Sam tests BARC Renault at Turweston

ASHBOURNE racer Sam Randon moved a step closer to his dream of competing on the big stage after swapping his kart for a 200-horsepower racing car last week. The 17-year-old tested a British Automobile Racing Club Formula Renault at the Turweston Aerodrome in Northamptonshire, and despite the weather making conditions less than ideal for the teenager, Randon impressed onlookers with the speed in which he mastered the machinery and techniques required.

“The acceleration and grip was incredible despite it being very wet,” he said. “With the wings on a racing car, the faster you go, the better the grip, so it was a whole new way of driving for me.”

The Renault has a tuned two-litre engine from the Clio road car and is capable of accelerating to 100mph in 4.5 seconds. Examining the data after each session, Randon registered 120mph before braking hard at the end of the makeshift race track on the airport runway.

The test day was a one-off exercise to assess the young engineering student’s aptitude to making the step up from karting to car racing. Randon’s father Neil said: “Everyone was very pleased with Sam’s performance in the car, but to give him this opportunity for a whole season we need to find some significant sponsor support. So I would appeal to any local business leaders with an interest in motorsport to contact us via our website, www.SamRandonRacing.com to discuss the benefits we could give them in return for supporting Sam.”

With a beaming smile at the end of the  test day, Randon said: “It is my ambition to make a career out of racing so today was an important step towards that. I would like to thank P1 Sports for making the opportunity happen and SWB Motorsports for preparing the car.”

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