By Mick Palmer

BTCC race winning outfit Power Maxed Racing have confirmed that they will return to TCR UK with a two car Hyundai Junior team for the 2025 season.

After a break of two seasons the Bidford based outfit will take to the track with two examples of the i30 N, running a pair of drivers aged 18-25 years old as part of the TCR UK drive to offer affordable opportunities to young talent looking to develop a Tin Top career.

PMR first raced as part of the Maximum Motorsport promoted series with Stewart Lines in one of their BTCC Vauxhall Astras at the final round of the 2019 Touring Car Trophy, before entering the TCR UK class in 2020 with Dan Kirby, William Butler and BTCC racer Sam Osbourne in the Covid shortened season with first generation Cupra Leons.

In 2021 Kirby finished third and Jac Constable – their BTCC development driver – finished sixth as the pair went into the final round vying for the overall championship. For 2022 Constable once again challenged for the overall crown with Callum Newsham and Russel Joyce also racing with the outfit.

Team manager Martin Broadhurst said: “I’m very happy to get Power Maxed Racing back on the TCR UK grid for the 2025 season. We enjoyed our time previously in the championship and enjoyed a lot of success. Returning for next season with Hyundai as our chosen brand means that we are working with a well-known and successful car in the i30 N TCR. We can provide a stable starting point for the two junior drivers who will be on board with us next year.”

In the intervening years since PMR raced in TCR UK the team have reinvigorated their BTCC programme with the Vauxhall Astra. After a mid-season turn around in form in 2023, Power Maxed went on to dominate the 2024 Independent classes taking the team and driver crowns, the latter with Árón Taylor-Smith. It is not known if there will be any crossover of support between the two sides of the business. Dan Lloyd, the 2018 TCR UK champion did pop up with some advice for Constable and Kirby in 2021 at TCR rounds – notably the championship showdown – but so far there is no suggestion that the 2025 BTCC driver contingent will be present in any roles.

The news comes at the perfect time for TCR UK. After the announcement of the new enforcement of TCR homologation rules, the series has taken a bit of a public bashing. In the course of investigating that story Touring Car Magazine understands that nine cars are already set to run in the championship for 2025 – which is a higher commitment than for the same time last year, and in preparation for the 2023 season (which saw grids of 20+ cars.)

The confidence boost from having a BTCC team involved in the series once again will undoubtedly not just instil a sense of assurance that the series is in decent health – which should lead to other entrants making early commitments – but will also draw interest from a section of the BTCC fanbase.

TCR UK promoter Stewart Lines was stated as saying: “It’s fantastic news to see Power Maxed Racing announce their return to TCR UK as part of next year’s Junior Touring Car Programme. We need to find the next generation of Touring Car drivers, and working with PMR will give these young drivers an ideal opportunity during the early part of their motorsport careers.”

Drivers are yet to be announced for the team, but the £85,000 price tag quoted by TCR UK when the Hyundai Junior Programme was announced, plus the link to a noted BTCC team, is likely to create serious demand for the seats.

The TCR UK season gets off to an early start with the opening round across the weekend of 22/23 March next year with the championship making its BARC debut at Donington Park.