By Mick Palmer

Towards the end of the 2024 season when Callum Newsham spoke about returning to TCR UK for this year, it was already noted that he’d be one of the championship favourites.

The confirmation that Newsham will return to the series with the same car and team means that anybody entering the series for 2025 will know what kind of level there is going to be at the front of the grid for them to contend with.

“I’m delighted to be back racing again in TCR UK for the 2025 season, sticking with our Hyundai i30 N TCR and amazing team of JH Racing!” Newsham stated. “With what we showed last year, having the most wins and most pole positions of anyone, we are going into 2025 with high hopes. After coming third at the end of last year, our aim for 2025 is to be within a shot at the overall title!”

The former Mini racer will be heading into his fourth TCR UK season after entering with Power Maxed Racing in a Cupra Leon in 2022. A switch to the Hyundai and JHR for 2023 laid the groundworks for 2024 – a year that featured six victories, and an outside chance for the title going onto the last round. An accident in the round before the championship decider ruled him out of two races at Thruxton, ultimately preventing a full title assault at the final meeting of the year at Silverstone – where two victories came his way.

Callum’s Dad, and former BTCC race winner said: “We are pleased to be back for another season in TCR UK, same car, same team. Why change a winning formula? No questions, we moved the car forward during the season, and Callum drove the wheels off it. The clear aim is winning the Championship, driver and team. Being fast is not always good enough, Carl (Boardley – 2023 and 24 champion) has proved that. We need to go into the season with the mindset of the title from the first lap of the season. But most of all, we need to enjoy the season and have fun!”

The first win for Newsham, in the third race at the Brands Indy season opener, was added to with a pair of wet weather Croft victories, before the first encounter at Thruxton went his way. After the damage from the race two accident saw him park the car and miss race three an appeal for public support – giving bonnet space to those who got involved – meant that his title battle was able to go down to the wire,  but that means that the expectation in the paddock is to see Newsham continue that race leading form into the start of the 2025 season.

JH Racing team principal said: “We are thrilled to be going into our third year with Callum! Following on from 2024 it does feel like we have unfinished business. Callum drove superbly all year, and the statistics of what he achieved really do speak for themselves. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the year to take the overall title.

“Again, in 2024, we progressed further with our Hyundai i30 N TCR, finding and extracting every single bit of performance in the attempt to challenge the ever-developing field of much newer and more refined cars. Last season, as a team, we won the Teams Championship & the Diamond Trophy; there is one big trophy left that we have our eyes well and truly on!”

A three/four in the final standings with a much-improved Darron Lewis sitting behind Newsham in the final table meant 2024 was a great season for the team. Overall, a further seven podiums were added to the victories as the team managed to eke out performance from a model that was in its seventh year in the UK series. The team will be hoping that they bring home the first drivers title for an i30 N since Lewis Kent took his second consecutive crown in 2022.