Ride the track with motorsport champions at IAM RoadSmart Skills Day Plus

This is your opportunity to meet and ride with the British Touring Car team from BMW. This trio Colin Turkington, Tom Oliphant, and Stephen Jelley are currently battling to win the 2021 BTCC title for Team BMW. Which would mean a record-breaking sixth straight Manufacturers’ title.

On the 23^rd August 2021, 48 lucky drivers will take to the track with their motorsport heroes for some hot laps then join the IAM RoadSmart instructors to boost their skills and knowledge taking their own cars around the track.

IAM RoadSmart has teamed up with British Touring Car Championship winning team West Surrey Racing to create a special Skills Day event that is a must for motorsport fans.

The UK’s largest independent road safety charity is hosting a Skills Day Plus event offering everything IAM RoadSmart Skills Days provide, with the added bonus of being a passenger for hot laps driven by Colin, Tom, or Stephen in specially prepared BMW M240iR race cars.

There are limited places on these half-day events, which take place at Thruxton circuit on Monday 23^rd August.

Car Skills Days are open to anyone with a full car licence. You do not have to be an IAM RoadSmart member to take part but beware tickets will sell out fast!

Working one-to-one with one of our instructors in your own car, Skills Days are an enjoyable and informative day out where drivers can sharpen their skills and learn more about their own capability and that of their vehicle.

In addition, all participants will experience two hot laps in a BMW M240iR race car driven by Colin, Tom or Stephen and get the chance to quiz them about their experiences in a lunchtime question and answer session hosted by well-known touring car journalist and commentator Alan Hyde.

A two-course lunch and refreshments in the Thruxton Motorsport Centre is also included.

Colin Turkington is one of the most successful British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) drivers of all time. He has won the BTCC title four times, won 51 BTCC races and in 2019 won in his West Surrey Racing BMW 3-series.

He also passed his IAM RoadSmart advanced driver course with a F1RST in 2019 and encourages as many drivers as possible to follow his example and learn how to take their on-road driving skills to the next level.

Colin Turkington said: “I am really looking forward to leading Skills Day Plus with IAM RoadSmart, and meeting as many fans and advanced drivers as possible. It will be great fun and I’m sure you will come away with skills to make your driving more enjoyable and safer at the same time.”

For Tom and Stephen, this will be a first, but both are excited to be a part of Skills Day Plus. They may even pick up some tips. as even a racing champion can be a better driver on the road.

Tickets for the Skills Day Plus can be bought by phone only by calling 0300 303 1134.

The price for this Skills Day Plus is £249 per person which includes lunch and hot laps with either Colin, Tom or Stephen in a M240iR racing car, plus the standard package of instruction in your own car as offered on all Skills Days.

For more information on regular Skills Days visit https://www.iamroadsmart.com/skillsdays

IMAGES Colin Turkington and BMW7

Colin Turkington (57 wins)

Northern Irish Colin Turkington (born 1982) debuted in the BTCC in 2002, driving MG ZS for West Surrey Racing and Team Atomic Kitten. MG was his car for two more seasons, before switching to VX Racing’s Vauxhall Astra in 2005. In 2006, Turkington returned to West Surrey Racing, to drive one more season with MG ZS.

Last year in 2020 as the joint-most successful driver in BTCC history, Turkington secured more podium finishes than any of his rivals. He did, however, clinch the first-ever Goodyear Wingfoot Award during the campaign, thanks to his consistently impressive performance in qualifying.

Turkington sticks with Team BMW for his 17th BTCC campaign, alongside teammates Tom Oliphant and Stephen Jelley.

Tom Oliphant (17 wins)

Tom Oliphant (born 1990) began his car racing career in single seaters, then switched to sportscars in 2013 as he joined the TOCA package in the Ginetta GT SuperCup. Taking his first victory in the championship the following year, he tallied eight race wins and 13 further rostrum finishes to clinch the 2015 Ginetta GT4 SuperCup crown before moving across to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.

Six podiums over two seasons resulted in top-four finishes in the title race in both 2016 and 2017, as well as a race-winning stint in British GTs.

Oliphant joined the BTCC in a Ciceley Motorsport-entered Mercedes-Benz A-Class in 2018 – finishing inside the points on 12 occasions – before making the jump Team BMW in 2019, driving its new 330i M Sport. Podiums at Donington Park and Oulton Park saw him place just outside the top ten in the end-of-season standings.

Remaining with the WSR-run outfit in 2020 resulted in Oliphant securing his maiden victory in the series, alongside a further three podium finishes.

Stephen Jelley (3 wins)

Stephen Jelley’s career began in single seaters, firstly in Formula Ford and subsequently British Formula 3, finishing third overall in the latter in 2007 courtesy of two race wins.

He contested the 2008 GP2 Asia Series before switching to the BTCC with Team RAC (WSR) the same year, scoring seven points finishes. He continued with Team RAC in 2009, winning twice at Rockingham and tallying three further podium finishes en route to sixth spot in the final Drivers’ table.

Jelley returned to the BTCC in 2017, piloting a Ford Focus fielded by Team Parker Racing with Maximum Motorsport. Jelley continued in 2019 for a third consecutive campaign with the outfit in Britain’s topflight, yielding a rostrum finish at Brands Hatch and a win at Oulton Park – his first in ten years. He remained with the team in 2020.