Price achieved his first race win in the UK Clio Cup in 2016’s final round – one of six podium results outright that earned him a fine sixth place in the overall championship standings.
The 18-year-old will undoubtedly begin 2017 as a potential title challenger. Not only is he with the most successful team in the pit lane in Pyro but he is backed by A-Plan Insurance Services, VSL and RIVCO and will also be supported by the BMR Academy.
The Academy is a ‘stepping stone’ system created by Team BMR to assist drivers in the transition from the UK Clio Cup to the BTCC – Britain’s premier motor racing championship. Drivers who have previously experienced this support include Ashley Sutton who won the UK Clio Cup crown in 2015 and now finds himself in a BMR Subaru BTCC car.
Academy Director Árón Taylor-Smith – himself a former race winner in the UK Clio Cup and now a top name in the BTCC – commented: “Josh’s progression last year was one of the stand-out features of the championship. With the guidance of the BMR Academy for 2017 he’s one to watch for the UK Clio Cup title and a BTCC drive in the future.”
Price enthused: “Towards the end of 2016 I found great form on track and the points began racking up so quickly. I’ve now improved even more and with the pre-season testing programme proving a great success I know I will be in the title fight. I just want to get going now!”
And said Pyro Team Principal Mark Hunt: “Josh really became one of the top drivers in the UK Clio Cup during 2016 so we’re very excited to have retained him for this year when we will be going all out to recapture the crown we last won with Ashley Sutton in 2015.”
Renault Sport’s UK Motorsport Championship Manager Will Fewkes added: “Josh richly deserved his maiden win at the end of 2016 and off the back of that result I suspect he will be oozing confidence going into the new season. We’re also of course delighted to see BMR – absolutely one of the biggest names in the BTCC –choosing once more to invest in the UK Clio Cup with its young driver Academy.”
The 2017 Renault UK Clio Cup gets under way at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on Sat 1/Sun 2 April with the opening two rounds of its new season. All 18 rounds on the calendar will take place at the BTCC’s high profile events meaning not only huge trackside crowds (avg. 38,000+ in 2016) for its teams, drivers and sponsors but also live free-to-air television coverage on ITV4.