Will Burns will get behind the wheel of Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship machinery for the first time tomorrow (20 October) with a test at Snetterton.
The recently-crowned Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup vice-champion will be testing a Toyota Avensis with experienced outfit Team HARD as he assesses his options for 2017.
Burns enjoyed a superb season in the Supercup this year, with three race wins amongst seventeen podium finishes helping him take the title fight down to the final race of the year.
Team HARD have run three Toyota’s this season, with both full-time drivers Jake Hill and Mike Epps taking top ten finishes across the campaign for the Kent-based squad.
Burns said: “I’ve always watched the BTCC ever since I was a child and ever since I started racing I’ve wanted to drive a touring car, so this is an amazing opportunity.
“The front-wheel drive Avensis is something completely different to anything I’ve driven before, so with that in mind, I’m not going into the test with any huge expectations.
“It’s a chance for me to try something new and if I can get close to the pace first time out, then I’d be delighted. I can’t wait to get out on track at Snetterton!”
The test comes as part of a busy spell for Burns following the end of the TOCA season, having made his prototype racing debut last weekend (8/9 October) at Magny-Cours in France.
Burns shared a Ginetta G57 with fellow Supercup driver Colin White in the V de V Endurance Championship, the duo tackling a four hour race in the CWS Recycling-backed machine.
Burns would top the timesheets in FP1 and then outpace Ginetta factory driver Charlie Robertson in qualifying, but things didn’t go the team’s way in the race with numerous mechanical problems leaving them unclassified finishers.
“The race at Magny-Cours was a frustrating end to what had been a really promising weekend. The G57 is an incredible car to drive and I was delighted with how quickly I adapted to it,” he added.
“To out-qualify Charlie [Robertson] in my first time out is something I’m really proud of. While everything went wrong that could have done in the race, it was still an awesome experience.”