Bell tolls for Geoff Steel Racing return

Geoff Steel Racing is to make a return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship for the 2011 season, having purchased the BMW 320sis campaigned in recent seasons by Motorbase Performance.

Having been absent from the series since 2007, a return was made possible after team boss Geoff Steel went into partnership with Barrow-upon-Humber based racer Martyn Bell, who drove for the team during his first two seasons in the BTCC. While Steel will oversee the engineering side of the programme, Bell will take on a team manager role and be responsible for the commercial and sponsorship side of the operation. The team will run two cars and discussions are ongoing regarding the engine package that will be used, with a switch to an NGTC unit designed to the BTCC's new regulations being evaluated.

With both Steel and Bell having extensive experience of running BMWs, the team goes into 2011 keen to try and launch a challenge on the Independents' championship.

"This is an exciting new programme that we have been working on for some time," Bell said, "and we are pleased to be in a position where we can now go public with our plans. We are in discussions with a number of interested drivers who have been successful in the BTCC in the past and feel we can offer a competitive package for the year ahead.

"The BMW is a proven car and with the plans we have in place, we're confident of challenging for regular top ten finishes and Independent honours in 2011."

The team is currently in discussions with a number of experienced drivers to fill the two seats, with a decision expected on the driver line-up in the coming weeks.