A Word From Will – 31.10.24

I went into 2024 certain it would be the busiest year of my motorsport career to date.

Before I knew it, my diary was full of professional driver coaching and brand ambassadorial duties that would see me clock up thousands of motorway and air miles as I bounced from one race circuit to the next, and then on to a new car launch.

Reputation is so important and attracting new customers through word-of-mouth confirmed my existing clients are happy with my service.

One of my regular coaching gigs is with the DW Racing team in the Hagerty Radical Cup UK – my old stomping ground – and, while some individual results could have been better, we took drivers to second in their respective classes.

Karting graduate Sam Shaw rounded-out his maiden season of car racing as Pro SR1 Vice-Champion, Fine Cut Group’s Peter Tyler finished runner-up in the SR3 Fangio division, and Oscar Joyce pushed to second in the definitive Pro SR3 standings after swapping his SR1 for a more powerful, higher downforce SR3 XXR.

Seeing drivers, from young aspiring pros fresh out of karting to more mature amateurs, progress is unbelievably rewarding, especially when a team of people give their all to their programmes.

Another example is family friend Oskar Dix, who was crowned Porsche Sprint Challenge GB Champion during the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) finale on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit.

I took Oskar through his very first karting experience and observed his development as a driver in the Junior Saloon Car Championship (JSCC), so it’s incredible to see him secure a high-profile championship in a tense title showdown that went right down to the wire.

Elsewhere, I joined a Ginetta sportscars team with entries in an array of championships and whose drivers vary wildly in terms of experience, and it’s a new partnership that could potentially yield some exciting opportunities for myself down the line.

The fact is, I have been part of so many successes and they have made 2024 a hugely enjoyable season, even though the dramatic spike in my coaching business made it nigh on impossible to commit to a full-time racing campaign of my own.

Instead, I sought one-off opportunities that could be squeezed into my schedule, with ongoing backing from Hailsham-based automotive transmission and torque converter suppliers, Sussex Autos.

But did I ever expect to return to the Nürburgring and win at the first time of asking? Absolutely not!

I was keen to build on the podium I achieved on my Ring debut in 2023 and we pieced together a single appearance alongside Nico da Silva, Yannik Himmels and Michel Albers in the Veedol-liveried #651 BMW M240i Racing Cup.

As they were gunning for this year’s class title, my Adrenalin Motorsport teammates were counting on me to get up to speed quickly.

I had to grasp all my experience to adapt to the new car and re-learn the ever-evolving Nordschleife, which featured some new, unforgiving kerbing at the perilously fast Foxhole.

I found the M240i to be more challenging than the BMW 330i I raced previously, as it required a delicacy and finesse on the brake pedal that’s quite counterintuitive, although progress was good.

However, the Nürburgring plunged into crisis when a compressed air bottle exploded in the paddock, sending a second one rocketing into the air.

Several people sustained serious life-changing injuries that you associate with warzones and the track was locked down while casualties were air-lifted to hospital and the police investigated what was a freak accident.

It was a sobering reminder of the dangers of our sport and thoughts were with all those caught up in the explosion, but sharing a beer with my teammates while we analysed data and onboard videos was a much-needed distraction and a brilliant way of focusing our minds on the ultimate goal – to win NLS4.

My teammates and I really bonded that day, and friendships formed when our combined efforts in qualifying and the race, which was cut from six to four hours following a dramatic multi-car shunt, resulted in a dominant race victory that kept them in the title fight.

It’s special to have been part of Nick, Yannik and Michel’s season and I’m disappointed I can’t reunited for the final two rounds of 2024, but my coaching duties roll on and I’m also committed to brand ambassadorial roles with luxury automotive brands.

During the summer, I spent three amazing weeks launching a new car in Ibiza and my ‘Product Expert’ role was a completely different pace to what I’m used to – I guess you can’t be in top gear every day.

The trip included some unforgettable moments, a highlight being a drive from one side of the island to the other on switchback coastal roads that wound their way through stunning scenery.

Happily, my relationship with the car-maker carried over to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where I got to run up the world-famous hill multiple times, and another glamorous location – the Cote d’Azur – awaits in November.

In fact, my schedule will continue apace until Christmas, but I’ll never pretend the work is strenuous.

I’m grateful to be living the life of a racing driver, although pulling together a full-time 2025 racing campaign is the overriding objective.