Mike Bushell joins AmD Tuning for 2015 season

Newly-crowned Renault Clio Cup champion Mike Bushell has signed a deal to race for AmD Tuning in the 2015 BTCC.

The 25-year-old joins the team on the back of an impressive 2014 season, where he secured four wins and four further podiums en-route to the Clio Cup crown.

Bushell, who will be at the wheel of the team’s Ford Focus ST for his first full season in the series, joins just weeks after testing for Motorbase Performance. He replaces fellow Clio Cup champion and graduate, Dave Newsham, who gave the team its first podium at Knockhill.

Although classed as a rookie, Bushell has one previous outing in the BTCC to his name at Knockhill in 2013, where he drove a Chevrolet Cruze for the now defunct IP Tech outfit.

Reflecting on his graduation to the BTCC, Bushell said: “Winning the Clio Cup this year was a massive achievement for me, and I can’t believe that I’m now sat here knowing that I’ll be in the BTCC next season. I’ve been speaking to Shaun [Hollamby] for a while and it’s fantastic to have agreed a deal so early in the off-season.

“I actually feel quite humbled to be joining the BTCC as there is no other championship like it out there. You only have to look at the grid this year to see it is full of drivers who have won championships, and I’m under no illusions about the challenge that lies ahead.

“Early on, my focus will simply be on finishing races and building on the experience I gained when I did my one event in 2013, but I’m confident of quickly getting up to speed. The Ford is a proven package and it felt quite suited to my driving style when I sampled the Motorbase car. The AmDTuning team has a skilled group of people working within it, so there is no reason why I can’t be competitive and push for some strong results as the season goes on.”

AmD Tuning boss Shaun Hollamby said he was thrilled to welcome Bushell into the team.

He said: “We’re delighted to be able to agree a deal with Mike for 2015, and it is ideal for both parties to have an agreement in place so soon. It’s given us time to work on finalising our sponsorship plans for next year, and we are keen to speak to people who want to support a young British driver who we believe can do big things in the BTCC next year.

“Mike is someone we have been keeping an eye on for a while, and he impressed me with the way he performed in the Chevrolet back in 2013. He was the class of the field in the Clio Cup last year, which is no mean feat, and is more than deserving of the opportunity to make the step up.

“If you look at the list of drivers who have made the move from the Clio Cup into the BTCC, I have no doubt that Mike has the talent to match them, and I’m delighted that we can give him his chance in touring cars. He has some experience of the Ford from his day with Motorbase, and I’m confident that he’ll be on the pace when we get our pre-season testing programme under way.

“While we are pleased to welcome Mike into the team, I want to put on record our thanks to Dave Newsham for the work he put in during 2014 as we moved up to an NGTC car for the first time. His performance at Knockhill in particular, where he took our first BTCC podium finish, is one that I’ll never forget and we wish him all the best for the future.”