Having won the Michelin Clio Series in 2016, 18-year-old newcomer Dorlin was one of the revelations of 2017’s Clio Cup with two race wins – at Thruxton and Silverstone – en route to ninth in the final standings.
For 2018 he will again be sponsored by Vantage Motor Group and Harlequin Teamwear, plus Prototype Creative.
Dorlin commented: “I’m really confident we will be in the fight for the title – 2017 was a massive learning curve but we still exceeded our expectations with the two wins. “Westbourne and myself now want to put everything we learnt together last year to very good use this season. There’s a lot of focus and energy going into making sure everything is as good as it can be.”
And he added: “There’s no hiding in the Clio Cup – the cars are very evenly matched and with so many good drivers at the limit with the cars it’s all about finding that extra little bit. There will be a lot riding on the first two races at Brands Hatch – nobody will want to leave there playing catch-up.”
Westbourne, based in Hickstead, has come close to the Clio Cup title before when James Colburn finished runner-up for it in 2011.
Team Principal Richard Colburn said: “James was a great addition to our team in 2017 – his wins at Thruxton and Silverstone were very classy and we are delighted to be working with him again this year. Certainly we will be leaving no stone unturned as the Clio Cup title is one we would dearly love to win as well.”
The 2018 Renault UK Clio Cup gets under way with its opening two rounds at the famous Brands Hatch circuit in Kent on Sat 7/Sun 8 April. All 18 of its rounds will take place at the British Touring Car Championship’s high-profile events – this guarantees it is broadcast live on ITV4 and also means it appears in front of huge trackside crowds (38,500 on average in 2017).
Renault Sport’s UK Motorsport Championship Manager Will Fewkes said: “James and Westbourne make for another really exciting driver-team combination to confirm their place on 2018’s Clio Cup grid. We’re delighted to have them back and it will be interesting to see just how strong a force they can become together this year.”
