Damani Marcano takes to the track for his first ever race weekend as the VW Racing Cup gets underway this coming Easter weekend.
Marcano will be competing under the watchful guidance of Kent’s Team Hard racing, and the 16-year-old will be hoping he can continue the impressive form he has shown in pre-season testing.
Most recently Damani was testing over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd March at Rockingham was the first dry day that Damani had been in his VW Racing Cup Golf GTiR Cup Car. Previously Brands Hatch was damp and freezing cold and Oulton Park was soaking wet. Despite remaining dry all day at Rockingham, temperatures were still very low.
The slick racing tyres provide very little grip until they can get up to their operating temperature. This made for tricky conditions for new Team Hard racer Damani as the car would start out with very little grip however as the tyres warmed, grip increased changing the feel of the car completely.
This was the first time that Damani really began to experience anything close to the full capabilities of the car, limits were pushed and over-reached, and as Damani learns how to race fast he learns to drive at the very limit of the car. Pushing the limits is all part of a good driver’s learning process as they need to learn how to ‘catch the slide’ and get the car back under control in order to avoid crashing. 
Speaking about the test days and the help of his instructor James Dixon, Damani said: “James was an amazing instructor. He really encouraged me to explore the limits of the car and I learned so much from him.
“There were times when I pushed the car past its limit and nearly lost control. It was a great feeling when the car was sliding sideways and I just managed to bring it back under control. It’s completely different in a front wheel drive car compared to a go-kart.
“When the back lets go in a go-kart or rear wheel drive car you ease off the throttle. In a front wheel drive car you do the opposite and apply more power. I knew this in theory, but that is so different to when the car is actually sliding sideways! You just stay calm and get the car pointed in the right direction again. The two test-days I spent driving in damp and wet conditions really helped with my preparation as well as the extensive time on the simulators at both Let’s Race and Ultimate RCE.”
It is clear from all the feedback at testing that Damani has true natural ability, but he also works hard at his racing, dedicating time off the track to concentrate and visualise as much as possible.
He added: “In between each session, James talked me through the lines and my technique. I then close my eyes and imagine what I’m going to do when out on the track. I like writing notes about each thing I’m going to do differently because it helps me really think about what I’m going to do. This makes a huge difference.”
Now the testing is done Damani will be putting everything that he has learnt during a busy winter test programme into action, when he takes to the track at Oulton Park.
On his expectations for the first race weekend of the season, Damani said: “I can’t wait for my first race but we have to be realistic about this year… I’ve only had a four or five hours on track and the other drivers on the grid are all in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s. They have thousands of hours behind the wheel of a car and I really can’t expect to be faster than them on my first time.
“It’s more like another test day where I’m going to practice my starts and race craft and learn from the more experienced drivers around me. All I can do is put in 100% and see how I improve from race to race. Wherever I am on track, I’m still going to push as hard as if I was going for the win but that’s just the racer in me.”