Teenage driver from Corbridge in race for sponsorship

Teenager Will Crewdson with his professional racing simulator

Will Crewdson, 16, has the opportunity to race at some of the UK’s top tracks including Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Donington Park, during the high-profile race series, which last year featured on BBC Top Gear.

Will, who balances his motorsport ambitions with studying for his GCSEs at Dame Allan’s Schools in Newcastle, raised £5,000 during lockdown to buy a professional racing simulator to enable him to train at home. He is now looking for regional sponsorship to support the cost of competing across the UK as part of a team.

He said: “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to secure offers from two separate race teams to drive for them in the championships.

“Several very successful drivers have started their careers in the JSCC before moving into the British Touring Car Championship and the GT Cup, so this is a fantastic opportunity.

“Competing in the JSCC would put me in the best position to start a potential career in motorsports.

“The North East is hugely underrepresented in motorsports and opportunities aren’t as readily available, so I’m hoping to get some sponsors on board to fly the regional flag and support me on my journey.”

Will, who recently passed his Association of Racing Driver Schools (ARDS) test and now holds a Motorsport UK competition licence, is also involved in kart racing and will compete in this year’s British Schools Karting Championships alongside Dame Allan’s Schools team members Will Clark, from Gateshead, and Alex Richards, from Cramlington.

“I’ve always just really loved cars and anything that I can drive – fast!” said Will. “To be successful in motorsports, hard work and determination is needed just as much as natural ability.

“It’s a team sport, and everyone has their own important role, but then it’s down to the person behind the wheel and their individual skill and ability to put everyone else’s hard work into results.”

Alongside driving, Will is also interested in the engineering aspect of racing and hopes to take a degree in motorsport engineering after completing his A Levels at Dame Allan’s sixth form.

Businesses interested in sponsoring Will during the JSCC this season can email [email protected]