Jack Clarke last night announced his plans to race in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship with Crabbie’s Racing.

He will race a NGTC Ford Focus that will is prepared by Wrotham based Motorbase Performance as he makes his move from single seater racing to the BTCC.

His single-seater career, which culminated in a victory and several podiums in the FIA Formula Two Championship. He has since competed in a number of high-level GT races in the World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and Blancpain Endurance Series, plus a number of NASCAR stock-car events in the US.

With both Clarke and Crabbie’s targeting a future and presence in the highest tier of British motor sport, a partnership has been forged to place the highly talented 26-year-old with the Motorbase Performance squad for the upcoming season.

Motorsport fans will be no strangers to the success of Motorbase who have over the year won numerous races in the BTCC, and Clarke joins an experienced outfit that also boasts two-time champion Fabrizio Giovanardi in its ranks.

Surrey-based Clarke has been evaluated alongside Giovanardi in recent tests at both Brands Hatch and Snetterton, where the team were hugely impressed with his speed and ability to adapt to a car that was completely new to him.

He will now carry out a number of further test runs, including the only official BTCC pre-season test at Donington Park on 18 March, where the all-new Crabbie’s Racing livery will be unveiled.

Speaking about being given the opportunity to race in the BTCC, Clarke said: “I’m delighted to be joining the BTCC and I’m thankful to both Crabbie’s and Motorbase for the opportunity. The BTCC continues to go from strength-to-strength, and I’m excited to be racing in Britain’s premier championship.

“The calibre and quality of the field is very high and it’ll be my first year in touring cars, so I’m under no illusions as to how tough it’s going to be. Testing has gone very well and I obviously have confidence in my own ability, so I cannot wait to take on this exciting challenge with Crabbie’s Racing.”

Motorbase Performance are delighted that Jack Clarke is joining their squad for the upcoming assault on the BTCC.

Oly Collins, BTCC team manager said: “It’s great to have Jack on board with us this season. Jack is entering the BTCC at such an important time in the Championship’s history and he joins a group of fresh new talent, as well as the more established drivers on the grid.

“He’s really impressed during pre-season testing and got to grips with the NGTC machinery very quickly – I feel certain he’ll be in the mix straight away in his debut year. It’s also great to welcome such a vibrant brand in Crabbie’s to Motorbase Performance, which further shows the strength of the Championship.”