Since I was young racing has always been something I have enjoyed. I grew up in a household laden with 24 hours of Le Mans memorabilia as my Dad made the pillage down every year since well before I was around.
In the early 2000’s, he was heavily involved in getting Aston Martin back on the grid for Le Mans. Thus having attended various motorsports events since before I could even walk I didn’t realise how lucky I was to be around motorsport so often. I thought it almost the standard since it all started for me at such a young age.
My (center) first day Karting, age 11
It wasn’t until I was about 15 that I really got my teeth into karting. I’d always enjoyed karting at parties and with friends growing up, but I didn’t realise it could be much more than that as even at 13 I knew I thought I was too old to be able to get involved, hearing of all the racing stars that start in karting seemingly the day they learn to walk! It was only when I had a go on the DMAX Karts at Daytona Sandown Park that I really felt I excelled. These karts had much more power than anything I’d driven before (usually limited to indoor tracks with low power and tight circuits that don’t allow for overtaking). And the track was long, wide and suited them perfectly (I will go more in-depth about my karting in another post).
It was my first real taste of speed and car control. On a dry day the karts would hit up to 60mph on the back straight before diving into the first corner, a long right hander that required minimal braking but very delicate feathering of the throttle to hold your momentum into the heavy braking zone of turn two. I completely fell in love with the driving. The feel of the car struggling under braking and having to feel the slides forming and catching them was a real joy and something I’d never really experienced, even with the slower indoor karts.
From this first visit I knew I wanted to learn to perfect my race craft and really feel in-tune and complete on the circuit. And it was through small battles on arrive and drive sessions that I also discovered how much I loved the competitive aspect. Going side-by-side down the straights and sliding round the outside through the corners felt immense and I was desperate to expand this to a level higher than just arrive and drive timing sheets. From here I entered various Daytona open races, winning my first and standings on the podium at nearly every event I entered. I had never had this level of success in anything else I had tried at a competitive level, and I was completely consumed but the feeling of racing. The atmosphere on track, controlling the car to it’s complete limit, studying my footage and timings on the days following a race and the feeling form standing on any step of the podium even in these small open race events was immense and I am committed and driven to be able to prove myself to be truly competitive in the sports cars and other professional series I have been following since I first learnt about Le Mans.
So the answer to why I race is a multitude of reasons and ones that I won’t be able to sum up without rambling on for quote some time. But to break it down to the basics, the feeling of complete car control. Seeing my name at the top of the timings and being able to stand on the podium, knowing I earnt the position in equal machinery, on equal terms. And having grown up with motorsports around me. When I am able to stand on the top step of the podium in a professional series. that will be a huge moment for me that I will never forget.
My First Win at Daytona Sandown Park