Superstar Anthony Reid will join Team RAC for the final three rounds of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship starting at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire this Sunday (30 August).
Reid, who has not been in the BTCC since 2004, will race a third Team RAC-entered BMW 320si alongside Stephen Jelley and Colin Turkington.
Northern Irishman Turkington currently leads the Drivers’ championship but is coming under increasing pressure from Vauxhall’s Italian ace Fabrizio Giovanardi who himself already has two highly-competitive team-mates in Matt Neal and Andrew Jordan.
Oxford-based Reid, with 15 race wins in the BTCC and who has twice finished as championship runner-up, said: “Driving for Team RAC is a fantastic opportunity and one I just couldn’t turn down. It’s great being re-united with the crew at WSR again and I already feel right at home. It’s especially good for me having Colin as a team-mate again and I’ll be doing all I can to help him and Team RAC win the Championship.
“It’s also going to be fun locking horns with fellow ‘old boys’ Plato and Neal; we’ve had some great battles over the years and no doubt we’ll have more this weekend!”
Team principal Dick Bennetts, who ran Reid in MGs from 2001-04, added: “Our hand’s been forced by Vauxhall instituting team orders at Knockhill with Matt Neal and Andrew Jordan giving positions and points to Fabrizio.
“There’s nothing wrong in them doing that; in fact it shows what good team-players they both are. However three against two isn’t a fair fight, so that’s why we’ve brought in Anthony to assist Colin and Stephen.
“It’s going to be tough for him, never having driven the car before and having to carry maximum ballast of 45kgs (as a late entry penalty), but we expect him to be quickly up to speed and right up there in the races.”
Reid becomes the latest big name in the last fortnight to confirm his addition to the BTCC grid as it enters its crucial stages with rounds at Silverstone, Rockingham (20 Sept) and Brands Hatch GP (4 Oct) to go.
Former Formula 1 star Johnny Herbert has also just announced he will be racing a Honda Civic for Team Dynamics in the closing three events of the season.
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