Power Maxed Racing signs Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher for BTCC campaign
BTCC team Power Maxed Racing has announced that it has signed Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher to drive the 2016 Chevrolet Cruze this season.
Fletcher, better known to the public by his stage name Andy Sugden, has been in Emmerdale for the past 20 years and has been racing competitively since 2012.
The 32-year-old actor, who hails from Oldham, has had a successful racing career to date competing in the Porsche Carerra Cup and GT3 Cup Challenge, the Ginetta GT5 Challenge, a stint in prototypes in the V de V Challenge and he even completed a guest round in the F1 support race the Porsche Supercup.
Kelvin has racked up 5 race wins, 3 fastest race laps and 29 podiums, based on the 45 races Kelvin has entered he has a podium percentage of 64.4% which puts him well above the majority of racing drivers.
Power Maxed Racing has already signed Hunter Abbott to compete in the sister Chevrolet Cruze and has made a number of changes to the car for this season including the adoption of the upgraded RML components.
PMR was chosen as a development partner to RML being the first team to test the new BTCC components, as well as forming a close working relationship with Swindon Engines, developing a host of new initiatives including a new engine for this season.
Kelvin also has close ties with the University of Bolton which has supported his racing for a number of years. Part of the deal sees Power Maxed Racing working alongside the university to help them develop their ever growing motorsport qualifications. Power Maxed Racing will offer students the chance to gain practical industry experience and help ready them for a career in motorsport.
Adam Weaver, Team Principal, Power Maxed Racing commented, “We are delighted to welcome Kelvin to PMR and give him his chance to step up into the BTCC. He has a strong sportscar track record and he is more than ready to make the transition to the UK's finest domestic racing series. We think Kelvin is an excellent choice to race alongside Hunter, we feel they will work together and will both be turning a few heads this year."
Weaver continues, “We promised a big name for this year and Kelvin’s celebrity status will certainly draw a crowd. We’re looking forward to working with another celebrity driver following our relationship with celebrity chef Paul Hollywood.
"We have thousands of ideas buzzing around the office for other projects we could work on with Kelvin, our favourite at the moment is an Emmerdale vs Corrie track day."
Kelvin Fletcher commented, “I’m really looking forward to making the step up to the BTCC, signing with such a solid team as Power Maxed Racing will no doubt make the transition to the BTCC a smooth one.” Kelvin continues, “I'm a massive motorsport fan and have been watching the BTCC for as long as I can remember, it has been a lifelong dream to race against my childhood heroes and it is about to become a reality thanks to Power Maxed Racing and the University of Bolton."