Karting ace Ethan Brooks has secured a spot on the 2019 Ginetta Junior Championship grid after winning this year’s Ginetta Junior Scholarship.
The 15-year-old from Brentwood won entry into the scholarship as a prize for winning the British Schools Karting Championship in June. He impressed judges across two days of testing at Ginetta’s test track, Blyton Park, beating 66 other drivers to become the 2019 Ginetta Junior scholar.
“My two days at Blyton Park were extremely enjoyable and productive as I found my limits, both mentally and physically,” he said. “I learnt a lot from the expert driver coaching and also advice on how to present myself to the media.”
As well as displaying his on-track ability, drivers were tested on their professionalism throughout media and fitness sessions.
The judging panel consisted of Ginetta Development drivers Charlie Robertson and Mike Simpson, GT5 Champion James Kellet, Sennan Fielding and Jake Hill.
“It was great to see the progression of Ethan’s driving throughout the Scholarship,” said Simpson. “The standard of drivers was particularly high which made judging a difficult task so changing the track layout over the days helped us to really see which drivers adapt.
“Ethan is the perfect example of why we hold the Scholarship: his natural talent really showed through his driving sessions and his professionalism throughout his media and fitness session really did help make a difference.”
Part of Brooks’ prize includes “professional car preparation from an experienced team for the duration of the season”. The last two winners Adam Smalley and James Taylor have signed with Elite Motorsport and Richardson Racing respectively.
Brooks is expected to confirm who he’ll spend his maiden car racing season with ahead of the season opener at Brands Hatch in April.
