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Teenager
takes up BRDC Scholarship prize
Daniel
Lloyd’s dream of becoming a professional racing driver will take a giant step
forward when he is unveiled as the latest competitor in the Playstation Ginetta
Junior Championship, at Autosport International this weekend (10-13 January, Birmingham NEC).
Ending
weeks of speculation, the talented young racer has now signed up for Britain’s
premier junior motor racing series with Tockwith Motorsport. Daniel says: “Every young karter dreams of being a racing
driver - and now I am one. I honestly cannot wait.”
 Daniel
put off moving into cars in 2007 after winning the prestigious BRDC Stars of
Tomorrow Shoot-out last January. As one of Britain’s top
up and coming karters, he was invited to Silverstone (19 January 2007) to
compete for a fully-paid drive in the Playstation Junior Ginetta Championship -
the sports car-based series for 14 to 16-year olds. The teenager promptly won
it, but school and karting commitments prevented him from taking up the prize then
- but now he’s ready: “Winning the
Scholarship was brilliant but just came at the wrong time. I’d just started
doing my GCSEs and had signed to contest the Stars of Tomorrow and Super 1
series with NJR (Nick Jest Racing).
Carolynn Hoy, (the Stars championship supremo) very
kindly agreed to postpone my taking up the prize for 12 months. After the Copa
de Campeones (at Vendrell in Spain, 6-9
December ‘07), we had to decide whether
or not to stay in karts or take the Scholarship - but you can’t turn down an
opportunity like this though, can you?”
In pre-season testing, Daniel’s pace has already made
a big impression. Ginetta boss Richard Dean asserts: “I’m delighted that Daniel’s joined the series. He’s got bags of
potential and is a smashing lad. He’s going to be one to watch.”
And there will be plenty of people watching. The Ginetta
Junior Championship will be present at all ten rounds of this year’s British
Touring Car Championship (BTCC).For a driver like Daniel, being able to stand on the podium on the same day
as his heroes like Fabrizio Giovanardi and Jason Plato and in front of the huge
number of spectators who travel to BTCC meetings will be out of this world.”
Dean also believes the cars, powered by identical 1400cc engines and capable of
100mph, will provide the crowds with plenty of thrills. Richard Dean again:
“
He added: “The racing will
be more exciting than ever because our young drivers will want to impress the
BTCC team managers and Britain’s
biggest motor sport crowds.”
But before then, the 15-year old will have an opportunity to make
an impression on thousands of motorsport fans at Autosport International. Daniel
explains: “I’m appearing on the Ginetta
stand to talk about the championship and my Scholarship drive. It’s all a bit
mad really - I’m going from sitting exams to doing interviews alongside the likes of Jenson Button and David
Coulthard!”
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