Daniel Lloyd is set to be able to complete the 2022 British Touring Car Championship season after receiving fresh backing from Bristol Street Motors ahead of this weekend’s meeting at Thruxton.
Lloyd has been trying to secure additional funding after a big crash at Oulton Park in June put his 2022 budget in crisis, with the repair bill for his Excelr8 Motorsport Hyundai coming in at over £100,000.
Although Lloyd was able to find some extra budget to cover that cost, he had still faced a shortfall in the build up to the final three events of the year, resulting in the Huddersfield racer revealing last week that Thruxton could be his last race meeting.
Now, Lloyd has revealed further backing from Bristol Street Motors, who had previously sponsored all four Excelr8 cars but will now take a more prominent position on Lloyd’s Hyundai.
The deal means Lloyd will be able to complete the season with Excelr8, whilst also going some way to settling the repair bill.
Mairon Freight, which had previously featured on the bonnet – will now appear on the sun strip of Lloyd’s car, with the freight management firm having also yesterday announced a deal to continue sponsoring the team into 2023.
“There is still work to do until I can finally say that the damage bill from Oulton Park has been settled, but I feel a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders thanks to the support I’ve gained over the past week,” said Lloyd.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that I was absolutely blown away by the reaction from race fans to the packages that I put together with the support of my partners, and the money generated has been vital when it comes to helping to settle the damage bill and also being able to complete the season.
“For Bristol Street Motors to then throw their support behind me in this way is fantastic, and I’m incredibly grateful to them for the faith they have shown in me.
“Hopefully we can now look forwards to ending the season strongly on track, starting this weekend when we return to Thruxton.
“I have real fire in my belly and I feel confident that we chase some top results at a track where we know the Hyundai will be strong.
“When we visited earlier in the season, I was still trying to find the sweet spot with the car, but the work we did allowed us to find a good set-up that we can now take into the weekend and look to hit the ground running.
“Strong points are the main aim as I still feel we can push for the top six in the championship standings despite a few difficult meetings, and there would be no better way to thank those who have come forwards to back me in the past week than if we could pick up a trophy – or two!”
Team Owner Justina Williams added: “Bristol Street Motors has gone a long way towards saving the day with this additional sponsorship.
“This sport is hard on the cars, hard on the body, and hard on the bank account, so having the backing of a fantastic partner like Bristol Street Motors – which stands by its people through thick and thin – is vital.
“Even though there is still funding to find, I am delighted that the worst of the financial situation – which was set to stop Daniel from seeing the rest of the season out – is now behind us, and we know he will be in the car for the remaining rounds.
“This is only his second full BTCC campaign and I have a feeling he has a lot more to give out on the track!”