Latest News »
About Motorbase Performance
The 2008 motor racing season will be one of the most challenging yet for Kent-based Motorbase Performance as the team competes at the very top of British motor racing. With a pair of BMW 320s for Steven Kane and Rob Collard, Motorbase will be contesting the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship.
The Motorbase Performance team was created for the 2004 season, but its origins go much further back. It is over 20 years since David Bartrum started racing and, after extensive success in Production Saloon racing, he turned his attention to team management and then to the creation of Motorbase Performance.
During 2004, Motorbase Performance entered cars in the prestigious Porsche Carrera Cup GB, one of the key support races to the British Touring Car Championship. Brothers Andy and Gary Britnell contested a full season with the team, mid-season, the team expanded to three cars with the addition of a car for Irish charger Damien Faulkner. Podium finishes and race wins followed as the team finished runners-up in the coveted Carrera Cup teams' championship.
2005 saw Motorbase Performance enter the British GT Championship in the highly competitive GT3 class, selected rounds of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the Seat Cupra Championship. Drivers seen in Motorbase Performance cars included, Tim Harvey, Dave Pinkney, Phil Quaife, Andy Britnell, Sam Edwards, Steven Kane, Chris Stockton and Damien Faulkner. Again race wins and podium finishes were obtained with ease.
The 2006 season was another major step forward with dual campaigns in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB, using the stunning new 997-type GT3 Cup Car, and the prestigious British Touring Car Championship with the 2005 winning Honda Integra. Plus the British GT Championship, including selected rounds of international sportscar racing, centring on the Le Mans Endurance Series. The driver line up included Tim Harvey, Michael Caine, Phil Quaife, Dave Pinkney, Andy Britnell, Gary Britnell, Rod Barrett, Jan Persson and Gary Eastwood.
Never content to sit on its laurels, Motorbase Performance continued in both the Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship in 2007, with two SEAT Toledos marking the team's most serious BTCC challenge to date. While the cars, in the hands of Matt Allison and Gareth Howell, were quick, they had an uncanny knack of getting involved in incidents and an awful lot of time and resource was used keeping them in pristine condition. Top 10 results came, although Tom Ferrier later replaced Howell for the closing races of the season.
In the Carrera Cup GB, Steven Kane led the team and came very close to clinching the overall title after a superb season. Ultimately, after a disastrous weekend at Knockhill, he finished third while Sam Hancock joined the team for his debut Carrera Cup season and was a race winner before the end of the year. Andy Britnell battled hard for the pro-am title and ended the year runner-up to Nigel Rice.
Now it is time for the 2008 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship campaign with two BMWs. The team and drivers have the pace to challenge for the podium and win races. But it's going to be a very tough season!
