AmDMilltekRacing: Latest News

AmD Tuning.com confirms 2012 BTCC plans

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:07:27 GMT

The West Thurrock-based team has agreed a deal with Ollie Jackson which will see him embark on a first full season of BTCC competition at the wheel of the team�s turbo-powered Volkswagen Golf, which proved to be one of the most improved cars on the grid last year.

Jackson - originally from Reigate, Surrey but now based in Attleborough, Norfolk � joins AmD Tuning.com having made his BTCC debut in the final two rounds of the 2011 season, taking a best finish of eleventh for the Triple Eight team.

Prior to that, the 27-year-old enjoyed success in Caterham racing before lifting the Pro-Am1 title in the Porsche Carrera Cup in 2010. A switch to the British GT Championship followed last season, the highlight coming at Spa with victory in the GT4 class, before the move into touring cars for the rounds at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

Having put pen to paper on his deal with AmD Tuning.com, Jackson will now embark on a full pre-season testing programme at the wheel of the VW Golf before the opening rounds of the 2012 campaign take place at Brands Hatch on the weekend of 31 March-1 April.

�After the two rounds last season in the Vectra, I knew the BTCC was where I wanted to be full-time in 2012 and I�m delighted that I�ve been able to agree a deal with AmD Tuning.com,� Jackson said. �I�m really pleased to have a deal confirmed nice and early, which will give me time to carry out some decent testing before the opening rounds.

�Since I moved into car racing, I�ve never had a full testing programme before the season started, so its good that I�ll be able to spend some meaningful time behind the wheel of the Golf, especially as I don�t have much experience of front-wheel drive.

�My initial aim is to see where I stand when we get to Brands Hatch and then make improvements and move forwards. However, the Golf is a proven car that showed good pace in 2011 and my target is to bring home top ten finishes as the year goes on. The team has welcomed me onboard and I can�t wait to get started.�

The decision to sign Jackson comes on the back of a strong 2011 season for the AmD Tuning.com team, which was highlighted by breakthrough points finishes at both Donington Park and Thruxton.

While the basic package remains the same for 2012, with the Golf powered by the same Lehmann-developed engine designed to the BTCC�s Next Generation Touring Car regulations, a series of tweaks have been carried out over the winter as the team looks to build on the promise shown last year to become regular top ten finishers.

�We spoke to a number of drivers about 2012 and are delighted we have been able to agree a deal with Ollie, and agree a deal this early in the year,� AmD Tuning.com team principal Shaun Hollamby said. �He will get the chance to test the Volkswagen for the first time in mid-February and that will be the first part of a full test programme ahead of the new season. That is an important part of our plans for 2012 as it will be the first time we have been able to carry out a full testing programme before the season starts.

�Ollie impressed me last year with his performances in the Triple Eight car when you consider that he hadn�t raced a front-wheel drive machine before, and I�m confident that he can help us take further steps forward and help us fight inside the top ten on a regular basis.

�We have made some tweaks to the Golf over the winter and are confident that the regulations in place for the new season will work in our favour as it should be easier for the series to equalise performance between the different turbo engines on the grid. We know we were down on power a little last year but I�m confident that the regulations will help with that this season and with Ollie onboard, I�m looking forward to a successful 2012.

Photo by Nikki-Louise Thompson

AmD Plan to Announce 2012 Plans at Autosport Show

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:45:50 GMT

AmD announcement close
The AmD Milltek Racing.com team expects to announce who will drive its VW Golf in 2012�s Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at next week�s Autosport International Show (12-15 Jan).

The turbocharged Golf will be entering its third season in the BTCC having broken into the points for the first time in 2011 in the hands of former driver Tom Onslow-Cole. It will again race using a Next Generation Touring Car-spec turbo engine this year.

During next week�s show inside Birmingham's NEC, the car will appear on specialist air filter company Pipercross�s stand.

"Removing the need to equalise normally aspirated engines with turbos across the board in 2012 will make for a more level playing field so I am expecting us to return to our early 2011 season form", said AmD team principal Shaun Hollamby, �We hope to announce our driver and a couple of new sponsors. We�re in talks with a number of drivers, some with and some without touring car experience, but I�m really looking forward to making the announcement. I�ll be at the show on the Sunday, but I hope our driver will be there both days to meet the fans.�

Autosport International is open to the public on the Saturday and Sunday. For more information, including ticket details, call 0844 581 1420 or visit www.autosportinternational.com

AmD teams up with VAG Apprentices in Rockingham Stages Rally

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:25:11 GMT

Last weekend saw a team of VAG service technicians from across the UK converge on Rockingham to run a Skoda Fabia in the Rockingham Stages Rally.

AmDs' Shaun Hollamby was in the driving seat having performed similiar duties during the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier in the year alongside crack co-driver David Vardy!

"We had such a great time at Goodwood that when the opportunity arose to team up again at Rockingham we jumped at the chance," said Vardy who was Head of the VAG Apprentice scheme but has now moved onto the VAG Brands operation.

"The enthusiasm of the apprentices is quite refreshing and the car ran faultlessly, requiring only a precautionary driveshaft change towards the end of the event. Now we just need to ask Skoda, nicely, if they have a spare S2000 WRC Fabia available for any events next year!," enthused Hollamby. "Rallying requires a more improvised driving style and, in alot of ways, is more rewarding than my normal track duties."

The team finished 2nd in class in what is basically a converted road car but the "chuckability" was definitely tested to the full judging from the picture above taken by Trackside70!

AmD Milltek Racing.com fights to the finish at Silverstone

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:05:52 GMT

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team brought the curtain down on its second season in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with a battling performance on Finals Day at Silverstone.

The West Thurrock-based team went into the season finale eager to end the year on a high, with a 30-car field entered into the three races around the short National Circuit at the �Home of British Motorsport�.

After a closely-fought qualifying session, Colchester-racer Martin Byford secured 24th on the grid for the opening race of the weekend and made good progress to work his way into the top 20 before a driveshaft issue forced him into the pits to retire.

An early pit stop in the second race of the weekend saw Martin drop off the lead lap and resulted in a 24th place finish, which was where he would then start the final race of the season at the wheel of his turbo-powered Volkswagen Golf.

With the car the best it had been all weekend for the season finale, Martin produced a storming start to make up seven places on the opening two laps alone and eventually crossed the line in 15th � ahead of newly crowned Independents� champion James Nash and double BTCC title winner James Thompson.

�I really enjoyed the final race and it was good way for us to finish the season,� he said. �The driveshaft problem in race one meant we were on the back foot for the rest of the day with such a large field, but to come from 24th on the grid to finish 15th is a good result for the team and the car was the best it�s been all weekend.�

Having joined the AmD Milltek Racing.com team for the second half of the season, series debutant Martin clinched a best finish of 14th during his time at the wheel of the VW Golf having shown the potential to run inside the top ten at a number of meetings.

�I have to admit that I�m gutted that I�ve not managed to break into the top ten and score a point in my half season because I feel we�ve deserved it on several occasions,� he said. �However, I�d like to think that I�ve proven myself and shown that I can compete against these guys and I feel that I can now call myself a touring car driver. The focus is now on working hard over the winter to get the budget together for a full season in the BTCC next year.�

AmD Milltek Racing.com end the 2011 season in twelfth place in the HiQ Teams� Championship and tenth in the Independents� Team Trophy, with team principal Shaun Hollamby admitting to mixed feelings at the end of the campaign.

�It was a tough weekend but it came to a good end in the final race,� he said. �Again, if the first race had ended differently then we could have been on for some points but that is motorsport for you. The important thing is that the car is in one piece and Martin has had another good run to finish the year.

�Overall I�d say the season has seen flashes of brilliance clouded with disappointment for us. So much work has gone into this year behind the scenes that I think we have deserved more but now we have to regroup, take stock and look at where the Golf stands for next season. We have to see what the finalised rules are for 2012 but we know that the VW has a good chassis and if the grid is all-turbo next year, we could have a more competitive package than we�ve had this year.�

Radio Controlled Prize for Comp Winner!

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:05:16 GMT

Congratulations to Elizabeth Rushby from Goole, East Yorkshire, the winner of a radio-controlled replica of AmD Milltek Racing.com's VW Golf BTCC racer (pictured), courtesy of www.rcracer.com!

Martin Byford picked her name at random at Brands Hatch from the huge number of entries which correctly answered that the AmD Golf is numbered '99' and she will presented with her prize at the BTCC's final round at Silverstone!

Pace unrewarded for AmD Milltek Racing.com on home soil

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:28:24 GMT

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team again showed strong pace during its second home meeting of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season at Brands Hatch, only to come away from the penultimate meeting of the year without a top ten finish.

The West Thurrock-based team went into the weekend keen to add to the points finishes it claimed earlier in the year, with Colchester-racer Martin Byford making his first appearance on the longer Grand Prix layout since 2003.

Martin qualified in 19th place at the wheel of his turbo-powered VW Golf but made strong early progress to make up two places through the opening laps. However, the failure of the coil pack on the car saw Martin forced to make an unscheduled trip the pits for a replacement, which in turn dropped him down to the rear of the field.

Rejoining just ahead of the leading Chevrolet of Jason Plato, Byford was forced to pull over to allow both Plato and Alex MacDowall through to lap his Golf but he was then able to keep pace with the leaders before ending the race in 22nd place.

A good start to race two saw Martin make up three places on the opening lap alone and he continued to make good progress to move into 15th position by the tenth lap. Almost matching the pace of cars running inside the top ten, Martin crossed the line in 15th place, ahead of the Vauxhall of Andrew Jordan, which took a race victory earlier in the season.

The final race of the weekend again saw Martin showing the pace to run towards the top ten, but his hopes of improving on his race two result were hit by contact from the SEAT of Dave Newsham early on and he crossed the line in 17th place, having once again set lap-times comparable with drivers inside the top ten despite braking issues as the race wore on.

�It�s been tough weekend for us this weekend,� he said. �I think I�ve been on the pace and have driven well but track position is vital when the series is as competitive as it is at the moment. Without the problem in race one, we�d have probably finished around eleventh of twelfth which would have really set us up for two good results in the following races and we could well have broken into the points.

�However, to get three finishes is good as it�s more mileage for me in the car and I feel more at home in the Golf every time I go out on track. It�s just a shame there is only one race weekend to come before the season ends.�

Team boss Shaun Hollamby said he was once again pleased with the pace shown by Martin on track, even if his performances at the wheel weren�t rewarded with a maiden top ten finish.

�Martin has shown good pace again, but we�ve just not come away from the weekend with the results to match,� he said. �We would probably have been on the cusp of the points finishes in race one and its frustrating that it was a relatively minor thing that meant we had to bring Martin in for a pit-stop, but the coil pack failing is just one of those things that happens sometimes.

�To come from 22nd to 15th in race two was good and showed the pace in the car and it was a solid performance in race three considering that the brakes were going spongy on the car and making it more difficult to drive. We�ve just got to go to Silverstone for the final rounds and focus on trying to end the year on a high.�

AmD Milltek Racing.com shows strong pace at Rockingham

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:24:31 GMT

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team showed strong pace throughout the latest rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Rockingham only to come away from the eighth meeting of the 2011 season without any points to its name.

On his third outing for the West Thurrock-based team, former Clio Cup champion Martin Byford produced his most competitive performances of the season but was left to rue an incident on the opening lap of both race one and race two which hit his hopes of breaking into the top ten for the first time.

Colchester-racer Martin enjoyed easily his best qualifying result of the season on Saturday as he secured tenth on the grid for the first race of the weekend but was then caught out on the opening lap when an incident ahead saw him make contact with a rival car and dislodged the bonnet on his turbo-powered Volkswagen Golf. (see photo below)

Having managed to return to the pits despite having the open bonnet blocking his view, Martin was able to rejoin the race � albeit a lap down from the rest of the field � and took the chequered flag in 20th place.

Unfortunately for Martin, another incident ahead on the opening lap of race two again hit his hopes of a points finish after a coming together ahead resulted in contact with the Chevrolet of John George. With a broken bonnet catch, Martin was forced to return to the pits but then produced a fine drive to bring himself back level with the remainder of the field; posting the sixth fastest lap of the race but taking the chequered flag in 18th after his earlier delay.

Contact on the opening lap of race three saw the VW slip down to 20th place before Martin started making forward progress, although he spent much of the race on the end of a train of cars fighting for position in the midfield.

Running in 19th for a long spell, Martin finally managed to battle ahead of the Ford of Michael Caine and the struggling Honda of championship leader Gordon Shedden before a last lap move saw him claim 16th from Knockhill race winner Tom Chilton � again showing strong race pace with the Golf despite spending the full 16 laps in traffic and with damage to the bodywork sustained in race two affecting his straight-line speed.

�It was difficult to come back from what happened in race one,� he said. �Race two was equally frustrating given the pace we showed in the car and then in race three, I lost out when I got hit at turn two and it meant I was in a train of traffic throughout."

Team boss Shaun Hollamby was left frustrated by the failure to score points on what had been a strong weekend for the Volkswagen squad, but with the team�s home circuit of Brands Hatch coming up next in a fortnight�s time, hopes remain high of a strong performance on the iconic GP circuit.

�In the BTCC, you need to basically treat the three races as one because they all have an effect on each other � given that your starting positions are dependent on earlier results,� he said. �You�ve got to finish, and finish well, and we were on the back foot after the first lap of race one which was a shame. The pace Martin showed on track was really good, especially in the second race, and he made the most of the fact that we have a strong chassis with the Golf. What we now need to do is make sure we get all we can from the engine, as we just lost out a bit through the speed traps.

�It�s disappointing that we haven�t scored points this weekend given the steps forwards we have taken again, but Brands Hatch GP circuit should suit us down to the ground and as our home circuit, we�re hoping for a strong weekend there.�

Photo courtesy of Bob Knightley.

Tough times for AmD Milltek Racing.com in Scotland.

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:58:45 GMT

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team endured a frustrating trip to Scotland for the latest rounds of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship after failing to secure a finish at Knockhill, despite showing encouraging pace throughout the weekend.

Having qualified in 18th position, Colchester racer Martin moved up to 15th through the opening laps but was then caught in a sandwich between the SEAT of Dave Newsham and the Chevrolet of Alex MacDowall at the hairpin, which saw him sustain damage to his car and lose a number of places.

Forced to pit as a result, Martin slipped to the tail of the field although the deployment of the Safety Car following a separate incident allowed him to stay on the lead lap. However, just two laps after the race resumed, suspension damage picked up in the incident at the hairpin saw Martin run off the road through the gravel at turn one, causing extensive damage to the front end of the car and leaving the team with work to do ahead of race two.

With the car repaired in time to take the start, Martin lined up 20th on the grid but a series of impressive early laps saw him climb up as high as 15th before a braking problem saw him spin off into the tyre wall at the hairpin on lap ten.

Forced to start from the back row of the grid for the final race, Martin was once again a man on the move when the lights went out and made up no fewer than eight places through the opening ten laps to once again run in 15th position �despite overtaking being far from easy on the tight and twisty Scottish circuit.

However, his charge towards the top ten was then brought to a halt by a throttle issue that left him with no option other than to bring the Golf into the pits to retire, bringing a promising weekend to a tough end.

�That�s Knockhill for you really,� he said. �As a racing driver, you know that weekends like this are going to happen from time to time and you just have to take them on the chin. I can�t fault anyone in the team as the guys did their best all weekend but luck just wasn�t on our side.

�Race one was where it all started to go wrong for us really as the contact from MacDowall damaged the suspension and caused me to go off at turn one, which left the boys with a lot of work to do for the second race. We then suffered from a brake problem that pitched me into the tyres at the hairpin and then in race three, there was an issue with the throttle that meant I had to bring the car in. We need to look into those problems but this is a weekend where we just have to put what happened on track behind us and focus on the next round at Rockingham.�

Team manager Shaun Hollamby admitted he was disappointed with the end results from the three races but said he was encouraged by the speed shown by Martin in his only his second BTCC meeting, with the team still taking a number of positives away from the weekend.

�The incident with MacDowall meant we had to basically start again before race two but that�s touring car racing for you,� he said. �It�s never good to be on the end of it, especially when you are a small team without huge financial backing, but you�ve just got to come out and fight. There was an awful lot of damage to the car when it came back to the paddock and I was really proud of the effort the guys put in to make sure we were out on the grid for race two. I thought it was 50/50 as to whether we�d get the repairs done in time but they did a great job.

�In the second race, Martin was driving really well and we were closer to the pace than we�ve ever been which was hugely promising before the retirement. Despite that, we were confident for race three but an issue with the throttle meant it was game over after he�d made another impressive start. Roll on Rockingham!"

AmD Milltek Racing.com targets points return at Knockhill.

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:42:25 GMT

The AmD Milltek Racing.com team is targeting a return to the points scoring positions as the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship gears up for its annual trip to Scotland for the seventh round of the season next weekend (3/4 September).

The West Thurrock-based team will make the long trip to the picturesque Knockhill circuit - overlooking the Firth of Forth � buoyed by a solid start to the second half of the season at Snetterton earlier this month, when new driver Martin Byford acquitted himself well to the rough and tumble of touring car competition on his BTCC debut.

Despite only having a day behind the wheel of the AmD Milltek Racing.com Volkswagen Golf prior to his first weekend with the team, Colchester-based racer Martin � a former champion in the BTCC supporting Renault Clio Cup � was quickly up to speed and made good progress throughout the weekend, where he secured a best finish of 14th.

Martin now heads to Knockhill looking to build on the early promise shown at Snetterton as he seeks to become a BTCC points scorer for the first time at a circuit where he has enjoyed success in a range of formulae earlier in his career.

�Looking back at Snetterton now I�ve had time to really reflect on it, I think it went well as a whole,� he said. �I know I pushed a bit too hard in qualifying and its shame we were forced to retire in race two with a gear linkage issue, but we made good progress throughout the weekend and I couldn�t have asked for much more � apart from a point!

�I�ve now had a weekend to get used to the car and to get to know the team a bit more and I�m going to Knockhill trying to unlock more of the potential that I know is in the Golf. I�ve raced there quite a lot in the past and it�s a circuit I enjoy, and it�s also one where I think the Golf will be strong. The car carries speed through the corners well, which is something you need at Knockhill, but you can�t afford a mistake as the lap is so short that the smallest of mistakes is going to cost you positions.

�I�m looking forward to my second weekend in the BTCC and hopefully I can continue the progress we made at Snetterton and push towards the top ten.�

Team principal Shaun Hollamby said he was hopeful that the long trip north would see the team rewarded with its fourth top ten finish of the season after missing out at Snetterton.

�We had a few small problems at Snetterton that meant we didn�t score points when we probably should have done, but at the same time, there were some things that we discovered that we will now benefit from,� he said. �I was pleased with how Martin performed in his first weekend and how well he fitted in with the team, and I�m looking forward to seeing how he does at Knockhill, It�s a real drivers circuit and he is a good driver.

�The gearbox issue in the second race at Snetterton probably cost us points but hopefully we�ll put that right next weekend. The Golf is now performing well on all kinds of circuits and we went well at Knockhill last year, so we�re aiming to break back into the top ten again.�

Solid Snetterton showing for AmD Milltek Racing.com.

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:47:33 GMT

AmD Milltek Racing.com enjoyed a solid weekend of racing in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship as the 2011 season resumed following its summer break at Snetterton (6/7 August).

The weekend marked the first appearance for Colchester-racer Martin Byford at the wheel of the West Thurrock-based team�s Volkswagen Golf as he made his long awaited debut in the BTCC having previously enjoyed success in a number of the support series.

Despite only having a single day at the wheel of the turbo-powered VW prior to the race weekend, Martin was on the pace from the outset as he lapped inside the top twelve in both free practice sessions around the new Snetterton 300 circuit.

Having taken 19th on the grid after his first BTCC qualifying session, Martin finished the opening race of the weekend in 14th place but was then unable to build on the result in race two when a broken gear linkage forced him to retire early on.

Forced to start near the back of the field for race three as a result, Martin showed his ability to race with the pack as he worked his way up to 16th place by the chequered flag, meaning he was able to score Independents� Team Trophy points for the AmD Milltek Racing.com team in two of the three races.

Martin will now head to Knockhill next month for the seventh round of the season eager to challenge for an overall points finish, with valuable time at the wheel of the Golf now under his belt.

�It was very hot and hectic!� he said, �and I can�t believe how quickly it�s gone by. After a solid start to race day, it was a real shame that we had to retire from the second race because a finish around twelfth there would have put us in a good position on the grid for race three. However, motorsport is full of �ifs and buts�.

�Overall I feel we�ve made progress throughout the weekend and the car was more and more consistent as the weekend went on. We�re getting the car more to my liking and I�ve been able to build my relationship with the team. Not scoring is the only downside to the weekend but people have noticed us and seen that I can do a job on the BTCC grid and compete with the pack. I�ll learn more and get quicker at Knockhill, but it�s going to seem like a long month until we go there!�

Team boss Shaun Hollamby was pleased with the performance of his debutant driver, with the focus of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team now firmly on returning to the top ten next time out in Scotland.

�We�ve shown lots of potential this weekend and to be honest, we should have come away from the weekend with some points,� he said. �We didn�t manage that, so we know there is work to do and that there are small tweaks that we can make to improve the car for Knockhill.

�Martin will also have more time in the car to get comfortable with his new surroundings but he�s made a good start this weekend and shown people that he deserves his place on the BTCC grid.�

AmD Milltek Racing.com are supported by AmD Essex, Milltek Sport, Tesco Momentum 99, YourRacingCar.com, Mintex, Super Pro, Pipercross, Corbeau, KW, ABS, Cornering Force, Airtec, SFS Hoses and Eurocell.

AmD Milltek Racing.com set to resume battle at Snetterton

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:28:20 GMT

With the summer break drawing to a close, AmD Milltek Racing.com will return to action in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship this weekend at Snetterton as the second half of the 2011 campaign gets underway in Norfolk (6/7 August).

The sixth round of the season will mark the first appearance for the BTCC on the new Snetterton 300 layout, created following extensive redevelopment work over the winter, and will mark a fresh chapter in the history of the AmD Milltek Racing.com team as new driver Martin Byford prepares to make his debut for the West Thurrock-based team.

Martin�s long-awaited BTCC debut, which follows championship winning success in the supporting Renault Clio Cup in the past, comes after he signed a deal to drive the AmD Milltek Racing.com Volkswagen Golf for the remainder of the season during the summer break.

The Colchester-based racer sampled the turbo-powered Volkswagen during a test session at Brands Hatch last month and now heads into his home event eager to try and challenge for points in his first weekend in the series.

�I can�t wait to get started and I�m watching the clock ticking down to the weekend,� he said. �I got on well with both the car and the team during the test at Brands Hatch and having tried a few things, we know what we need to do to get the VW more suited to my driving style. Of course, I know I have a bit to learn, but I�m just excited about the prospect of racing in the BTCC having spent the best part of ten years thinking and dreaming about it.

�Snetterton is the perfect circuit on which to make my debut as it�s my home track and there will be a lot of family, friends, work colleagues and sponsors coming along to cheer me on. I knew the old layout like the back of my hand but with the revisions that have been made, it�s a clean sheet of paper for everyone this weekend, which will also help me. I can�t think of a better place to appear in the BTCC for the first time and I�m going out there to do the best job I can and hopefully challenge for points.

�On one hand, the Golf is just another race car, but on the other, this is British Touring Cars and I�m pumped up about being part of it.�

Team boss Shaun Hollamby, who stood down from driving duties after a one-off outing at Croft prior to the summer break, said he was keen to see what Martin can do on his BTCC bow and was confident that he would be able to challenge for the team�s fourth top ten finish of the campaign.

�We�ve not taken Martin on board thinking he is a driver who will need to time to get up to speed and I think he is capable of running with anyone on the BTCC grid,� he said. �He just hasn�t had the chance in the past and now, thanks to the support of Tesco Momentum 99 and Milltek Sport, we�ve been able to give him that chance. We�ve shown this season that the Golf is a package that can run in the top ten and Martin is a driver who is more than capable of coming away from the weekend having scored points on his debut.

�Over the summer we have made some modifications to the car and with Martin having had a good test at Brands Hatch last month, I�m confident we can hit the ground running when we get to Snetterton. I�m really looking forward to the weekend.�

AmD Milltek Racing.com are supported by AmD Essex, Milltek Sport, Tesco Momentum 99, YourRacingCar.com, Mintex, Super Pro, Pipercross, Corbeau, KW, ABS, Cornering Force, Airtec, SFS Hoses and Eurocell.

Byford for AmD Milltek Golf.

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:58:13 GMT

AmD Milltek Racing.com has named Martin Byford as its new driver for the remainder of the 2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship season.

Byford, from Colchester, will make his BTCC debut in the outfit�s VW Golf at his home circuit of Snetterton in just over four weeks� time (6-7 August) with sponsorship from personal backer Eurocell as well as team partners AmD, Milltek and Tesco Momentum 99.

The 39-year-old has an excellent reputation in the BTCC�s supporting categories. He was a front-runner in the Renault Clio Cup as long ago as 2002 and won the crown in 2007. He was also a title protagonist in the SEAT Cupra series.

Byford told btcc.net: �Firstly, a big thanks to all those sponsors for putting their faith in me. It�s the opportunity I was looking for some years ago when I was scrapping in Clios and SEATs. When the chance to drive his Golf came up I put everything into making it work � it�s been well documented he had a lot of enquiries so to be �the chosen one� is good for the confidence!�

The Essex racer believes he�ll fit in well with the BTCC�s bumper-to-bumper action after a decade of competition in saloons. He also arrives with good technical know-how having won the British Formula 3 class B title back in 1995. He also proved more than a match for Tom Onslow-Cole when, after several years out, he returned to race in the Clio Cup in 2006. It was Onslow-Cole of course who raced the Golf during the first half of this season before leaving to join Team Aon.

AmD team principal Shaun Hollamby, who raced the car as a one-off at Croft last month, added: �I�m really pleased with our choice. We had massive interest from potential replacements for Tom and then it really came down to a shortlist of four. Martin ticked all the boxes for me � he�s no nonsense and just a thoroughly decent and easy bloke to work with which is exactly what we want in our team.

�His CV speaks for itself and bear in mind I had the Golf up to 12th place in one of the races at Croft and he�s much better than I am! Seriously, he perhaps should have got his chance in the BTCC a few years ago. We�re delighted he�s making his debut with us.�

AmD Milltek Racing.com chief set for rally debut at Goodwood.

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:30:04 GMT

Having enjoyed his one-off return to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship at Croft, AmD Milltek Racing.com team principal Shaun Hollamby is to turn his hand to rallying after being invited to take part in this weekend�s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Shaun will tackle the Goodwood rally stage on Sunday at the wheel of a Skoda Fabia built and prepared by members of the Volkswagen Group Advanced Apprenticeship Programme, with his outing in the car being made possible thanks to the close links in place between the scheme and the AmD Milltek Racing.com team.

This season, members of the programe have joined AmD Milltek Racing.com on event to work with the team as it continues to develop its BTCC VW Golf, with Shaun now being invited to sample the Fabia and try his hand at rallying for the first time.

�We�ve had members of the apprenticeship programme working with us on events this season to help us develop the Golf and now they�ve invited me along to join them at Goodwood and try my hand behind the wheel of their Skoda,� Shaun said. �I have massive respect to those guys who take part in rallying and some of the in car footage you see from them is amazing � they really have no room for mistakes! I�m not going to pretend I�m the next Sebastien Loeb but it�s going to be fun to have a go myself and see what I can do.�

Shaun�s co-driver for his outing on the Goodwood rally stage will be Volkswagen Group Technical Training Manager David Vardy, who welcomed his appearance behind the wheel.

�It�s great for us to have a BTCC driver behind the wheel of the car this weekend,� he said, �and it should be an exciting experience for me in the passenger seat! It�ll be interesting to see how Shaun gets on on the rally stage compared to some of the regular rally drivers who will be in action.�

The opportunity for Shaun to take part in the Goodwood Festival of Speed alongside a number of his fellow BTCC competitors comes during the series� traditional summer break, although there has been little opportunity for the AmD Milltek Racing.com team to relax following the most recent event at Croft earlier in the month.

Talks with prospective drivers interested in driving the team�s Golf for the remaining five rounds of the season are ongoing, although a final decision on who will be at the wheel of the car when racing resumes at Snetterton is set to be taken in the near future.

�We�re nearly there when it comes to agreeing terms with a driver for the rest of the season,� Shaun said. �We�ve narrowed the list down but the process has been more difficult than I expected because of the quality of the drivers we have been talking to. I expect that a deal will be finalised sooner rather than later, but you�ll have to wait and see who is going to be at the wheel of the Golf from Snetterton onwards. All I will say is that I�ve been keeping an eye on the speculation and you might be surprised��

AmD Milltek Racing.com are supported by AmD Essex, Milltek Sport, Tesco Momentum 99, YourRacingCar.com, Mintex, Super Pro, Pipercross, Corbeau, KW, ABS, Cornering Force, Airtec and SFS Hoses.

Tesco Momentum 99 Support AmD Tuning Club Rolling Days.

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:32:02 GMT

Tesco Momentum 99 performance fuels are supporting the AmD Milltek Racing VW Golf that is competing in this years Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC)

As well as running this exciting motorsport programme AmD Tuning (www.amdtuning.com) are one of the UK�s leading performance tuning companies. They are pleased to announce that Tesco Momentum 99 fuel will also be backing their popular car club rolling road days.

AmD Tuning can offer their hi-tech facility to individual car clubs for Rolling Road Shoot Out Day for the discounted price of �35 per car which is a saving of over 50% on a normal rolling road run.

So what makes Momentum99 so special? The good news is that your car doesn't need to be special to enjoy the benefits of Momentum99. Any petrol-engine car that fills up with Momentum99 could see higher performance, more miles to the gallon and a cleaner, more efficient engine.

More for less. Momentum99 has been specially formulated to improve performance. It can burn more efficiently and for longer. This potentially gives you more power, which can mean you use less fuel and your car is more efficient.

Keeping it clean. All petrol can leave deposits in your car's engine, but to prevent this - and to help remove existing deposits - Momentum99 contains special additives with twice the protective power of Tesco's normal 95 octane fuel, giving a cleaner, more efficient engine.

AmD and Milltek at GTi International at Bruntingthorpe.

info@amdmilltekracing.com (AmDMilltekRacing.com) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 09:05:12 GMT

Organized by Volkswagen Driver and Audi Driver magazines, GTi International 2011 will be its 24th year, this being the sixth annual event at the superb Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground site at Lutterworth near Leicester (Postcode for SatNav: LE17 5QS).

GTi International is the UK�s greatest gathering of Volkswagen Group car enthusiasts, attracting owners of all types of VW, Audi, SEAT, Skoda and Porsche cars from all over the World.

Over both full days of the weekend, the event provides an exciting array of attractions, including the quarter-mile Sprint track, a handling circuit, hundreds of top-quality cars on the Show �n� Shine, a huge variety of trade stands and catering facilities, club displays, inter-club activities, a sound-off, autojumble, cars for sale, a mobile dyno, driving simulators and a children�s amusement area.

Appearing alongside Milltek Sport will be one of their premiere UK stockists AmD Tuning who will be on-hand to provide technical expertise, advice and guidance on all areas of car tuning as well as offering a number of Special Deals to showgoers over the course of the weekend.

Milltek will be bringing some of their Fast Fleet vehicles including their 350bhp VW Golf R, Scirocco 2.0 TSi GT DSG, and the AmDMilltekRacing.com BTCC Golf race car. There will also be some of the latest products from Milltek's ever-expanding range of performance exhausts, including, the ultimate VW Golf Mk6 GTi exhaust, VW Golf R with AEV technology and, SEAT Ibiza Cupra / Bocanegra / Polo GTi 1.4 TSi systems.

Owing to the popularity of Milltek exhausts throughout the entire VAG-enthusiast scene, there will be most of their products on display, or even in action on the Sprint-lane, that if you would like to see or hear prior to purchasing...GTi International is the place to be.

With the gates open from Friday afternoon, there is overnight camping on site, with full facilities, to make it a weekend to remember!