Chris Smiley – TCR UK Champion for 2022 sounds amazing, who would have thought that in his first season in the championship this would be possible?
The first weekend at Oulton Park was Chris first time driving the car which he had picked up from Italy just a week before. No preparation and thrown in at the last minute, to qualify on pole for the first race was nothing short of a miracle.
Photo Credit – Steve Hindle
Looking back to that weekend at Oulton Park, we can see from the photos just how well the team pulled together and what a great drive it was from Chris. Years of experience and driving skill was evident as the TCR cars are different to the BTCC cars Chris was used to driving.
To be able to run at the weekend, qualify on pole and then win the first race has to be one of motorsports most amazing stories.
As the season progressed Chris showed his class as he picked up multiple pole positions and was a regular on the podium with fastest laps and race wins too.
The grand finale at Snetterton was where the title was finally won, it went down to the last race of the season and Chris needed a good solid drive in awful weather conditions to win the championship.
“It has been an awesome year — we have had some highs, we have had some lows — but winning the title makes it all worthwhile in the end,” said Smiley. “It has been eight weeks leading up to this — it has been such a long wait — it was like a second summer break, and I just feel so relieved it is all over.”
Track conditions for the day’s reverse grid race improved little and starting from 10th he avoided a busy first lap to shadow Smith and move up through the field with him.
With three minutes remaining, disaster almost struck when the pair made contact as they battled it out for the final podium position. It eventually went to Smiley when Smith ran off the track at the first corner, three laps from the end.
Credit Rob Ford – Belfast Telegraph – Read Full Chris Smiley Story Here
On we go to 2023 and the defence of the title.
We’d like to say a huge thanks to everyone who has made this possible, including all of our sponsors.
