Heat two saw us P3 off the grid and maned to take a place into turn one where we finished by 0.2 of a second off 1^st. Heat 3 and the final qualifying heat I needed to get a top 3 to put the car on the all important front row  for the final. After lap one I managed to get up to second but then overheating brakes caused an overshoot and a loss of position to 3^rd where we stayed till the flag. With the aggregate results from the heats I qualified the car in the middle of the grid for the final. I managed a brilliant start and got the jump into turn one. Building up a decent gap up until lap 3 where the overheating brakes returned, management of them was key. With the gap coming down every lap the second place driver was all over us, but thankfully we managed to hold on to take the A Final win and start our championship defence off in style with maximum points!

A great day for the team and students!

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Theo Micouris joins the existing young members of the academy in a stunning Wera tools liveried Radical SR1. This weekend sees Theo competing in ‘The Hagerty Radical Cup UK’. The series which he currently holds a commanding Championship lead in, having enjoyed a dominant start to the season by finishing no lower than 2^nd in any of the first 9 races so far. With the Radicals playing a supporting role to the BTCC it will be enjoying live ITV1 & ITV4 television coverage this weekend.

Having established the academy in 2021 it continues to go from strength to strength helping promising young talent to reach their potential across a variety of disciplines in circuit racing.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Team Owner

We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Theo in to the academy. Theo is an exciting young talent who will benefit this weekend from the full Motorbase race teams presence this weekend at Oulton Park along with being in the spot light of the ITV cameras. The academy is developing at a great rate as we continue to learn more from the young drivers who we are working with and we couldn’t be prouder of all those involved in the programme.

Ian Walford  – Managing Director Wera Tools UK

The Wera tools with Motorbase Academy is something we’re all very proud of being a part of. Adding young Theo to the academy is another example of how we continue to strengthen the programme. Theo has shown his ability so far this season, enjoying a healthy lead at the top of the standings so I can’t wait to see what this weekend will bring. Wera tools & Motorbase share the same qualities and ethos which is what makes these relationships work so well. Passion and enjoyment along with determination is key to nurturing young talent. It’s been extremely rewarding doing it with this group of youngsters along with the fantastic team behind the scenes. We’re very excited to evolve the programme as we learn.

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In round four of the Wera Tools British Karting Championship at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire, Garford – returning to the circuit which gave him his first ever race victory during his formative years in Cadets – was runner-up after a fantastic weekend of racing.

Finishing Heat One in second place and Heat Two in fourth, having led each of them, he achieved pole position for the Final. Holding the lead, he pulled away from the pack along with the second placed driver but a Full Course Yellow cautionary period was called with three minutes to go.

Closing everyone up ahead of a two lap sprint to the flag, Garford was shuffled back to fourth but managed to fight his way back into second before the conclusion – continuing his fantastic recent run of podium results.

At Llandow in South Wales, Bryn Calder enjoyed a great weekend during round five of the Daniel Ricciardo Series capped off with a third place finish in the Final. Starting off well in practice on old tyres, Calder was caught-up badly by traffic in qualifying but still secured the sixth fastest time.

Contact in Heat One dropped him all the way down to 16th place, but Calder recovered impressively to seventh position. He then improved to fifth in the Pre-Final after another enforced recovery, more contact dropping Calder down to 12th position before a great fightback. Lining-up eighth for the Final, he made a clean getaway and made fantastic progress to take the chequered flag in third.

Alongside the BTCC at Thruxton, the Ginetta Juniors were in action and Harri Reynolds experienced one of his most frustrating outings of the 2022 season. Things looked very promising after qualifying, taking second on the grid for race one and then claiming pole position for race two.

Having to settle for seventh place in the first of the three races at the Hampshire track, the Assetto Motorsport driver was in the front-running battle throughout the second contest but into the chicane on the final lap, while running second, contact led to a spin and an eventual finish of 12th.

In race three, Reynolds again showed what might have been by surging through into the top six on lap one from 12th on the grid. More contact, though, dropped him to the tail of the field but he fought back impressively to 11th before a penalty for an incorrect starting position led to 15th spot.

NAPA Racing UK backed driver Hugo Ellis started the first of the Porsche Carrera Cup GB races from fourth in Pro-Am, 15th overall, after having two laps times disallowed in qualifying. While race one ended with retirement on lap nine, in the second contest the JTR driver raced through to the Pro-Am podium in third place, 15th overall, having started 18th on the grid.

On Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August, the TCR UK Championship resumed at Donington Park in Leicestershire where Matt Wilson experienced a mixed outing with JWB Motorsport. Qualifying 11th fastest for the race one grid, Wilson took his Cupra Leon to ninth position in a strong race.

Starting the ‘reverse grid’ second race from the front row of the grid, although dropping to fifth after a sluggish start a good finish was still in prospect. Unfortunately, though, the race unraveled and after slipping back to 10th on lap four an incident two laps later meant Wilson plummeted to last and he eventually finished in 15th position.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“On such a successful weekend for our BTCC squad, it was great to also see the Motorbase Driver Academy delivering some strong results with Alfie and Bryn both impressing. It’s fantastic Alfie kept his podium momentum going in the British Karting Championship and Bryn thoroughly deserved his podium in DRS with a great performance.

“Harri proved his pace in the Ginetta Juniors, the races just didn’t go his way unfortunately, but Hugo bounced back well from race one disappointment in Porsche GB to get onto the Pro-Am podium in race two. Matt was unlucky the way things turned out in TCR UK, but there are positives for him to take from the first race and his overall performance.”

The post KARTING ACES GARFORD AND CALDER SECURE PODIUM SUCCESS FOR MOTORBASE DRIVER ACADEMY appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Impressing in qualifying on Saturday, 25th June, by securing a front row start for round nine and pole position for round 10, thanks to his second best time, the Welsh driver was firmly in the mix for the win throughout the opening contest with positions changing lap after lap. In the end, he secured his seventh podium of the campaign in third place.

In race two another titanic battle raged at the front of the competitive field and while determined to challenge for victory, Reynolds took a sensible mindset into the encounter knowing consistency and big points would be enough to deliver the championship lead once again. Not taking any undue risks, he claimed third again and was a mere 0.7 seconds shy of the win at the flag on lap nine.

In the world of karting, Motorbase Driver Academy star Alfie Garford produced a very consistent showing at Little Rissington in The Cotswolds during the ‘O’ Plate Open Championship event – a great way to prepare for the fourth round of the Wera Tools British Karting Championship at the same venue this coming weekend.

Having never visited the track previously, TKM racer Garford hit the ground running in testing and proceeded to finish fifth in Heat One, fourth in Heat Two and then third in Heat Three, securing third on the grid for the all-important Final.

Rising to second during the early running, a late lunge from the third placed driver dropped both down the order and, more importantly, meant they lost touch with the lead group. Determined to recover the lost ground, Garford impressively charged back up to the leaders and into the final lap a five-way battle for the win ensued. In the end, Garford claimed a very strong top three finish.

Although not in race action last weekend, due to a break in the MINI CHALLENGE season, Motorbase Driver Academy duo Jamie Osborne and Jack Mitchell both represented the team and sponsor Wera Tools at the huge Goodwood Festival of Speed event in West Sussex.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“It was absolutely fantastic to see Harri return to the top of the championship in Ginetta Junior at Croft on Sunday, he banked some big points and two more podiums is the sort of consistency you need to deliver to be in the reckoning come the end of the season. It’s been a great season so far and we’re looking forward to seeing what Harri can achieve at Knockhill in a few weeks.

“I can’t say I’m surprised Alfie was so competitive at Little Rissington even though it was his first time racing there, he’s a terrific young talent and that showed with how competitive he was all weekend in the ‘O’ Plate. Finishing third in the Final was a great result and obviously sets him up very nicely for the next round of the British Championship this weekend.”

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As there is a break in the MINI CHALLENGE calendar now until the next event at Knockhill in Scotland at the end of July, both Academy drivers are available to appear on the Wera Tools stand at Goodwood with Osborne appearing this Thursday, 23rd June, and Mitchell on Saturday, 25th June.

Wera Tools, of course, is a major force in the world of screwdriving tools and consistently searches for new ideas and innovative ways to develop the range of products the company offers. Operating globally, with more than 3,000 different tools available for end users, the German brand delivers the highest quality tools and has done since the business was founded back in 1936.

Motorbase Driver Academy racers Mitchell and Osborne each pilot Wera Tools branded cars run by JWB Motorsport in Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship feeder category the MINI CHALLENGE, with Mitchell mounting a major bid for the 2022 title.

Currently second in the championship, with two victories and four other podiums, Mitchell has been able to mount a challenge in MINI this year, his first season in the series, thanks to the vital backing of the Academy.

Team-mate Osborne, son of Motorbase Performance owner Pete Osborne and brother of BTCC racer Sam, is embarking on his debut year in MINI and became a Rookie Cup podium finisher in his very first race at Donington Park. In race two of the season, he charged to his first class victory in ninth overall with a star drive. After three events thus far, Osborne is seventh in the class standings.

Goodwood Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard is renowned worldwide as the biggest and best celebration of the motorsport and automotive sectors. More than 200,000 spectators attend the four-day festival each year.

Along with the appearance of the Motorbase Driver Academy duo with Wera Tools, Motorbase’s BTCC racer Dan Cammish will be attending Goodwood this Thursday, 23rd June, and Friday, 24th June, where he will pilot a NAPA Racing UK Ford Focus ST touring car up the famous Hillclimb course. Cammish will then travel up to Croft in North Yorkshire for this weekend’s BTCC race meeting.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“It’s fantastic Jack and Jamie will be representing Wera Tools and the Motorbase Driver Academy at Goodwood later this week, the festival is one-of-a-kind and an absolute must for any fan of race cars, road cars and anything associated with the automotive world. Our partnership with Wera is extremely important and I’m delighted we can provide support for the company at its stand.

“It’s an extremely busy week for everyone at Motorbase, with Dan appearing at Goodwood with the touring car as well and then the BTCC event at Croft. There’s a lot of hard work to be done but we’re all really looking forward to being part of both events which are massive dates on the calendar.”

The post MOTORBASE DRIVER ACADEMY RACERS MITCHELL AND OSBORNE TO APPEAR AT GOODWOOD WITH WERA appeared first on Alliance Racing.

Motorbase has a glowing history of supporting outstanding drivers, providing debut BTCC tests or races for a raft of talent including current NAPA Racing UK duo Dan Cammish and Ash Sutton, BTCC race winner Rory Butcher, multiple British GT Champion Jonny Adam and rising star Jack Mitchell.

Now, the Wrotham-based squad has established a ladder of progression which can take drivers all the way from the junior levels of karting and up into touring cars. Partnering with JWB Motorsport and Assetto Motorsport, the programme will enable racers to graduate from karts into the Ginetta Junior Championship, MINI CHALLENGE and TCR UK en-route to the BTCC or GT3 endurance racing.

Aimed at drivers who begin their careers at a very young age, significantly the programme also provides key opportunities for aspiring team personnel – often an overlooked area where openings within the sport are concerned.

From race mechanics and engineers through to HGV drivers, commercial and marketing roles, plus everything in between, the alliance of all three teams opens the chance for individuals to progress their careers within the motor racing industry.

Pete Osborne – Motorbase Performance Team Owner and Team Principal:
“I’m delighted to launch such an exciting Young Driver Programme, it’s something incredibly exciting to be part of along with Assetto and JWB and it is also something very close to my heart. We have all been working on this for a while now, so it’s great to see it coming to fruition.

“Motorbase has a great history of supporting young drivers in their motorsport careers and we’re now taking that ethos to another level. We have already signed-up Matt Wilson and Harri Reynolds, and there are more to come. I’m in the process of seeing my two sons’ driving careers going through the ranks, so I know just how important these opportunities are.

“Trusting and reliable relationships within motorsport are important and we feel that between the three teams we can offer a complete package for young talent. In my experience it’s as important to offer this kind of opportunity to team members as well as drivers, after all that’s what makes the team. We’re as proud of our drivers as our crew when they make the jump to the next level, so hopefully this programme will produce part of the future of talented drivers and team members.”

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