# Daniel Welch (racing driver)

Daniel John Welch (born 17 July 1982) is a British racing driver. During his career he has mostly driven for his family team, Welch Motorsport. He drove in the British Touring Car Championship from 2011 to 2016. He is the son of former British rallycross driver John Welch.

## Racing career

Born in Aldershot, Hampshire, Welch first began racing in the Formula Renault UK series, but never completed a full season. In 2007, he switched to tin tops, racing in the SEAT Cupra Championship. He raced SEATs for the next few years in several one-make championships, taking two wins in the British SEAT Cupra Championship.

### British Touring Car Championship
#### Welch Motorsport (2011–2016)

In 2011, he stepped up to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, once again driving for his family team in a Proton Gen-2, built to the then-new NGTC regulations. He competed in the final half of the season from Snetterton onwards, finishing 22nd in the Drivers' Championship, having secured his first BTCC point at the penultimate race of the season at Silverstone.
Welch continued to race in the BTCC in 2012. He had his best weekend of the season at Oulton Park, finishing 6th in Race 1 and then holding off Matt Neal to claim 4th in Race 2. For this he won the HiQ Champagne Moment award, as voted for by fans. Welch finished the season 15th in the Drivers' Championship.
Welch and his team continued to compete in the BTCC in 2013, finishing 18th in the Drivers' Championship with a best result of 6th at Knockhill. Welch finished 32nd in the 2014 Drivers' Championship after a disappointing season in which the team struggled with their new self-built engines.
After a difficult 2015 season, Welch revealed plans to sell their pair of Proton Gen-2 cars at the end of the season.

## Racing record
### Racing career summary

| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
| 2000 | Formula Vauxhall | N/A | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 88 | 4th |
| 2001 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Falcon Motorsport | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 21st |
| 2002 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Cliff Dempsey Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 33rd |
| 2002 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Welch Motorsport | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 33rd |
| 2003 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Welch Motorsport | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 22nd |
| 2004 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Paston Racing | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 33rd |
| 2004 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Welch Motorsport | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 33rd |
| 2004 | Renault Clio Cup United Kingdom | Aurok Motorsport | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 26th |
| 2005 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Welch Motorsport | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 16th |
| 2006 | Formula Renault 2.0 UK | Welch Motorsport | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 31st |
| 2007 | SEAT Cupra Championship | Welch Motorsport | 20 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 153.5 | 5th |
| 2008 | 24 Hours of Dubai - A6 | Team RPM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 15th |
| 2008 | SEAT Cupra Championship | Welch Motorsport | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 183 | 6th |
| 2009 | SEAT León Supercopa Spain | Welch Motorsport | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 19th |
| 2009 | Ginetta G50 Cup | Welch Motorsport | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 96 | 16th |
| 2009 | SEAT León Eurocup | Welch Motorsport | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26th |
| 2010 | 24 Hours of Dubai - A3T | Strategic Transport Racing 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 4th |
| 2010 | SEAT León Eurocup | Welch Motorsport | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 15th |
| 2010 | SEAT León Supercopa Spain | Welch Motorsport | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 13th |
| 2011 | British Touring Car Championship | Welch Automotive | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22nd |
| 2012 | British Touring Car Championship | Welch Motorsport with Sopp+Sopp | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79 | 15th |
| 2013 | British Touring Car Championship | Welch Motorsport with Sopp+Sopp | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 18th |
| 2014 | British Touring Car Championship | STP Racing with Sopp & Sopp | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -40 | 32nd |
| 2015 | 24H Series - 997 | STP Racing | | | | | | | |
| 2015 | 24 Hours of Dubai - 997 | STP Racing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | N/A |
| 2015 | British Touring Car Championship | Welch Motorsport | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 29th |
| 2016 | British Touring Car Championship | Goodestone Racing | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 23rd |
| 2018 | British Touring Car Championship | Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35th |
| 2018 | Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain - Pro-Am | Welch Motorsport | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 28 | 7th |

### Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position – 1 point awarded in first race; races in italics indicate fastest lap – 1 point awarded all races; * signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap – 1 point awarded all races)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | Pos | Pts |
| 2011 | Welch Automotive | Proton Gen-2 | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | BRH 3 | DON 1 | DON 2 | DON 3 | THR 1 | THR 2 | THR 3 | OUL 1 | OUL 2 | OUL 3 | CRO 1 | CRO 2 | CRO 3 | SNE 1 22 | SNE 2 18 | SNE 3 19 | KNO 1 NC | KNO 2 16 | KNO 3 12 | ROC 1 Ret | ROC 2 Ret | ROC 3 14 | BRH 1 Ret | BRH 2 Ret | BRH 3 DSQ | SIL 1 11 | SIL 2 10 | SIL 3 14 | 22nd | 1 |
| 2012 | Welch Motorsport with Sopp+Sopp | Proton Persona | BRH 1 17 | BRH 2 11 | BRH 3 Ret | DON 1 12 | DON 2 Ret | DON 3 8 | THR 1 DNS | THR 2 DNS | THR 3 DNS | OUL 1 6 | OUL 2 4 | OUL 3 Ret | CRO 1 Ret | CRO 2 17 | CRO 3 10 | SNE 1 5 | SNE 2 17 | SNE 3 12 | KNO 1 12 | KNO 2 Ret | KNO 3 12 | ROC 1 | ROC 2 | ROC 3 | SIL 1 Ret | SIL 2 8 | SIL 3 14 | BRH 1 16 | BRH 2 Ret | BRH 3 Ret | 15th | 79 |
| 2013 | Welch Motorsport with Sopp+Sopp | Proton Persona | BRH 1 11 | BRH 2 14 | BRH 3 12 | DON 1 NC | DON 2 15 | DON 3 11 | THR 1 14 | THR 2 Ret | THR 3 11 | OUL 1 14 | OUL 2 9 | OUL 3 Ret | CRO 1 17 | CRO 2 11 | CRO 3 Ret | SNE 1 17 | SNE 2 Ret | SNE 3 20 | KNO 1 Ret | KNO 2 11 | KNO 3 6 | ROC 1 Ret | ROC 2 DNS | ROC 3 DNS | SIL 1 13 | SIL 2 9 | SIL 3 10 | BRH 1 13 | BRH 2 NC | BRH 3 19 | 18th | 72 |
| 2014 | STP Racing with Sopp & Sopp | Proton Persona | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | BRH 3 | DON 1 21 | DON 2 19 | DON 3 21 | THR 1 21 | THR 2 24 | THR 3 24 | OUL 1 27 | OUL 2 20 | OUL 3 23 | CRO 1 24 | CRO 2 21 | CRO 3 Ret | SNE 1 Ret | SNE 2 Ret | SNE 3 21 | KNO 1 Ret | KNO 2 Ret | KNO 3 DNS | ROC 1 24 | ROC 2 21 | ROC 3 16 | SIL 1 Ret | SIL 2 Ret | SIL 3 Ret | BRH 1 21 | BRH 2 Ret | BRH 3 DNS | 32nd | −40 |
| 2015 | Welch Motorsport | Proton Persona | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | BRH 3 | DON 1 Ret | DON 2 Ret | DON 3 DNS | THR 1 DNS | THR 2 DNS | THR 3 DNS | OUL 1 20 | OUL 2 17 | OUL 3 15 | CRO 1 23 | CRO 2 20 | CRO 3 21 | SNE 1 | SNE 2 | SNE 3 | KNO 1 21 | KNO 2 18 | KNO 3 22 | ROC 1 21 | ROC 2 19 | ROC 3 Ret | SIL 1 18 | SIL 2 18 | SIL 3 Ret | BRH 1 Ret | BRH 2 Ret | BRH 3 DNS | 28th | 1 |
| 2016 | Goodestone Racing | Proton Persona | BRH 1 15 | BRH 2 12 | BRH 3 20 | DON 1 Ret | DON 2 Ret | DON 3 24 | THR 1 9 | THR 2 9 | THR 3 Ret | OUL 1 20 | OUL 2 24 | OUL 3 17 | CRO 1 Ret | CRO 2 Ret | CRO 3 17 | SNE 1 17 | SNE 2 Ret | SNE 3 DNS | KNO 1 21 | KNO 2 20 | KNO 3 14 | ROC 1 Ret | ROC 2 Ret | ROC 3 Ret | SIL 1 21 | SIL 2 14 | SIL 3 25 | BRH 1 22 | BRH 2 27 | BRH 3 Ret | 23rd | 23 |
| 2018 | Trade Price Cars with Brisky Racing | Volkswagen CC | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | BRH 3 | DON 1 | DON 2 | DON 3 | THR 1 | THR 2 | THR 3 | OUL 1 | OUL 2 | OUL 3 | CRO 1 | CRO 2 | CRO 3 | SNE 1 21 | SNE 2 Ret | SNE 3 19 | ROC 1 | ROC 2 | ROC 3 | KNO 1 | KNO 2 | KNO 3 | SIL 1 | SIL 2 | SIL 3 | BRH 1 | BRH 2 | BRH 3 | 37th | 0 |

## 24 Hours of Silverstone results

| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Car No. | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
| 2010 | Strategic Racing / John Welch Motorsport | Brent Niall Malcolm Niall Clint Harvey | SEAT Leon Supercopa | 44 | 3 | 536 | 7th | 3rd |