Dan Zelos has proudly taken the wraps off the car he will race for Ciceley Motorsport in the 2016 Renault UK Clio Cup at the championship’s official Media Day at Rockingham, proclaiming that he has never been so excited heading into a new season.After graduating from a successful karting career at the end of 2013, the talented young Norfolk ace enjoyed two impressive years in the Ginetta Junior Championship – yielding a brace of victories, no fewer than 16 podium finishes and consecutive top four placings in the final classification.Having stepped up another level, Zelos is now just ten days away from making his competitive debut in the fiercely-disputed, ITV4-televised Clio Cup – the leading feeder series to the phenomenally popular British Touring Car Championship.A productive pre-season testing programme with front-running BTCC outfit Ciceley has covered a lot of bases. The 17-year-old Dereham Sixth Form College A-Level student has alternated race stints with qualifying-style runs as he and the team have evaluated a variety of different set-ups for the potent and sophisticated Renault UK Clio Cup racecar, based upon the road-going Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy model.Now, Zelos has unveiled the striking and distinctive Evergreen Tyres livery that will adorn his new ‘office’ throughout the forthcoming campaign – in deference to his loyal title sponsor – and the highly-rated Dereham-based hotshot can scarcely contain his enthusiasm as the Brands Hatch Indy curtain-raiser on 2/3 April speeds rapidly into view.“Having seen the mock-ups of the livery and then the real thing in the workshop, it’s fantastic to be able to finally show it off in public!” he remarked. “It’s an awesome design, and I couldn’t be happier with it. In the Evergreen colours, we’ve definitely got one of the sharpest-looking cars on the grid, and you know what they say about a car that looks quick...“Evergreen has been such a vital partner over the past few years and staff and guests frequently come along to watch me race, which is extra motivation to put on a really good performance. To have retained that support and now also have the experience and expertise of Ciceley behind me is a massive boost to my career aspirations.“I actually feel like I’ve been at Ciceley for longer than just a couple of months – we’ve established such a strong relationship already, and in addition to working hard, the boys know how to have fun too, which makes for a great team environment. Their professionalism is indisputable and they always turn out a superbly-prepped car.“I’m feeling comfortable and confident in the Clio, and I’m really pleased with the way testing has gone. It was good to be able to measure ourselves against some of our rivals at Brands Hatch last week; not only were we amongst the quickest by the end of the day, but we were consistently quick with it, which was very encouraging and a real shot in the arm.“Nobody is putting any pressure on my shoulders going into the opening rounds, which means I can be more relaxed about everything and focus on demonstrating my worth. I’m under no illusions that I’ll have a lot to learn over the course of my rookie campaign, but the main goal is to make regular progress to build towards a more concerted challenge in 2017.“I want to use this opportunity as a stepping-stone for the future, and hopefully we can surprise a few people along the way. I’m in the right championship with the right team, and I’m the most excited I’ve ever been approaching a new season – so roll on Brands Hatch!”If you are interested in getting involved in life in the fast lane by sponsoring Dan, please contact: dan@danzelos.com