Alliance Racing (formerly known as Motorbase Performance) is a British motor racing team, founded in 2004 by former Production Saloon racer David Bartrum. Currently owned by Pete Osborne and former BTCC driver Shaun Hollamby, they are best known for competing in the British Touring Car Championship under the NAPA Racing UK moniker. The team also have an academy in other series bar the BTCC, backed by Wera Tools.

Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain The team started out by contesting the 2004 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, finishing second in the teams championship despite their best-known driver Damien Faulkner only joining mid-season. However, the 2005 season proved difficult with no wins and poor points performance.

2006 saw the team enter both the Pro class and the newly established Pro-Am class. The team's main charge came from the 1992 BTCC champion Tim Harvey, who managed to score 3 wins on his way to second place in that year's championship. In the 2007 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, Steven Kane won more races than anyone else, finishing 3rd overall.

The team took a break form the Carrera Cup in 2008 to focus on their British Touring Car Championship campaign but were back for the 2009 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain entering all three classes. Michael Caine was able to take 3 wins for the team during the year on his way to 4th in the championship.

2010 saw Michael Caine lead Motorbase's charge for the title gaining 7 wins along the way. However, he was beaten by 10 points to the title by ex-Motorbase driver Tim Harvey. In 2011, Harvey attempted to defend his title with Motorbase, partnering his rival Caine. However, the championship was won by James Sutton.

In 2011 the partnership of Caine & Harvey helped the team by giving the team two very experienced drivers alongside Kieran Vernon and George Richardson, who stepped up to the Pro-Am 1 category and Steve Parish, who made a return to the Pro- Am 1 category, joined by new Italian team-mate Daniele Perfetti.

Harvey would later claim an outstanding victory for the team in the GB element of the Porsche Carrera World Cup race, racing against over 100 911 GT3 Cup cars from the worldwide Carrera Cup series racing on the daunting 14 mile world famous Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany.

Later on in the season Caine amoved from the Motorbase Porsche Carrera Cup squad – but rather than stepping away, it was a move that would see him achieve a life-long ambition of joining the ranks of the BTCC.

Keen to fill Caine’s recently vacated seat, Team Principal David Bartrum pulled off an ambitious move by drafting in Nick Tandy. In return Tandy produced a debut performance that set a pace of over half a second ahead of the field. The team won three of the four remaining races of the season.

2018 also marked a return to the Porsche Carrera Cup GB grid for Motorbase, following a six year absence. After initially joining the championship in 2004, David Bartrum’s team competed at the very top of the German marque series for seven seasons, securing the Teams’ Championship title with a four-car strong squad in 2010 and amassing an impressive 26 race wins.

Starting the season as a single-car entry with 22-year-old rookie, Dan Vaughan, the team made an early impact, with Vaughan taking three Pro-Am wins and 5 podiums to end his impressive debut season as the Pro-Am runner-up – just 7 points adrift of the title.

A one-off appearance from Frenchman Valentine Hass-Clot at Silverstone at Snetterton, set the championship alight with a blistering performance that saw him charge from 7th to 2nd on the opening lap, with Motorbase collecting the ‘team of the weekend’ award from Porsche.

With the Carrera Cup GB celebrating its 300th race during the season finale weekend at Brands Hatch, David Bartrum commissioned a one-off special livery Porsche 911 Cup Car for the final rounds, drafting in Motorbase and Carrera Cup stalwart Michael Caine to run under the #300. The one-off livery attracted huge attention by both press and fans alike, with the car roof featuring all previous Carrera Cup GB race winners.

The team returned in 2019 running a two car Pro class programme in Porsche Carrera Cup GB for Dan Vaughan and Lewis Plato.

Plato endured a strong run recording eight podiums to secure fourth in the standings while Vaughan claimed sixth in the championship.

Porsche Carrera Cup GB results Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain results Year Drivers Class Wins Poles Fast laps Points 2004Andy Britnell0001766thDamien Faulkner1031397thGary Britnell00010910th2005Andy Britnell0005811thSam Edwards0002212thDave Pinkney0001215thPhil Quaife000717thDave Bartrum0000NC2006Tim Harvey3212892ndMichael Caine0011836thPhil Quaife PA0001737thAndy Britnell PA0001023rd2007Steven Kane729322 3rdSam Hancock1212425thAndy Britnell PA0001597thGary Britnell PA000920th2009Michael Caine3042614thOliver Jackson PA10001637thSteven Parish PA20001026thMichael Corridan PA2000430thGeorge Richardson PA2000432ndLiam Griffin PA10000NC2010Michael Caine78103602ndOllie Jackson PA10001826thCharles Bateman0011797thGeorge Richardson PA20002814thSteve Parish PA20001620thLiam Griffin PA10001621st2011Michael Caine0008411thKieran Vernon0006913thNick Tandy3446814thGeorge Richardson PA10006815thTim Harvey1006616thDaniele Perfetti PA10003318thSteve Parish PA2000627th2018Michael Caine000410thValentin Hasse-Clot000211thDan Vaughan PA13001072ndRory Collingbourne PA1200486th2019Lewis Plato000944thDan Vaughan000516thPA1 Pro-Am 1 Class / PA2 Pro-Am 2 Class

British Touring Car Championship

Honda Integra (2006) For 2006 they entered the BTCC for the first time, running a BTC Touring spec Honda Integra Type R owned and raced by David Pinkney. He scored a podium at Knockhill, three further top-five finishes, and 13th place overall.

SEAT Toledo (2006–2007) For 2007 the team purchased two ex-works, S2000 specification SEAT Toledo cars, debuting one in the final round of the 2006 British Touring Car Championship season, driven by Tom Ferrier. For 2007 they entered Gareth Howell and rookie Matt Allison, showing pace but having regular accidents, skipping the Knockhill meeting after the carnage of Brands Hatch saw both cars written off. Howell left midseason, replaced by Ferrier, while Paul O'Neill joined Allison for the final round.

BMW 320si E90 (2008–2010)

For 2008 the BTCC cars were replaced by factory-specification BMW 320si E90, driven by Steven Kane and Rob Collard. The team entered no other championships for the season. After a slow start to the season (not helped by several wet-dry races which did not suit the rear-wheel-drive BMWs), Collard scored 2 top-5 finishes at Croft in round 5. This was followed by a 2nd-place finish for Kane at Snetterton.

2009 saw Kane replaced by young Scottish driver Jonathan Adam, who had previously won back to back titles in the SEAT Cupra Championship. Due to new sponsorship with Airwaves, the team began running under the Airwaves BMW banner. 2009 proved a successful season, with Collard winning 2 races and the team finishing 4th in the teams championship.

For 2010, Collard moved to West Surrey Racing, while Motorbase brought in Mat Jackson to replace him. Kane returned to the team, replacing Adam. Together, they were able to take 2 wins and 11 podiums, leading to 4th place in the teams championship for two consecutive seasons.

Ford Focus (2011–present)

In 2011 the team raced as Airwaves Racing and ran a trio of Ford Focus STs, which were previously run by Team Aon the previous year. Although the chassis was built to the S2000 specification, the team used the turbo charged NGTC Engine. Mat Jackson stayed with the team for a second consecutive season and was joined by rookie Liam Griffin. At the Rockingham and Brands Hatch rounds, the team entered a third car for Porsche Carrera Cup frontrunner Michael Caine. However, he was replaced in the third car at Silverstone by two-time British Touring Car Champion, James Thompson.

In 2012 the team raced under the banner of Redstone Racing, and continued to race with the three Ford Focus STs. Mat Jackson yet again stayed with the team for a third consecutive season. Liam Griffin returned for his second consecutive season with the team. The pair were joined by former Renault Clio Cup racer, Árón Smith. After a fire in Griffin's S2000 Focus meant they were a car short Motorbase built their first car; a NGTC specification global Ford Focus ST Mk.III. This car won its first race at the Silverstone meeting in the hands of Mat Jackson.

For 2013 Airwaves returned as the main sponsor for the team. The team retained Mat Jackson and Árón Smith who both drove new NGTC turbocharged Focus ST MkIII while Liam Griffin continued with the team driving the older S2000 specification turbocharged Focus ST MkII.

David Bartrum pulled off the coup of the year in signing two-times champion Fabrizio Giovanardi as the lead driver for Airwaves Racing in 2014. Another new face in former F2 racer Jack Clarke also looked set to deliver some great results with Clarke piloting the striking lime green livery of Crabbie’s Ginger Beer running under the Crabbie’s Racing title. Mat Jackson’s return to the squad for his fifth season was remarkably only announced at the official championship media day – after a last minute deal was penned that morning.

With BTCC legend Giovanardi and star Jackson spearheading the squad’s assault on the 2014 Championship, all eyes were on Motorbase as serious title contenders. Frustratingly, it quickly became apparent that Giovanardi’s four year absence from the Championship had left too big a gap for the Italian to make up and he failed to deliver the expected results. Conversely Jackson enjoyed another superb season, finishing 4th in the overall Championship standings and runner up in the Independents.

The season also marked Motorbase’s most successful season to date, taking 4th place in the Overall Teams’ Championship whilst incredibly maintaining a 100% finishing record for the #6 Focus ST – the only car to have completed every lap of the racing season. Jack Clarke’s rookie BTCC season built solidly. From a slow start, the Crabbie’s-backed racer showed true class during the season and was rewarded with his maiden podium and Independent race win following a stunning drive in the season finale at Brands Hatch.

2014 also marked the end of an era for Motorbase Performance, with Wrigley’s Airwaves taking the decision to move away from motorsport and the Motorbase squad after six years of success. One of the most successful partnerships in the BTCC, the farewell was suitably commemorated at the squad’s home circuit, Brands Hatch – the circuit where the Airwaves brand had made its debut six years earlier.

The lead up to the 2015 season would prove to be the most challenging yet for Bartrum. With the loss of Wrigley’s Airwaves, a new title sponsor was in place for the Kent squad before a last minute change of direction saw them pull out just weeks ahead of the start of the season.

With new signing James Cole already announced and confirmed alongside the returning Mat Jackson and the squad mid-way through a joint Ford EcoBoost development programme with engine builders, Mountune, Team owner David Bartrum had to make the momentous and difficult decision to take a half year sabbatical from the BTCC. With support and agreement from TOCA and the team’s technical partners, Motorbase pushed on with the EcoBoost project before making it highly anticipated return to the grid at Snetterton for the second half of the season.