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 explicit model received him into the world of motorsport.

Yorkshire based mostly race automotive producer Ginetta Cars, are famend for producing a number 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 number 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 means of a singular entry stage bundle. The Ginetta GT Academy championship launched in 2020 and has since reworked racing fanatics into championship successful 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 offers the proper transition from observe days to racing with uncompromising efficiency and capabilities.

At this years Secret Meet, Ginetta Vehicles shall be providing Take a look at Drives or Passenger Sizzling Laps within the GT Academy automotive. To pre guide your slot please click on here or contact lauren@supercar-driver.com.

Please observe, you should 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 sizzling lap’s session. VIP Tickets might be bought here.

The place did your love of vehicles and race start? 

Pondering again, it’s very tough to outline the precise second in my childhood when my ardour for vehicles started.  I did all the pieces 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 dwelling even within the soaking moist practising 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 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 likelihood with a pal 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 value 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 check 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 apart 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 helpful I contact a Yorkshire based mostly firm referred to as ‘Ginetta’.  Who on the time I solely knew of from a number of basic automotive reveals I had been to, not appreciating what they’d been doing since being acquired by Lawrence Tomlinson in 2005.

I initially booked a check day of their GRDC automotive with Want2race at Donington Park, however in summer season 2020 Ginetta launched an much more thrilling prospect for novice racers. One check 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 possibly can 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 gratifying. As a Rookie I used to be run by Ginetta’s inhouse race staff and observe day organiser Want2race. The W2R staff managed all the pieces from driver coaches, automotive storage, testing, upkeep, and transport with one principal 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 visitors may relax, socialise and look by means of session information. It truly felt like dwelling from dwelling 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 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 offers throughout a race weekend the place all of the drivers round you might be 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 have been blended, and most Rookies managed to gather come silverware over the season. Actually, certainly one of my fellow Rookies was giving the general championship chief a run for his cash. I learnt lots, 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 Staff 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 have 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 dropped at 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 may watch all of the Ginetta GT Academy rounds dwell 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 12 months I’ll proceed to race in a UK championship. My subsequent steps are understandably price range and sponsorship dependent, however I undoubtedly don’t have any intention of hanging up my racing boots anytime quickly. The GT Academy bundle 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 tough to beat however who is aware of perhaps 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 12 months 1 and 12 months 2 who merely thought they knew all the pieces. Type 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 lots to study and its simple to imagine you understand 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.

Take pleasure in it – Do not forget that your first 12 months particularly within the Ginetta Academy you might be competing with different novices and everyone seems to be in the identical boat, it might probably 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 it’s best to 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 means again by means of the grid and nonetheless solely coming in 12^th!

In abstract, I need everybody to know that motor racing isn’t unattainable, no matter your age or expertise. While it prices greater than a golf membership membership, I’m positive it’ll present way more of a thrill and alternative for a brand new problem. If you’re a automotive 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 grow to be so acquainted seeing the identical faces and fairly often these individuals grow to be lifelong buddies.  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 in a position to obtain my childhood dream of changing into a racing driver.

You possibly can comply with my racing journey on my Youtube channel here.