GT star Sandy Mitchell’s season has received a boost with selection to the British Racing Drivers’ Club Rising Star scheme.
The Angus 17-year-old, currently racing for Black Bull Garage 59 in the British GT championship, has been honoured with a place on the prestigious scheme, which scouts the nations’ top talent from trackside as junior members of what is widely regarded as the most exclusive club in motor racing.
The BRDC, which owns and operates Silverstone circuit, hopes its Rising Stars will eventually graduate to full membership, which is highly sought after and only given to the most successful racing drivers in Great Britain and the Commonwealth.
Former F1 star Derek Warwick is the current president and the body’s list of members past and present reads like a who’s who of motorsport, featuring names including Sir Jackie Stewart, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Dario Franchitti and triple BTCC champion Gordon Shedden.
Teenager Mitchell, a British junior karting champion, said he was honoured by the selection, as he prepares for both the final round of the British GT championship and a one-off race as teammate to Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy.
The Letham Angus star was selected from a shortlist of ten of the UK’s best young racers to partner Hoy in the final round of the LMP3 Cup at Donington Park next month.
I am very proud to say that I am now a BRDC rising star! It's such an honour to be selected. Thank you! @BRDCRisingStars @BRDCSilverstone pic.twitter.com/7gVT8RgLVm
— Sandy Mitchell (@SMitchellRacing) August 23, 2017
He will swap his normal McLaren 570S GT4 for a United Autosports Ligier JS P3 prototype sportscar at the Leicestershire citrcuit.
Dundee High youngster Mitchell will link up with 41-year-old Hoy in the immediate lead up to the race, but has already undertaken simulator work to get to grips with the characteristics of the carbon-bodied five-litre machine.