A revitalised Welch Motorsport team is starting from zero in the second round of the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) at Donington Park (18-19 April), having overcome a debilitating mechanical issue that has severely impacted its progress.
The Fleet, Hampshire-based operation has been fighting to cure a baffling engine-related issue for the past 12 months and a spirited and unrelenting effort has yielded results following a trying weekend at Brands Hatch a fortnight ago (4-5 April).
An isolated power-unit problem curtailed Andy Wilmot’s running during free practice and qualifying at his home circuit and ultimately prevented the Kent-domiciled driver from taking the start of Rounds 1, 2 and 3 on the Sunday.
However, Wilmot remains optimistic and is looking forward to continuing his steep learning curve in the BTCC behind the wheel of his Proton Gen-2, saying: “It was disappointing and of course frustrating, but that’s the way it goes sometimes and I am really looking forward to the forthcoming weekend at Donington Park. I really want to score some points this year as part of a long-term goal to establish myself in the BTCC and, although we’ve started the season on the back foot, I’m sure we will get it right. Welch Motorsport is a fantastic team and the Proton Gen-2 suits my driving style, but it’s just great to be involved in the championship and I’ve got faith in the guys that we’ll be in the mix sooner rather than later.”
Daniel Welch, meanwhile, was incapacitated by an ankle injury sustained prior to the Brands Hatch season-opener, but will happily swap the chiropractic clinic for the cockpit of a second NGTC-spec Proton Gen-2 at Donington Park and, as a result, there is a quiet confidence within the team that the worst is now behind it.
Welch Motorsport Team Principal, John Welch, said: “We’re now doing a lot better and I’m fairly certain the fault that has thwarted our progress all year has been solved. There’s a huge sense of relief and we now have to refocus, having been overstretched and pulled every which way of late. Donington Park will primarily be about doing the best we can while getting everything back in place and reapplying a methodical approach. Dan will have a steady drive, as his foot isn’t completely fixed. One thing’s for certain – we’re going racing!
“Having lost track time with Andy (Wilmot), we were very keen to get him out early at Brands Hatch and, sadly, we ran a set of bearings due to low engine temperatures and that ultimately prevented us from taking part in the races. We’re one of the few teams that are still building our own engines and, rightly or wrongly, that is a big project. There’s a bit of fine-tuning to do and, while we will undoubtedly encounter the normal ups and downs of motor racing, things are looking very positive now.”
Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) qualifying will be streamed live on the www.itv.com/btcc web page from 15.30 on Saturday (18 April), while Rounds 4, 5 and 6 of the 2015 BTCC will be broadcast live and in high definition on ITV4 and ITV4HD from 10.30 on Sunday (19 April).