Ash Hand has received a ‘tremendous boost’ ahead of his sophomore campaign in the fiercely-contested Renault UK Clio Cup, with the prestigious KX Akademy selecting the gifted Nuneaton star as one of just five racing ambassadors for the forthcoming season.
Hand graduated into car racing from karting in 2013 and turned many a head behind the wheel of his Team Pyro-prepared, Sigma and QTS-backed Clio Renaultsport 200, ascending the rostrum at Rockingham, tallying two top five and 13 top ten finishes from 16 starts and frequently qualifying right up at the sharp end of the 27-strong grid in the single-make, ITV4-televised British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) support series.
His faultless dedication and irreproachable work ethic saw the highly-rated Maple Park ace consummately conquer the steep learning curve to rapidly gain the respect of his Clio Cup rivals – and secured him a superb ninth position in the final standings and the coveted accolade of best-placed rookie as he outpaced and outperformed a whole host of more experienced adversaries.
His eye-catching results also brought him onto the radar of the KX Akademy, an initiative established by the energy drinks company in 2012 to help talented young tin-top drivers take the next step via marketing, sponsorship, fitness and media guidance, financial aid and the provision of Jason Plato as a mentor. That enables the scheme’s elite few members to tap into the knowledge and experience of the two-time BTCC Champion – the most successful competitor in the series’ long and illustrious history.
“There are several driver development programmes in single-seater racing, but until the KX Akademy was launched, there had never really been anything for aspiring touring car drivers,” Hand explained. “It is a unique project that I feel very proud and privileged to have been chosen for.“I’m hugely excited to be going into the new season with the KX Akademy behind me – and to have Jason as a mentor, well, it really doesn’t get much better than that! What he has achieved both on and off the track is quite phenomenal – his record of success really does speak for itself.
“Winning is about so much more than just climbing into the car and driving fast – more than ever these days, you need to be the complete package. In that respect, I can learn so much from Jason and I can’t wait to begin working with him.
“This is the kind of opportunity that doesn’t come along every day, and a tremendous boost so early on in my career. Being part of such a professional and structured operation will really serve to enhance my profile and personal skill set. There are so many areas in which I can benefit from being under the KX Akademy wing, and I’m really looking forward to getting started!”
What’s more, the 19-year-old Warwickshire hotshot will be switching camps to a new team in 2014 in the shape of front-running outfit SV Racing, and later this month, he is set to climb inside the cockpit of the fourth-generation Clio Cup car for the first time. To say that he is champing at the bit would be quite the understatement.
“On paper, it looks like it should suit my driving style well, and the comments so far from those that have driven it make it sound pretty awesome!” he enthused. “Better yet, it will be a level playing field for everybody and the new Clio is a further step closer to the BTCC, which is where I ultimately want to be. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
“Moving to SV will be another challenge, but they are proven race-winners and there’s clearly a lot of expertise there, so I’m sure they will help me to get the best out of myself. It’s always good to see how a different team works, and I’m looking forward to getting to know all the guys.
“I’ve got a year’s experience in car racing under my belt now, and I feel much stronger for that and ready to attack from the word ‘go’. I worked hard and made a lot of progress over the course of my rookie campaign, so the aim is to maintain that momentum going into 2014 and really come out-of-the-blocks flying at Brands Hatch at the end of March!”
Plato – who will be bidding to clinch his third BTCC crown this season – confessed that the KX Akademy is ‘very pleased and excited to be working with Ash in 2014 and we hope we can help him realise his racing dreams’, whilst SV Racing team owner, 2001 Clio Cup UK Champion and former BTCC racer Danny Buxton has similarly high expectations of his new protégé.
“Ash was extremely impressive at his KX Akademy interview,” he revealed. “It was evident that he had done his homework on the brand, product and judges – and that won him instant brownie points with all of us! Everybody could see how much he improved over the second half of last year, and there are no doubts at all about his raw speed. The key with Ash is just how much potential he has, and I think Jason could really relate to that – it reminded him a bit of how he was back in his early days.
“Moreover, from what I understand, his feedback to the engineers is excellent, and all of us at SV are very eager to work with Ash. I’m confident he will fit in well inside the team, and provided we give him the race-winning car he deserves and he enjoys some productive pre-season testing, I’m convinced we can achieve a lot of success together and grab plenty of headlines this year.”
