Motorbase Performance

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Motorbase Performance
Motor racing team
Founded 2004
Country United Kingdom
Team Principal(s) David Bartrum
Current series BTCC
Porsche Carrera Cup GB
Former series SEAT Cupra Championship
British GT Championship
Le Mans Endurance Series
Drivers' titles 2010 PCCGB Pro-Am 1 (Jackson)
Teams' titles

Motorbase Performance is an English motor racing team, founded in 2004 by former Production Saloon racer Dave Bartrum. They are best known for their British Touring Car Championship campaigns, which produced a first overall podium at the Snetterton meeting in 2008[1].

Contents

Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain

The team started out by contesting the 2004 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, finishing second in the teams championship despite their best-known driver Damien Faulkner only joining midseason. However, the 2005 season proved difficult with no wins and poor points performance.

2006 saw the team enter both the Pro class and the newly established Pro-Am class. The teams main charge came from the 1992 BTCC champion Tim Harvey, who managed to score 3 wins on his way to second place in that years championship. In the 2007 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, Steven Kane won more races than anyone else, finishing 3rd overall.

The team took a break form the Carrera Cup in 2008 to focus on their British Touring car Championship campaign but were back for the 2009 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain entering all three classes. Michael Caine was able to take 3 wins for the team during the year on his way to 4th in the championship.

2010 saw Michael Caine lead Motorbases charge for the title gaining 7 wins along the way. Howeve, he was beaten by 10 points to the title by ex-motorbase driver Tim Harvey. In 2011, Harvey will attempt to defend his title with Motorbase, partnering his rival Caine[2].

Porsche Carrera Cup GB Results

British Touring Car Championship

Honda Integra (2006)

For 2006 they entered the BTCC for the first time, running a BTC Touring spec Honda Integra Type R owned and raced by Dave Pinkney. He scored a podium at Knockhill, three further top-five finishes, and 13th place overall.

SEAT Toledo (2006-2007)

For 2007 the team purchased two ex-works, S2000 spec. SEAT Toledo cars, debuting one in the final round of the 2006 BTCC, driven by Tom Ferrier[3]. For 2007 they entered Gareth Howell and rookie Matt Allison[4], showing pace but having regular accidents[5][6], skipping the Knockhill meeting after the carnage of Brands Hatch saw both cars written off. Howell left midseason[7], replaced by Ferrier, while Paul O'Neill joined Allison for the final round.

BMW 320si E90 (2008-2010)

For 2008 the BTCC cars were replaced by factory-spec BMW 320si E90[8], driven by Stephen Kane and Rob Collard. The team entered no other championships for the season. After a slow start to the season (not helped by several wet-dry races which did not suit the rear-wheel-drive BMWs), Collard scored 2 top-5 finishes at Croft in round 5. This was followed by a 2nd place finish for Kane at Snetterton.

2009 saw Kane replaced by young Scottish driver Jonathan Adam, who had previously won back to back titles in the SEAT Cupra Championship. Due to new sponsorship with Airwaves, the team began running under the Airwaves BMW banner. 2009 proved a successful season, with Collard winning 2 races and the team finishing 4th in the teams championship.

For 2010, Collard moved to West Surrey Racing, while Motorbase brought in Mat Jackson to replace him. Kane returned to the team, replacing Adam. Together, they were able to take 2 wins and 11 podiums, leading to 4th place in the teams championship for two consecutive seasons.

Ford Focus (2011- )

In 2011 the team will race as Airwaves Racing and are running a pair of Ford Focus ST's, which were previously run by Team Aon last season. Although the chassis is built to the S2000 specification, the team are planning to use the turbo charged NGTC Engine[9]. Mat Jackson will stay with the team but will be joined by BTCC rookie Liam Griffin. At the Rockingham and Brands Hatch rounds, the team entered a third car for Porsche Carrera Cup frontrunner Michael Caine. However, he was replaced in the third car at Silverstone by two-time British Touring Car Champion, James Thompson.

BTCC Results

Previous Championships

In 2005 they contested the SEAT Cupra Championship and the GT3 class of the British GT Championship, running an assortment of drivers including Steven Kane, Tim Harvey and David Pinkney.

They also raced in British GTs in 2006[10] and ventured outside the UK for the first time, in selected rounds of the Le Mans Endurance Series[11].

References

  1. ^ http://www.crash.net/motorsport/btcc/news/166789-0/motorbase_keen_to_build_on_breakthrough_podium.html
  2. ^ http://www.thecheckeredflag.co.uk/2011/02/harvey-rejoins-motorbase-for-pccgb-title-defence/
  3. ^ http://www.btcc-racing.com/news/2007/news0996.asp
  4. ^ http://www.alanboswell.com/alan_boswell_news/allison_signs_btcc.aspx
  5. ^ http://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=54677
  6. ^ http://www.gareth-howell.com/news/RaceReport.php?SeriesID=2&ArticleID=34
  7. ^ http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/60684
  8. ^ http://www.motorbaseperformance.co.uk/press-releases/BTCC-33.html
  9. ^ Hudson, Neil (8 December 2010). "Airwaves BMW switches to Ford". TouringCarTimes (Mediaempire Stockholm AB). http://www.touringcartimes.com/article.php?id=5628. Retrieved 8 December 2010. 
  10. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2006/08/30/glew_brands_hatch_300806_feature.shtml
  11. ^ http://www.hotfroguk.co.uk/Companies/Motorbase-Performance

External links

Teams and drivers competing in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship season