Andy Wilmot has confirmed that he will race for Welch Motorsport in the 2015 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, after finalising a deal with the Proton squad for next season.
Both Wilmot and Welch Motorsport will complete a test programme with the Proton Gen-2 ahead of the new season next April at Brands Hatch, the 33-year-old having previously made his BTCC debut in the 2013 visit to Rockingham with Topny Gilham‘ Team HARD in a Volkswagen CC during the car’s development season.
Wilmot declared that particular weekend a “dream become reality” as he clinched a pair of 18th-place finishes on his maiden Sunday in BTCC machinery, now admitting he will take his newest opportunity as a learning experience.
A delighted Wilmot enthused: “It’s a dream come true for me and the reality has not really sunk in yet.
“I certainly have a lot to learn but over the winter months with the test schedule that is planned and a car that is very well sorted handling wise, I think Dan and John [Welch] will get the best out of me.”
The excited former Volkswagen Racing Cup front-runner added caution to his excitement however, maintaining that he intends to complete the full 2015 season should the remaining funds be found to finalise his plans.
He added: “Exciting times lie ahead and with the test programme planned, I just can not wait to get going. Everybody is as excited as myself, and we fully understand it is a big step up for me into touring cars but I have a lot of experience and am willing to learn.
“I still have part of the budget to find but the support I am getting from my sponsors is outstanding.”
Welch Motorsport had endured a torrid 2014 season, the squad having been stymied by reliability and power issues that kept Dan Welch and Ollie Jackson at the back of the grid for much of year. The team could however switch back to the standard TOCA unit for 2015 after attempting to challenge with their own engine in the recently-concluded season.
