Dartford’s Tyler Lidsey is looking forward to getting back out on track for the 2020 motorsport season once it gets going.

Once he does, he will be taking part in the new Renault Clio Cup series that is supporting the British GT Championship, run by Renault Sport.

Talking about his plans for the coming season exclusively to Kent Sports New, Tyler said: “So far this year everything has been kept under wraps, no plans were made to go racing this year until Renault decided they would continue with the Clio Cup championship, regardless of it being on the BTCC Package and even then I wasn’t sure how the new car would turn out.”

“However, after an invite and a factory tour of their facilities and a good look at my possibilities I decided to go for the new car and stick with the Clio’s. The British GT Package is still a fantastic package to be a part of, with a real mix up of high end cars and top drivers, there are also plenty of spectators which always brings a buzz when entering a race weekend.

“We did briefly take a look at the budget to be able to enter the Mini Challenge but soon realised that the outlays needed, to be able to compete didn’t warrant entering.”

Tyler will also be remaining with team MRM for the 2020 season, continuing a long established relationship.

He added: “So I am still currently running with Team MRM, Mike Ritchie (Team owner) and I have a great working relationship, he has been with me since the start of my racing career, so it was only natural to go again.

“We both work well around each other and he knows exactly how I like a car to be setup, however with the new car coming out and their being less to adjust on the car, it’s a new experience for us both so I am excited to get underway.”

Part way through the 2019 season Tyler made the move to join the final season of the Renault UK Clio Cup as part of the BTCC package.

Explaining the decision, Lidsey said: “Looking back at 2019, we made the switch because of the circumstances we were faced with, we either had to decide between racing on a grid which was under constant struggle for 10+ car grids, or choose to be a part of the bigger picture and see how I’d fair in what was the last year of the Clio cup championship being a part of the BTCC Package.

“The choice was easy as I’d always wanted to be a part of that package, however I underestimated just how tough the grid would be, the drivers were on a whole new level to anyone I had raced against before, so trying to get the grips with the car and be competitive proved more difficult than I originally imagined.

“Just being a part of the series made it all worth it, being asked for autographs and photos is always a privilege, but competing in front of thousands live on TV is something that will stay with me throughout my life. I just wish I had more time in the seat prior to entering.”

Looking back at his highlight for the season we asked whether it was the third place in the Thruxton round.

“I’d like to believe that the third place at Thruxton was my highlight of my season, however nobody likes to gain a podium from their team mate being penalised. The weekend as a whole was in my eyes absolute carnage, I had a feeling it would be and watching the carnage evolve in front of me paid off in the end.”

For the new season we asked Tyler whether he had set himself any targets or whether it would be down to finding his feet in a new car and series.

He said: “Initially I had set myself big targets for the season and I still hold these targets but at the same time I need to be realistic, everyone will be in the same situation as there won’t be a significant amount of time to be able to test the new car before the first round.

“Work commitments also make it difficult to be able to find time to be in the car. I feel that maximising every test session will be crucial to be able to reach the podium this year.”

Finally we asked Tyler how he is keeping himself fit ahead of the lockdown being lifted and being able to go racing again.

He added: “So before the lockdown came into place in the UK I was dedicating most of my time to the gym, as I felt this was a major setback for me during my 2019 season, my fitness levels were terrible, this was purely down to me becoming incredibly lazy after having 3 months off of work during the 2019 season due to breaking my shoulder.

“This year I have taken a different approach and I know that if I’m to do well my fitness and discipline has to be at its best. I’m working with a close friend/PT to be able to exercise at home, and be able to get out and exercise of a weekend. A lot of investment is going into this year with the new car and I want to show that I deserve a place on the grid.”

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