Photo: PSP Images

Motorbase Performance confirms three car team for 2014

By

Motorbase Performance has confirmed it will continue to compete in the 2014 British Touring Car Championship, fielding three Ford Focus STs next season with drivers still to be confirmed.

Motorbase have been allocated three TOCA BTCC Licences (TBLs) for the 2014 season, after competing with two Next Generation Touring Car (NGTC)-specification cars for the full season, allowing the option of taking up a third.

The team, which developed their first car during the mid-season break in 2012, are building a fourth NGTC-spec Ford Focus to replace the one which has been sold to AmD Tuning, which will be driven by Dave Newsham next season.

“We’re delighted to have AmD on board as a satellite team for 2014 and we will support them in any way we can,” said Motorbase team principal David Bartrum. “Shaun (Hollamby) has done a great job in securing Dave Newsham for the season, he’s a good fit and I think he’ll do a great job for the team.”

“We’ve been given three TBLs from TOCA and we plan to run three Motorbase built NGTC cars” he added. “The new car is currently in build and we are in the process of driver discussions for next season.”

By adding a customer programme with AmD, Motorbase have joined Team Dynamics as a team builder and supplier in the BTCC. The Kent-based squad will also continue to compete in the British GT Championship in 2014, making the switch to Aston Martin.

“We’re recruiting and strengthening our team behind the scenes,” said Bartrum. “2014 is going to be the biggest year yet for Motorbase, with expanded programmes for the Touring Cars and GTs and we’re going to be going all out for the Championship.”

“This year was tough, but that’s behind us now. We’ve turned a corner with the Focus, we know where we are with it and we’re confident that we’ll be back as one of the teams to watch next season.”

The team’s final driver line-up in 2013 consisted of Mat Jackson, who’s been with the team since 2010, Aron Smith, who just completed his second season in the Championship with Motorbase, and Tom Onslow-Cole, who moved across mid-season from Tony Gilham Racing.