How things change. At the time of writing my last post, we were ramping up to the opening round of the 2020 Radical SR1 Cup at Oulton Park, yet here we are some five weeks into an unprecedented period of self-isolation and social distancing.
The measures decimated the motorsport calendar, but while that’s disappointing, events like the COVID-19 pandemic give a great sense of perspective, and my thoughts are with all those who have been affected or have lost loved ones to the virus, as well as the incredibly brave and selfless health professionals working within the NHS and our social care system.
In fact, I’m full of praise for British motor racing’s governing body, Motorsport UK, and Radical Sportscars, as they swiftly and decisively postponed race events in response to the government’s guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing.
Despite being stuck at home with no indication of when we will get the green light to resume racing, I have been as busy as ever.
Much of my time and energy has been spent improving my fitness, as Performance Elite Sports Conditioning Coach Tom Archer worked up a remarkably effective home routine that has actually enabled me to start transitioning to a more intense semi-pro training programme.
Upon crossing the semi-pro threshold, I’ll get stuck into a more racing-orientated, high intensity workout plan, with Motorsport UK’s #StayOnTrackChallenge providing a little extra motivation to accelerate my weight loss and get fit.
In fact, since being selected for the Motorsport UK Academy Squad, I have learned more about what the programme will entail.
Performance profiling designed to assess my strengths and weaknesses and establish my short and medium-term goals is already underway, but the prospect of factory tours and really delving into the fundamentals of things like engineering, performance analysis, psychology and nutrition has certainly got the juices flowing.
Elsewhere, we continue to form new partnerships. I was proud to confirm that I have been selected for the 2020 Demon Tweeks Sponsorship Scheme in March, and we will have yet more exciting deals to announce in the coming weeks and months.
In the meantime, you’ll find me training hard and staying race-ready on my home simulator, which I’m in the process of upgrading to give me an edge over my SR1 Cup rivals. I hope you all stay safe and well, and I hope we get a chance to meet at a racetrack very soon.
