AmD Tuning have confirmed Clio Cup star Ant Whorton-Eales will be piloting their second BTCC entry this season. The 22-year-old will partner the experienced Ollie Jackson for his first year in the championship.
Whorton-Eales took the Clio Cup crown last season, beating a hard fighting Mike Bushell to take his first Clio Cup title. Now he will follow in his rivals footsteps by moving up to the BTCC.
“I think it’s a really good move for my first year in the championship,” said Whorton-Eales at Autosport International this morning. “It’s mega. I just can’t wait to get started.”
“I think that I’ve made a good choice in AmDTuning.com,” he said in a statement. “The team has plent of experience and there is a lot of potential in the Audi that I aim to benefit from.
“As a rookie driver, the main target has to be the Jack Sears Trophy, and it would be nice if we could be pushing towards the top ten in the championship by the end of the year.
“Of course that won’t be easy, and I’m aware that I have a lot to learn, but I also want to aim high and make the most of the opportunity I now have.”
Team boss Shaun Hollamby said he was keen to bring young talent into the BTCC and, with Whorton-Eales track record, he definitely thinks he’s done that.
“Even before winning the Clio title last year, he had shown his potential on track and we’re confident that he will be a strong addition to the grid this year,” he said.
“Having already won the Jack Sears Trophy once a few years ago, it would be great if we could secure it again this year and there is no doubt we have a fantastic chance with Ant.
“Alongside Ollie Jackson, he gives us a strong partnership for our first full season as a two-car BTCC team and we go into 2017 with our focus firmly on fighting for regular points and on pushing towards the top ten.”
After a season running with only a single car, the expansion to a car team will help that push towards progress, Jackson believes
“It’s double the development of the car, it’s double the data, so it’s a really positive aspect, having a teammate, especially one that’s as quick as Ant,” he said.
The team are now aiming to build on the pace they showed during the tail end of last year. Testing dates are yet to be confirmed.
