international campaign in the TCR Europe series which could mark the outfit’s exit from the Swedish scene.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do yet in 2019. We’re looking to next year. For me I’d like to come back here next year, and I know that Dick [Jönsson Wigroth, Team Owner] wants to come back here and bring the team back to defend this title.
“Hopefully some more drivers join this championship and we’d like to run more cars here again next year.
“For WestCoast Racing we’d like to come out of Sweden again and maybe be back in Europe or something else, and the UK could work really well alongside that.
“We want to run in two championships again. When you only have a championship with seven rounds then you need to run in two for a professional team, so the UK and Europe could be a good option for us.”