Clio Champion first to sign for 2008 SEAT Cupra Championship

Martin Byford, the 2007 Clio Cup Champion, is the first driver to officially register for the 2008 SEAT Cupra Championship. He will race a brand new Leon Cupra, run by Z Speed Racing and supported by A&B Glass, Saracen Security, UK Fasteners and G Signs.

The 35-year old driver from Colchester in Essex, who also has the 2005 Mazda Max-5 Championship, 2003 Super Coupe Cup, 1995 British Formula 3 Class B Championship and two Formula Ford titles to his name, drove his New Leon Cupra for the first time at Snetterton last weekend.

It’s the second time in three years that the reigning Clio Cup Champion has moved to the SEAT Cupra Championship. Having won the Clio Cup title in 2005, Jonathan Adam moved to the SEAT series in 2006. He finished 3rd in his first season and then won the SEAT Cupra title in 2007.

Martin hopes to win the Cupra title at his first attempt, as one of the main attractions of the SEAT Cupra Championship is the first prize of a touring car drive with SEAT Sport UK.

Byford said: “After winning the Clio Cup, the next step towards British Touring Cars is the SEAT Cupra Championship. The BTCC is where I’ve set my sights on racing, and having won the Clio title we needed to move up in terms of performance and professionalism. The SEAT prize of a race in a Leon is very tempting – and that’s what we’ll be out there trying to win next year.

“The first impressions of the New Leon Cupra on track were very good – I didn’t want to get out of it. We took it to Snetterton on Saturday to shake the car down, bed in the gearbox and engine and just use the day to prepare for the start of our pre-season test programme. The Leon ran faultlessly and it’s very well put together. It’s also very quick – it was a general track day, no timing was allowed and I didn’t really get a clear lap because there were a lot of different cars out on the circuit, but I was able to pull out from behind a brand new GT3 Porsche 911 and just blast passed it!

“I felt very comfortable driving the SEAT. It’s the first car I’ve ever had to left-foot brake in, but I didn't even think about it. It was like competing at a charity karting event, you just left-foot brake without thinking and that’s what I did at the first corner of the first lap in the Leon. I’m looking forward to starting our test programme and tailoring it to exactly how I like it and I can’t wait for the start of next season. Roll on March!”

Martin plans to run the car again this year before painting it over the Christmas period and commencing a detailed test programme in January.