There’s a late addition to the UK Clio Cup grid as Paul Plant and his Vanquish Motorsport team have announced they’ll be joining the series in a technical tie-up with WDE Motorsport.
Plant has seen success in club-level already – a prolific title, race and class winner in the UK and European Alfa Romeo scene. Now he’s aiming to continue that success in Clios.
His debut season will be under a joint Vanquish-WDE banner, joining his success with that of WDE, who last year challenged for the Clio Cup crown and aims to do so again in 2016. The team will provide Vanquish with engineering input.
Preseason testing has already delivered promising results.
“We’ve had a few brief runs together and seemed to have decent pace at Thruxton and Brands Hatch,” said Plant. “Everyone at WDE has been very accommodating and we seem to work well together on feedback and changes to the car’s set up.
“The Alfa racing calls for a lot of discipline and is also quite physical so I feel I am well-prepared for this. I’m not setting my hopes too high initially – this is the next step and we’ve got lots to learn – but if I come away from the first two races at Brands Hatch knowing I’d fought competitively for a top-ten result then I’d be over the moon.”
“Paul has immediately impressed us in the testing he’s done so far,” said Wayne Eason, WDE Team Principal. “He is naturally quick and has a very good feel for what the car needs. Of course, it’s the same for anyone – the more seat time the better – but already I can see him doing very well in the future.”
“It’s nice to see a new team and driver, like Vanquish and Paul, joining the UK Clio Cup grid and, after proving their credentials in another competitive category, choosing this championship as the one to further their motor racing aspirations,” said Will Fewkes, Renault Sport’s UK Motorsport Championship Manager. “They seem well-prepared and their link-up with WDE already looks to be getting – it could be a combination really worth watching as the season progresses….”
Feature Image Credit: Renault UK Clio Cup Press Office
