Following a stellar karting career, Bromley teenager Jack McCarthy has announced he is now stepping up to
the Renault UK Clio Cup.
For many 17-year olds, passing your driving test is one of life’s rites of passage. But for Jack McCarthy, he can’t hang around that long.
The 16-year old still can’t drive a car on the roads, but he can enjoy life in the fast lane, competing in one of Britain’s most successful and popular motor racing series.
At the recent Autosport International Racing Car Show (14/15 January), held at Birmingham’s NEC, McCarthy used the backdrop of Europe’s biggest annual indoor gathering for petrol heads to announce his switch from karts to cars.
“The past two years have just been incredible. In 2015 I won the European and British titles in the Junior Max class and then stepped-up to Seniors last year. It was a tough season, with really tough opposition, but I managed to win the Senior Max Super One and British Open championships at my first attempt,” Jack explained.
“My plan was to move to cars in 2017 and focus on racing in the MSA British Formula 4 single-seater series but then I had a test in a Clio and loved it!”
Although he had been invited to take part in the 2015 Ferrari Driver Academy – after winning the Euro Max Challenge and Super One titles – and further tests in slicks and wings machinery had proved promising, McCarthy has chosen a different route to the norm.
“I wanted to buck the trend of coming out of karting, going into MSA F4, then BRDC F3 and then European F3… I fanciedthe challenge of going down the tin top route.”
He added: “By entering the Clio Cup, I can learn all the top British circuits, perform in front of the huge British Touring Car Championship Crowds, be seen on TV and gain experience about working with a world-famous car manufacturer.
That will stand me in great stead for the future.”
McCarthy expects to make an official announcement about which team he will choose for his rookie season shortly.
In the meanwhile you can learn more about Jack and his career by visiting www.jack-mccarthy.co.uk, liking his Facebook page Jack McCarthy and following him on Instagram jack81mccarthy.
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