Three of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship’s most promising young drivers – Jamie Chadwick, Ross Gunn and Lewis Plato – have been awarded the prestigious accolade of BRDC Rising Star status by the British Racing Drivers’ Club.
Reserved for those aged 24 and under, new inductees are selected on the merit of their performances throughout the year. Scouted from trackside, they are in effect ‘Junior Members’ of the Club who it’s hoped will one day graduate to the ranks of full membership.
Chadwick, Gunn and Plato will therefore be hoping to follow in the footsteps of previous recipients such as reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton.
The honour will come as a timely boost for Beechdean AMR pair Chadwick and Gunn who head into this weekend’s penultimate two rounds at Snetterton with an opportunity to wrap up the GT4 Drivers’ title before the season finale at Donington Park next month.
Their two victories and total of five podiums from six races undoubtedly caught the eye of the BRDC committee. A similar result this Sunday would make the teenagers British GT’s youngest ever championship-winning crew, as well as Chadwick the first female driver to win a title of any sort in the premier domestic sportscar series.
“August is normally a quiet month for me, but this year it’s been fantastic!” said the 17-year-old Cheltenham College student. “I’ve achieved two of my most important goals – joining the prestigious BRDC and passing my driving test! The BRDC invitation means a huge amount, as it is such a respected and important organisation. I will do everything I can to be a successful Rising Star and representative of the Club.”
Meanwhile Plato, who will be back behind the wheel of the RAM Racing-run Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 this weekend, was quick to acknowledge the prestige of being selected as a BRDC Rising Star.
“It is a great honour to be invited to join the BRDC Rising Stars programme,” he said. “I first realised how prestigious the BRDC was when I competed in America for the Sunoco Daytona 200 prize. One of the first things that everybody asked me was whether I was a member of the BRDC. So to now be a part of the Rising Star programme is an amazing achievement. I cannot thank everybody enough who has supported me in my racing career to get me to this point.”
All three will contest this weekend’s two one-hour races at Snetterton, both of which are being televised live on Motors TV (Freeview 71 and 240, Sky 447 and Virgin Media 545) this Sunday from 12:35 and 16:20 BST.