Westbourne Motorsport are a well-known and respected team who cover multiple aspects of British racing, from junior formulae through to historic competition, and, with their considerable experience in Renault Clio racing in the recent past, have been major supporters of the Clio Class within the Britcar Trophy Championship since its inception.
Motorsport UK Academy student James Black had a sensational rookie year in the Westbourne prepared Gen 3 Clio last season, achieving eight podiums from 12 races with two class wins, including an emotional victory at his home track of Brands Hatch, and narrowly missing out on the class title. Racing mainly as a lone driver in 2021 (after team boss Richard Colburn stepped down due to other commitments), James returns to the Championship for 2022, though with some significant enhancements; he steps up to the more powerful Gen 4 iteration of the Clio, which should give him more of a level playing field with the rest of the grid, and also gains a new driving partner, fellow Motorsport UK Academy student Jack Meakin, who competed in the final five rounds of the 2021 JSCC season with Westbourne Motorsport.
The Clio class proved extremely competitive in 2021
The pair have already tested the Gen 4 machine, and both are keen to get their 2022 campaign under way. “We have already had a test day at Donington Park to get to grips with the new car and have shown great pace. We are not taking anything for granted as there is a lot of talent and experience in the Clio class but we can’t wait for the season to get under way on March 13th at Silverstone GP to show what we can do” says James, which is echoed by JSCC graduate Jack: “The support I had from Westbourne in the Citroen Saxo last year was fantastic, so to be joining them in another championship in which they have had success in previous years is really exciting. Alongside me in the Gen 4 Clio will be James Black, who already has experience in the Britcar Trophy and is a fellow Motorsport UK Academy driver. James had some incredible drives in the Gen 3 Clio in 2021, including wins in class at Brands Hatch and Donington Park, so I am really looking forward to partnering with him. Our initial testing has been great, showing good pace and I am confident that we will be a competitive entry. Lots of work has been going on in the background to get to this point and with the start of the season now fast approaching, I can’t wait to get racing!”
Britcar has a rich history of nurturing young talent, and wishes James and Jack every success for the 2022 season.
Photos: Paul Cherry