Infiniti and 'Support Our Paras Racing' enter British Touring Car Championship, 2014.

Support Our Paras Press Release Dated Oct 2014: An innovative new not-for-profit team will enter the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in 2015 with a pair of manufacturer-backed Infiniti Q50s.

The premium car manufacturer Infiniti, along with Support Our Paras Racing, today revealed the car and team — to be known as ‘Infiniti Support Our Paras Racing’ — that will be entered into next season’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The aim of the team is to specifically help raise awareness and funds for Support Our Paras, the official charity of The Parachute Regiment, one of the most iconic Regiments in the British Army.

The team, overseen by Team Principal Derek Palmer, will consist of a number of injured Paratroopers who will work on the cars to prepare them not only for race weekends, but also maintain their maximum efficiency throughout the hectic schedule of a BTCC season.

The team has also set itself the ultimate long-term goal of developing, training and ensuring an injured Paratrooper graduates through the racing ranks to pilot an Infiniti Support Our Paras Racing car in the future.

The two NGTC Infiniti Q50 race cars will be driven by Richard Hawken (Walton-on-Thames) — who has won three championships at club level and tested for Speedworks in 2013 — and Derek Palmer Jnr (Lanark/Zurich). Both drivers have raced successfully in Super Touring Cars in recent years.

“I’m extremely proud to be associated with the Parachute Regiment, honoured to work with, and be associated with, the guys and to be part of the team entering the BTCC,” said Palmer, who has race experience in Dutch Touring Cars, Historic Touring Cars, as well as FIA GT, British GT and European GT Championships. “Infiniti’s aspirations perfectly align with those of the team.”

Hawken too is delighted to be making the step into Britain’s biggest and most high-profile motorsport championship, the BTCC — which consists of ten race meetings at the UK’s leading circuits, and 30 races — with Infiniti Support Our Paras Racing.

For more information about Support Our Paras Racing, visit Paras Racing