Emotional First BTCC Win for Restart Racing at Silverstone

Published on September 22, 2025

Silverstone delivered a weekend that will forever be remembered in Restart Racing’s history books. In front of the live ITV cameras, Dan gave the team its first-ever overall British Touring Car Championship victory, before the squad provisionally wrapped up the Independent Teams’ title later the same afternoon.

Saturday’s qualifying had set the tone. Dan produced his best session of the season, lining up fourth on the grid and showing pace in both the dry and wet. Chris, meanwhile, was left frustrated after a strategy call in Q1 left him down in 15th, despite strong speed in practice.

But all of that was overshadowed by what happened on Sunday morning. From fourth on the grid, Dan made a blistering getaway, immediately passing reigning champion Jake Hill through Maggots and Becketts, then forcing his way past pole-sitter Daryl DeLeon a few corners later. By the end of the second lap, he had dived down the inside of Gordon Shedden at Luffield to take the lead of the race.

Dan took the lead on the second lap of the day’s opening race and never looked back. Photograph: JEP

What followed was a faultless drive at the front of the field. For lap after lap, Dan absorbed the pressure from Hill’s BMW, the gap fluctuating between four tenths and eight tenths of a second, but Dan was able to keep the Hyundai i30N ahead.

Then came the late-race drama, as the safety car bunched the field up with just a handful of laps to go. On the pit wall and in the garage, the tension was building. When the chequered flag finally fell under the safety car, Dan punched the air as he crossed the line, and the whole Restart Racing crew erupted. Mechanics, engineers, and team members hugged, cheered, and even shed tears. The sheer emotion of the team’s first-ever BTCC win poured out in front of the ITV cameras. It was a moment that will live long in the memory.

The team celebrated their first BTCC win on the pit wall as Dan crossed the line at Silverstone. Photograph: JEP

Chris, battling further back on the medium tyres, brought his car home in 15^th despite a straight line speed issue, but all eyes were on Dan, who was understandably emotional after winning his first race in over three years.

Race two placed Dan back on pole position, but this time on the slower medium tyre. Against the faster soft-tyre runners, it was always going to be a challenge. He held the lead at the start but was soon bundled back to sixth in a bruising scrap with multiple champions around him. He clung onto that position until the flag, which, combined with both drivers’ strong showing this season, was enough to provisionally crown Restart Racing as the 2025 Independent Teams’ Champions. Chris again battled hard in the midfield, picking up places and climbing as high as 10^th before being hit with a time penalty for track limits, dropping him back to 15th.

By the time race three came around, the celebrations of the morning had given way to the chaos of touring car racing. Both Chris and Dan were caught up in separate incidents, Chris at Copse and Dan at Maggots, on the opening lap, spinning down to the very back. Despite their best efforts to recover in damaged cars, the damage was done, and they eventually finished 17th and 18th.

Chris battled hard all day at Silverstone, but luck was not on his side as a pair of 15ths was his best result. Photograph: JEP

It was a scrappy end to the weekend, but it could not take away from what had already been achieved. Restart Racing had raced to its first overall win in the BTCC, provisionally secured the Independent Teams’ crown, and seen Dan take over the lead of the Independent Drivers’ Championship, with Chris not far behind heading into the season finale at Brands Hatch.

DRIVER QUOTES:

Chris Smiley said:

“That’s Sunday at Silverstone done, and to be honest, it was a really tough day. We struggled badly with straight line speed across all three races, and in race one, it was clear we just did not have the pace to fight. In race two we managed to find what was causing the issue, but by then the damage to the day had already been done.

Race three summed it up, I got absolutely clobbered into Turn 1, and it left the car with somewhere between 20 and 30mm of rear toe on the right hand side. From that point on it was like driving a shopping trolley for the rest of the race.

Nothing really to write home about, it has just been one of those weekends where anything that could go wrong did. I am glad it is over, to be honest, and now the focus is on resetting and going again at Brands Hatch for the final round of the season.”

It was three finishes at Silverstone, but ultimately a disappointing weekend for Chris. Photograph: JEP

Dan Lloyd said:

“Silverstone is done, and I will go through it backwards because it ended badly but started in the best way possible.

Race three ended in disappointment when I got smashed off and dropped to the back, but I still managed to bring it home as third Independent. Race two was stronger, finishing P6 and taking the Independent win.

Race one though, was just incredible, starting from P4 and coming through to take my first overall win and the Independent win as well. To deliver the team’s first ever BTCC victory is something really special, and it feels amazing to be able to pay them back for all the hard work they have put in this year.

On top of that, we provisionally secured the Teams’ Independent Championship in race two, which just made the day even more special. It has been a long season with plenty of challenges, so to finally get that first win and do it here at Silverstone means a huge amount.

I have had so many messages of support already, which I really appreciate, and I am so pleased I could give something back after everything this year. Thank you to everyone who has supported me and the team, this one means a lot.”

Dan took his first win in three years and the team’s first in the BTCC. He also moved into the lead of the Independent Drivers Championship Photograph: JEP

Pete Jones said:

“Here we are at Silverstone on what has been a truly historic day for Restart Racing.

In race one, Dan gave us our first ever race win as a British Touring Car Championship team, which is an incredible milestone. Then in race two, we scored enough points to be confirmed as the Independent Teams’ Champions for 2025. That is an amazing achievement for everyone involved and a real reward for the hard work that has gone in all year.

To be honest, it feels surreal. I always dreamed of reaching this point, but never really thought we would. Now we have, I think I need to find some new dreams, because this is as far as I ever thought I would get in this game.

I am just so proud of the whole team for what we have achieved together.”