Ginetta Junior Championship rookie Dan Zelos has set his sights on a strong start to the season at Brands Hatch later this month after a positive recent run of test outings.
Zelos made his car-racing debut in November’s Ginetta Junior Winter Series at Snetterton, gaining a pair of top-ten finishes in tricky conditions.
Since then, the 15 year old has embarked on an extensive testing programme with his team JHR Developments, including trips to Thruxton, Brands Hatch and Donington Park.
The tests have given him the chance to clock up some vital mileage behind the wheel of his Ginetta G40J, with some positive outings filling Zelos with confidence ahead of the Brands season opener at the end of the month.
“We’ve been making a lot of progress. Going out testing with two team-mates that competed last year has helped me make progress, I’ve been getting closer and closer to them each time which is really positive,” Zelos told TheCheckeredFlag.co.uk.
“The key has been getting the consistency together. I can definitely put in a good one-lap time, which would be close to the top runners, but we’ve been working on my consistency so I can show that pace for a whole race.
“We’ve had a few test days now and it’s finally feeling like I’m getting somewhere. I feel a lot more confident now than I did in the Winter Series, I’m comfortable in the car and on the track, so I’m really excited for the season to start now.”
Like many drivers that enter the Junior Championship, Zelos has a two year plan for the series, with the Dereham-based racer focusing on establishing himself on the grid this season, learning the car and the tracks, before aiming for podiums and wins in 2015.
“I want to get the first round out of the way, see how I get on when I’m around the other cars on track in the races, then set myself some aims,” he added. “Progression is the main target though, I want to improve through the year so next season I can push for the front.”
