With just over three months until the start of the 2019 TCR UK season, Sean Walkinshaw Racing (SWR) are eager to continue to build upon their touring car programme from last year.
Seeking a lower-cost – yet highly professional – alternative to other national touring car championships, SWR signed up for the inaugural season of the TCR UK Series in 2018. During the campaign, the team experienced highs and lows with three different drivers behind the wheel of their Honda Civic FK2 TCR. Ultimately, budget constraints would prevent them from being full-time participants, however the team certainly has some highlights to look back on. Namely, Andreas Backman‘s race victory at Croft was a particular high point, along with podium results for Howard Fuller and Sean Walkinshaw too.
Looking ahead, SWR are in negotiations with multiple drivers over competing in the TCR UK Series again next year, using the same Civic that Backman, Fuller and Walkinshaw drove over the course of 2018.
Following the recent appointment of David Sonenscher as the championship’s Chief Operating Officer, SWR have chosen to stick with the TCR UK project as a result of a lot of positive signals given by the series organisers. In fact, TCR UK had a large stake in the proceedings at the 2019 Autosport International Show (ASI), where Sonenscher made his first appearance since being appointed as C.O.O.
SWR Team Manager, Ken Page, liked what he saw at the 2019 edition of ASI. Page explains, “It was great to hear David [Sonenscher] at Autosport International speaking so positively about the championship, the plans for this season and the longer term future. The foundations which were laid last year in TCR UK will provide a great platform on which to build for the second season, and we can’t wait to be back out there with our Honda Civic.”
“Jen Mouratsing, Mark James and the team did a great job last year. We thoroughly enjoyed being part of TCR UK, and with David coming onboard to head-up the organisation, the championship can only get stronger. There is a lot of positivity surrounding TCR UK, and some great developments like the overseas round at Spa, so there is a lot to offer drivers aiming for a career in touring cars.”
