Leeds-teenager sixteen year old James Kellett clinched second place in the 2014 Ginetta Junior Championship by finishing second in the first of two action-packed races at the historic Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, bringing to end a highly successful season of racing that yielded five impressive victories.
Reflecting on his successful season Motor Sport Association (MSA)-backed racer Kellett picks out two highlights, firstly his maiden victory this year at his home circuit of Croft, just outside of Darlington and then a victory in the Scottish Highlands:
“Croft was a special weekend. Coming from Yorkshire I felt pressure to deliver, and having your friends and family there at the track adds to it too. I actually did really well though and took pole-position and won the first race. I think I could have won race two had it not been for a loose steering rack; that was a real shame. Then, winning my first race on live television was a real high for me. Knockhill is a track that divides opinion, you either love it or you don’t, and thankfully I really love it there. The race itself was awesome, great fun, and it was good to beat Lando too! It was particularly poignant as it was the same week as my sponsor leaving me high and dry.”
That naturally leads the Loughborough College student to discuss the low point: “The sponsor committed earlier in the year and was keen to work with me for a number of years. You can imagine my horror when, without any warning, they stopped answering calls and meeting the scheduled payments; they gave me hope, then took it away, all within a matter of months. It was brutal, but it’s taught me a lot, and I’ve become more commercially savvy as a result. My racing programme in 2015 depends on receiving funding, so that’s something I’ll be working on now with some experienced professionals to ensure I’m on the grid for 2015. Hopefully I will be racing cars next year; that’s my goal, in the meantime I’m going to work hard at college, keep my fitness up and hopefully do some test days.”
Kellett finishes 2014 with 459 points, eight points ahead of team-mate Norris who finished with 451 and 54 points off Championship winner Mitchell (513).
For more information on James and his racing career, please visit: http://www.jameskellett.co.uk
