Mike Bushell will return to the Renault UK Clio Cup after a season racing in the BTCC.
The former Clio Cup champion will be returning to Team Pryo, the squad he won the title with two years ago.
Although Bushell was competing in the BTCC last season, limited options made the driver turn back to the Clio Cup.
“We put a lot into our BTCC effort in 2015, but a bad crash really set us back and actually had a knock on effect for this year,” he said.
“Coming back to the UK Clio Cup gives me the ideal opportunity to regroup before looking back again at rouging cars. I’m sure some people will be a bit shocked, but sometimes you have to take a step back to take two steps forward.”
“There are other things out there but, for a driver wanting to make a career out of racing, the UK Clio Cup is, I’ve decided, the best place for me to keep my name on people’s radars.”
Bushell also feels he has “unfinished business” in the series. Though he won the series in 2014, his results in the first half of the season were inconsistent and Bushell wants to “put that right”
“I see Ant Whorton-Eales is hanging around as well h he’s a tough cookie and we had a few ding-dongs before, although are good pals now. I’m really looking forward to coming up against him on the track again and a few others. It’s a great looking grid for 2016.”
Team Pyro, who have won seven of the last eight UK Clio Cup drivers; titles, are also looking forward to Bushell’s return. Though they’re optimistic about the champion’s return, they know it isn’t going to be easy for them.
“The competition since then [2014] has intensified a lot and he and our team know even being on the first three rows of the grid in qualifying this year is going to be an achievement,” said team principal Mark Hunt.
The team will announce the remainder of their line up in the near future.
Image Credit: Renault UK Clio Cup Press Office
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