Osamu Kawashima will finally see his British Touring Car Championship dream become a reality this weekend at Silverstone. The 57-year-old Japanese driver is set to make his debut in the series with Team VERTU.
Kawashima will step into the Hyundai previously driven by Ricky Collard, whose campaign was cut short due to budget issues despite running a career-best fourth in the standings.
His arrival marks a historic moment: Kawashima is the first Japanese driver to race in the BTCC since Kunimitsu Takahashi in 1985. Back then, Takahashi drove a Mitsubishi Starion at the same circuit, when the series was still known as the British Saloon Car Championship.
Despite his age, Kawashima is no novice. He raced in the Ginetta GT5 series in the UK in 2014, then enjoyed a strong 2015 season with five wins and a runner-up finish in the Ginetta GT4 amateur class. His performances earned him a test in a Speedworks Toyota Avensis in 2016, but he hasn’t raced in the country since.
“I’m hugely excited to have the opportunity to become the first Japanese driver to race in the BTCC in the modern era and would like to express my gratitude to everyone at EXCELR8 for making it possible and for supporting me during testing,” Kawashima said.
“When I previously raced in the UK in Ginettas, I set myself the goal of one day competing in the BTCC. It’s taken longer than I hoped, but everything has fallen into place and my dream is now finally coming true.”
He added: “I’m looking forward to challenging myself against some incredibly fast and talented drivers on the grid, and my goal is to try and achieve some good results and to hone my own driving skills. As a racing driver you always want to win, but realistically speaking, if I was able to score a point it would represent an outstanding achievement for me.”
Kawashima’s debut adds another layer of intrigue to the Silverstone round. Team VERTU will be hoping his experience can yield a competitive performance, while the BTCC gains an inspiring story of a driver chasing his dream regardless of age.
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