Aaron Steele will make his debut in the MINI Challenge in the non-championship round at Donington Park this weekend (September 25). The 21-year-old will race for DW Racing, with a view to competing full-time for the team in 2011.
Steele, from Rochester in Kent, began 2010 competing in the Formula Palmer Audi series, scoring a podium finish on the opening weekend of the season at Brands Hatch. However, financial restrictions prevented him from continuing in the series, forcing him to look elsewhere.
Steele said: “Although I’m disappointed not to have finished the FPA season, I think I’ve proved what I’m capable of behind the wheel. The MINI Challenge allows me to try my hand at an entirely different form of racing and to progress my career yet further. I’m confident this new partnership with DW Racing can be a long and successful one. They’re ambitious, just like myself, and they’re keen to give young drivers a chance. I hope to repay the confidence they’ve shown in me with a strong result at Donington Park this weekend.”
DW Racing team principal Dan Woodrow added: “We see this as the start of a long working relationship with Aaron but the immediate goal is clear: to get Aaron back where he belongs – on the grid! Aaron is also a fundamental part of our own ambitions to break into the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) in the future. “We have followed Aaron’s progress closely and his results have been remarkable given the financial constraints he has faced. We’re therefore delighted to have secured the services of a top class driver who has the ability and without doubt the ambition to go all the way.”
The non-championship round of the MINI Challenge takes place alongside the final round of the 2010 championship at Donington Park. Aaron's management hopes that Steele will race for DW Racing in the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch on October 16-17.
Aaron was a finalist for the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2008 after winning the Formula Palmer Audi shootout. He has also taken part in A1 Grand Prix as a rookie driver for Team GBR and competed in the British Formula Three Championship and Porsche Carrera Cup.
