The penultimate round of the inaugural TCR UK championship delivered mixed results for Daniel Lloyd, with the Yorkshireman securing a podium finish & DNF result on his home circuit, Croft in North Yorkshire (September 8/9).

A strong start to the weekend saw Lloyd top the timing screens in the early practice sessions, with the #23 VW Golf GTI posting the fastest lap times in both wet and dry conditions before setting 4th fastest time in the afternoon’s qualifying session on the drying, greasy track.

With an enforced grid place penalty drop in place for race 1, Lloyd made a great start off the line from dead last and had managed to make his way through to take P4 by the end of the opening lap. A move on Lines’ Cupra on lap 5 netted Lloyd a podium spot before he set his sights on closing the gap to his TCR title rival Ollie Taylor for 2nd. The duo battled for position for the final 5 laps of the race, running side-by-side along the straight on lap 11, but Lloyd was unable to make the move stick and eventually crossed the line in 3rd marking his 8th trip to the podium this season.

Starting from the 4th row for race 2, Lloyd made quick work of his competitors, hauling his WestCoast Racing Golf GTI up into 4th by the second corner of the opening lap. His pace was regrettably short-lived, however, with the #23 VW picking up race-ending suspension damage as Lloyd charged through the chicane – putting him out of the running for the remaining laps.

In spite of the mixed bag of results from the weekend, Lloyd maintains his position at the top of the Championship and heads into next month’s season finale with a strong 31 point advantage over his nearest rival Ollie Taylor with just two races remaining.

“I’d like to thank my sponsors Abracs for helping me to stay on the TCR grid;” added Lloyd. “But mostly I owe a huge thanks to WestCoast Racing for allowing me to race this weekend and sorting out the logistical nightmare from the clash with their Swedish championship commitments. Without them and my sponsors, I wouldn’t even be here. I’m really grateful for their support.”

Lloyd and the West Coast Racing squad now have a 4-week break before the final meeting of the 2018 TCR UK Championship takes place at Donington Park on October 13/14.