as he commits to 2014 car racing graduation
Buoyed by a tremendously encouraging car racing debut in the 2013 Ginetta Junior Winter Series, Dan Zelos has signed up to compete in the ITV4-televised Ginetta Junior Championship with JHR Developments and Evergreen Tyres in 2014 – and has already been tipped to enjoy ‘a promising future’ in the sport.
Fresh off the back of ranking a superb third in the country in the fiercely-disputed British Karting Championship last year, the gifted young Norfolk ace progressed through to the second day of the Ginetta Junior Scholarship in October before going on to make his car racing bow in treacherous conditions at Snetterton – where, as the least experienced driver in the field, he caught many an eye with a double top ten finish.
With that exploratory foray under his belt, Zelos is preparing to shift things up another notch this season by entering the Ginetta Junior Championship, one of the key support series to the immensely popular Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) and an opportunity for precociously talented 14-to-17-year-olds to earn their racing spurs before they can even legally drive on the road.
The 15-year-old Dereham-based hotshot has spent the past couple of months testing his distinctive, JHR Developments-run and Evergreen-backed Ginetta G40 in just about every condition conceivable, and has benefitted moreover from the tuition and guidance of two top-drawer driver coaches – multiple Ginetta champion Tom Ingram and former BTCC racer Stefan Hodgetts.
With further track time planned between now and the opening round of the campaign at Brands Hatch at the end of March to get to grips with a few more of the nine circuits on the calendar, Zelos is champing at the bit to clamber back inside the cockpit.
“I’m really excited,” the Northgate High School pupil enthused. “There’s a lot to look forward to. Competing in the Winter Series has given me a much better idea of what to expect in the first race. It was important for my confidence level in allowing me to get my initial anxiety out of the way, and the varying weather over the weekend meant I gained a fair bit of experience, too!
“I’ve got an excellent team behind me in JHR. There’s a really positive vibe and they’re a great bunch of guys – I instantly felt like I fit right in. Their pedigree on the TOCA package clearly speaks for itself, and I can’t wait to go racing with them!
“I’m also delighted to have the support of Evergreen Tyres during my rookie season in car racing. Tyres play an integral role in motorsport, and carefully looking after them over the duration of a race distance can often mark the difference between winning and losing – so maybe Evergreen can teach me a few tricks of the trade with regards to successful tyre-management, and hopefully I will be able to repay their faith in me with my performances out on the track.
“I’m treating Ginetta Juniors very much as a two-year plan; this will unquestionably be a learning year as I get used to everything and settle into car racing. I’m under absolutely no illusions; I’m fully aware that it’s going to be a whole different ballgame to karting and that I’ve got a tough apprenticeship and big learning curve ahead of me, but my main focus will be to simply take one step at a time and improve race-by-race.
“The only target for my maiden season is to make consistent progress and work my way gradually towards the front in preparation for a more concerted challenge in 2015; if I can do that, it will be mission accomplished. I'm not putting any pressure on myself at all to achieve results, but if we do come away with a handful of good finishes in 2014, then that will simply be a bonus.”
Evergreen UK brand manager Peter Cross reveals that the Chinese company is relishing its first taste of motor racing thrills n’ spills, and reflects that with East Anglian teenager Zelos behind the wheel, hopes are justifiably high.
“After noting Dan’s impressive record of success so far, Evergreen really jumped at the chance to form an association with him,” he explained. “He is a very driven and competitive young man with a bright future ahead of him, and we are hugely excited about his potential and what he may be able to achieve as he steps up from a brilliant career racing karts to his first time racing cars. Evergreen are extremely enthusiastic about ramping up marketing activities and brand awareness through our partnership with Dan in the Ginetta Junior Championship.”
“Dan has already made a substantial improvement over the short period of time he has been in the car, and we are confident he will be able to continue that significant rate of progress throughout the course of the season as he fights his way up the grid,” concurred JHR Developments team principal Steven Hunter.
“Dan has a very dedicated and focussed approach, and if he maintains his current level of commitment, he will do very well. We believe he has a very promising future in the sport and are looking forward to a positive and productive year together.”
If you are interested in getting involved in life in the fast lane by sponsoring Dan as he takes the next step in his burgeoning career, please contact his dad Andy at andy.zelos@weselltyres.com
