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BTCC runner-up Sam Tordoff switches to British GT in 2017

British Touring Car Championship runner-up Sam Tordoff will switch to the British GT Championship in 2017 with the Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini squad

Tordoff finished second in the BTCC points this year in a WSR BMW 125i M Sport, but elected to walk away from the series to chase a different career direction.

The 27-year-old will now switch to GTs in Britain - sharing Barwell's second factory-backed Huracan GT3 with fellow ex-BTCC man Liam Griffin - and has eyes on further outings in European competition.

"As much as I love the BTCC, I see it as the end destination in a career path, not the start of one," said Tordoff.

"I didn't want to be known as only a touring car driver, so I want to prove that I can race and win in other forms of motorsport.

"I've looked at GT racing for a while and done the odd GT race in both the UK and European Le Mans Series [with the JMW Ferrari team], and through my manager - Tim Sugden - this chance with Barwell came up and it's too good to miss.

"I've known Liam for a long time and I think together in the Lamborghini we have all the tools in place to mount a serious title challenge.

"I've raced in the Porsche Carrera Cup and have two years in a rear-wheel-drive touring car to call on for experience, so GT3 isn't completely alien to me.

"But there will no doubt be a lot of things to get used to, but we have a lot of testing planned early next year."

Jon Minshaw and Phil Keen, who finished second in the 2016 championship, will race Barwell's other Lamborghini.

Team boss Mark Lemmer said that Tordoff had all the hallmarks of becoming a top GT driver.

"Sam has emerged as one of the UK's most-talented and successful star drivers, he has all of the ingredients that we would look for to make a top quality GT driver," he said.

"It's great to welcome Liam back too, I've got a really positive feeling about this pairing.

"We know that Liam is naturally super-quick and can beat anyone on his day.

"I am sure he will benefit from Sam's meticulous preparation and from it being his second season in the Lamborghini Huracan GT3."

Barwell's entry completes its two-car British GT3 assault, and brings the number of confirmed cars for the class so far to eight, split between Aston Martin, Mercedes, Ferrari and Lamborghini.

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