George Grant will be back behind the wheel of his Mazda MX-5 this weekend (8/9 November) when he contests the Race of Remembrance at Anglesey Circuit with the help of Mission Motorsport.
Having recently completed his debut season in the MaX5 Racing Championship alongside the official Armed Forces charity, Grant’s participation at the Welsh-coast circuit was a natural decision.
The event coincides with a landmark Remembrance Sunday (November 9) which commemorates 100 years since the outbreak of World War One. What’s more, British forces’ recent withdrawal from Afghanistan make this a particularly poignant time as the country reflects upon the sacrifices made by those who served, lost their lives, or returned wounded.
“The Race of Remembrance is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the debt owed to our servicemen and women,” explained Grant. “I feel genuinely proud and privileged to be racing in honour of what these guys did, particularly given my links to Mission Motorsport.
“I’ll also be thinking of my dad (photographed below) who served during World War Two. I am very fortunate as he returned home in good health and is still with us today, but many of those he fought alongside, as well as countless others, did not make it back.
“With that in mind I’m just happy to be involved, and we’ve made our own small contribution by building a website to help promote the event,” he added.
Sunday’s eight-hour endurance contest will employ a unique format that combines motorsport with remembrance. Teams will take the start at 08.00, racing up until 10.45. At this point competition will pause and a service will be held in the pit-lane, culminating in silent reflection at 11.00. The event will then resume at 11.15 and continue until the full eight hours has elapsed.
Grant forms part of a four-man team entering the Heroes Trophy at the Welsh circuit, which he first sampled during this year’s Max5 campaign. This weekend he will be joined by Shaun Hollamby, a former British Touring Car Championship racer whose AmD Tuning.com squad continues to compete in the ultra-competitive tin-top category.
They will also count upon the driving talents of two MaX5 experts: former series title-winner Rob Boston, and reigning champion Jonathan Cryer. The team will be supported by Mission Motorsport and its crew chief Tony Compson
“The Race of Remembrance is about recognising the sacrifice made by others, but we also aim to have fun and put on a show for those in attendance,” said Grant.
“With the fantastic line up we have, I’m confident of a really good run on Sunday. As a former BTCC racer Shaun needs no introduction, while Rob is as fast and knowledgeable a guy as I’ve come across. And in Jonathan we have the reigning MaX5 champion, so we know what to expect from him. With the Mission Motorsport guys behind us, I’m sure we can be serious contenders.”
As well as the endurance event, Anglesey will play host to a variety of on-track entertainment throughout the Race of Remembrance weekend. On Saturday a number of well-known drivers will be offering passenger-laps, including BTCC race-winners Rob Austin and Adam Morgan, before the day culminates with the ‘Party-in-the-Paddock’ at the circuit’s Pit-Stop Cafe.
“There’s a lot to look forward to,” confirmed Grant. “Between paying our respects, Sunday’s race, and the festivities on Saturday, it should be a fantastic weekend.”
