Restart Racing capped off a landmark British Touring Car Championship season in style at Brands Hatch, securing both the Independent Teams’ and Independent Drivers’ Championships after a tense and hard-fought season finale on the Grand Prix circuit.
Heading into the weekend, all eyes were on the independent battle, with Dan Lloyd leading the standings by just five points from Mikey Doble, and Chris Smiley a further seven points back in third. With 60 points still up for grabs across the final three races, the stage was set for a nail-biting conclusion.
Saturday’s qualifying session took place in blustery, changeable conditions following overnight rain from Storm Amy. Both Restart Racing Hyundais showed pace but ended up out of position with Smiley qualifying 14th and Lloyd 15th, although crucially, both ahead of championship rival Doble’s Cupra. The team knew that Sunday would be all about strategy, consistency, and staying out of trouble.
When the lights went out for race one, Lloyd made the perfect start, charging through the field and storming up to eighth by the end of the opening lap after a couple of bold moves into Paddock Hill Bend and Druids. Smiley also moved forward, climbing to tenth after a string of decisive overtakes, including a late lunge on overall championship hopeful Ash Sutton down Pilgrims Drop. Lloyd’s eighth-place finish secured the first Independent win of the day and valuable points towards the title, with Smiley close behind in tenth.
Race two brought more drama. Both drivers switched to the medium tyre, and while Chris made a strong start to run inside the top ten, Dan slipped down the order in the opening laps after contact on the opening lap with Taylor-Smith’s Toyota. A series of safety car interruptions bunched up the field, and when the race restarted with just four laps remaining, the action intensified. Smiley held firm to take another Independent victory, while Lloyd was caught in a fierce scrap with Doble, losing ground after being pushed wide at Druids. Despite the setback, Lloyd’s 15th-place finish kept him firmly in contention heading into the final race.
Everything came down to the last 15 laps of the season. Lloyd lined up 15th and Smiley 11th, both knowing what was at stake. The opening laps were chaotic, with incidents up and down the field. Smiley fought hard inside the top 15 before an engine temperature issue forced him to back off, while Lloyd’s race became a tactical duel with Doble, who slowed deliberately to defend his own championship hopes. Lap after lap, the pair ran nose-to-tail, but Lloyd kept his composure, doing exactly what was needed to bring the title home.
When the chequered flag fell, Restart Racing had done it, securing both the Independent Teams’ Championship and Dan Lloyd’s Independent Drivers’ title in their second BTCC season. Smiley’s consistent drive to third in the independent standings, alongside his earlier podium and Independent wins, underlined a year of major progress and resilience for the Norfolk-based team.
Driver Quotes:
Chris Smiley Said:
“So that’s the season done and dusted here at Brands Hatch. We did the best we could today. We were on the back foot from the start of the weekend, but in race one we moved forward a few places and finished 10th. Race two was much the same, finishing 11th, and then in race three on the medium tyre we came home 13th.
The engine started to get a bit hot halfway through the race with a small issue on the radiator, but we brought it home. Unfortunately, we didn’t win the Independent Drivers Championship, but that wasn’t lost today. The last four weekends have been really tough, with a few things that were out of my control letting us down.
That’s racing, though. I’m really pleased for Dan, he’s had a great year, and to see him win the title is brilliant. It’s also fantastic for the team to have wrapped up the Independent Teams’ Championship. We’ve achieved a lot this season, and I’m proud of everyone involved. We gave it everything, and hopefully I’ll see you all again next year.”
Dan Lloyd Said:
“So that’s the season finished, all done and dusted, and we’re Independent Champions, which feels absolutely amazing. It’s been a real rollercoaster of a weekend; it didn’t start off the best, but I really felt like I earned it with how we raced today.
Race one was great, and then we picked up massive damage in race two, so it was all about bringing it home in one piece. By race three, the focus was just on collecting the points we needed, and we did exactly that.
I’m over the moon. A massive thank you to the whole team. The boys have done a mega job all year. It’s such a special feeling to end the season like this.”
Championship standings after Brands Hatch:
- Drivers’ Championship: Chris Smiley – 14th, Dan Lloyd – 15th
- Independent Drivers: Dan Lloyd – 1st (Champion), Chris Smiley – 3rd
- Teams’ Championship: 4th
- Independent Teams: Restart Racing – 1st (Champions)