We sit down with SCD member and racing driver Ed Acres to debate his racing journey up to now, the highs, the lows and the way one specific model received him into the world of motorsport.
Yorkshire primarily based race automotive producer Ginetta Cars, are famend for producing among the most interesting race vehicles and aggressive championships within the UK. With a well-established racing ladder over the previous 60 years, Ginetta has a wealth of expertise in its historical past together with among the world’s most interesting drivers like McLaren’s Lando Norris. Ginetta is the go-to motorsport model, attracting new drivers to start their journey into racing via a novel entry degree package deal. The Ginetta GT Academy championship launched in 2020 and has since reworked racing fanatics into championship profitable drivers. The G56 GT Academy automotive boasts a 3.7 litre V6 engine with paddle shift and auto blip and weighs solely 1100 kg. On a street tyre, this mannequin gives the proper transition from monitor days to racing with uncompromising efficiency and capabilities.
At this years Secret Meet, Ginetta Automobiles might be providing Check Drives or Passenger Scorching Laps within the GT Academy automotive. To pre e-book your slot please click on right here or contact [email protected].
Please observe, you have to have a legitimate admission ticket to attend Secret Meet. These and not using a ticket will be unable to check drive or take part within the scorching lap’s session. VIP Tickets will be bought here.
The place did your love of vehicles and race start?
Considering again, it’s very troublesome to outline the precise second in my childhood when my ardour for vehicles started. I did every thing I may at a younger age simply to drive. I had a Go Pedal go Kart which I’d spend hours driving up and down the drive at residence even within the soaking moist working towards my moist traces. A lot in order that my dad noticed this as a possibility to alleviate himself of mowing the garden and permit me on the age of simply 8 years previous to mow the garden on our little single cylinder yellow journey on mower. To me it was a rocket ship it was my favorite Saturday exercise.
How did you go from monitor days to racing?
It wasn’t till 2017 that I lastly went on a monitor day by probability with a buddy who had two experiences booked at Silverstone. As his girlfriend was now not his girlfriend, he wanted a fellow petrol head to step in and make good use of the expertise. And so, the dependancy started. I used to be completely hooked and over the next months I used to be researching essentially the most price efficient methods to get into motorsport. Like many, I used to be hesitant to make that leap from monitor day fanatic to precise racing driver with money and time restrictions it simply didn’t appear possible. Little did I do know that an opportunity encounter in 2018 when buying a brand new automotive would embark me on my very personal motorsport journey.
The gent and I chatted throughout the take a look at drive, vehicles, racing and private lives. At first it hadn’t clicked who this beautiful man was however into the journey I realised it was none aside from Rick Parfitt Jnr. The rockstar and lately topped British GT GT3 champion racing driver (later to be British Touring Automobile competitor). Some months later and after a couple of drinks on the pub, he really helpful I contact a Yorkshire primarily based firm referred to as ‘Ginetta’. Who on the time I solely knew of from a couple of basic automotive exhibits I had been to, not appreciating what that they had been doing since being acquired by Lawrence Tomlinson in 2005.
I initially booked a take a look at day of their GRDC automotive with Want2race at Donington Park, however in summer time 2020 Ginetta launched an much more thrilling prospect for novice racers. One take a look at drive at Silverstone and I used to be hooked, inside weeks I had put a deposit down and I used to be totally dedicated to racing the next 12 months within the GT Academy Championship. In Might 2021, I used to be sat on the grid at Manufacturers Hatch with 18 others able to kick begin my racing profession. You’ll be able to watch our second race of the weekend here.
How did you discover your first 12 months racing?
My first years of racing was total totally pleasurable. As a Rookie I used to be run by Ginetta’s inhouse race workforce and monitor day organiser Want2race. The W2R workforce managed every thing from driver coaches, automotive storage, testing, upkeep, and transport with one major level of contact which on the time was Lauren Robinson, SCD’s now Partnership Supervisor. On a race weekend we had our personal non-public drivers hub the place we and our friends may sit back, socialise and look via session knowledge. It truly felt like residence from residence and the drivers began to rearrange social evenings on the Thursday of every race weekend. Drivers took turns to rearrange a get collectively, fairly shortly I realised this was excess of racing, it was a neighborhood sharing the identical ardour for vehicles and racing. Fairly often a few of my finest recollections are the night meals or occasions that Ginetta lays on and gives throughout a race weekend the place all of the drivers round you’re on the bar reminiscing in regards to the scramble into flip 1!
The 2021 season consisted of 5 rounds, every spherical had one qualifying session and three races, outcomes had been blended, and most Rookies managed to gather come silverware over the season. In reality, one in every of my fellow Rookies was giving the general championship chief a run for his cash. I learnt quite a bit, had a couple of shunts however nonetheless bagged P3 within the Rookie Championship.
What are your plans for the long run?
Since graduating from Rookie to Racer, I signed with Professional Crew Century Motorsport. It was fairly daunting stepping away from the comforts and folks of Want2race however they supplied the proper stepping stone into professional racing. Century Motorsport had been a no brainer of a choice as I may see a ladder to British GT and past. Sadly my second 12 months of racing was delivered to a holt after breaking my wrist in a freak accident at Donington Park. This 12 months I’m completely loving getting again on the grid, you’ll be able to watch all of the Ginetta GT Academy rounds stay on Youtube.
It’s regular to start out scoping out your choices for the subsequent season in direction of the top of summer time, I hope that subsequent 12 months I’ll proceed to race in a UK championship. My subsequent steps are understandably finances and sponsorship dependent, however I undoubtedly don’t have any intention of hanging up my racing boots anytime quickly. The GT Academy package deal has up to now been good worth for cash, offering a wonderful stepping stone into motorsport with like-minded people. The expertise goes to be troublesome to beat however who is aware of perhaps someday I’ll be again within the LMP3 seat.
What recommendation would you give to an aspiring racing driver?
Ask questions – I noticed many people (who I gained’t title) on the grid with me in 12 months 1 and 12 months 2 who merely thought they knew every thing. Sort of comprehensible, as a grid we had been all profitable in our personal proper. The fact was that this was new territory, all of us had quite a bit to study and its straightforward to imagine you recognize higher. Belief within the professionals, that is there bread and butter. As a rookie, it takes time to study the craft and the way the business works.
Get pleasure from it – Do not forget that your first 12 months particularly within the Ginetta Academy you’re competing with different novices and everyone seems to be in the identical boat, it might usually be as a lot about luck as it’s expertise. Everyone seems to be studying to a point so don’t put the stress on your self to be on the entrance day one. Even if you’re stone lifeless final you must nonetheless be having fun with it or what’s the purpose. A few of my favorite races ever have been spinning out on lap one and having to battle my approach again via the grid and nonetheless solely coming in 12th!
In abstract, I need everybody to know that motor racing shouldn’t be unattainable, no matter your age or expertise. While it prices greater than a golf membership membership, I’m certain it is going to present way more of a thrill and alternative for a brand new problem. In case you are a automotive fanatic like me and you’ve got the means, I’d encourage taking the wheel even only for a visitor spherical.
The neighborhood in motorsport actually is like household. You grow to be so acquainted seeing the identical faces and fairly often these individuals grow to be lifelong associates. Some even enterprise associates. There’s a large quantity of networking and enterprise alternatives that come up from being across the paddock that I had not anticipated earlier than. Taking the leap to hitch the grid actually has modified my life in additional methods than I may have anticipated, there actually is nothing prefer it and with out Ginetta I don’t imagine I’d have ever been capable of obtain my childhood dream of changing into a racing driver.
You’ll be able to observe my racing journey on my Youtube channel here.
