Airwaves BMW switches to Ford
The Airwaves BMW team will switch to Ford Focuses for the 2011 BTCC season, purchasing the three cars built by Arena Motorsport and will run with the new Mountune developed NGTC-spec engine.
The Motorbase Performance team will compete as Airwaves Racing in 2011, with the brand entering a third year in title sponsorship of the Kent based squad.
The team are also hoping to run all three cars in this year’s British Touring Car Championship.
“From the point of view of the team going forward we need to progress, and I don’t think we can progress with what we’ve got,” said Team Principal David Bartrum to TouringCarTimes.
“This opportunity came up and it was too good to miss.”
“We’ll have exactly the same engine (as Arena). The first time it runs in anger in the first race it will be the same in engine in both cars for the first time.”
The new cost saving Next Generation Touring Car platform comes into force for all teams in 2011 after a limited engine development programme by Eurotech and Pinkney Motorsport in 2010. Airwaves Racing are now the latest team to switch to the S2000 chassis with NGTC engine combination.
“The engine saving is obviously a major thing,” said Bartrum.
“The two-litre turbo NGTC Mountune engine is very cost effective, and it’s a good engine.”
“For us it’s a must, we’re a young team, we’ve not been in touring cars long and we can’t afford to have a year where we’re not going forwards….this package will enable us to do that hopefully.”
Airwaves Racing’s chief rival in the BTCC independents’ championship was Arena this season, with the Aon backed squad claiming the drivers’ title with Tom Chilton. With Arena now becoming the chassis and parts supplier to Airwaves Racing, Airwaves don’t expect to be running second best to the indie champions either:
“You always want to go up and race against everyone who wants to race you, and you want to do the best against them. Whether it’s Arena, Dynamics, West Surrey, Chevrolet – whoever it may be, we want to beat them and as a small independent team it’s quite tough to do and that’s why we want the best equipment available for us to do it with.”
David Bartrum has a history racing Fords in UK Motorsport, winning the 1998 Ford Saloon Car Championship in a Ford Escort Cosworth with 11 wins from 14 races, as well as racing with BTCC regular Dave Pinkney in the Esso Production Saloon Championship in the late 80s in Sierras.
“My own background is quite heavily Ford funnily enough, so it feels comfortable…we needed a two-litre turbo-charged engine and there isn’t one available (for the BMW) at the moment.”
“We could have carried on with the BMW, and I really am genuinely quite sad about not running the BMW, it’s a fantastic car, and their touring car heritage is massive…but if I’ve got to move brand, then a Ford it will be”.
The team have not confirmed drivers for next year, recently evaluating drivers Liam Griffin, George Richardson, Tim Bridgman and Ben Collins in the BMW 320si at Brands Hatch, but Bartrum admitted:
“We want to keep Mat Jackson, Mat’s blisteringly quick in front or rear-wheel drive…we’ve not got anything concrete done yet but I’m sure we’ll be there and we will be running three cars.”
