Dave Ward Joins SEAT Sport UK as BTCC Team Manager

24 February 2008

Dave Ward, who worked with the 1996 British Touring Car Championship winning Audi team, is returning to the series for the first time in 10 years as SEAT Sport UK's Race Team Manager.

The 38-year old from Akeley in Buckinghamshire has a wealth of motorsport experience. He has previously worked with two manufacturer teams in the BTCC – as Number One mechanic with Patrick Watts at Peugeot Sport UK (1992-'95) and as Chief Mechanic with Audi Sport UK (1996-'98), where Dave worked on the A4 Quattro which carried Frank Biela to the 1996 BTCC Drivers' title. He has also worked at Le Mans as Crew Chief with Team Bentley and as Team Manager at Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx. He returns to the BTCC after two years in the Australian V8 Supercar, where he worked as Team Manager at Ford Performance Racing and then Technical Director at Holden's PWR Racing.

Dave has also previously worked with both Jason Plato and Darren Turner. His first motorsport job out of collegewas as Workshop Manager at the John Watson Performance Driving Centre at Silverstone (1989-'92), where Jason was one of the instructors. When he worked at Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx (2003-'04), Darren was one of the team's R8 sportscar drivers, along with Allan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Johnny Herbert.

Dave takes up his full-time post at SEAT Sport UK, working out of the team's Northampton headquarters. He joins an experienced team which consists of Grant Clearwater and Ian Fisher (Joint Team Principals), Neil Selley (Workshop Manager), Piers Phillips (Chief Engineer), Jay Davenport (Assistant Engineer), Jason Harmsworth, Ashley Blenkhorn, Ben Bloomfield (Technicians), Paul Chappell (Sub Assembly), Darren Malt (Parts Manager), Mark Wright, Marek Smrek (Truckies), Ian Best (Programme Support), Colin Ducker (Fabricator), Steve Murphy (Parts Assistant), Julie Goldsmith-Clarke (Team Administrator), Cathy Handley, Vicky Amies (Accounts), Ryan Budd (SEAT Cupra Championship Parts) and Jeremy Doncaster, who is the new SEAT Cupra Championship Co-ordinator.

Dave: "I'm very pleased to be working again in the thriving BTCC, and to jump straight onto the already successful SEAT Sport UK bandwagon. I've an affinity with the VW Group, having worked with Audi and Bentley, and I'm looking forward to helping SEAT get more touring car successes, this time with the Leon TDI project. I've worked with Jason and Darren before, so I'm looking forward to working with two drivers who I have known for a number of years. SEAT Sport UK is a very professional team and everyone here is highly motivated and focused on winning in 2008."

Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager: "It's great to have someone of Dave's calibre fill the position of Team Manager for SEAT Sport UK. He's certainly jumping in at the deep end as we get ready for the 2008 season with a totally new package in the shape of the Leon TDI, but I'm sure his experience will enable him to rise above the challenges we're likely to face and keep the team focused on more success this year."

SEAT Sport UK

See series calendar for British Touring Car Championship 2008

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