BTC Racing have announced a switch to the TOCA-approved Swindon engine following a troublesome year with their RML powerplant.

The deal is for a supply of engines until the end of the 2015 season, and follows an opening six rounds beset with technical woes in the team’s new Chevrolet Cruze hatchback.

The team say they believe their chassis is strong, and the addition of the TOCA engine will “put an end to their troubles.”

The Cruze will race with the new engine for the first time at Knockhill later this month. It will be running on base boost, as the championship rules dictate a penalty for changing engine supplier.

The team had been working with Neil Brown Engineering from Croft onwards, to try and help cure their power and reliability issues.

They said the transformation was “dramatic,” but were left with no option but to make the switch due to the ongoing reliability gremlins.

Driver Chris Stockton said: “This has not been an easy decision to make as Neil Brown Engineering have made a dramatic difference to the engine and have given staggering levels of support. However both Neil and I have discussed the way forward and the transformation of our engine is going to be an ongoing process and take time, this is time that we just don’t have. Our sponsors and supporters have been more than patient but we owe them the results that both we as a team and they deserve.

“The Swindon unit has a strong track record and is used by many teams. It won the BTCC independents’ championship in 2011, eight races in 2012 and 11 races in 2013. We see it as a sure fire answer to our power and reliability issues and will allow us to compete from Knockhill onwards.”

Power Maxed managing director Adam Weaver said: “We’re so confident that the chassis and its set up is incredible, we know this will give us fantastic times through the corners, the only thing we have been lacking is the power to get us out of the corners and up the straights.

“With the engine issues resolved we intend on surprising a few people and putting the doubters to bed with some very strong results indeed.

“We believe this will allow us to show people that we are a team to be reckoned with and demonstrate why Swindon Engines are the engine of choice for the BTCC paddock. It’s time to show that not only do we have one of the best looking cars in the paddock, but also one of the quickest.”