Jelley’s poised to shake up tin-tops

It's party time at Team RAC, after it announced its latest driver signing is Stephen Jelley

The front-running Hi-Q BTCC squad will run the 25-year-old former Formula Three star in its second BMW 320si, alongside current team leader Colin Turkington.

After finishing last year’s British F3 championship in third, Jelley has turned his attention to tin-tops. Despite relative inexperience racing under a roof, the Leicestershire-based driver is upbeat about the season ahead. “This was simply an opportunity too good to turn down. I am very excited about the chance to compete against some of the best drivers in Britain, and I will be doing my best to help Team RAC challenge for the championship.” The Surrey-based outfit is certainly ready to fight for the crown.

It finished third in last year’s race for team honours, with Turkington securing the Independent drivers’ championship. Even more impressive was the fact that 2007 was its first season with the BMWs, and it had only minimal technical support.

Team principal Dick Bennets believes the experience gained over the past 12 months and a strong driver line-up will serve it well. He said: “With Colin set to build on an impressive 2007 and a driver as talented and willing to learn as Stephen, there’s no reason why Team RAC can’t be serious contenders.”