Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia
Breaking news

James Kaye joins AmD for 2013 season

Jack Sears Trophy taking shape with veteran Kaye confirmed at AmD.tuning

James Kaye of Synchro Motorsport

James Kaye of Synchro Motorsport

Mike Lambert - Gridshots

The Jack Sears trophy, for the older spec S2000 cars that will take part in this year’s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, is starting to take shape with veteran James Kaye set to compete for AmD Tuning.com racing in their fans favourite VW Golf.

I’m confident we’ll quickly be up to speed and right in contention."

James Kaye

AmD plan to switch to an NGTC Vauxhall Astra for the second half of the season but will run Kaye for the full season as he tries to add the Jack Sears trophy to his former successes in winning the Independent title twice in the early 90’s and the production cup in 2002.

Kaye has competed in more than 280 BTCC races, mainly at the wheel of different spec Honda’s, and has a best result of 3rd to his name which he achieved in 2006 at Oulton Park in a Honda Civic for Synchro Motorsport. He was last seen in the BTCC during the final two meetings of the year in 2010 in a Honda Integra run by WRC Developments with Barwell.

Kaye is also a former works Honda driver from the BTCC super Touring era and is delighted to return to the series full time for 2013 and said, “It’s a few years since I last competed in the BTCC, but I’m delighted to have the chance to make a return this season. We know that we won’t be running at the front of the field against the NGTC cars with the rules as they are for this season, but I think we have a good package amongst the Jack Sears Trophy runners and even though I’ve not been on the grid for a while, I’m confident we’ll quickly be up to speed and right in contention for honours amongst the S2000 cars.”

Ollie Jackson, AmD Tuning.com
Ollie Jackson, AmD Tuning.com

Photo by: Pat Cranham

Team boss Shaun Hollamby is also more than happy to have Kaye on board and to continue with the Golf as he admits that although the team will work hard to get their NGTC challenger on track, the Jack Sears Trophy is the target for the team saying, “It’s fantastic to have James on board for this season. He is a hugely experienced driver when it comes to the BTCC and our aim for the year ahead is to see him challenge for the Jack Sears Trophy and also to battle for top ten finishes, as we have achieved in the past two years. While we have made no secret of our plans to work towards running an NGTC car, we always said we would love to continue our relationship with the Golf if the chance arose and it’s good that we’ve be able to do a deal with James to have the car on track again this season. I have no doubt it will be a strong contender amongst the S2000 cars and is more than capable of taking the Jack Sears Trophy. With an experienced driver like James behind the wheel, that has to be our goal.”

Hollamby also confirmed that while work continues behind the scenes on the NGTC Astra the team could also run, if the right driver can be found, an ex-Motorbase Ford Focus with a deal on the table to run the car for 2013.

If the deal can be found to run the Ford that will mean that all 3 Motorbase Ford Focus’ from 2012 will compete for the Jack Sears trophy, with Liam Griffin continuing to run for Motorbase under a separate name to Motorbase’s main squad Airwaves Racing while it was also recently announced that 55 year old David Nye will compete in another S2000 Ford

Focus with Welch Motorsport alongside their NGTC Proton of Dan Welch.

Other likely competitors for the Jacks Sears Trophy include Joe Girling in a Tech-speed Chevrolet Cruze, after testing the car late in 2012 although no announcement has been made and he hasn’t been out tested again since, whilst we could also have a further driver with Warren Scott hoping to run an ex Special Tuning Racing Seat Leon under the name of BMR restart racing.

Another team that might appear is ES Racing.com. Last year the team ran a pair of S2000 Vauxhall Vectras for team boss Chris James and Dave Newsham. The team enjoyed a fantastic season with Newsham as he scored many podiums and two outright victories. Newsham has now moved on to compete with Speedworks in an NGTC Toyota Avensis with James admitting the team hope to be out at some point, although the team will definitely miss the start of the season and it is not known what car they hope to return it.

As for Newsham and his Speedworks team, they were one of many BTCC teams which also included MG, Honda, Airwaves Racing and eBay Motors scheduled for some unofficial testing at Brands Hatch tomorrow (12.03.13) but sadly the test has had to be cancelled. This is because of Britain’s less than spring like weather conditions that currently resemble the Arctic with freezing conditions and with snow forecasted prior to the test. It is unknown whether the circuit can re-schedule the test or fit in an official test prior to the start of the BTCC season.

Pat Cranham, BTCC correspondent

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Airwaves return as title sponsor for new look Motorbase in 2013
Next article Ebay Motors show their colors for 2013

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Australia