AmDTuning.com has re-signed Ollie Jackson to spearhead its assault on the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Jackson rejoined the West Thurrock-based team this year - having earlier raced in AmDTuning.com colours back in 2012 - and enjoyed a solid campaign at the wheel of an Audi S3, ending the year as a regular contender for points scoring finishes in an ultra-competitive field.

The new deal with Jackson marks the first time that AmDTuning.com has entered into a second successive season with a driver, providing vital continuity ahead of a busy off-season that will see the Audi undergo extensive work back at base.

Having been one of a handful of cars to run older-specification control parts this year, the Audi will be fully updated to run new RML spec parts, with delivery of those parts expected in the coming weeks.

The team will then embark on a pre-season testing programme to ensure it is ready to hit the ground running when the new season begins at Brands Hatch in early April.

“I really enjoyed this season with the team so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to get the deal done to early to allow us to start working on 2017,” Jackson said. "I’m really excited about what next year could hold for us, and I have no doubt that this deal gives me the best chance I’ve ever had in the BTCC.

“This year we showed that we had a competitive package with the Audi, even though the fact we didn’t have the upgraded suspension worked against us at some circuits. With the upgrades that will now be carried out, and the knowledge and experience we have, I’m hopeful that we can be in a strong position when the season starts and be able to challenge for points from round one, with the ultimate goal being to push for the top ten. That won’t be easy as everyone is working on developments and improvements, but there is a huge amount of potential in the Audi that we were unlocking throughout 2016.

“The fact we’ll be able to do some proper pre-season testing is going to be key, and is something I haven’t been able to do before as my deals have always been quite last minute. Now the deal is done, I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and get started.”

Team boss Shaun Hollamby was also pleased to be able to confirm the new agreement with Ollie for 2017, with the team hopeful of one of its strongest seasons since joining the series back in 2010.

“The continuity of sticking with Ollie is something we felt was key after a strong second half of the year, and it’s great to have the deal done,” he said. "Given the way this season ended, we are keen to make sure we hit the ground running when the 2017 campaign comes around and try to build on what we achieved together this year.

"Making the move to the RML kit is something we knew we had to do for next season and those upgrades will soon be carried out before we start testing and the real work begins. Of course it wouldn’t be possible without the support of our sponsors, and we’re thankful that that ongoing support has allowed us to commit the resources required to upgrade the Audi and give us the best chance of success on track.

“There is still the possibility that we may be able to run a second car alongside Ollie if certain things fall into place but it is out of our hands at the moment and very much a case of wait and see.”

The Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship is delighted to announce their continued media partnership with Haymarket Consumer Media for a further two years.

Automotive Brands, owners of Power Maxed Racing are delighted to announce their commercial partnership with Vauxhall Motors. The agreement will see the return of the Vauxhall Astra to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship from 2017 onwards.

As an integral part of this agreement Power Maxed Racing will run two new Vauxhall Astras – 2016 European Car of the Year ­­­­­­­– in the BTCC as a Manufacturer entry.

Automotive Brands supply products such as Steel Seal – a head gasket fix in a bottle and Power Maxed Car Care Products to over 2,500 UK Motor factors and Motor Stores including Euro Car Parts, Motor Parts Direct, GroupAuto, A1 and Halfords.

This landmark deal will see Automotive Brands run a fleet of Vauxhall vehicles as well as leverage its relationships with commercial partners who operate fleets totalling over 25,000 light commercial vehicles. The deal will enable Vauxhall to increase its share of this highly valued market.

Automotive Brands’ trade customers will have access to FREE use of a Power Maxed branded Vauxhall Combo 1.3 CDTI, returning incredible MPG with low maintenance costs and strong residual values ; all key factors when specifying light commercial vehicles completing up to 200,000 miles over the average 4-year term.

Adam Weaver Managing Director of Automotive Brands, Team Principal of Power Maxed Racing commented “We are incredibly pleased and proud to be working with Vauxhall and to be the team that brings this iconic and highly successful brand back to the BTCC. The all new Astra is a fantastic car and it is no surprise that it was voted 2016 European Car of the Year – it will make a show-stopping BTCC challenger."

Shells have now been supplied and work is well advanced in turning the new Astra into a highly competitive BTCC car. We are aiming to announce a talented and exciting driver line-up in the near future ; which will further motivate and inspire everyone involved in this exciting project.

Power Maxed and Vauxhall brand values are perfectly aligned ;  both partners committed to UK manufacturing, product excellence and sector-leading customer service.

Alan Gow, BTCC Series Director, commented “It is fantastic to be welcoming Vauxhall back to the BTCC as a manufacturer entry. Its history and pedigree is there for all to see and I have no doubt that the highly professional and experienced team at Power Maxed Racing will be great partners.”

More reaction, plus news on the build, testing programme and driver line-up will follow over the coming days and weeks.

Andrew Jordan has completed his first laps in WSR's BMW 125i M Sport this morning (Tuesday) as the former BTCC champion enjoys a full test day at Brands Hatch.

The Pirtek-backed racer's switch to WSR was announced last week and Jordan is immediately getting down to business as he prepares for a renewed title assault in 2017. Jordan will be testing in the JCT600 with GardX livery pre-Christmas before the full 2017 Pirtek Racing car is unveiled in the New Year.

Before the 27-year-old hit the track the official BTCC website caught up with him... Click below to hear our extended interview:

 

WSR has announced an exciting new partnership with Pirtek Racing and Andrew Jordan for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

The former BTCC title winner will race the latest development of the WSR-designed-and-built BMW 125i M Sport, which won both the teams’ and manufacturers’/constructors’ championships this season, in both 2017 and 2018.

Andrew, 27, brings a wealth of experience and success to WSR. Since making his BTCC debut in 2008, he has scored 16 race wins, 53 podium finishes and six pole positions. The Lichfield racer won the overall BTCC crown in 2013 and has been the champion independent driver three times; including this year.

He joins a WSR team that has taken five outright BTCC titles as well as nine in the independents category and he will compete under the Pirtek Racing banner.

Sunbury-on-Thames-based WSR will begin Andrew’s winter test programme later this month as the Red Bull Athlete acclimatises to the BMW ahead of what will be his first season racing a rear-wheel-drive touring car.

WSR expect to announce additions to the 2017 driver line-up before the end of the year.

Dick Bennetts, Team Principal, said: “It’s great to welcome Andrew Jordan and Pirtek Racing to WSR. Andrew is one of the fastest and most successful drivers in the BTCC and crucially knows how to win a championship. Being able to announce this exciting news in November enables us to make the best possible use of the time available between now and the start of the 2017 season and kick off our winter testing programme with Andrew before the end of the month. The team have been working hard on the development of the BMW to make sure we’re title contenders again next year.”

Andrew Jordan said: “I’m incredibly excited about joining WSR, who have been one of the outstanding teams in the BTCC for the past 20 years and achieved so much success in single-seater racing before that with legends like Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Mika Hakkinen. To have signed a multi-year deal is fantastic as it gives myself and Pirtek the continuity to build something really special with WSR over the next two seasons. I’ve been very impressed by what I’ve seen of the way WSR operate and am sure that we can be right at the sharp end throughout the 2017 season. I’ve never raced a rear-wheel-drive car in the BTCC, but the BMW has proven to be one of the best cars on the grid and I’m looking forward to learning plenty over the winter.”

To mark Aiden Moffat's earlier announcement the young Scot has been talking with his long-term partners at Laser Tools.

Such has been the success of Aiden's relatively short but successful BTCC career so far the 20-year-old is delighted to also welcome back Car Shop, Spence Insurance, Brown Brothers, Colin A Renton Transporter Maintenance, Smart Fleet Solutions, EnjoyCarLife, Secure Airparks, AST Signs Ltd and Butler’s Vehicle Solutions as part of his loyal group of backers.

In this video Aiden talks candidly about his 2016 season and speaks in detail about the last three rounds at Brands Hatch in October, which included that memorable podium in the final race. He also explains why he is looking forward to the 2017 season behind the wheel of his Mercedes A-Class.

Click below to watch the video:

Scottish driver Aiden Moffat will contest the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in a Laser Tools Racing Mercedes A-Class, after an extended partnership with the leading tools brand was confirmed earlier today (15 November).

“The BTCC is where we’re going to stay,” said Moffat. “It’s a fantastic championship and as a team we’re constantly improving.”

Moffat scored a very popular and well deserved podium in the final race of the 2016 campaign at Brands Hatch, which completed an impressive run of three top ten finishes at the famous Kent venue. Second place in the season finale was testament to the growing maturity and speed being shown by the 20-year-old, as the youngest driver in BTCC history now targets regular rostrums in Britain’s toughest championship.

“We developed our Mercedes a lot over the 2016 season and we’ve got further progress planned before the 2017 season starts too. I’ve had a full year now with race engineer Federico Turrata and we have a definite bond — we know how each other thinks — and this has shown in the race results.

“At the closing rounds at Brands the car just felt right, I had great pace and I could place it wherever I wanted. With this confidence and the new TOCA engine, we’re in a great position going into the 2017 season.”

The success of Moffat’s three years in the BTCC has been proven both on-track and off-track, with both the sporting and commercial benefits attracting a number of long-term and loyal partnerships.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time in the BTCC so far and the podium at the end of the year was just reward for everyone involved,” he concluded. “Laser Tools Racing fully appreciates that our partners have committed again for next year, and this puts us in a very strong position. So for their continued support I would personally like to thank Car Shop, Spence Insurance, Brown Brothers, Colin A Renton Transporter Maintenance, Smart Fleet Solutions, EnjoyCarLife, Secure Airparks, AST Signs Ltd and Butler’s Vehicle Solutions.

“What a team!”

Will Burns will become the latest rookie on the grid for the 2017 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship having put pen to paper with Team HARD.

The 2016 Michelin Ginetta GT4 Supercup runner-up is to compete in one of the team's newly-acquired trio of Volkswagen CC's – a car with an undoubted track record of success in recent seasons.

Burns will make the step up to the BTCC following perhaps the most successful of five seasons in the single-make Ginetta competition. The Western-super-Mare racer finished runner-up, taking the championship challenge right down to the wire in 2016, taking 17 podiums and three race wins – bringing him to the attention of Team HARD Team Principal, Tony Gilham.

A test at Snetterton in the outfit's Toyota Avensis – a first for Burns in BTCC machinery – back in October left Gilham suitably impressed.

"We have been talking to Will and his family for a few months now and have already formed a great relationship," said Gilham. "We share the same drive and ambition and Will is an amazing up-and-coming talent.

"We are genuinely excited about 2017 for a number of reasons and that includes the potential that Will has shown in the last few years and in his first ever taste of front-wheel drive machinery at the recent Snetterton test.

"The capabilities of the Volkswagen Passat CC have been known to us for a few years now having originally introduced them to the grid in 2013. We've seen its progress and it's had great success over the years as a proven race-winning car.

'We've every confidence that we have a very competitive package for the year ahead and look forward to working with Will both on and off track as he continues his development and rise to the very top."

A seat in the BTCC is something of a childhood dream come true for the 26-year-old, who is well aware of just how much of a leap is required to compete in Britain's top-line championship.

“I am absolutely delighted to be stepping up to the British Touring Car Championship," said Burns.

"I’ve watched the BTCC since I was a child, and when I started racing back in 2011 I could have never imagined I’d be on the grid.

“I’m under no illusions as to the size of the challenge ahead. It's the pinnacle of British motorsport and it’s going to be a steep learning curve for me, but I really can’t wait to get the season started at Brands Hatch in April."

The competitiveness that should be exuded by the Volkswagen package is something highlighted by the new recruit, as well as by his new Team Principal.

“I’m excited to be part of Team HARD’s plans for the 2017 season. I really enjoyed my first test with them last month and they are a really talented, professional team – it’s going to be great to work with them next season.

“The Passat CC is a proven race-winning car in the series and I’m confident that we will have a strong package heading into next season. I’m looking forward to getting to grips with the new car as soon as possible.

“Thank you to all my sponsors for their continued support, to Tony Gilham and Team HARD for the opportunity, and also to Douglas Motorsport and Ginetta for giving me the platform to show what I could do this year, which helped me get to this exciting next stage of my career.”

Motorbase Performance enjoyed its most successful Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign to date in 2016, securing both the Independent Teams and Drivers titles.

The Wrotham-based outfit amassed an impressive tally of seven outright race wins, seven outright podiums, 15 Independents' race wins and 21 Independents' podiums between Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan.

"It was most certainly our best year in the BTCC to date," said Team Principal, David Bartrum. "To finish just 16 points off the overall championship and to get two titles in the bag was quite an achievement. The overall title was what we were really aiming for at the start of the season, but to end up with what we did was far from the end of the world."

Despite the success, Bartrum harbours a sentiment of what might have been given just how close Mat Jackson came to winning the coveted Drivers' crown.

"From my point of view, it was a good season albeit edged with a little tinge of disappointment because we didn’t win the Drivers' Championship, and we can pinpoint particular things that happened along the way this year that cost us points.

"There were four moments during the season that ultimately cost us, I think. You look at Mat’s puncture at Thruxton, the power control module packing up at Snetterton or him and Andrew making contact at Brands Hatch Indy that caused his wishbone to break.

"Then you look at Gordon (Shedden). When his car was in a million bits all across the circuit at Thruxton, you would never have thought he would be champion. It shows anything can happen in the BTCC."

Bartrum spoke highly of Motorbase mainstay, Mat Jackson – a driver he feels is an underrated specialist in his field deserving of more credit

"Mat did an excellent job and Andrew did a very good job. Mat had a little bit of an edge, as he has done for a while. Mat doesn’t get enough recognition for how good he is.

"Mat rarely gets the testing opportunities that other people do – It’s all about budget and how much work you can do pre-season – but from my point of view, I think he is one of the genuine BTCC specialists on the grid. Look at Mat’s stats this year and how well he did – he deserves to step up to that next stage.

"That’s where you’ve got to with this championship now – it’s such a tough championship with such a variety of drivers that the guys that are good become real specialists in the product.

"That’s borne out when you see the likes of Andy Priaulx, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Alain Menu coming in, and even though they are international names, the guys they are up against now are bloody good."

Behind the scenes, the team and management are working harder than ever ahead of next season. With Andrew Jordan's departure confirmed, the focus is on improving the car and the current aim on the driver front is keeping hold of Mat Jackson. Bartrum believes the future is bright.

"Andrew was a good guy to have in the team. I really enjoyed having him here and I think we did a good job for him. He had a good year working with us; he won the Independents’ title and was instrumental in helping us to win the Teams’ title. There was nothing sinister in our parting of the ways.

"Oly (Collins – Team Manager) and I are working probably the hardest we’ve ever worked, going out seeing people and coming off the back of a good season helps immensely.

"We’re searching for all the right elements and the right backing to take the team forward and we’re getting there.

"There’s some very exciting things in the pipeline for Motorbase over the next few months. It’s obviously a big aim of ours to keep Mat on-board and just keep working away to move the team and car forward."

Motorbase Team Manager Oly Collins echoed the sentiments of his Team Principal. With some tweaks to the already speedy Ford Focus package and a new tyre to figure out, Collins is hoping the squad can get the jump on its rivals in 2017.

"It was no doubt our best year, and the fight with the manufacturers shows where Motorbase are now. There are some seriously good Independent teams out there and we won it convincingly in the end.

"We’ve got a few things in the pipeline for the Focus, with some aero detail and packaging that we’re working on this winter.

"Then there's the new tyre to work out, which will be a big thing for everybody in the championship. Whoever gets a hold on it quickest will get a jump on everybody else. Hopefully that can be us.

"It’s a big engineering task for us, and being an Independent didn’t do us any harm this year with the new RML suspension to figure out. We did a good job with that, so there’s no reason why we can’t do the same with the new tyre."

When asked to pinpoint where things could have gone better in 2016, Collins indicated that, as is often the case, the rub of the green played a part and maybe a lack of qualifying pace.

"You can’t over-analyse the season. Yes, you have to in order to move forward, to work out where you went wrong or where you could have improved, but there were a couple of decisions that were made, there were a couple of bits of bad luck.

"The one you look and think, ‘wow that was bad luck’ was Snetterton. We’d had a first and a second, Mat’s had fire in his belly and he was going to finish on the podium again, maybe even won. Though had he done that, we’d have gone to the next race carrying more weight. There are no certainties, even with hindsight."

"Our qualifying by far away wasn’t good enough this year with Mat," Collins continued.

"At Oulton Park and Silverstone in particular, his performance was not down to anything he was doing – it was down to the team as we went the wrong way on set-up.

"When everybody is so close and you’re talking just tenths of a second, even a slight misjudgment in that respect can have a catastrophic effect. We genuinely went the wrong way on both of those occasions and by the time we rectified it, it was too late.

"In 2015 and 2016, I think you’ve seen the best of Mat Jackson and I’m hoping that will remain the case in 2017."