Bobby Thompson will return to the British Touring Car Championship grid from next weekend at Snetterton, as he concludes a deal to race a West Surrey Racing-run BMW.
Thompson, 27, made his BTCC début in 2018 with Team HARD and has completed four of his five years in the BTCC with the former Kent team.
Now Thompson has secured the fourth BMW seat at WSR after negotiations, which had been ongoing for several months, were completed in time for the third weekend of the season.
Thompson will race under the entrant name of ‘Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR’ after the technology company agreed to sponsor the Hornchurch-based racer’s entry.
The livery for Thompson’s BMW will be unveiled ahead of the Snetterton event next weekend.
“It’s honestly a dream come true,” said Thompson, who has scored three podium finishes in the BTCC in the past two seasons. “This journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with relentless hard work and the tireless support of my incredible family.
“I’m immensely grateful to WSR for their unwavering belief in me, guiding me through every step, especially during the Brands Hatch test.
“And to Zeus Cloud and their visionary CEO, Mark [Grindey], your support is beyond words – it’s something I used to only dream about.
“With a team that’s growing stronger by the day and support that’s nothing short of amazing, I’m so excited to hit the track as soon as possible – I wish Snetterton was this weekend!”
WSR Team Principal Dick Bennetts says he was impressed with Thompson’s talents after he tested with the team last month.
“We’re delighted to welcome Bobby and Zeus Cloud to WSR,” said Bennetts. “It was always clear what a determined and tenacious racer Bobby was when he was a rival, but when he tested with us in April at Brands Hatch we saw just what his capabilities were on and off-track.
“A huge thank you to Zeus Cloud and Path Marketing for making this programme possible. Their business is integrating cloud solutions to create one cohesive platform and running a motorsport team is very similar as we combine the skills of our team members to try to win on the racetrack.
“The partnership of Zeus Cloud, Bobby and the WSR BMW has everything needed to perform.”