TCR UK front-runner Ollie Taylor will join the grid for the TCR Europe races at Monza and Barcelona in September and October, as the Pyro Motorsport driver evaluates his options for next year.
Taylor has been one of the front-runners in the inaugural TCR UK series in 2018, although he has only scored one win as Dan Lloyd has dominated the season.
The 29-year-old started the season in a Honda Civic FK2 but switched to the Civic FK8 (known as the FK7 in Japan) for the third round at Brands Hatch onwards.
He will now take on the TCR Europe field at Monza and Barcelona, entering the same Honda Civic Type-R FK8 which he races with Pyro Motorsport in the UK.
“We’re entered for Monza and Barcelona and we’re going to look at the options for what we want to do next year,” said Taylor to TouringCars.Net. “That’s where we want to be, racing in Europe.
“This year has been all about learning, as it’s been a whole new form of racing for me. TCR UK has been a great place to go and learn what I’ve learned so far.
“Now we want to be moving onwards and upwards for next year. Before the end of the year we want to go and have some races in the European arena and see where we fare.”
Taylor added that he has not yet decided on whether he will race in TCR Europe or TCR Germany next season, having also paid a visit to the Zandvoort circuit last weekend to assess the ADAC paddock.
“TCR Germany is definitely still an option – we’re going to see how it goes. We’ll see how we get on in TCR Europe – if we’re in the top ten then we’ll go to Europe next year, but if we’re around about the middle of the pack then maybe we’ll do TCR Germany for a year and look at Europe for the year after that.
“For my profile I don’t really want to be spending a year starting at the back and working my way forwards, I want to be at the front from the get-go.
“There’s a third option to go to Europe in 2020 if it means we can have a year where we’re fairly dominant and at the front in Germany and look good that way and then move onto TCR Europe the following year once we’ve got another season under our belt.”
TCR UK Promoter Jonathan Ashman added that he was pleased to see Taylor using the opportunity to take his machinery and experience to another series, having gained skills in the UK series.
“We’ve said right from the outset that UK drivers will be able to use their cars in other championships, which is one of the strongest aspects of competing in TCR,” said Ashman.
“I’m delighted to see Pyro Motorsport and Ollie Taylor have taken this on board and I’m sure they’ll represent us well in Monza and Barcelona, particularly since they’ll be using the same Yokohama tyres that they already know so well from TCR UK.”