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Westbourne Motorsport has confirmed that it plans to join the newly-announced Clio Cup GB Championship, operated by MotorSport Vision Trackdays (MSVT), with a proposed three-car team for the inaugural 2024 season.
The team has also revealed the first of its three planned drivers, with the signing of Junior Saloon Car Champion Daire Flock.
Westbourne Motorsport is a squad extremely familiar with Renault machinery, having raced in both the UK and Europe with the manufacturer since 2009. This includes previous incarnations of Clio Cup, where the team secured multiple race wins and produced several British Touring Car Championship stars – including Josh Cook, Ant Whorton Eales and Ronan Pearson.
Team Principals James and Ben Colburn have previously competed in Generation 3 & 4 Clio Cup cars and the pair are confident the knowledge they’ve gained through their experiences will put Westbourne Motorsport in good stead with the new championship.
When asked about Westbourne’s involvement with Clio Cup GB next year, Team Manager, Richard Colburn commented: “We are really excited about our return to Clio Cup, and as next year is our fifteenth anniversary year, what better way to celebrate. Cars built to an exact standard by a manufacturer always leads to close, exciting racing and Renault Championships always offer a complete level playing field through tight technical controls. It’s down to us as the team to get the best from each car and driver combination and that’s really what we do best.”
“Alongside the UK championship there are ambitious plans to add in some of the European rounds to add a new dimension to the many other championships Westbourne compete in.”
Having enjoyed success with Clios over the years, the team plans to make a significant investment with three new cars currently on order from the Alpine factory for January delivery. In the interim, test slots can still be offered in both Clio 3 and 4 spec-cars.
While confirming their entry into the championship, the signing of JSCC champion Flock means preparations are already underway, with the Irish driver having already commenced a testing programme.
The newly-turned 16-year-old won the title after a superb campaign, taking 14 wins in total and securing the crown at Brands Hatch in November.
Speaking after his recent test in a Generation 3 machine, Flock commented “I’m really excited to be stepping up into a purpose built race car. Having now driven the older Clio in both wet and dry, the handling is incredible, I can’t wait to try the new car. I know the championship will be competitive but I can win races and I’m looking forward to the new challenge”.
The team is welcoming enquiries for its two remaining seats.
