Danny Buxton has left his most up-to-date position as crew principal of rival BTCC squad One Motorsport with speedy impact and has began work this week at Speedworks Motorsport, which competes underneath the Toyota Gazoo Racing UK banner, as the corporate’s new head of motorsport.
Former Clio Cup champion and 2000s BTCC up-and-comer Buxton joined One, then often called BTC Racing, previous to the 2022 season to supervise the Brackley squad’s crew of Honda Civics and lead an growth into GT racing.
This was completed partly through a takeover final winter of the Motus One operation of BTCC racer Will Powell, who then parted firm with the crew in June.
Buxton may have a equally wide-ranging position at Speedworks, the place he joins up with husband-and-wife founders Christian and Amy Dick plus investor John Gilbert, the previous gentleman driver GT racer who grew to become a director of the crew final winter.
In addition to the BTCC squad of Corolla GR Sports activities, Speedworks is brazenly eyeing an growth into GT3 when Toyota’s new GR GT3 idea automobile comes on stream in 2025.
Within the meantime, Speedworks has already acquired entries for the McLaren Trophy one-make collection by which One Motorsport has competed this season, and can make its debut within the 2023 finale at Barcelona on the finish of this month earlier than enterprise a full programme in 2024.
“They need to broaden their relationship with Toyota in GTs extra,” Buxton informed Autosport.
“The purpose is to develop and develop that relationship, and broaden a multi-brand buyer racing division.
“Toyota are clearly extraordinarily pleased with what they’re doing within the BTCC, however we need to broaden that to see how far we will take it within the GT world.
“I’ve received 10 years’ expertise of growing relationships at McLaren, so hopefully I may also help with that.”
Rory Butcher, Toyota GAZOO Racing UK Toyota Corolla GR Sport
Photograph by: JEP / Motorsport Images
Buxton has identified the Dicks since his and Christian’s early days as budding racers from Cheshire within the late Nineteen Nineties.
“I’ve actually loved working with the crew at One Motorsport,” he added, “however that is one thing that I couldn’t flip down.
“I’ve identified Christian and Amy for over 25 years, and I additionally used to run John Gilbert’s company days at Donington – we’ve received historical past and we’re all native, which is good.”
Christian Dick stated: “I first labored with Danny in our instructing days at Oulton Park, and we’ve had an amazing relationship ever since.
“GT is an enormous space that we need to have a push on and he has a wealth of expertise to assist drive us there, however he may have an especially Positive influence on the BTCC crew as nicely, and he’ll have the ability to put the programs in place to enhance what we’re doing there too.
“We’ve received a variety of plans for the winter and are pushing ahead on stuff, and it’s good to get a foothold [with McLaren Trophy] to indicate that we imply it.”
Buxton’s transfer to Speedworks can not come with out hypothesis that One Motorsport star Josh Cook, who has gained 16 races with the crew within the BTCC, may grow to be a goal for 2024.
{Cook} claimed the runner-up spot within the 2014 Clio Cup with Buxton’s SV Racing squad, and Buxton has mentored him ever since.
“We’ve received an amazing relationship with our current drivers and that’s our focus in the intervening time,” stated Dick.
“Nevertheless, Josh is a expertise that I’m certain anybody would welcome the prospect to speak to.”