Restart Racing concluded their debut season in the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship with a dramatic weekend at Brands Hatch GP, the iconic circuit just outside London. The team entered the final round eager to finish the year on a high, with unpredictable weather and fierce competition setting the stage for an exciting finale.
Qualifying proved difficult for Chris Smiley and Scott Sumpton, with Smiley lining up 17th and Sumpton 19th on the grid. However, both drivers were determined to make progress in Sunday’s races.
The opening race of the day was marked by chaos at Druids corner, where a massive pile-up involving several championship contenders unfolded, shaking up the order. Smiley capitalised on the incident, jumping five positions to move into 12th, while Sumpton gained ground to 16th. A lengthy safety car period followed as the wreckage was cleared, with Sumpton unfortunately forced to pit on lap 5 due to an overheating hybrid battery. Smiley held steady throughout the remainder of the race, exchanging places with competitors before crossing the line in 13th, while Sumpton finished 15th, despite his earlier pit stop.
Race 2 saw both drivers battling through the pack in what proved to be a fiercely contested affair. Smiley dropped positions early on but quickly fought back, showcasing his overtaking skills with a brilliant double move on Doble and Osborne. He climbed back up to 14th, then further to 12th after avoiding incidents and capitalising on others’ mistakes. Meanwhile, Sumpton quietly chipped away at the field and snatched a well-earned 15th place by passing Rob Huff at the line to secure another valuable point.
As the day wore on, the weather took a turn for the worse, with rain arriving moments before the final race of the season. With the track now damp, both drivers faced new challenges. Smiley started strong, moving up into 11th early in the race, but tyre degradation became an issue as the wet tyres wore down quicker than expected. By the halfway point, he began to slip down the order, ultimately finishing in 16th, just outside the points. Sumpton also struggled in the tricky conditions, finishing 19th in what was a challenging end to the season for the team.
Despite the mixed results, both drivers reflected positively on the weekend and the season overall. Smiley expressed pride in the team’s efforts, saying: “It was a bit of a strange day at Brands Hatch for the final round. It stayed cloudy, and the track conditions were a lot different from yesterday. In Race 1, we managed to move forward and finished 13th. Our pace wasn’t the best, but we made some decent progress.
“In Race 2, we ran on the soft tyres and came 12th, which got us into the reverse grid draw for Race 3. Unfortunately, they didn’t pick 12th, so we started Race 3 in P12. The start went well, and we made it up to 11th, closing in on the cars ahead. But halfway through, the wet tyres just gave up. I think we got the tyre pressure wrong, and we ended up slipping back to finish 16th.
“It wasn’t the finish we wanted, but the team has worked hard all season. There are plenty of positives to take from today and the whole year. Even though it was a tough day, we’re leaving with the car in one piece, and I’m already looking forward to next year.”
Sumpton added: “I’m really happy to score two points finishes today. Race 3 was really fun in the wet, despite the difficult conditions. A big thanks to the team for this year. I’ve really enjoyed myself and also well done to all of this year’s champions.”
Team Principal Ben Taylor was reflective but optimistic about the team’s future, commenting: “It wouldn’t be the BTCC without a bit of rain to spice up the action on the last race of the season. Overall, I think we had a positive final race day of the season. We were progressing in each race as we recovered from a poor qualifying session, but it wasn’t meant to be in the final race of the day as the tyres went away from us. A massive thank you to all of the staff and partners here at Restart Racing. It’s been a great debut season, and we’ve learned so much. We’ll be back bigger and stronger in 2025.”
With the conclusion of the season, Restart Racing now shifts its focus to 2025, armed with the experience and lessons learned from an eventful debut year in the British Touring Car Championship.