>24/1/2012

GAMBLE TO SPEARHEAD HILLSPEED’S 2012 GINETTA JUNIOR TITLE BID

Nottingham’s George Gamble, the 2011 Ginetta Junior Winter Series Champion, will lead the main season title attack for Hillspeed this year after agreeing terms with the reigning driver and team champions it is confirmed today, Thursday, 19th January.

The 15-year-old, who will go into his second season of car racing as one of the true title favourites, joins the Derbyshire-based squad hot on the heels of karting graduate Nathan Harrison who was announced as the team’s first signing at the Autosport International Show last weekend.

Winning three races and accruing multiple podium finishes on his way to third place in the main championship last season, Gamble went on to secure his first title with a terrific performance in the end-of-year Winter Series where he achieved another race victory.

Offering Hillspeed an outstanding opportunity to add to the driver titles won in 2010 and 2011 by Tom Ingram and Seb Morris respectively, Gamble’s signing is a real coup and puts the team in a very strong position just a couple of weeks into the New Year.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have George onboard for the coming season, he’s someone we kept an eye on from the outset of the 2011 season and the only driver that truly challenged Seb (Morris) throughout the year”, said Hillspeed’s Richard Ollerenshaw.

“George had an excellent result in claiming the Winter Series title with TJ, he performed very well indeed, so we’re pleased to have confirmed a deal with him this early as we make every effort to secure a third straight title.”

Gamble was indeed one of the few drivers able to take the fight to second-year racer Morris during the 2011 Ginetta Junior campaign, achieving his maiden victory at Thruxton in one of the closest finishes in history – just 0.036 seconds splitting the pair at the line. More wins at Croft and Knockhill followed and, in total, he visited the podium eight times during the course of the main season.

Commenting on his decision to join Hillspeed for 2012, Gamble said: “I’m over the moon to be back in Ginetta Junior for a second season, especially off the back of winning the Winter Series. It’s great to be joining Hillspeed, the team’s record speaks for itself and we stand a really good chance of fighting for the championship.

“We didn’t decide to do Ginetta Junior last year until a couple of weeks before the championship started, so we didn’t have any real testing pre-season unlike the others. This year, we’ve got a deal done early so we’ll be able to have much better preparation.”

Brands Hatch Indy Circuit in Kent will host the opening two rounds of the 2012 Ginetta Junior season over the weekend 31st March/1st April.

ENDS

 

>18/10/2011

GINETTA JUNIOR WINTER SERIES DRIVE AVAILABLE IN CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING CAR

The Ginetta Junior Winter Series will be run over 4 races on the weekend of 5th/6th November.  The Snetterton circuit will host the series on the new 300 layout. 

Matt Shawyer has drive's available in both the 2011 Winter Series and full 2012 season supporting the BTCC in Seb Morris' double championship winning car.   

The Ginetta Junior Championship is the most exciting support race on the BTCC package and benefits from live TV coverage throughout the year.  It offers young drivers a chance to race in front of huge crowds and offers their sponsors excellent media coverage.   The 20 race championship visits 10 different venues throughout the year and runs on a three day format with additional practice on Saturday mornings.  The Junior championship offers great value for money and is now becoming a suitable alternative for many Junior Karters looking to move up the motorsport ladder.

Matt conducts all driver training and junior ARDS license tests can be arranged and undertaken at a private circuit.

Please feel free contact Matt for more details on test and race programmes or a general chat about Ginetta racing and your options for 2012.

 

>16/10/2011

MORRIS CAPS IMMENSE TITLE-WINNING SEASON WITH DOUBLE PODIUM

Ginetta Junior Champion Seb Morris made an already remarkable season more so at Silverstone National Circuit over the weekend, 15th/16th October, by adding two further podium finishes to his final season tally – meaning he ends the 2011 campaign with 16 rostrum visits from 20 race starts.

Every superlative has already been used to describe the 15-year-old’s thoroughly dominant second year in car racing. Having sealed the title at Brands Hatch a fortnight ago, the Marford-based driver headed into this weekend’s championship finale aiming for more podiums and he achieved it with third place in round 19 and second in round 20 – the latter a mere 0.096 seconds shy of the win.

Concluding the season a massive 125 points clear of his closest challenger, Seb has taken victory in 11 of the 20 races contested and never finished outside the top six all year. In short, it’s been a truly awe-inspiring campaign.

He commented: “We finished 20 out of 20 races which is just outstanding and also with 16 out of 20 podiums. It’s been an incredible season and shows the hard work the whole team has put in, I want to thank them for everything this year – it really has been amazing.”

During the live televised final race of the season, round 20, the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-supported driver fought an incredibly tight battle with Niall Murray with the pair trading the lead for the 11 lap duration.

Starting the race from fourth on the grid, Seb rapidly moved into the top three and out of Copse he challenged Brad Bailey for second place which he sealed at Becketts. Instantly pressuring Murray for the lead, the Welsh youngster got the breakthrough on lap three but the slipstream effect meant there was little to choose between the lead runners.

Murray nosed inside the Hillspeed ace at Woodcote at the end of lap four and managed to go by but Seb hit-back again on lap six at Becketts. Once again, the lead changed at Woodcote in Murray’s favour but the champion refused to settle for second best as the battle intensified.

Swapping places three times on lap nine alone, the fight went down to the wire with Murray just holding the advantage into the final tour. Pressuring hard over the last 1.64-miles, Seb almost managed to get ahead on the run to the line but had to settle for second just 0.096 seconds shy.

“It was really tough racing, perhaps a bit too tough at times, but I did the best I could”, said Seb, “It was a great race and just a shame we didn’t take the win, it really would have been fantastic to finish off the season back on the top step of the podium. I’ve taken 11 wins though this year so I think I’ve had my fair share!”

For round 19 on Saturday, fourth on the grid quickly became third off the start and although slipping to fourth momentarily Seb battled back past Sennan Fielding for third on lap three before swooping past Jake Giddings for second place.

Producing fastest lap pace on the fourth tour, The King’s School, Chester pupil closed up right onto the tail of leader Murray. On lap 10, things started to come to a head with the two front-runners side-by-side into Copse. Murray clung on to the lead and the fighting enabled Fielding to mount his own challenge, the latter passing Seb for second on the run to Becketts.

Re-taking second place on lap 11, Seb posted the fastest lap on the following tour – before this was shaded by Brad Bailey the next time around – with nothing at all between the top three. On lap 13, Murray and Seb both went wide at Becketts while disputing first place and that allowed Fielding through to claim the win, Seb taking third place just 0.3 seconds behind Murray.

Final 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings:
CHAMPION: Seb Morris, 562pts
 

>3/10/2011

SEB MORRIS – 2011 GINETTA JUNIOR CHAMPION!

Welsh teenager Seb Morris won the Ginetta Junior Championship title in style at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit over the weekend, 1st/2nd October, with a double podium finish during rounds 17 and 18 of the season. Still aged only 15, he has added this to his 2010 Winter Series Championship success.

Sealing the title with two races still to run at Silverstone two weeks from now, Marford-based Seb provisionally became the first of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship support series champions on Saturday. He then made sure of the success with a typically strong drive to second place, from eighth on the grid, during Sunday’s live televised race.

Of the 18 rounds contested so far, the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-sponsored driver has taken 11 race victories and 14 podiums in total; statistics which underline his sheer dominance of the hugely competitive category. Seb’s title victory is also the second back-to-back main season triumph for his Hillspeed team.

“It’s been a great season, we’ve worked really hard for this”, said the new champion, “I can’t thank the team enough, they do everything so precisely and have done a fantastic job this year. My driver coach, Matt Shawyer, is the reason I’ve been as fast as I have and my manager, Andy Meyrick, has looked after everything off-track for me. It’s a proper team effort, I’m really happy we’ve done it.”

Knowing two solid race finishes would secure the championship this weekend, Seb qualified fifth fastest for round 17 and did actually battle through brilliantly on track to notch-up his 12th win of the season but an unfortunate post-race judicial decision relegated him to second behind Niall Murray.

Bundled back to sixth place on the opening lap, The King’s School, Chester pupil sensibly remained out of trouble during the early exchanges and allowed the bunch ahead to trade paintwork as the race unfolded. Contact involving Sennan Fielding and George Gamble on lap four elevated Seb to fourth before he moved into third, and then second, in quick succession on lap six.

On lap seven, Murray got ahead of Seb on the run to Druids and his rival then made an attempt on leader Jake Giddings at Surtees which resulted in the latter being pushed wide. Seb, therefore, took second and then piled on the pressure to new leader Murray.

At Druids on lap eight, the champion elect took first place up the inside and held the advantage going into the final lap. Into the hairpin for the last time, contact as Murray challenged side-by-side ended with the Irishman sliding wide and Seb powered on to take the victory and the title in style.

Post-race, Murray and his team lodged a protest and the new champion was given a three second time penalty which dropped him to second in the amended result. Even so, the finish was enough to secure the title.

Lining-up eighth on the grid for round 18, Seb quickly carved his way through into the top six and then went fifth on the first lap while avoiding an incident involving Fielding and William Foster. On lap four, Seb then moved into fourth at Druids at the expense of Giddings but the latter fought back out of Pilgrim’s Drop which put the champion in the clutches of Patrick McClughan.

Re-taking fourth off Giddings at Clark Curve at the end of the fifth tour, the Hillspeed ace defended the place well into Paddock Hill Bend. Then, on lap seven, everything changed at the front when leader Myles Collins and Brad Bailey had visits through the gravel exiting Paddock – Seb threading his way through the drama neatly to take second place.

Pressuring new front-runner Charlie Robertson, Seb challenged at almost every corner over the course of the eighth and final lap but settled for his second runner-up spot of the weekend, just 0.181 seconds shy of the win at the flag.

“That was an absolutely great race, I really enjoyed it”, reflected Seb, “There was loads of action and to come through from eighth and nearly win was fantastic. We proved our point again this weekend, to win the championship with races in hand shows what a strong season it’s been for us.”

With the championship done and dusted, Seb can go into the final two rounds of the campaign at Silverstone on 15th/16th October with no pressure on his shoulders and a golden opportunity to try and challenge for yet more podium finishes.

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd18 – inc. drop scores):
CHAMPION: Seb Morris, 515pts

ENDS

>19/09/2011

11 WINS MAKES SEB THE MOST SUCCESSFUL JUNIOR DRIVER STILL WITH 4 RACES TO GO!

Seb Morris sealed his eleventh race win of the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship at Rockingham Motor Speedway and in so doing becomes the most successful Ginetta Junior driver to date. 

Rockingham hosted rounds 15 and 16 of the championship for which now Seb has an impressive 131 point lead over his nearest rival Charlie Robertson.  Seb delivered a sensational victory in the Saturday race from which he started from second place on the grid, a beautifully timed move on George Gamble for the lead just after the safety car meant Seb just had 2 laps to complete before taking the chequered flag.  In Sundays event in front of a massive 20,000 strong crowd Seb started from 6th place before being spun round at turn 3,  he then showcased his superb overtaking skills as he climbed from 14th up the order to a very respectable and well deserved 4th place at the finish demoting championship rival George Gamble to 5th on the last corner. 

Matt who has been coaching Seb from 13yrs old is very pleased with the season to date and looking forward to the next round at the Brands Hatch GP circuit in Kent. 

'Seb has driven fantastically all season and his points lead is the reward for all his hard work, we'll continue to prepare for the weekends as we have done all year and the aim is to get that points lead as big as possible come the final round.  To have produced last years champion 'Tom Ingram' and now the most successful Junior driver to date in Seb makes me very proud and we're looking forward to the last 4 races of the season'.

>08/08/2011

MORRIS BOOSTS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH ANOTHER DOUBLE WIN
 

Seb Morris got the second half of the Ginetta Junior Championship season off to a near-perfect start at Snetterton 300 Circuit in Norfolk over the weekend, 6th/7th August, with two hard-fought victories in rounds 11 and 12 boosting his lead in the driver standings to an amazing 120 points.

Chalking up his eighth and ninth victories of the season, the 15-year-old’s return to the top step of the podium marked his fourth winning double of the year – similar success having come at Brands Hatch, Donington Park and Oulton Park.

“It’s been a really satisfying weekend”, said the Marford-based driver, “Both races were really tough and we had to fight hard but to take two wins on the new track at Snetterton is fantastic. Jonathan Palmer and MSV (MotorSport Vision) have done such a good job with this circuit – I really like it.”

Although an electrical problem ruled him out of the final practice run on Saturday, 6th August, the reduced track time compared to his rivals didn’t trouble Seb and in qualifying he just missed out on the fastest time of all by a mere 0.1 seconds. Even so, his terrific consistency was such he posted the quickest second best lap of any driver to secure pole position for race two.

Making a good start to the opening encounter on Sunday, 7th August, the Liberty Properties and Legat Owen-backed racer challenged pole-sitter Charlie Robertson for the lead through Riches and although remaining in second place initially, he grabbed the lead at Agostini – the fourth turn.

As a very busy first lap neared its conclusion, George Gamble got a good run up the inside of Seb at Coram to demote the Hillspeed driver to second but into the hairpin on lap two immense pressure from Morris told and Gamble spun out of the lead under braking. From that point on Morris wasn’t headed and although pressed hard throughout, he performed faultlessly to claim the win.

Lining-up for round 12 on pole position, Seb got away from the grid cleanly but slipped to second at the hairpin behind a very fast-starting Jake Giddings. Determined to wrest the lead back in double quick time, the Welsh teenager positioned himself around the outside of Giddings into Agostini but wasn’t quite able to make the attempted pass stick on the exit.

Running nose-to-tail into lap two, Seb’s pressure paid off as he took the lead but on the subsequent tour Giddings tried to fight back. The lead bunch of four cars couldn’t have been closer but Seb held first place strongly. Then, on lap four, Robertson made a bid for the lead – having passed Giddings just before – and sealed the move out of Agostini after squeezing Seb onto the grass.

Although relegated to fourth place, Seb quickly battled back and challenged Giddings for third into the Esses where there was unfortunate contact between the two. Continuing in third place, the dominant championship leader closed down a 1.3 second deficit to the two leaders over the course of the penultimate tour – setting the fastest lap – so the fight for the win became a three-way again.

Into the final lap, the Esses provided the location for more drama when contact between Gamble and Robertson delayed both and left the way clear for Seb to position his Ginetta G40 on the inside for the run through the Bomb Hole and he went on to take the chequered flag 0.4 seconds clear.

“I’d pretty much settled for third place in race two but then the opportunity was there to take the lead so I did”, added The King’s School, Chester pupil, “Croft was a really disappointing weekend in terms of the points score, although I did enjoy the races, so it’s been good to come here, start the second half of the season with two more wins and build the championship lead even further.”

There is now a four week break in the Ginetta Junior Championship calendar with rounds 13 and 14 of the season set to take place at Knockhill Circuit in Scotland over the weekend 3rd/4th September.

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd12):
1st Seb Morris, 390pts

 

>02/05/2011

FIFTH VICTORY OF SEASON FOR MORRIS AT ULTRA-FAST THRUXTON
 

Seb Morris recorded his fifth race victory of the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship season at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire this afternoon, Sunday, 1st May, to maintain a very substantial cushion at the top of the driver standings – 64 points following rounds five and six of the campaign.

The 15-year-old, from Marford near Wrexham, was unsurprisingly in a position to fight for the wins in both races this weekend at the daunting 2.35-mile track and although just missing out on victory during Saturday’s encounter, Seb hit back brilliantly today to return to winning ways.

Having emerged victorious from five of the first six races, and enjoying an unbroken run of podium finishes so far in 2011, the Liberty Properties Plc and Legat Owen-supported driver now goes into a lengthy five week break ahead of his home event at Oulton Park in Cheshire in confident mood.

“Winning is always the aim and I try my best to do that each time we go out”, he commented, “I made a mistake at the last chicane on Saturday and that cost me the win but I learnt from that and didn’t make the same mistake twice today.

“I think I learnt more with the second place finish yesterday than I have all year so far. In a way it was almost good to have that as it makes you realise you’re not going to win every race. Thruxton is a circuit that requires a lot of confidence in the car and I had that today, it’s been a good weekend.”

Coming into the Thruxton event with a 52-point lead in the championship, unbeaten in the first four races, Seb knew he had a major target on his back but as ever the young GCSE student – who studies at The King’s School, Chester – was more than prepared for the challenge.

Quickest during Saturday morning’s 15-minute free practice session, the Hillspeed driver wasn’t able to grab pole position for rounds five and six during the all-important qualifying session but he did still secure a front-row start for each encounter.

Saturday’s race boiled down to a fantastic grandstand finish between Seb and pole-sitter George Gamble but before the conclusion, there was some outstanding racing between the pair and some sensational overtaking from Seb.

Running second to Gamble off the start, the Welsh teenager piled on the pressure immediately and into the flat-out Church Corner – regarded as the most fearsome in the UK – Seb sliced up the inside to take the lead with a remarkable pass.

Into lap two the Safety Car took to the track, to facilitate the recovery of Niall Murray’s stricken car, but at the re-start on lap five Seb got away well to keep Gamble at bay. Posting the fastest lap of the race on the fifth tour, 1m31.087 seconds (93.11mph), everything looked good but at the end of lap six Seb unfortunately ran wide on the exit of the chicane and came within inches of the barriers.

Somehow able to maintain the lead, despite losing a lot of momentum, the battle between the two leaders raged all the way to the chequered flag on lap 12. The decisive moment came at the chicane again on the final tour – a slight moment for Seb giving Gamble a chance to run alongside him to the line and at the finish just 0.036 seconds separated the pair, in Gamble’s favour.

For round six, Seb hit back brilliantly and at no point did he look like repeating the unfortunate error which cost him success in the opener. Running in second place close behind his rival over the course of the first six laps, at the complex on the seventh tour he made his move with a great pass.

Challenged hard during the remaining two and a half laps, Seb knew what he had to do and carried fantastic speed through the fastest corners and also defended the line well into the complex and chicane each time. Winning by just 0.4 seconds, he also posted the fastest lap – and new lap record – of 1m30.969 seconds (93.23mph).

Next up for Seb is a visit to his ‘home’ track, Oulton Park in Cheshire, for rounds seven and eight of the Ginetta Junior Championship on 4th/5th June.

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd6):
1st Seb Morris, 211pts



 

>27/04/11

UNBEATEN MORRIS AIMING FOR MORE WINS AT THRUXTON
 

Marford teenager Seb Morris has his sights set on yet more race victories when the Ginetta Junior Championship arrives at Thruxton Circuit in Hampshire next weekend, 30th April/1st May, for the fifth and sixth rounds of the 2011 season.

Although only four races in to the current campaign, the 15-year-old sensation has exerted a tight grip on the championship lead and after a string of remarkable performances in his Hillspeed car he is very much the driver to beat.

Undefeated at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit and Donington Park National Circuit, the Legat Owen and Liberty Properties Plc-backed racer intends to make it six wins from six at ultra-fast Thruxton next weekend, a track which demands respect and rewards the bravest of competitors.

“I’ve got good confidence in the car ahead of next weekend, the guys at Hillspeed are doing a great job and gave me a fantastic set-up at both Brands and Donington”, said Seb, “I’m really looking forward to Thruxton, it’s a great track – really fast and flowing – and I think my smooth driving style should help the tyres.

“Thruxton always takes a lot out of the tyres, and we only have five sets for the season, so it’ll be important to look after them as much as possible. I’m sure we can keep the momentum we’ve got at the moment and fight for more wins, that always has to be the aim.”

Seb, who away from the race track attends The King’s School, Chester, enjoyed an impressive run during the corresponding event at Thruxton last season – his first ever car race. Securing an excellent top 12 finish in round one, he backed that up with 14th in round two. One year on though, the series leader has nothing but victory and an increased championship lead in his sights.

Ahead of next weekend’s action Seb holds a lead of 52 points over his closest rival, having scored 144 from a possible maximum of 148 points. Outright speed and tremendous consistency have been hallmarks of the Welsh teenager’s season so far and he’s confident that will continue to be the case just over a week from now.

Following two free practice sessions on Friday, 29th April, the Ginetta Junior competitors will benefit from an additional practice on Saturday, 30th April, before qualifying gets underway at 12.00 and the fifth round of the season follows at 17.05.

Round six will take place on Sunday, 1st May, at 13.30 and will be screened live on Freeview, cable and digital satellite channel ITV4, on the ITV4 HD channel and online at www.itv.com/touringcars

Provisional 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship Driver Standings (after Rd4):
1st Seb Morris, 144pts

>4/04/11

Seb Claims Brands Hatch Double to take Championship Lead!
 

Last weekend saw the first round of the Ginetta Junior Championship held at Brands Hatch, Kent.  Matt's young driver 'Seb Morris' who he has been working with for the past two seasons produced his best performance to date by winning the opening two rounds of the series to claim an early championship lead.

Seb confidently qualified his Ginetta G40 in 2nd position for the first of the weekends two races before going on to win after an excellent move at the last corner on the very first lap.  Once in the lead he quickly opened a 3 second gap to his nearest rivals and drove a measured and controlled race to the flag - recording his first victory on the BTCC support package.  In race two for which Seb had qualified on pole position he was beaten off the start line by another second year driver 'Jake Giddings', Seb and Jake then entertained the 10,000 + crowds with a great race in which they swapped the lead 4 times.  In the end it was Seb who triamphed again and won comfortably after Jake spun on the last lap entering the daunting paddock hill bend.

Matt commented 'Seb has driven the perfect weekend, his done everything I could have asked of him, his focus combined with his outright pace made it very difficult for his rivals and I'm pleased we leave Brands Hatch with a good championship lead'

Seb now focuses his attention to rounds 3 & 4 of the championship to be held at Donington Park on the 16/17 April where he looks to build on his recent success!

 

>28/03/11

Ginetta Juniors Live on ITV4 this weekend!!!

This weekend see's the first round of the 2011 Ginetta Junior Championship.  Seb Morris and Struan Moore will team up together at Hillspeed and aim to build on the success of 2010 eventual winner, Tom Ingram who took the drivers title at Brands Hatch last year. 
 
Seb is entering his second full season and is one of the title favorites after clinching the Winter Series Cup back in November.  Struan is in his first year after stepping up from Karts in 2010.  Both drivers are being driver coached by Matt Shawyer and he is confident that'll they'll be on top form at Brands Hatch for the season opener this weekend!

'Both Seb and Struan are well prepared for the season ahead and I'm confident we will be able to continue with our winning ways in 2011'

Both of the weekends races are screened live on ITV4 on BTCC Race Sunday (3rd April) @ 11.05 (14 laps) and 17.45 (17 laps) respectively............. Don't Miss It!!

>19/02/11

2011 Preparations Begin!
 

This week Matt started preparations for the 2011 season with his Hillspeed team and their drivers for the coming Formula Renault and Ginetta Junior season respectively.  Formula Renault testing is well underway with the teams current two drivers, Zaamin Jaffer and Sean Walkinshaw.  Both drivers are new to the Formula and are already working hard with Matt to get up to speed for the first round of the championship to be held at Donington Park on April 23/24.

In Ginetta Juniors, Matt continues to work with last years Ginetta Junior Winter Series Champion Seb Morris, and his new team mate for 2011, Struan Moore. 

Matt commented 'Its going to be another great year for myself and Hillspeed, we have a group of drivers that I'm sure will be right up the front of both championships.  Zaamin has adapted well to Formula Renualt and benefits from competing in last years Formula Ford Championship, he'll be a front runner for sure!  In Juniors Seb did a fantastic job in his first year at the tender age of 14, now we are looking to build on his Winter Series success and challenge for the main title in 2011'.  Set your Sky box to record ITV4 BTCC weekend on race Sundays its going to be very exciting!

 

>15/05/10

2010 Trackdays

Matt is now taking bookings for 2010 trackdays! Experience the thrill of driving your own road car to its limits in a safe environment at one of the country’s most prestigious circuits, Silverstone GP, Brands Hatch or how about a visit to Spa or the nostalgic Nurburgring?

If you don’t want to use your own car why not use one of our Lotus Exiges, the perfect track day car with an exceptional power to weight ratio and equally impressive handling. Quotes available, just email your requirements, track dates can be found at www.goldtrack.co.uk

>15/05/10

2010 Trackdays

For 2010 Matt will be competing in selected rounds of the Ginetta G20 Challenge, please see ‘Racing Season’ for the dates and come along and support Matt on his racing return in 2010!

>08/12/04

Matt continues impressive form in Spanish test....

Matt Shawyer has successfully completed his two day Spanish testing programme with the support of Southdown based company 'RMC - The Car Agents'. The Albacete Circuit based in southern Spain was the ideal location for Matt to test the Formula Renault racing car which is the next logical step after winning the BRDC Single Seater Championship in 2004.

Matt got to grips with the Formula Renault car after just a handful of laps and set some competitive times in both the wet and dry conditions. Matt said 'the conditions were not perfect but I learnt a lot and I was pleased to post competitive times with the track time we had available, top Renault outfit team JLR were also present which provided a strong benchmark and I think we proved just what can be achieved in 2005'.

Hillspeed Racing is committed to competing in the Formula Renault Championship for 2005 and were very impressed with Matt's performance, team boss Richard Ollerenshaw said 'the data retrieved from the car shows just what a talented driver Matt is and his performance and lap times were excellent considering this was his first ever run in a Formula Renault car'.