![Rory Bucher, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK [Speedworks Motorsport], Toyota Corolla GR Sport NGTC](https://www.touringcars.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rory-Butcher.jpg "Photo: Jakob Ebrey Photography")
Rory Butcher is aiming to end his British Touring Car Championship season on a high at Brands Hatch this weekend, as the Toyota racer concludes his third year with Speedworks Motorsport.
In contrast to his previous two seasons with Toyota, in which Butcher has scored substantially more points in the second half of the season than the opening half, this year Butcher has failed to boost his points score as much since the end of July.
With just two podium finishes (including one win) this year, compared to nine podiums (and one win) in 2022 and six podiums (and three wins) in 2021, the Scot has admitted that he went ‘off the boil’ a bit earlier this year.
Butcher is thus the second-best Toyota driver in the championship standings, behind Ricky Collard.
The 36-year-old has a total of three podiums to his name on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, and with two of those coming in last year’s season finale, he is optimistic of ending the year on a high.
“Silverstone was very nearly our most solid weekend of 2023, before the race three shunt got in the way of a punchy opening lap,” said Butcher.
“Things are certainly moving in the right direction now – and after going off the boil a bit during the first part of the year, it’s been so good to jump back in the car recently and feel like the old Rory again.
“The team is doing an incredible job and while there’s still more performance to find, we’re clearly making progress.
“Brands GP is a circuit I love and the Corolla was super-strong there 12 months ago, so let’s see if we can finish the season with another piece of silverware or two to head off into the winter with a spring in our step.”
Team Principal Christian Dick is expecting the 2.4-mile circuit to better-suit its current Corollas than Silverstone, where the team had previously won five times out of 12 races between 2019 and 2022 with a different engine package.
“We can’t wait to get to Brands Hatch,” said Dick. “The ‘GP’ circuit should suit us a little bit more than Silverstone did with the package we’ve got at the moment and all three drivers have demonstrated strong form there in the past, so we’re very hopeful of a successful weekend to finish the season.
“We’ve definitely turned a corner in recent events, which has allowed both Rory and Ricky to get back up where they belong – right at the sharp end of the field – with George [Gamble] not far behind in terms of pace.”