Alliance Racing
British motor-racing team formerly known as Motorbase Performance.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Alliance Racing is a British motor-racing team whose earlier identity, Motorbase Performance, became closely associated with the British Touring Car Championship and Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain. The organization was founded in 2004 by David Bartrum, a former Production Saloon racer, and initially entered Porsche’s domestic one-make series. Its first Porsche Carrera Cup campaign produced a second-place finish in the teams’ championship, despite its leading driver Damien Faulkner joining during the season. The team encountered a more difficult 2005 before rebuilding its competitiveness with experienced drivers including Tim Harvey and Steven Kane. Motorbase also expanded into the British Touring Car Championship in 2006. Its first BTCC entry used a BTC Touring-specification Honda Integra Type R for David Pinkney, who achieved a podium at Knockhill and several other strong finishes. The team subsequently operated SEAT Toledo, BMW 320si and Ford Focus machinery, adapting its technical programme as the championship moved toward the S2000 and NGTC regulations. The BMW period from 2008 to 2010 brought increasing stability and visibility. Steven Kane, Rob Collard, Jonathan Adam and Mat Jackson were among the drivers associated with the programme, which raced as Airwaves BMW in 2009 and finished fourth in the teams’ championship in both 2009 and 2010. The Ford Focus era began in 2011, when the team ran three Focus STs under the Airwaves Racing banner. In 2012 it adopted the Redstone Racing name and developed its first NGTC-specification global Ford Focus ST Mk III after an older car was damaged by fire. Mat Jackson delivered the new car’s first race victory at Silverstone. The programme continued under Airwaves sponsorship in 2013 and was strengthened in 2014 by the recruitment of two-time BTCC champion Fabrizio Giovanardi, alongside long-serving driver Jackson and rookie Jack Clarke. Although Giovanardi did not achieve the expected results after a four-year absence from the championship, Jackson finished fourth overall and second among the Independents, while the team placed fourth in the overall teams’ standings. A sponsorship change and funding uncertainty led Motorbase to take a temporary sabbatical from the first half of the 2015 BTCC season. The team nevertheless continued its Ford EcoBoost development work with Mountune and returned at Snetterton. The upgraded Focus produced an immediate improvement, including qualifying poles for Jackson and a strong run of victories and podiums late in the season. In 2016, the arrival of 2013 BTCC champion Andrew Jordan helped produce the most successful season in Motorbase’s history at that point. Jackson and Jordan won the Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ titles, with the Ford Focus programme recording seven overall wins, numerous podiums and a leading independent-class record. In 2017, the organization announced a renewed focus on the BTCC and entered a three-car programme backed by Shredded Wheat. Jackson was joined by Martin Depper and rookie Luke Davenport. Davenport suffered a serious accident during a wet qualifying session at Croft but recovered following hospital treatment. The team’s later history led to its Alliance Racing identity, under which it has continued to be associated with major British touring-car competition. Its business model combines race-team operation, vehicle preparation, engineering, driver support and commercial partnerships rather than the sale of consumer products.
History
Motorbase Performance was established in 2004 by David Bartrum and began its competitive career in the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain. The team finished second in the teams’ championship in its debut season, then experienced a less successful 2005. It returned to the front of the category with Tim Harvey and Steven Kane, while also building the operational base that later supported its touring-car expansion. The organization entered the BTCC in 2006 with a Honda Integra Type R for David Pinkney. A move to SEAT Toledo cars followed in 2007, although accidents caused substantial disruption and both cars were written off after the Brands Hatch meeting. For 2008, Motorbase replaced the SEATs with factory-specification BMW 320si E90s. The BMW programme gained momentum through strong performances by Rob Collard and Steven Kane, and in 2009 the team competed as Airwaves BMW. Collard won two races and the team finished fourth in the teams’ championship. Mat Jackson replaced Collard for 2010, while Kane returned, and the pairing again produced fourth place in the teams’ standings. Motorbase adopted Ford Focus ST machinery in 2011 and raced under the Airwaves Racing identity. The following year it became Redstone Racing and began building NGTC-specification Focus cars. Mat Jackson won the first race for the new car at Silverstone. Airwaves sponsorship returned in 2013, and in 2014 the team combined Jackson with two-time champion Fabrizio Giovanardi and newcomer Jack Clarke. Jackson finished fourth overall, Clarke secured a maiden podium and independent-class victory, and the team recorded fourth in the overall teams’ championship. The departure of Airwaves sponsorship and a late cancellation of a prospective title partnership created a major financial and operational challenge before 2015. Motorbase paused its BTCC participation for the first half of the year while continuing technical development with Mountune. On returning at Snetterton, the improved Ford Focus showed competitive pace, with Jackson taking consecutive poles and a late-season sequence of wins and podiums. The 2016 season was a high point. Andrew Jordan joined Jackson, and the pair won seven races between them while accumulating a substantial independent-class result. Motorbase secured both the Independent Teams’ and Independent Drivers’ titles. In 2017 the team concentrated its efforts on the BTCC, supported by Shredded Wheat, and entered three cars for Jackson, Martin Depper and Luke Davenport. Davenport’s serious Croft accident interrupted the season, although he recovered fully. The former Motorbase organization is now known as Alliance Racing and remains identified with British professional touring-car competition.
- 2017
Three-car Shredded Wheat BTCC programme
[1]The organization entered a three-car BTCC campaign backed by Shredded Wheat.
- 2016
Independent championship double
[1]Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan secured the Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ titles.
- 2012
First NGTC Ford Focus victory
[1]The team built an NGTC-specification Focus ST Mk III, which won its first race at Silverstone with Mat Jackson.
- 2011
Ford Focus programme begins
[1]Motorbase began racing Ford Focus STs under the Airwaves Racing banner.
- 2008
Switch to BMW 320si machinery
[1]The team replaced its SEAT programme with factory-specification BMW 320si E90 cars.
- 2006
First British Touring Car Championship entry
[1]Motorbase entered the BTCC with a Honda Integra Type R driven by David Pinkney.
- 2004
Team founded and Porsche Carrera Cup debut
[1]David Bartrum founded the team, which entered Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and finished second in the teams’ championship.
Products and positioning
A British professional racing organization positioned around championship-level touring-car engineering, race operations, driver development and sponsor-backed competition programmes.
Motorsport programme · 2004
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain race programme
Motorbase competed in Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain from its 2004 debut, returned after a six-year absence in 2018, and ran a two-car Pro-class programme in 2019. The team’s Porsche history included championship challenges, class wins and a notable 2011 Nürburgring Carrera World Cup victory for Tim Harvey in the British race.
Touring car · 2006
Honda Integra Type R
A BTC Touring-specification Honda Integra Type R formed Motorbase’s first British Touring Car Championship entry in 2006. David Pinkney scored a podium at Knockhill and several additional top-five finishes during the team’s first season in the series.
Touring car · 2006
SEAT Toledo
Motorbase acquired two former works S2000-specification SEAT Toledo cars for its 2007 BTCC campaign. Drivers included Gareth Howell, Matt Allison and Tom Ferrier. The programme showed speed but was heavily affected by accidents, including the loss of both cars at Brands Hatch.
Touring car · 2008
BMW 320si E90
The BMW 320si E90 replaced the SEAT cars for 2008 and was used through 2010. The rear-wheel-drive BMWs initially struggled in mixed conditions, but the programme improved through podium-level performances and race wins by Rob Collard and Mat Jackson.
Touring car · 2011
Ford Focus ST touring car
The Ford Focus ST became Motorbase’s defining BTCC platform from 2011 onward. The team progressed from S2000-based cars to an NGTC-specification Focus ST Mk III, later incorporating Ford EcoBoost and Mountune development. The cars delivered the organization’s 2016 independent-title double.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Team Shredded Wheat Racing
United Kingdom
Motorbase entered a three-car BTCC programme backed by Shredded Wheat, with Mat Jackson, Martin Depper and Luke Davenport.
Outcome. The campaign was affected by competitive difficulties and Davenport’s serious qualifying accident at Croft.
- 2016Motorbase independent-title campaign
United Kingdom
Mat Jackson and Andrew Jordan led the Ford Focus programme in a sustained challenge for the BTCC independent championships.
Outcome. Motorbase won both the Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ titles.
- 2014Airwaves Racing title challenge
United Kingdom
The team fielded Fabrizio Giovanardi, Mat Jackson and Jack Clarke in Ford Focus cars, with Airwaves as a major sponsor.
Outcome. Jackson finished fourth overall, Clarke achieved a maiden podium, and the team finished fourth in the overall teams’ standings.
- 2011Airwaves Racing Ford Focus programme
United Kingdom
The team introduced three Ford Focus STs, combining an S2000-based chassis with a turbocharged NGTC engine.
Outcome. Established Ford Focus machinery as the team’s principal BTCC platform.
- 2009Airwaves BMW
United Kingdom
Motorbase raced in the BTCC under the Airwaves BMW name, with Rob Collard winning two races and the team finishing fourth in the teams’ championship.
Outcome. A significant improvement in the team’s BMW-era competitiveness.
Brand decisions
2018
Return to Porsche Carrera Cup Great BritainOtherBackground
After a six-year absence from the category, the team resumed its Porsche one-make racing activity.
Action taken
Motorbase entered a Porsche Carrera Cup GB programme beginning with a single Dan Vaughan entry.
Aftermath
Vaughan became Pro-Am runner-up, while the team also made a highly publicized one-off #300 entry at the series’ 300th race.
2016
Recruitment of Andrew JordanStrategyBackground
Motorbase sought to strengthen its established Ford Focus programme after Jackson had remained a leading independent competitor.
Action taken
The team signed 2013 BTCC champion Andrew Jordan alongside returning driver Mat Jackson.
Aftermath
The pairing produced the team’s Independent Drivers’ and Independent Teams’ championship double.
2015
Temporary BTCC sabbaticalStrategyBackground
The team lost an expected title sponsor shortly before the season and faced the practical consequences of the Airwaves partnership ending.
Action taken
Motorbase withdrew from the opening half of the BTCC season while continuing development of its Ford EcoBoost and chassis programme.
Aftermath
The team returned at Snetterton and became increasingly competitive during the second half of the season.
Recent events
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