AmD Technik Essex (also known as Automotive Developments) is a British
car tuning
Car tuning is the modification of a car to optimise it for a different set of performance requirements from those it was originally designed to meet. Most commonly this is higher engine performance and dynamic handling characteristics but cars ...
company and
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
team. The team currently competes in the
British Touring Car Championship
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA
TOCA, formally trading as BARC (TOCA) Ltd, is an organiser of motorsport events in ...
under the MB Motorsport accelerated by Blue Square banner.
History
The company was formed in 1987, specialising in the
Volkswagen-Audi marque, forming their own VW-backed race team in 1990.
They went on to win many championships with AmD-built and tuned
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
s. The company now offers tuning parts for most European cars.
For the 2008 & 2009 seasons, AmD ran
SEAT León
The SEAT León (), also spelled Leon in some other languages (named after the city of León, which also means "Lion" in Spanish), is a hatchback compact car built by the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since October 1999.ETKA
The first two León ...
s in the
Dunlop Sportmaxx Cup and won the championship in 2009, with Simon Shaw driving.
BTCC
In 2010, AmD Essex, under the name AmD Milltek Racing, raced in the
British Touring Car Championship
The Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom, currently organised and administered by TOCA
TOCA, formally trading as BARC (TOCA) Ltd, is an organiser of motorsport events in ...
running a
Volkswagen Golf Mk5
The Volkswagen Golf Mk5 (codenamed ''Typ 1K'') is a compact car/small family car manufactured and marketed by Volkswagen, as the fifth generation of the Golf in three- or five-door hatchback (August 2003–2008) and a five-door station wagon (2 ...
, driven by their managing director,
Shaun Hollamby
Shaun Hollamby (born 4 December 1965 in Pembury, Kent) is a British auto racing driver and race team owner. He is the managing director of AmD Tuning, a performance tuning company and motor racing team based in West Thurrock, Essex. He also cu ...
. The car was previously run in the
Baltic Touring Car Championship
The Baltic Touring Car Championship or BaTCC is a touring car racing series held each year in the Baltic states. The championship is regulated by a board containing two representatives each from the automobile associations of Estonia, Latvia and ...
.
The team remained in the series in
2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, with
Tom Onslow-Cole
Thomas Michael Onslow-Cole (born 16 May 1987 in Kingston, Surrey ) is a British auto racing driver. He won the International GT Open in Pro-Am category in 2018 and in 2019 and the 24H Series in 2015.
It was announced in April 2014 that he wou ...
campaigning the Golf for the first four rounds of the season, running with a Lehmann built NGTC engine.
On Sunday 5 June, following Race 2 of round four at Oulton Park, Onslow-Cole announced he would be leaving the team following the final race of the day. Given the sudden circumstances, AmD Milltek took the decision not to field the car for the final round of the day. A day later, it emerged that Onslow-Cole was to return to his previous team, Aon Ford, to run a third car.
In the following week, it was announced that managing director Shaun Hollamby would pilot the car at round five at Croft, to give the team longer to find an appropriate replacement for Onslow-Cole. After Croft, Hollamby announced his retirement from high-level motorsport.
For the remainder of the 2011 season, the team signed former Renault Clio Cup champion,
Martin Byford
Martin Byford (born 27 May 1972) is a British racing driver from Colchester. He competed in the BTCC in 2011 for AmD Milltek. He is currently driving for BPM Motorsport in the 2019 Dunlop Endurance Championship with Ashley Woodman.
Racing car ...
to drive the car.
At the Autosport International show, AmD announced that
Ollie Jackson
Oliver Jackson (born 26 April 1984 in Whitechapel, London) is a British racing driver who currently competes in the British Touring Car Championship.
Personal life
Ollie Jackson is from Reigate, Surrey and was educated at Epsom College. He the ...
would be driving for the team during the 2012 season.
In 2013, AmD ran James Kaye in a Honda Civic for one round of the BTCC and four rounds in a Volkswagen Golf, which was also piloted by Hollamby and Aaron Mason for one round each. They sat out the Knockhill, Rockingham and Silverstone rounds of the championship.
Dave Newsham joined the team in 2014 and drove a Ford Focus ST for the season, picking up the team's first podium in race 3 at Newsham's home round at Knockhill and finished 17th in the championship.
For 2015, the team stuck with the Ford Focus ST with Mike Bushall piloting, and introduced the Audi S3 purchased from Rotek Racing to run Nicolas Hamilton for four rounds and Jake Hill at the final round at Brands Hatch.
Ollie Jackson returned to the squad in 2016 opting to run the Audi S3 and ditching the focus. Jackson completed the season in 26th place in the championship.
2017 saw AmD build a second Audi S3 for Ant Whorton-Eales to partner Jackson for the season with the two becoming regular points scorers on the way to 22nd and 23rd in the final standings.
AmD significantly expanded for the 2018 BTCC season with the purchase from the defunct Triple 8 team of a pair of race winning MG 6s. To drive the two machines, the services of young Scotsman Rory Butcher who debuted in 2017 and previous BTCC race winner Tom Boardman were called upon. AmD also retained the two Audi S3s with Jackson remaining in one for the 3rd consecutive season and youngster Sam Smelt called up to the sister car. They recorded their best season to date with Butcher regularly troubling the top points scorers. Boardman was replaced half way through the season by Ant Whorton-Eales for Snetterton, Glyn Geddie for Rockingham and Knockhill and Josh Caygill for Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Ollie Jackson also took a 3rd place finish at Brands Hatch in changeable conditions.
For 2019, AmD sold the MG 6s to new squad Exceler8 and bought a pair of Honda Civic FK2 from Eurotech, who left the series at the end of 2018. Butcher was retained for one of the new Honda seats and race-winner Sam Tordoff was brought in to partner him. Sam Tordoff was replaced after 7 rounds by Mike Bushall. The three of them secured the Independent Teams Championship with a combined 4 wins and 3 pole positions whilst Rory won both Independent Drivers title and the Jack Sears Trophy rounding off the team's most successful season to date.
TradePriceCars.com
Also in 2019, the Audi S3s were sold to Trade Price Racing but are still to be run for the team in a two year deal by AmD, with Jake Hill taking one of the Audi seats and ex F1 driver, Le Mans & Indy Car race winner Mark Blundell taking the other. Jake took the Audis 1st ever victory at Knockhill.
Jake was promoted to the AmD side of the team for 2020 and will be partnered by Sam Osborne, whilst the Trade Price Cars arm will be piloted by Bobby Thompson and ex British GT Champion James Gornall.
MB Motorsport
For 2020, a partnership with ex-F1 racer
Mark Blundell
Mark Blundell (born 8 April 1966) is a British racing driver who competed in Formula One for four seasons, sports cars, and CART. He won the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was a Formula One presenter for the British broadcaster ITV until the ...
was formed, taking over the running of the Honda Civics.
Mark Blundell
Mark Blundell (born 8 April 1966) is a British racing driver who competed in Formula One for four seasons, sports cars, and CART. He won the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was a Formula One presenter for the British broadcaster ITV until the ...
will act as sporting director of the two-car Honda programme featuring new BRDC Superstar
Jake Hill
Jake Hill (born 22 February 1994) is a British racing driver who is currently competing in the British Touring Car Championship in 2022 for Rokit MB Motorsport with West Surrey Racing BMW 330e M Sport. He has also driven for Team HARD, Rob Aus ...
and
Sam Osborne Samuel or Sam Osborne or Osborn may refer to:
* Samuel Osborne (custodian) (1833–1903), African American custodian and caretaker at Colby College
* Samuel W. Osborne (1868–1952), Australian newspaper founder and editor
* Sam Osborne (footbal ...
, with AmD founder
Shaun Hollamby
Shaun Hollamby (born 4 December 1965 in Pembury, Kent) is a British auto racing driver and race team owner. He is the managing director of AmD Tuning, a performance tuning company and motor racing team based in West Thurrock, Essex. He also cu ...
retaining the position of team principal.
The team merged with
Motorbase Performance
Motorbase Performance is a British motor racing team, founded in 2004 by former Production Saloon racer David Bartrum. They are best known for competing in the British Touring Car Championship.
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
The team starte ...
for 2021.
BTCC results
;Notes:
:* Season still in progress
:† Swapped teams mid season
References
External links
*
* http://www.amdessex.com/btcc.blog.cfm
* http://www.btccpages.com/news/1/1678/New-team-brings-VW-Golf-to-2010-BTCC/
* http://www.racecar-engineering.com/news/cars/438063/volkswagen-joins-btcc-grid.html
* http://www.crash.net/btcc/news/155825/1/amd_reveals_volkswagen_btcc_plans.html
* http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80796
{{DEFAULTSORT:AmD Essex
British auto racing teams
British Touring Car Championship teams
British GT Championship teams
International GT Open teams
Auto racing teams established in 1990