Hitech Junior completed a successful test ahead of this weekend’s latest rounds of the Formula Renault 2.0 West European Cup at Valencia.  The Silverstone-based team fielding three cars for Briton Richard Singleton, Spaniard Miki Monras and Australian Ashley Walsh wound up fifth, ninth and 16th respectively at the end of the first official test.Singleton, the Formula Renault UK Winterseries Champion has shown an incredible amount of promise in his third year in Formula Renault. The 2006 BARC Champion took six wins in his first season in the category before finishing last year’s UK series in seventh place.  The 19 year-old from Llanfairfechan, Wales, will be looking for a good result this weekend and began the session in top form, running quickest right up until the closing stages.

Sixteen year-old Monras, still too young to drive on the public road, is the least experienced of the trio. Miki was runner-up in the European KF2 kart Championship, fifth in the Open Masters and third in the Winning Series of Karting in 2007.  The teenager from Barcelona is in his first full year in senior motor racing having previously contested the Winterseries last November and posted the ninth quickest time in the test yesterday.

Australian Motor Sport Foundation International Rising Star Walsh was runner-up in the 2007 Australian Formula Ford Championship.  The 20 year-old who has now moved to Towcester to be close to the team, is in his first season in the single-seater category. A three-time kart champion, Ashley won on his car racing debut in Formula Ford in 2005 and heads into this weekends event determined for a strong result.

Team owner David Hayle was understandably delighted with the performance of his three young drivers ahead of testing at the track on Friday.

“It’s an incredible performance by all three drivers to be running as well as they have against the experienced opposition.  For Richard particularly to be quickest throughout right up to the closing minutes of the session is a real achievement.  Likewise though, Miki is just 16 years old and up against far older and more experienced drivers so his performance is equally impressive.  While the other two have had the benefit of track time as they’re also competing in the Eurocup, Ashley has not had much time on the circuit and I’m confident that he will improve as he has certainly shown he has the capability to be up in the top ten.  And that is where I would expect all three of them to be in testing and qualifying later today and tomorrow.”