RORY BUTCHER has Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) glory in his sights after signing up for a fifth full campaign.

The 34-year-old, whose father, Derek, is the owner and CEO of Knockhill Racing Circuit, has committed to Toyota Gazoo Racing UK for a second successive season.

Butcher, a former Independents' Champion and Jack Sears Trophy winner in the series, has been a consistent contender in recent seasons, which saw him place seventh in the overall standings for 2021.

In his first year behind the wheel of the Toyota Corolla GR Sport, the Fifer secured a trio of victories – including a commanding double top at Silverstone – which took his career tally to nine, added to by three more podium places.

Over the final three weekends of the season, Butcher was also the championship's third-highest scorer, which has given him the belief that he is capable of mounting a challenge for the title.

"I’m absolutely delighted to be returning to the BTCC for my fifth full season in the championship," he said.

"To be coming back with the same team and car is a first for me, and that continuity can only be a positive – especially as we head into the new hybrid era, with all the changes that will entail. Not needing to gel with different people or a different car will be one less thing to have to worry about, and it means we can put everything we’ve learned together so far to good use.

"I made no secret of the fact that it took me a little while to completely get to grips with the Corolla last year; there was a lot to adapt to but once we clicked, we were quick pretty much everywhere, which fills me with a lot of confidence going forward.

"We know we still have a few areas that need ironing out to fully maximise the car’s potential but we have so much data to draw upon and with the pre-season development we have planned, there’s no reason at all why we shouldn’t be pushing for wins at every circuit.

"Considering what we achieved over the second half of 2021 in particular and the experience and knowledge we have gained, the target has to be to hit the ground running at Donington Park in April and then go into the final event at Brands Hatch in October with a fighting chance of taking the title.

"That will obviously be no easy task in a series as ultra-competitive as the BTCC, but Speedworks is a fantastic team and when we get the Toyota really in the window, it feels like nobody can touch us.

"Due to its extra weight, the hybrid system will inevitably make the car handle slightly differently and will add another element to the competition in giving us all a bit more to think about strategically and racecraft-wise but, ultimately, I think the best teams and drivers will rise to the top.

"I’m really looking forward to the challenge."

For 2022, the BTCC will introduce hybrid technology for the first time, replacing the outgoing success ballast system, and offering competitors temporary bursts of extra power to assist with overtaking and defending during races.

The championship, which visits Knockhill over the weekend of July 30-31, will begin at Donnington Park on April 23-24, and concludes with the 10th and final race weekend at Brands Hatch GP on October 8-9.

Christian Dick, Toyota Gazoo Racing UK's team principal, added: "Rory had a great first year with us in 2021 and by the end of it, he was a regular front-runner in the Corolla – so it made perfect sense to extend our partnership into a second season, when the goalposts will very naturally shift as we look to challenge for the championship.

"He is a first-rate driver with an impeccable work ethic. It inevitably took him a little bit of time to feel completely comfortable in the Toyota but he was on the podium in only his second weekend in the car and took a brilliant first win at Oulton Park – helping us to break our bad luck hoodoo at our home track – and over the second half of the campaign, he was a match for anybody else out there.

"Although he has only been competing in the series for a handful of years, Rory drives with all the intelligence, guile and panache of an experienced veteran, and he is a team leader par excellence who truly motivates everybody in the team to perform at their best."