BTCC race winner Stephen Jelley will return to the championship with Team Parker Racing after seven years away from the sport.
Jelley competed in the 2008 and 2009 seasons with Team RAC, finishing fifth in the championship in his second year, but left the championship due to lack of funding.
“It was always my aim to come back to the BTCC,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave, but the finances weren’t there.
“Team Parker Racing can have a long future in this category and I want a long future here too, so we are looking to build together. I haven’t raced a front-wheel-drive car before, so there will be a big test programme ahead of the season to get me up to speed.”
This won’t be the first time the 34-year-old has raced with Team Parker Racing on the TOCA package. Over the past seven years, Jelley has spent four seasons competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup with the team, including the last two seasons. He has taken multiple race wins in the category, finishing last season fifth overall.
Jelley isn’t making any predictions ahead of his return to the BTCC, but his boss, Stuart Parker, is hoping for top ten challenges this year and to move forward from the 11th place the team finished last year.
“We have had two great years with Alex [Martin], who was learning all the time,” he said. “Stephen is a proven race winner at this level and, although he will be getting to grips with front-wheel-drive for the first time, he can help us move forward.
“If we can be challenging inside the top ten, and then who knows what can happen with the reverse-grid draw. This will be an exciting year for us.”
Feature image credit: BTCC.net
