British GT drivers Stuart Middleton, Jack Mitchell, Sandy Mitchell and Will Tregurtha have all been awarded BRDC Rising Star status after the club announced its 2017 intake earlier this week.
Four of the seven new youngsters - who must be aged 24 and under - currently compete in British GT. That’s a remarkable figure that once again highlights the career path now widely favoured by aspiring professional racing drivers.
HHC Motorsport co-drivers Tregurtha and Middleton, who also finished one-two in Ginetta Juniors last season, are in pole position to win this year’s GT4 crown at Donington Park next month. Both aged just 17, the British GT debutants would become the youngest crew in series history to be crowned champions if they finish eighth or better on September 24.
Fellow 17-year-old and GT4 rival Sandy Mitchell has endured a tougher season but proved his worth with victory at Snetterton a year after becoming British GT’s youngest ever race winner at the same venue.
Meanwhile, his namesake but no relation Jack Mitchell graduated from GT4 to GT3 at the start of this season with senior class debutants Macmillan AMR. The extra ballast he and co-driver James Littlejohn carry for being a Silver Cup pairing amidst predominantly Pro/Am crews hasn’t always made it easy to stand out, but the 19-year-old - and this year’s youngest GT3 driver - has still turned heads by claiming two pole positions and four podiums.
The BRDC Rising Stars are seen as the future of the club. Scouted from trackside, they are in effect ‘Junior Members’ targeting a professional career within the sport. From all four-wheel racing disciplines, the Rising Stars represent the BRDC in a wide variety of championships worldwide, and from the races contested while wearing the scheme's unique ‘blue roundel’ it is hoped the Rising Star will graduate to the ranks of full membership.
This year’s three other inductees are Jamie Caroline (British F4), Ben Hingeley (BRDC British F3) and Dan Ticktum (Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup).