British Tour Car Championship (BTCC) driver Bobby Thompson has joined Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR, one of Europe’s most successful racing teams, piloting the BMW 330e M Sport for the 2024 championship. This takes him one step further to winning the UK’s prestigious BTCC title.
The partnership, announced officially today, will see Bobby start his 2024 campaign at Snetterton on 25/26th May, when his new livery will be unveiled. He joins Colin Turkington and Adam Morgan in Team BMW who have multiple victories to their names, as well as manufacturers’ and team honours.
Bobby, who is known as a BTCC “fans’ favourite”, will be sponsored by Zeus Cloud – a leading open source data protection and web hosting service based in Manchester and Yeovil. He will be represented by Yeovil based Path Marketing, which has specialised in motor racing and the car industry in general for the past ten years.
WSR is a legendary racing team with a history dating back to 1981. Team Principal Dick Bennetts has been instrumental in the careers of many motor sport superstars, including Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell. Bobby first tested for WSR at Brands Hatch in April, when it was announced the team was looking for a fourth driver.
Dick Bennetts, the Team Principal of WSR, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Bobby and Zeus Cloud to WSR. It was always clear what a determined and tenacious racer he was when he was a rival, but when he tested with us in March at Brands Hatch we saw just what his capabilities were on and off-track.
“A huge thank you to Zeus Cloud for making this programme possible. Their business is integrating cloud solutions to create one cohesive platform and running a motorsport team is very similar as we combine the skills of our team members to try to win on the racetrack. The partnership of Zeus Cloud, Bobby and the WSR BMW has everything needed to perform.”
Bobby, 27, from Hornchurch in Essex, is competing for the sixth season in the BTCC in 2024. He has been racing for nine years and has set lap records at the world famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, as well as many UK tracks. He scored three podium finishes in the BTCC over the past two seasons and was the series Jack Sears Trophy champion in 2022.
He said: “It’s honestly a dream come true! This journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with relentless hard work and the tireless support of my incredible family. I’m immensely grateful to West Surrey Racing for their unwavering belief in me, guiding me through every step, especially during the Brands Hatch test.
“And to Zeus Cloud – it’s something I used to only dream about. With a team that’s growing stronger by the day and support that’s nothing short of amazing, I’m so excited to hit the track as soon as possible – I wish Snetterton was this weekend!”
Path Marketing’s Managing Director Dale Cullen said: “We are looking forward to working with Bobby, he’s a great guy and has worked hard to get where he is today. He hasn’t had the finance he needed behind him up until now, but we believe this will be a major turning point for him. We wish him very success in the season.”
Ergo Consultancy has sponsored Bobby for the past six years. Founding Partner David Berney said: “The attributes required in a successful BTCC team align completely with what Ergo Consultancy delivers in the hedge fund and asset manager trading and execution space, which is why we are delighted to work with Bobby and the Zeus Cloud Racing with WSR team for 2024 and beyond”.
Mark Grindey, Group CEO of Zeus Cloud said: “It is a great opportunity for us to sponsor Bobby, especially with how aligned I feel our values are. It was great to be able to see how family orientated they are at WSR and lovely to see how humble Bobby is. The rest of this year is going to be a pleasure and hopefully we can work with them in long term. Even though Bobby is a southerner – let’s not hold it against him!”
For more information, photos and interview requests please contact Lucy Atherton at Path Marketing: lucy@path-marketing.com +447786688833.