Renault UK Clio Cup outfit Maximum Motorsport will expand to a two-car line-up for the first time this weekend at Silverstone, with series newcomer Tom Witts joining their ranks.
Witts becomes the sixth UK Clio Cup debutant to join the grid for this weekend’s visit to the Home of British Motorsport, with the 23 year old joining Ant Whorton-Eales for Maximum’s third meeting in the category.
He joins the grid having already been crowned a 2015 champion, a sensational campaign seeing him win nine races out of ten so far in the BRSCC Mk2 Production GTi Championship to wrap up the title with two races to spare.
Witts said: “I’m looking to push myself further for 2016 and the Renault UK Clio Cup looks awesome – the cars are the business, the racing is close and competitive, the technical side of things and the organisation are very professional and it’s all on the big stage alongside the British Touring Car Championship with huge crowds and the live coverage on ITV4. It’s everything you want as a driver.
“As for how I’ll go at Silverstone… Friday’s two test sessions will be my first time in the car so I’m jumping in at the deep end a bit. Obviously I’ll have the ultimate benchmark in Ant to work with so let’s see how things work out and hopefully look ahead to Brands Hatch too.”
The outfit, run by BTCC driver Stewart Lines, joined the Clio field prior to the Knockhill meeting last month with championship contender Whorton-Eales, who delivered their first win last time out at Rockingham.
“Tom clearly has raw pace and race craft as proven by his success in the Mk2 Golf championship,” added Lines.
“We’re very excited about him being in one of our cars this weekend as it means, since joining the grid ourselves at Knockhill just five weeks ago, we are now up to two cars which is in line with our plans to run a multi-car team in 2016’s Clio Cup.”
Witts’ entry plus the confirmation of Tom Butler at 20Ten Racing in place of Peter Felix means there will be a 20 car grid at Silverstone this weekend, the highest entry in the Clio Cup since the fourth-generation model was introduced at the start of 2014.
Full Silverstone Entry List:
Team Pyro – Ash Hand, Ashley Sutton, Mark Howard, Josh Price
WDE Motorsport – Paul Rivett, Charlie Ladell, Rory Green, Dan Holland
Maximum Motorsport – Ant Whorton-Eales, Tom Witts
20Ten Racing – Graham Field, Tom Butler, Sam Watkins
Team Cooksport – Rory Collingbourne, George Jackson, Alex Sedgwick
JamSport Racing – Tom Grundy, Luke Kidsley
Rangoni Corse – Michele Puccetti, Ben Davis
