Josh Cook rejoins Power Maxed Racing

Josh Cook has rejoined Power Maxed Racing for the 2018 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, driving a Vauxhall Astra.

The move will be Cook’s second stint with the team having made his series debut with them in 2015, taking a maiden podium at Rockingham as well as the Jack Sears Trophy title, which was awarded then to the top rookie driver.

Spells at MG Triple Eight Racing and Maximum Motorsport have since followed for the 26-year-old in 2016 and 2017.

Filling the shoes of Tom Chilton, who has switched to Motorbase Performance, Cook admits the move back to the manufacturer-backed outfit is like coming home.

“It is great to be back with Power Maxed Racing, it feels like coming home,” Cook told BTCC Crazy. “I learnt a lot from my time there in 2015 but due to sponsorship commitments we couldn’t continue.

“Ever since I joined the BTCC I have had a good relationship with Adam [Weaver, PMR Team Principal] and everything lined up perfectly on both sides.

“I got both mine and the teams first podium when I was last with them and since then we have both come on a long way. Hopefully we can achieve that and much more this year. I’m excited to get going and see what we can do!”

Having raced against the Vauxhall last year, Cook is optimistic that developments over the winter will see the team make another step forward.

He explained: “Obviously the car took two podiums last year but that was in its first season. Now that the team have had a year with the car we can really make some developments, something that the team has already been doing over the winter.

“Power Maxed Racing is one of only a handful of teams on the grid that build everything in-house; it is very different from when I was there and that is only a good thing – we’re aiming high.”

Power Maxed Racing are yet to confirm the identity of Cook’s team-mate.