Mini champion Smith gets full BTCC season in Eurotech Honda Civic
Reigning Mini Challenge UK champion Brett Smith will contest his first full British Touring Car Championship season in 2018 at the wheel of a Eurotech Racing Honda Civic Type R
The 25-year-old joined the championship halfway through the 2017 season after taking over the car driven by his father Jeff, who was badly injured in a qualifying accident at Croft in June.
Smith Jr took two wins in the rookie-based Jack Sears Trophy class and went on to finish 19th in the Independents Trophy standings.
He will remain alongside Jack Goff at Eurotech, which will also look after the similar Honda Civic of Matt Simpson during 2018.
"Obviously the circumstances around me coming into the BTCC weren't ideal, it would have been great to share the BTCC grid with my dad as I have done in the Mini Challenge," said Smith Jr.
"It's my intention this year to build on the progress I made from Snetterton to Brands Hatch [in 2017] and to be towards the front, challenging for podiums.
"With a little bit of luck and a reversed grid luck, maybe I could even a win in 2018."
His team principal father added: "BTCC is a monumental step up from any other UK championship, with Brett having had no testing in the Civic Type R, we were initially quite conservative on car set-up.
"I have always been aware of Brett's talent as a driver [but] I like many others were taken aback by just how quickly he got to grips with BTCC.
"Given this success I see no reason for Brett not to be challenging very hard this year and look forward to seeing him on the podium."
2018 BTCC line-up so far
WSR BMW: Colin Turkington, Rob Collard, Andrew Jordan
Team Dynamics Honda Civic: Matt Neal
Team BMR Subaru Levorg: Ash Sutton, Jason Plato
Speedworks Motorsport Toyota Avensis: Tom Ingram
Eurotech Racing Honda Civic: Jack Goff, Brett Smith, Matt Simpson
Motorbase Performance Ford Focus: Tom Chilton, Mat Jackson
Power Maxed Racing Vauxhall Astra: Josh Cook, Senna Proctor
Ciceley Racing Mercedes A-Class: Adam Morgan, Tom Oliphant
HMS Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta: Rob Austin
BTC Norlin Honda Civic: Chris Smiley, James Nash
Team Hard Volkswagen CC: Jake Hill, Mike Bushell, Michael Caine, Bobby Thompson
AmD Tuning Audi S3: Ollie Jackson, Sam Smelt
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