Dan Zelos is leaving no stone unturned as he revs up towards his maiden campaign of car racing competition in the ITV4-televised Ginetta Junior Championship in 2014 – and as the season curtain-raiser approaches apace, his personal trainer and team principal are convinced the gifted Norfolk ace will be fighting fit and ready for action.
After ranking a superb third in the country in the fiercely-disputed British Karting Championship last year, Zelos made his car racing debut in the 2013 Ginetta Junior Winter Series at Snetterton. In treacherous conditions and as the least experienced driver in the field, he impressed with an eye-catching double top ten finish.
The 15-year-old Dereham-based hotshot subsequently embarked upon an extensive testing programme in his JHR Developments-run, Evergreen Tyres-sponsored Ginetta G40 as he endeavours to bring himself fully up-to-speed – benefitting moreover from the tuition and guidance of two top-drawer driver coaches in multiple Ginetta champion Tom Ingram and ex-touring car racer Stefan Hodgetts.
The Ginetta Junior Championship is 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 opening round of the 2014 campaign will be held at Brands Hatch over the last weekend in March, and having taken a quantum leap forward since the Winter Series, Zelos is in quietly optimistic mood.
“I definitely feel much more positive now,” asserted the Northgate High School pupil. “Tom and Stef have played a huge role in getting me comfortable inside the car; they’re two very different characters, with different driving styles and different approaches – and both have been extremely successful in their careers.
“Stef really pushes me right to the limit and has worked with me on my single-lap pace, whereas Tom is a calmer influence and has been helping me to improve my consistency over long race stints. Being able to glean information and advice from both of them has been enormously beneficial.
“In the Winter Series, I was concentrating really hard on not spinning or making any mistakes, whereas now, my main focus is on my lines and lap times – and at Thruxton last month, I was pretty much as quick as anybody else out there, which was a massive confidence boost.
“I’m mindful of keeping my expectations in-check for Brands Hatch. It’s unquestionably going to be a learning curve as the first time I’ll be out on-track with all the other cars around me, and it’s an extremely competitive grid in Ginetta Juniors this year, with some seriously high-calibre drivers in the field from established contenders to rookies who have looked promising in testing. The aim is to do the best job I can and hopefully come away with a couple of good finishes – and then take the rest of the season from there...”
Zelos has worked especially hard over the past year alongside personal trainer Lloyd Thompson at Dereham Fitness, and the former Marine is quick to praise his young protégé’s commitment and progress.
“We set out a series of goals, and seeing the results has motivated Dan to push even harder still,” Thompson revealed. “His running, recovery time, flexibility and muscular endurance are all well above average for his age – and in some cases, he is now capable of achieving more than many fully-grown men. For a 15-year-old, that is quite phenomenal – his rate of improvement has been extremely impressive and I would say he is already three-to-four times fitter than he was at this stage last year.
“We have focussed particularly on the core strength and stamina he needs for his racing, which in-turn help to boost mental alertness and concentration levels – all of which will be even more vital this year as Dan steps up from karting into cars. He has done some boxing training, too, which has sharpened his reactions.
“He has never got disheartened when he has had a bad day – and we all have them. He has learned the importance of taking the knocks, getting back up, dusting himself down and carrying on. That requires mental toughness – which is a quality Dan has certainly developed over the past year.
“His attitude is exemplary, and even when I’m continuing to demand a lot from him after an hour-and-a-half workout, he responds immediately and pesters me for more training in-between sessions! He genuinely enjoys keeping himself in shape. I can see Dan turning into a really successful professional sportsman.”
The final word goes to JHR Developments founder and team principal Steven Hunter, who is a better judge than most of just how far the East Anglian teenager has come since his first tentative steps in the Winter Series.
“I’m honestly really chuffed with the way Dan is progressing,” he remarked. “He has knuckled down tremendously well and has improved massively since the start of the year. His approach to understanding how to get the best out of the car through listening to his instructors has been second-to-none – he absorbs everything we are telling him and puts it into practice straightaway.
“His capabilities are way beyond what I would expect from somebody in their first year in cars. In recent tests, he has been very close to matching some of the second-year drivers, so there are no question marks at all regarding his raw pace. We don’t want to put him under any pressure and are keen for him to just settle in over the opening few rounds, but I genuinely do anticipate good things from Dan this season and believe he could surprise right from the ‘off’.”
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
