Mikey Doble’s start to the 2026 British Touring Car Championship season has been sensational, quickly brushing aside the scars of 2025’s end.
The LKQ Euro Car Parts with Power Maxed Racing driver sits third in the standings after the first two meetings of 2026, with one win and one podium to his name.
It was the dream debut for his new Audi S3, winning Race 1 at Donington Park before scoring three strong results through the Brands Hatch rounds.
While Doble’s ability was unquestionable after claiming his first BTCC win at Snetterton in 2025, few might have suggested such a strong start to this campaign after the devastating fire that struck Power Maxed Racing’s headquarters in August.
The fire wiped decades of hard work, and the team miraculously completed the rest of the campaign using borrowed Cupra Leons from Dexter Patterson and Un-Limited Motorsport.
“We just made the best of a difficult situation really,” Doble told Motorsport Week exclusively.
“I mean, we had a car that was very old in the world of touring cars, but we were still finding time out of the car and making it better, and had it in a window that perhaps the car had never been in its lifetime last year – getting race wins and qualifying regularly up in the top five.
“So then obviously losing it in the devastation and then having to use borrowed equipment for the last four rounds [was tough].
“But I’d rather that any day than not take part and sit on the sidelines.
“So yeah, maybe things always happen for a reason.”
Mikey Doble praises team
Despite the personal difficulties of the situation, Doble is humble in ensuring all praise heads to his Power Maxed Racing team.
“But for me as a driver, it wasn’t as tough for me as it would have been for the team that had to work on it.
“And learn how to, I guess, work efficiently on a car that they don’t know.
“And obviously the engineers setting the car up to try and get the best out of it.
“I just had to get in it and drive it.”
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