Welch Motorsport is delighted to have concluded a trying season in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit (10-11 October) and it is already focused on exciting new plans for a fresh and revitalised 2016 campaign.
The plucky Fleet, Hampshire-based team had a race against time to ready its spare NGTC-spec Proton Gen-2 during the short turnaround between the penultimate round and the highly anticipated BTCC finale in Kent, after a heavy rear-end shunt at Silverstone last month caused significant damage and necessitated a shell change.
As a result, Saturday’s (10 October) free practice sessions were treated as shakedowns and electronic teething problems and setup adjustments prevented driver Daniel Welch from clocking up any meaningful mileage.
Nevertheless, Welch Motorsport was delighted that it was able to get the sole Proton running well for qualifying on Saturday, although the team was inevitably resigned to the back of the grid, severely hampered in Brands Hatch’s long acceleration zones by a relative lack of straightline speed.
Kent was bathed in glorious autumnal sunshine on Sunday (11 October) and Welch’s aim was to move forwards in the day’s three races and end 2015 with something of a flourish.
A typically frenetic first lap, which saw Alex Martin nose into the barriers and the Chevrolet of Dave Newsham spear into the gravel, necessitated a Safety Car intervention, but Welch skilfully worked his way up to 23rd position, to find himself in the wake of Simon Belcher’s Toyota Avensis.
Welch remained hot on Belcher’s heels during a brief spell of green-flag racing, only for a bad luck to strike again; a stone pierced the #13 Proton’s radiator and caused water to spray onto his rear tyres, sending Welch sliding off-track at Sheen Curve while behind the Safety Car.
Back in action in race two, the Proton handled superbly on Dunlop’s soft compound tyre, and Welch climbed as high as 21st, until a driveshaft joint failure brought him to a halt and prevented him from partaking in the final BTCC race of 2015 later that day.
“The driveshaft failure was fixable, but not in the interval between races as we would have had to extract the engine,” said Welch Motorsport Team Principal, John Welch. “I’m relieved that the 2015 season is over and we can put it behind us. It has been character-building and a complete and utter waste of time.
“Under the current regulations planned homologation updates can only be fitted for 2016. Our power deficiency is controlled by the TOCA Technical regulation calculations and, while we are currently slightly outside of the window, we have to operate within those limits.”
Welch added: “Through experience and by working with D.T.W Engines Ltd, our current engine builder, we have reliability and can see the way forward. We lobbied for an increase on boost and that would have been beneficial, but that was not to be. There are exciting plans in the pipeline, with two new cars underway. We’re definitely optimistic and excited about what lies ahead. The Protons are up for sale for an entry in other championships, where the potential can be unleashed. If anybody wants a Proton with 408bhp, get in touch!”