Motorsport student Adam races to national title

Adam Smalley has won the Ginetta Junior Championship

Adam Smalley is currently undertaking the second year of a Level 3 BTEC Extended Diploma Motorsport study programme, and won the title following the final rounds of competition at Brands Hatch.

17-year-old Adam, from Poulton-le-Fylde, is a talented young driver, who racing started in 2011, moving through the junior carting ranks initially before competing in the Junior Rotax European Championship, and winning a Ginetta Junior Scholarship and a funded season in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2017.

The Ginetta is the UK’s longest running and most prestigious junior series, and offers the first step on the motorsport ladder for 14- 17 year old racing drivers, giving aspiring teenage drivers the experience of a lifetime, kick-starting their journey towards racing stardom. All competitors drive the Ginetta G40 car, containing a 1800cc Ford Zetec engine, capable of speeds of up to 120 mph. This makes the championship a proven tool in the development of young drivers.

This season Adam has competed in the Ginetta Junior Championships, which is contested over 26 rounds, across ten race weekends, at some of most iconic circuits in the country. At the final event at Brands Hatch, Adam secured a podium finish and a victory in the first two races, before a fifth place in the final race proved to be enough to take the title. During a fantastic season, Adam took a total of seven victories and ten further podium finishes on his way to an emotional title victory.

Adam said: “From the moment of entering the scholarship I never thought any of this would have been possible. It’s the best feeling in the world to have come out on top and won the championship.

‘’I knew I needed to get in the right place and focus on getting the job done at the final round. I did everything I needed to do and it all paid off in the end. All of Elite Motorsport has done a fantastic job this year to give me the car I needed to win the championship.

‘’Most of my friends are into football, but are all happy for me and I’m excited about the whole thing too. My family are made up as they’ve supported me for years. They watch me every weekend I’m racing. It’s busy but really enjoyable.

‘’My course gives me a great understanding of how cars work, which in turn helps me as a driver. It means I can do things like relay any faults back to the team to get fixed as soon as possible.

‘’Lewis Hamilton is my main idol and I can see similar progression routes for me from where he started. But now, I need to find sponsorship to carry on as it’s an expensive sport to participate in. Hopefully I’ll be able to compete in other Ginetta championships, but as you progress up the motorsport ladder, the more it costs. The Ginetta series gets lots of TV coverage though which is hopefully attractive to potential sponsors.

‘’I’ll enjoy the moment for now but in the coming weeks I’ll be testing potential cars for next season.’’

You can keep up with Adam’s progress or find out more about sponsorship opportunities HERE 

For details of the full range of motorsport study programmes at both further and higher education level available at Myerscough College and University Centre, CLICK HERE