About Us
Restart Racing has prepared, raced, and won at some of the most famous race circuits in the world. The team has built up a wealth of experience in the motorsport industry and made it its business to consistently build and run race-winning cars.
Over the years the team has run cars by manufacturers such as Honda, TVR, BMW, Chevrolet, Vauxhall, Porsche, Hyundai and Volkswagen in the BTCC, GT3 sports car series, and Hot Rods.
In 2022, our Essex-based professional team competed in the hard-fought TCR UK Touring Car Championship with Chris Smiley at the wheel, pitted against a total of 16 other teams. Having collected our race car from Honda’s specialist preparation company in Italy only days before the start of the season, Chris went on to secure pole position and win the first race at Oulton Park, and would go on to win the championship at Snetterton at the final round.
It turned out to be a great season of racing at some of the UK’s premier circuits, culminating in the team being chosen to represent the UK at the prestigious FIA Motorsport Games at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, where Chris Smiley finished in eighth position against competitors from around the world.
Chris Smiley
Chris Smiley began his circuit racing career in 2007 in the Ginetta Junior Championship. He made a name for himself in the Scottish MINI Cooper Cup in 2010 and 2011, winning races and earning the title of Young Driver of the Year. In 2012, Smiley moved to the MINI Challenge Great Britain, where he placed third in the JCW category before clinching the class crown in 2013 with nine victories and 14 podiums.
In 2014, Smiley competed in the Volkswagen Scirocco-R Cup Germany, finishing fourth overall. He joined the BTCC in 2016 with TLC Racing, driving a Toyota Avensis, and later moved to BTC Norlin Racing in 2017. With Norlin, he achieved consistent points finishes and won his first BTCC race in 2018 at Rockingham driving a Honda Civic Type R. He continued with BTC Racing in 2019, driving the new FK8-generation Honda Civic Type Rs.
In 2020, Smiley joined EXCELR8, piloting a Hyundai i30N and securing several top-ten finishes. He continued with the team in 2021, aiming to build on his successful debut season. In 2022, Smiley joined Restart Racing in the TCR UK Championship. Despite a last-minute entry, he excelled, winning the first race at Oulton Park and ultimately securing the TCR UK Championship title.
Smiley’s success continued as he was selected to represent the UK in the FIA Motorsport Games at Paul Ricard in 2022. Embracing the opportunity, he performed well against international competitors. In 2023, Restart Racing competed with the brand-new Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR, marking another exciting chapter in Smiley’s career.
In 2024, Chris had made his return to the UK premier motorsport series, the British Touring Car Championship where he is driving a Cupra Leon alongside Scott Sumpton as the team embark on their first season in the championship.
Scott Sumpton
Scott Sumpton began motor racing in 2015 at the age of 10, competing in various club events and the British Kart Championship, where he showcased his talent against more experienced drivers.
In 2020, Scott transitioned from karts to cars, competing in the Junior Saloon Car Championship. Despite a slow start due to COVID-19, he improved significantly after changing teams towards the end of 2021, where he began fighting at the front.
In 2021, Scott excelled in his GCSE exams and was accepted into the Motorsport UK Academy Enhanced Diploma in Sporting Excellence Programme. He tested various cars and decided to join Essex and Kent Motorsport for the 2022 TCR UK campaign, driving an Audi RS 3 TCR car.
By 2023, Scott joined Restart Racing’s Honda Civic FK7 TCR, becoming a Junior Development Driver for Honda. He had a successful season in TCR UK and took his talent abroad to TCR Spain, securing podiums.
In 2024, Scott will graduate to the Kwikfit British Touring Car Championship, ready for the challenges ahead.
