TCR UK was founded in 2018 under the organisation of the BRSCC, positioned as an entry point for drivers aspiring to reach the more expensive and prestigious BTCC. TCR regulations — developed by WSC under Marcello Lotti — standardise front-wheel-drive touring cars with turbocharged engines up to two litres, subject to Balance of Performance adjustments, making them broadly accessible compared to bespoke national touring car formulas.
Initial expectations of large grids were not met. In 2018 only five drivers competed at every event, with the season opener at Silverstone attracting a peak of 13 cars. Despite the modest numbers, Dan Lloyd won the inaugural championship in dominant fashion, taking seven of the first eight races and claiming four pole positions.
The 2019 season saw further difficulties. With only three entries announced ahead of the first round at Snetterton, the decision was made to combine TCR UK with the newly formed Touring Car Trophy, a series Stewart Lines had created for older Super 2000 and NGTC machinery no longer eligible for the BTCC. Under the merged arrangement, TCR UK became a class within the Touring Car Trophy, allowing drivers in TCR cars to contest two titles simultaneously. Henry Neal, son of three-time BTCC champion Matt Neal, won the inaugural overall Touring Car Trophy in an NGTC Honda Civic Type R, while James Turkington — younger brother of BTCC champion Colin Turkington — won the TCR UK class ahead of Lewis Kent.
For 2020, the Volkswagen Racing Cup joined the expanded grid. Henry Neal and Lewis Kent dominated, with Neal retaining the overall trophy and Kent claiming his first TCR UK class title. The 2021 season saw recovery, with entries reaching double figures for the first time since 2018 and the grid eventually becoming entirely TCR cars by season's end. Lewis Kent took his second TCR UK title ahead of Bruce Winfield.
The Touring Car Trophy format was dissolved for 2022, reinstating TCR UK as a standalone championship. The series achieved its strongest turnout yet, with 20 cars at every round and the grid peaking at 25 cars for three events. Chris Smiley won the 2022 championship ahead of Isaac Smith.
TCR UK occupies the lower tier of the UK touring car ladder, below the BTCC, providing a platform for drivers to build experience in competitive production-based machinery. Its turbulent early history — combining with another series and then re-establishing itself as standalone — mirrors the experience of several other TCR national series that struggled to build grid numbers in an already competitive club racing market. The involvement of second-generation racing families such as the Neals and Turkingtons underscores its connection to British touring car culture more broadly.