SPEEDWORKS hope extra time on track will help get their cars to race faster when the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship season starts next month.

The Northwich outfit’s Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC) machine has clocked up more miles in practice than any of their rivals during the winter months.

“It’s a great position to be in,” said team boss Christian Dick.

“We’ve been able to spend days on circuits when they’ve been less busy, which has proved invaluable in making the improvements to the car that we want to.

“Now that the season’s start is closer, it’s more difficult to squeeze in that quality time.”

Speedworks has entered two cars for their second season in the UK’s premier car racing series, with driver Tony Hughes set to return after a difficult debut campaign.

He is joined by Ribchester racer Adam Morgan, who graduates to the BTCC as a reward for winning the inaugural Michelin Ginetta GT Supercup last term.

The 23-year-old unveiled his 2012 challenger at Silverstone today, Monday, after the team worked around the clock to have it ready for a first run.

Dick said: “It’s been an extraordinary effort by the guys, who have been flat out working through the night to get the car finished.

“I can’t praise them highly enough for their dedication, although we’re all absolutely exhausted now!

“There’s still so much we want to do and it feels like time is so short, but we’re infinitely better placed to succeed this time around than we were at the same moment last year.

“Even with a million pounds to spend and 100 people working for me, I’d want more time to try different things!”

Speedworks have rebuilt Hughes’ Toyota Avensis, the first car built to specifications new to the series last year to finish a race, as well as assembling Morgan’s machine.

All since the turn of the year.

Dick said: “It’s been stressful!

“However things have come together due to sheer persistence and hard graft.

“There are always obstacles in the way, but we’ve planned carefully what we want to achieve to be in the best possible position for the first race.

“I guess you can never be completely satisfied, but overall we’re happy with where we are.”