STR plan WTCC comeback in 2012

UK based Touring Car team Special Tuning Racing announced that they are working towards competing in the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Championship with SEAT Sport works customer support.

Team principal John Boardman and Technical Director Gary Robertshaw, visited the WTCC finale at Macau, where they met with SEAT Sport Director Jaime Puig and agreed the deal in principle for 2012.

STR will use a new SEAT Sport developed 1.6 T engine and gearbox package in their two WTCC latest specification León cars, receiving technical backup and engineering support from the Spanish manufacturer.

John Boardman commented: “We are very excited by the prospect of working closely with SEAT Sport as a customer ‘works’ team. This will take our involvement with running SEAT touring cars to the next level. We have over eight years experience racing the León in the WTCC, BTCC and SEAT single make series. This support from SEAT will make us even more competitive in next season. We look forward to making our experience produce front running pace in the WTCC.”

Special Tuning Racing will now be focusing on finalising the driver line up for 2012. The plan is to run two cars in the WTCC where they last raced in 2009, and two in the British Touring Car Championship where success was achieved last year with a race win and podium finishes.

Gary Robertshaw commented: “We are currently looking at a number of drivers who wish to compete in a race winning car with manufacturer support and technical input. We feel that running just two cars with our own technical expertise, and that of SEAT Sport, we can provide the attention to detail to be a front running team in the WTCC.”