Wigton Motor Club are sponsoring two teenage drivers in their motorsport programme for the 2018 season. This new initiative is possibly the first of its kind and another example of the dynamic thinking from the Cumbria based club that has some 850 members who take part in a wide variety of motorsport.
Each year the Club has donated thousands of pounds to charity but for 2018 the Club decided to use some of the money by encouraging and supporting its young drivers.
Sam Kirkpatrick, 17, of Brigham, Cockermouth (MG ZR in the MG Trophy Race Series)
Sam is currently a Keswick School pupil and hopes to go to university to study accountancy.
Sam has raced in karts since the age of 8. He raced in the British super 1 championship in Cadet, Minimax and Junior Max with some success. He also raced in Europe in the Junior Max class in his final season of karting coming 10th in the BNL championship.
In 2016 he moved into cars, racing in the Junior Saloon Car series in a Saxo under the watchful eye of former BTCC champion Chris Hodgetts. In his first season his best result was third at Knockhill. In 2017 he raced again in the JSCC with MMR Racing, finishing 3rd overall with 3 wins,11 podiums and 7 pole positions and was in the running to be overall champ right up until the last round at Brands.
This season he is contesting the MG Car Club Trophy championship in the very competitive ZR170 class, a very well organised and hard fought series with huge grids, over 12 races at six different tracks. Sam has been fast in testing, adjusting well to the extra power and grip of the MG. The first round is at Silverstone on April the 7th. He realises it’s a big step up for him against some very experienced opposition. Hopefully he will build towards some good results this season.
Sam’s parents, Bill and Michelle, and both successful racers in MGs.
Jack Palmer, 19, of Maryport (Vauxhall Nova in the BTRDA Autotest Championship)
Currently doing a 4 year advanced mechanical engineering apprenticeship at Iggesund Paper board, in Siddick near Workington. He is now in his last year of the apprenticeship and as recently passed his HNC in engineering.
He has been a keen motorsports enthusiast since an early age. From around the age of 10, he helped his Dad in the pits preparing his car for circuit racing. From the age of 12, he begun navigating for his dad on autotests and classic rallies with some success. At the age of 14, he moved into the driving seat and took part in PCA autotests, firstly on grass then progressed to autotests on tar. When he turned 16 he was able to participate in autotests solo and from then on he’s steadily got quicker.
At 17, he passed his driving test first time and was then in a position to take part in Targa rallies. He has been successful in these events, either winning his class or in March 2016 won his first event aged just 17, his navigator was his friend Tom Hampson, also just 17.
This year Jack has entered the BTRDA British autotest championship for the first time. The sponsorship from Wigton Motor Club will greatly assist Jack in preparing for the events throughout the year and he would like to take this opportunity to thank the club for their support. At the first event in early March, he came 4th in class and first novice. Future plans are to continue with the BTRDA championship for the remainder of the year, whilst building a Vauxhall Nova rally car, so he has his own car to compete in, initially in Targa rallies and 12 car events. However, when funding allows his wish is to progress to single venue rallies.
