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 primarily based race automobile producer Ginetta Vehicles, are famend for producing a few of 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 a few of the world’s most interesting 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 novel entry stage package deal. The Ginetta GT Academy championship launched in 2020 and has since reworked racing fanatics into championship profitable drivers. The G56 GT Academy automobile boasts a 3.7 litre V6 engine with paddle shift and auto blip and weighs solely 1100 kg. On a street tyre, this mannequin offers the right transition from monitor days to racing with uncompromising efficiency and capabilities.

At this years Secret Meet, Ginetta Vehicles will likely be providing Check Drives or Passenger Scorching Laps within the GT Academy automobile. To pre e book your slot please click on right here or contact lauren@supercar-driver.com.

Please observe, you could have a sound admission ticket to attend Secret Meet. These with no ticket will be unable to check drive or take part within the sizzling lap’s session. VIP Tickets could be bought right 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 the whole lot I may at a younger age simply to drive.  I had a Go Pedal go Kart which I might spend hours driving up and down the drive at residence even within the soaking moist training my moist traces. A lot in order that my dad noticed this as a chance 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 experience 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 likelihood with a buddy who had two experiences booked at Silverstone. As his girlfriend was not his girlfriend, he wanted a fellow petrol head to step in and make good use of the expertise. And so, the habit started. I used to be completely hooked and over the next months I used to be researching probably the most value 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 automobile would embark me on my very personal motorsport journey.

The gent and I chatted through 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 not too long ago 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 useful I contact a Yorkshire primarily based firm referred to as ‘Ginetta’.  Who on the time I solely knew of from a number of basic automobile 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 automobile with Want2race at Donington Park, however in summer season 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 absolutely dedicated to racing the next yr 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 right here.

How did you discover your first yr racing?

My first years of racing was total totally pleasurable. As a Rookie I used to be run by Ginetta’s inhouse race staff and monitor day organiser Want2race. The W2R staff managed the whole lot from driver coaches, automobile storage, testing, upkeep, and transport with one foremost 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 company may relax, socialise and look by way of 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 rapidly I realised this was excess of racing, it was a group sharing the identical ardour for vehicles and racing. Fairly often a few of my finest reminiscences are the night meals or occasions that Ginetta lays on and offers throughout a race weekend the place all of the drivers round you might be 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. The truth is, one among 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 longer term?

Since graduating from Rookie to Racer, I signed with Professional Group Century Motorsport.  It was fairly daunting stepping away from the comforts and other people of Want2race however they supplied the right stepping stone into professional racing. Century Motorsport have been a no brainer of a choice as I may see a ladder to British GT and past.  Sadly my second yr of racing was dropped at a holt after breaking my wrist in a freak accident at Donington Park. This yr I’m completely loving getting again on the grid, you possibly can watch all of the Ginetta GT Academy rounds reside on Youtube.

It’s regular to start out scoping out your choices for the following season in direction of the tip of summer season, I hope that subsequent yr I’ll proceed to race in a UK championship. My subsequent steps are understandably funds 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 superb stepping stone into motorsport with like-minded people. The expertise goes to be troublesome to beat however who is aware of possibly sooner or later 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 identify) on the grid with me in yr 1 and yr 2 who merely thought they knew the whole lot. Sort of comprehensible, as a grid we have been all profitable in our personal proper. The truth was that this was new territory, all of us had rather a lot to study and its straightforward to imagine you realize 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 – Keep in mind that your first yr particularly within the Ginetta Academy you might be 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 strain 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 struggle my method again by way of the grid and nonetheless solely coming in 12^th!

In abstract, I need everybody to know that motor racing is just not unattainable, no matter your age or expertise. While it prices greater than a golf membership membership, I’m certain it’s going to present far more of a thrill and alternative for a brand new problem. If you’re a automobile fanatic like me and you’ve got the means, I might encourage taking the wheel even only for a visitor spherical.

The group in motorsport actually is like household. You change into so acquainted seeing the identical faces and fairly often these folks change into 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 affix 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 consider I might have ever been capable of obtain my childhood dream of turning into a racing driver.

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