Daniel Rowbottom joins Plato Racing
- Drew Bentham
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
It has broken today that former Alliance Racing driver Dan Rowbottom, has signed for the all new Plato Racing team, confirming what we said just a week ago.
Daniel Rowbottom, a multiple race winner, is set to begin a new phase in his Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship career as he joins the new team, Plato Racing, for the much-anticipated 2026 season.
In a significant announcement, Rowbottom will lead the new team, which is headed by Jason Plato, a two-time champion with 97 BTCC race wins. He will be driving a Mercedes-AMG A35 Saloon, crafted by the esteemed engineering company RML.
Joining Rowbottom at Plato Racing are his long-time sponsors, Cataclean, a well-established brand in the UK's automotive aftermarket. Rowbottom and Cataclean have achieved notable success together, both on the track and through their business relationship, which has facilitated partnerships like Kwik Fit as a direct result of their participation in the BTCC.
The 36-year-old first appeared in the UK's top motorsport series in 2019, and after moving to Team Dynamics, he made a significant impact in 2021 by securing his first pole position, podium, and race victory, ultimately dominating the prestigious Jack Sears Trophy. Following further achievements the next year, the Worcestershire driver joined Alliance Racing in 2023, where he doubled his career wins and podium finishes in one season.
Contributing significantly to the team’s consecutive Teams' Championship victories the next season, Rowbottom underwent major heart surgery a little over a year ago before returning to the grid to experience his best season to date in 2025.
With three wins and five additional podium finishes, Rowbottom achieved a career-best fifth place in the Drivers' Championship and is now ready to take on an exciting new challenge with Plato Racing.
As a key player in launching the new team, Rowbottom is eager to drive the team forward on the track this season and establish himself as a championship contender in the A35 Saloon.
Daniel Rowbottom, Plato Racing, said:
"This is without doubt the biggest move of my career so far. To be a partner with Jason at Plato Racing is a pretty special feeling and something that 10-year-old me would have never believed could be possible.
"The deal has been in the works for a while and as you would expect with Jason being involved, everything is being done properly and to the highest of levels. Being aligned with the team gives Cataclean much tighter control of our destiny and being able to maximise future opportunities.
"We've recruited some big names and the work that is going on back at base is pretty incredible; I'm confident that we've got something special with the Mercedes. For me personally, I'm really excited to be stepping into that role of leading a team and driving it forward too.
"Last season was my best yet in the BTCC and the target now is to build on that. I want to be BTCC Champion one day and believe this is the place where I can do just that. We've got a big year ahead of us but I believe we'll be mixing it for wins and podiums from the get-go."
Jason Plato, Plato Racing Team Owner, said:
"We are all very excited to have Dan and Cataclean as a part of Plato Racing for 2026 and beyond.
"On a personal level I'm very proud to have Dan in one of our race cars; the journey he has been on, to come through open heart surgery at the end of the 2024 season is remarkable. His performances last year were the best they have ever been and his focus and determination is second to none. We're all expecting great things from Dan.
"It's also fantastic to have the backing from Cataclean. They are a fantastic company who understand how to leverage this investment in the BTCC; we're all working hard to further expand their growth in the automotive sector.
"I'm confident that Plato Racing, with Dan and Cataclean on board, will be a true force in the BTCC this coming season."
Plato Racing will announce Rowbottom's team-mate in due course.
In the latest episode of the podcast, I stated I believed Dan Rowbottom would indeed move to the new team. Check out the show and please do subscribe for more.
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