•Team to field second BTCC car for the first time in North Yorkshire•Nicolas Hamilton joins the grid for series debut•Mike Bushell seeks points return as season hits half-way
The AmDTuning.com team will expand to a two-car outfit for the first time in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this weekend when Nicolas Hamilton makes his series debut in the fifth meeting of the year at Croft. Nicolas lines up alongside AmDTuning.com’s full-time BTCC racer Mike Bushell in the first of five guest outings at the wheel of an Audi S3, which has been adapted by the West Thurrock team to meet his needs.
The 23-year-old, who lives with the neurological condition Cerebral Palsy, will become the first disabled driver in series history when he takes his place on the grid, and heads to Croft on the back of a solid testing programme which has seen him take to the track on a number of occasions over the past month - including outings at Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Snetterton. The younger brother of F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will be taking part in his first race meeting since 2013 - when he raced in the European Touring Car Cup - and he admitted that he couldn’t wait to get down to business. "I'm excited about starting my BTCC career at Croft," he said. "The unique mix of fast, flowing corners and tight, twisty sections means close wheel-to-wheel racing, especially in the BTCC. "I've had to work and train hard to get to the stage where I can race in the BTCC and I know it will be tough, but it's all about learning. I want to develop and push myself, and we'll see what happens. "Regardless of their condition, it's also important for me to show people how they can exceed expectations and push themselves to their limit. I can't wait to go racing."
On the other side of the garage, Tunbridge Wells racer Mike will seek to bring a tough opening half of the season to a positive end when he makes the long trip to the North East. Despite showing impressive speed at the wheel of his Ford Focus in each of the four race meetings run so far, luck has been in short supply for the current Clio Cup UK champion - who sits in an unrepresentative 21st in the standings as a result. Ahead of the BTCC’s summer break, Mike will now seek stay out of trouble and pick up three strong results at the former airfield circuit - with a return to the points scoring positions and a front-running display amongst the rookie drivers being his target. "It’s been a tough season so far, but hopefully Croft will be the weekend where our luck finally turns," he said. "The pace we showed in race three at Oulton Park last time out has given us a good foundation to build on this weekend and I’m desperate to pick up some more points before the summer break. "The results have been below what I was expecting so far and it’s important for me to show everyone, and show myself, what I’m capable of. Croft is a circuit where I think the Focus will be a good package and it’s one that I enjoy, so hopefully we’ll have a bit more luck than we’ve had so far this year. "Trying to score points in the BTCC is far from easy but I’m keen to get the monkey off my back, bring home some top 15 finishes and then we can go into the summer on a positive note." Team boss Shaun Hollamby said he was excited to see both drivers taking to the track together for the first time, with the weekend being the culmination of years of hard work since AmDTuning.com joined the BTCC grid back in 2010.
"It's a big step for us this weekend as we expand to run a second car and it's a progression of the motorsport side of the business after our expansion into GT racing earlier in the year," he said. "There is no doubt that these are exciting times for AmDTuning.com and we are looking forward to Nicolas making his long awaited debut when we get to Croft. "Testing with the Audi has gone well and Nicolas has been able to get himself comfortable behind the wheel. There are two targets for him this weekend; to qualify in the field on Saturday and then take three finishes on Sunday. If he can do that, then we’ll be pleased.
"With Mike, there is no doubt that he has the pace, as he's shown all year, but the only luck he's had has been bad. It's important for him to try and get the results that his pace deserves, and the target is to replicate the kind of performance he showed at Brands Hatch during the opening rounds when he took rookie honours in race three. "If Nicolas can get three finishes and Mike can make a return to the points, it will be a good way to head into the summer break."
