Graham Johnson and Mike Robinson will contest the 2013 Britcar Production Cup Championship in a Total Control Racing run SEAT Leon. For the pair, who raced together in the Rotax Max Enduro Championship between 2003 and 2005, it will be the first time they have shared a seat in a car.
The pair have pedigree in Caterham and Ginetta series, with Robinson,30, also spending a competitive three years on the ToCA package’s Renault Clio Cup. His time in the Clio series is the only front-wheel-drive experience the pair has, which will come in handy with the front-driven SEAT.
Johnson, 38, is expecting big things for his team in 2013: “We’re all investing a tremendous amount of time and effort to be frontrunners and challenge for the 2013 Championship,” he explained. “Our goal is to stand on the podium as many times as possible, but one assumes everyone has that same goal! TCR are working hard to get the car right and we’re testing frequently to get as much time in the seat as possible. The plan is to enjoy it – and to be successful.”
TCR have a reputation for running the Leon competitively, the team winning back-to-back UK championships in 2007 and 2008 with current GT racer Jonny Adam. Mike Robinson’s adventures in the Clio Cup and in the Ginetta GT5 Challenge were also run by TCR. The team is run by 1997 BTCC Independent’s champion Lee Brookes.
The team will run under the guise of “Professional Motorsport World Expo racing with TCR, a nod towards Johnson and Robinson’s business ventures which include the Professional Motorsport World magazine and its annual expo, held in Germany.
The Britcar season kicks off on April 11th. www.theCheckeredFlag.co.uk will bring you full weekend reports from every round of the 2013 season.