Westbourne Motorsport head to the second Renault UK Clio Cup meeting of the 2018 season at Donington Park this weekend [28-29 April] keen to build on their podium success at Brands Hatch and ignite their championship challenge.
2011 championship runner-up James Colburn brought home the Worthing-based outfit’s first silverware of the new campaign in Kent with a bold late move on both Max Coates and Sam Osbourne to claim second in the opening race.
A lightning getaway in the second race could have seen a repeat performance, but debris on-circuit caused damage to the #7 fourth-generation Clio Cup machine, rendering Colburn a retiree.
BRDC Rising Star James Dorlin matched his team-mate every step of the way through qualifying and did well to salvage two solid points finishes from a frustrating weekend.
Between meetings, the squad joined the rest of the Clio Cup field in journeying to the high-speed Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire, with both drivers again demonstrating performance and consistency as they topped the timesheets in the opening session, raising hopes of a strong set of results at Donington Park this weekend.
Qualifying is scheduled to get underway on Saturday at 14:05, with both races set to unfold before a capacity trackside audience and thousands more through ITV4’s free-to-air television coverage at 10:00 and 15:55 respectively.
James Colburn (#7) said, “Thruxton was great and I think the pace we set during both sessions has made us talk of the paddock as ones to watch.
“Donington last season certainly didn’t end how I wanted it to, and in previous years it’s not been my best circuit, meaning I go into the weekend with no pressure and simply looking to enjoy it and push for some results.
“As a team, we need to continue the mindset from Brands Hatch forward for the rest of the campaign, there was an excellent focus and structure to how we went about our testing and we’ll pick up from where we left off.”
James Dorlin (#32) said, “I’m really looking forward to Donington Park this weekend. We didn’t get the results we were hoping for at Brands Hatch, so this weekend will see us get back up to the sharp end of the field where we should be.
“We were very quick at Thruxton and I’m feeling very at home in the car at the moment. I’m just focused on going out this weekend and getting the results we should have been enjoying from the off.”