Welch Motorsport building second Proton for 2014

Dan Welch has confirmed his Welch Motorsport team are building a new Proton Persona for the 2014 season.

Welch was speaking at Brands Hatch on Sunday as he reflected on a trying 2013 season, with a TOCA power unit in the car which he described as “not good enough”.

The promise of late-2012 did not carry through to this season for Welch, with reliability woes and two huge shunts at Thruxton and Rockingham doing him no favours.

But he did turn in one of the bravest performances of the year at Silverstone, netting two top tens with a broken tailbone, the legacy of the Rockingham accident.

Speaking to TouringCarTimes, Welch said: “We’ve known all year the pace has been in the car. That has never been the worry. But Lady Luck has not been on our side, and the engine has not been good enough. It is as simple as that.

“We seem to be the ‘unlucky TOCA engine’ person. Today [Sunday] summed it up for us – at times we were 8mph slower down the straights. We were just driving around in circles.

“It has not been our year. We have not had any glimmer of success come our way. It is disappointing, given the end of last year and how strong the car was.”

Looking ahead to next season and the new build Persona, Welch said: “It is the same model car. We will have a different, much faster engine in it, with slightly different bodywork. The first shell is on the way already, so that should be ready for Friday.

“If there’s anyone interested, give us a ring! You have got to find the right driver with the right budget.”