British Touring Van Championship: Your New Favourite Motorsport

Toyota's BTCC teams suit up to run the Proace van in a new dedicated championship

18 May 2015

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BTCC has barely bumped itself underway before the season's first big story - the teams running Toyota's Avensis in this year's championship are to campaign the company's Proace van in the 2013 British Touring Van Championship.

Speedworks, Dynojet and Ciceley have got themselves in on the action, prepping a set of Proaces ahead of the event's July launch. The vehicles themselves have already seen significant testing, including lateral stability tests on 24 hour lane change sequences on the M62 and acceleration/deceleration optimisation through the light sequences on west London's A4.

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While other manufacturers are yet to show their hands, the three teams are confident the Proace will be the van to beat when the championship begins - there are even negotiations are under way for it to join the Avensis in the British Touring Car Championship proper before the end of the season, with the racing saloons to be rebranded "Avansis" in honour of the occasion.

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The vans also have the advantage that they can act as their own support vehicle - drastically lowering the series' carbon footprint by comparison to other top tier motorsport. According to the championship's spokesman, Gideon "Gig" Gleman:

The Touring Van Championship is just the kind of cost-conscious racing Britain needs. The Proace carries up to 1.2 tonnes in its 7m³ loadspace, so everything you need to go racing can be carried in the back. No big trucks, no catering wagons, no fancy-dan hospitality units – if it won’t fit in the Proace then it’s not needed at the circuit.

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With the vans having large back ends that even Jason Plato can't fail to see, we can't wait to see what the other teams come up with - if only the news had arrived on some other day...