Member Characteristic: Dwelling the Racing Dream

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 obtained him into the world of motorsport.

Yorkshire based mostly race automotive producer Ginetta Cars, are famend for producing a few of the best 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 a few of the world’s best drivers like McLaren’s Lando Norris. Ginetta is the go-to motorsport model, attracting new drivers to begin their journey into racing by way of a singular entry stage package deal. The Ginetta GT Academy championship launched in 2020 and has since remodeled racing lovers 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 highway tyre, this mannequin supplies the right transition from observe days to racing with uncompromising efficiency and capabilities.

At this years Secret Meet, Ginetta Vehicles can be providing Check Drives or Passenger Scorching Laps within the GT Academy automotive. To pre guide 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 with no ticket won’t be able to check drive or take part within the sizzling lap’s session. VIP Tickets will be bought here.

The place did your love of vehicles and race start? 

Pondering again, it’s very troublesome to outline the precise second in my childhood when my ardour for vehicles started.  I did every little thing I might 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 house even within the soaking moist training 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dad noticed this as a possibility to alleviate himself of mowing the garden and permit me on the age of simply 8 years outdated to mow the garden on our little single cylinder yellow trip on mower. To me it was a rocket ship it was my favorite Saturday exercise.

How did you go from observe days to racing?

It wasn’t till 2017 that I lastly went on a observe 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 probably the most price efficient methods to get into motorsport. Like many, I used to be hesitant to make that leap from observe 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 in the course of 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 just lately topped British GT GT3 champion racing driver (later to be British Touring Automobile competitor). Some months later and after a number of drinks on the pub, he really helpful I contact a Yorkshire based mostly firm known as ‘Ginetta’.  Who on the time I solely knew of from a number of basic automotive reveals 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 may watch our second race of the weekend here.

How did you discover your first 12 months racing?

My first years of racing was general totally pleasant. As a Rookie I used to be run by Ginetta’s inhouse race crew and observe day organiser Want2race. The W2R crew managed every little thing from driver coaches, automotive storage, testing, upkeep, and transport with one important level of contact which on the time was Lauren Robinson, SCD’s now Partnership Supervisor. On a race weekend we had our personal personal drivers hub the place we and our visitors might relax, socialise and look by way of session knowledge. It really felt like house from house and the drivers began to rearrange social evenings on the Thursday of every race weekend. Drivers took turns to rearrange a get collectively, fairly rapidly I realised this was way over racing, it was a group sharing the identical ardour for vehicles and racing. Fairly often a few of my greatest reminiscences are the night meals or occasions that Ginetta lays on and supplies throughout a race weekend the place all of the drivers round you’re on the bar reminiscing concerning the scramble into flip 1!

The 2021 season consisted of 5 rounds, every spherical had one qualifying session and three races, outcomes have been blended, and most Rookies managed to gather come silverware over the season. In truth, certainly one of my fellow Rookies was giving the general championship chief a run for his cash. I learnt rather a lot, had a number 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 Group Century Motorsport.  It was fairly daunting stepping away from the comforts and folks of Want2race however they provided the right stepping stone into professional racing. Century Motorsport have been a no brainer of a call as I might 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 begin scoping out your choices for the following season in the direction of the tip of summer time, I hope that subsequent 12 months I’ll proceed to race in a UK championship. My subsequent steps are understandably funds and sponsorship dependent, however I positively 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 possibly at some point 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 received’t identify) on the grid with me in 12 months 1 and 12 months 2 who merely thought they knew every little thing. Form of comprehensible, as a grid we have been all profitable in our personal proper. The fact was that this was new territory, all of us had rather a lot to be taught and its simple to imagine higher. Belief within the professionals, that is there bread and butter. As a rookie, it takes time to be taught the craft and the way the trade works.

Get pleasure from it – Keep in mind 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 may possibly usually be as a lot about luck as it’s expertise. Everyone seems to be studying to a point so don’t put the strain on your self to be on the entrance day one. Even in case you are stone useless 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 struggle my manner again by way of the grid and nonetheless solely coming in 12^th!

In abstract, I would like 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 should present rather 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 group 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 big 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 might have anticipated, there actually is nothing prefer it and with out Ginetta I don’t imagine I’d have ever been in a position to obtain my childhood dream of changing into a racing driver.

You may comply with my racing journey on my Youtube channel here.