Addison Lee Motorbase had a completely new driver line up for the fifth round of the 2013 British Touring Car Championship at Croft.
Making his début for the team in place of Liam Griffin was 19 year old Jake Hill and the Addison Lee Motorbase driver secured a first and third in the Jack Sears Trophy in his first two BTCC races while he was running a strong 11th in the wet final encounter before being forced into retirement after contact.
Despite the disappointment of the final race of the weekend, the BRDC Rising Star showed maturity and race craft during his maiden BTCC weekend.
“Overall it was absolutely brilliant,” said Hill. “To get first in class in free practice and then qualifying in second and not that far off the lead was really good; and then to get the Jack Sears Trophy in race one was amazing.
“I was a little disappointed to have been pipped on the line in race 2 but I learnt a lot about race craft in the race; and then race 3 I got my welcome to touring cars! The car was mega in the wet and we managed to get up to 11th at one point but then the pushing and shoving started and we got beaten up. But, hey; that’s touring cars!
“I’m over the moon with the Jack Sears Trophy win; I’m pleased with the job I’ve done today and this weekend has just driven me on even further to want to race in the BTCC.”
Hill also credits a number of people for making his début in the BTCC possible while dedicating his Jack Sears Trophy victory to a couple of special people in his life.
“I’d like to dedicate my Jack Sears Trophy win to my Nan and Lesley Hayes who a lot of people knew around the paddock. I’d also like to say a massive thank you to David, Barbara, Oly and everyone at Motorbase and also to my sponsors The Sportif group and Drift for helping make this weekend happen,” Hill concluded.
Joining Hill in the Addison Lee Motorbase outfit for a one off event in the third NGTC Ford Focus was reining British GT Championship Champion Michael Caine.
43 Year old Caine raced for the team in the BTCC for two events in 2011 and his return saw him secure an eighth place finish in the opening race while engine issues saw him retire from races 2 and 3.
“It was brilliant to get the chance to come and race in the BTCC again and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity,” Caine said. “We got great support from Autoglym LifeShine and I feel that the car has got absolute definite potential and should be a race winning car.
“I’d obviously love that opportunity to try and win a race for the Motorbase team, but whether it does or doesn’t happen, from what we learnt this weekend; it’s a step in the right direction. Personally it would be a shame if I never got the opportunity to race it again, but I hope that everybody looks at it and goes; well he’s a 43 year old car salesman from Newmarket and he didn’t do a bad job!” Joked Caine.