Connor Grady has signed with crack team WDE Motorsport based in Ashford to contest Renault UK’s exciting new Clio Cup Junior championship which gets under way in just over a week’s time at Norfolk’s Snetterton circuit.
Connor, aged 16, has competed in the Ginetta Junior category for the past two seasons. However he has now opted to focus on chasing the Clio Cup Junior crown and the Champion’s prize of a free registration for the senior Renault UK Clio Cup. The prize is valued at around £18,000…
The senior Clio Cup is recognised as the place to be for budding British Touring Car Championship drivers and indeed appears alongside the BTCC live on ITV4.
WDE Team Principal Wayne Eason commented: “We are delighted to sign Connor for UK Clio Cup Junior – he’s a very exciting talent – and also confirm our presence in a championship we believe will take junior-level car racing to a whole new level.
“The technology, performance and reliability of these cars are without equal in single-make saloon car competition and it acts as the perfect stepping stone to the senior UK Clio Cup – itself the ultimate stepping stone to the BTCC.”
WDE drivers Lee Pattison and Paul Rivett currently lie second and third in the senior UK Clio Cup standings. The team is also in the fight for the Entrants Trophy title.
Eason added: “In other circles we also have a very positive tie-up with the Finsport team which has its own UK Clio Cup Junior car so we would be very interested in hearing from drivers looking to fill that seat. Drivers joining the WDE-Finsport fold will benefit from triple Clio Cup Champion Paul Rivett’s tutelage.”
Meanwhile Connor, who is sponsored by PJ Brown Construction, said: “I am pleased to be joining WDE and would like to thank Wayne for putting this deal together at short notice – he and my father used to race karts together so I feel at home!
“I’m looking forward to the change to front-wheel-drive and testing the Clio Cup Junior car. The prize Renault has put up is mega so it’s important I do this championship as I will be progressing to the senior UK Clio Cup in 2018. I can’t thank my sponsor Peter Brown enough.”
Renault UK Clio Cup Junior is for drivers aged 14 to 17 in cars near identical to those used in the senior UK Clio Cup. The only changes are they are limited to 100mph, have five gears instead of six and race on road tyres – Michelin’s high performance Pilot Sport 3 – as opposed to racing ‘slicks’.
In addition to the eventual Champion winning a free registration into the senior UK Clio Cup prizes will be awarded to second and third overall as well as each race winner.