This weekend (22/23 April), One Motorsport with Starline Racing is gearing up to start the next chapter of its Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship journey at Donington Park.
The Brackley-based team will field a trio of Honda Civic Type R machines with Josh Cook, Aiden Moffat and Will Powell at the controls throughout the 30-race campaign, which kicks off with three showdowns on Sunday afternoon.
Cook, who won five races last season and was in contention for the overall crown, has a strong record at Donington Park and has finished on the podium at the East Midlands venue on four of the BTCC’s last five visits, as well as his maiden win at the track in 2018.
“We have had three really strong back-to-back days of testing in the build-up to the season, and that has put us in a really good place,” Cook revealed.
“I have a car which is brand new to me this year and it feels so strong. I am quietly confident, but we are yet to really see where everyone else is at.
“It is hard to know if you can turn up to the opening round and blow the doors off everyone, but we have done everything we possibly can as a team. There has been no stone unturned back at base. I know it will be about being consistent and keeping that points tally ticking over during the early rounds. We need decent points everywhere and we will be grabbing any chances that come our way.”
Aiden Moffat is a new recruit to the team and is looking to build on his experience, including a win at the Leicestershire track in 2017, in what will be a new car to him.
“From the limited testing I have done already, I can tell I am comfortable in the car and I have been really impressed by the professionalism of everyone at One Motorsport with Starline Racing,” said Moffat.
“The car is a new environment for me, but I feel like it is a chassis I can extract a lot from, and the team is all pulling in a great direction so I can get to that point.
“There is a lot for me to learn with a return to a front-wheel drive BTCC car after a few years in rear-wheel drive, but I am already confident that I will be able to push it to the limits,” he adds.
“The opening meetings are going to be about aiming for some solid finishes and then I will have a platform to develop from there.”
One Motorsport with Starline Racing’s commercial boss Powell is entering his second season of the BTCC and is optimistic that he can build on his knowledge from the part-year he contested in 2022 and also learn from his rapid team-mates.
“It is a new chapter for the team and for me in the BTCC, that’s for sure," said Powell, "There will be pressure on me because we have the tools and I have the environment to perform. We have been through our test programme with the new engine and the new operation and there has been lots of work in the background to get us ready.
“I am going to Donington with my eyes fully open and ready to learn as much as I can I have a world-class team-mate in Josh who is helping me along the way, and Aiden has plenty of experience to share too, so we can move forward together. I need to build on my knowledge of the car, and I am aiming for three solid races to give myself a footing for the rest of the season.”
All three races from Donington Park on Sunday will be broadcast live on ITV4. Race one is scheduled to kick off at 11:30, the second event is at 14:40 and the weekend’s finale gets the go ahead at 17:25.
