Jamie Tonks returns for his second consecutive season in the TCR UK Touring Car Championship, armed with a Hyundai Elantra N TCR, the first time that this model will race in the UK.
Retaining his backing from FastR, Jamie will also stay on with the Area Motorsport team, where in 2022 he drove both a CUPRA TCR DSG and later upgraded to a CUPRA TCR.
The Hyundai Elantra N TCR has already seen success in the FIA World Touring Car Cup – WTCR, where it takes the honour of being the last model to win titles in that competition as well as winning the 2022 TCR Italy Touring Car Championship with Target Competition and Niels Langeveld.
The model that Jamie will be driving was in action last year in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series, in the hands of Target Competition driver Felice Jelmini.
Having taken his first win in spectacular style at Oulton Park back in July last year, Jamie is already looking forward to an intensive testing program ahead of the new season.
“Being able to take a win in my first year of TCR UK last season was great, especially as there was such a competitive field last season. 2023 is already looking to be a bigger and better season for the championship, so when the chance came up to drive a Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Area Motorsport for me, I couldn’t pass that up,” said Jamie.
“Having the latest generation of Hyundai TCR machinery means that I can go out and complete my testing programme with the aim of achieving my goal of scoring regular top-five finishes in 2023. Driving the model that took the final WTCR title shows it capability and I aim to continue that run in TCR UK this year.”
Championship Promoter Stewart Lines expressed his delight at the announcement of the Hyundai Elantra joining the list of TCR models to compete in TCR UK.
“The arrival of the Hyundai Elantra in the TCR UK Touring Car Championship this year is another clear indication of how seriously the manufacturers are taking TCR UK as it progresses to a new level for 2023. I’m very happy to see the newer cars joining the championship this year and look forward to another competitive season this year.”
The FastR-backed Hyundai Elantra N TCR is on view at the 2023 Autosport International Show, on the TCR UK stand, which is located in Hall 2, Stand 2550. The 2023 Autosport International Show takes place between 12-15 January where you can buy tickets here.
