A brand new motor racing championship has been announced for young drivers eager to progress their racing careers. ‘Dunlop Autosport Young Guns’ is supported by the Birmingham based motorsport tyre manufacturer Dunlop and uses single-seater JKS F75 cars, which have a striking visual resemblance to F1. Drivers aged 16-19 now have a helpful extra rung in the ladder to success, which could take them on to the pinnacle of motorsport in the tyre tracks of champions such as Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

The Dunlop Autosport Young Guns championship is based on a tried, tested and proven principle that benefitted the two most recent F1 world champions, who both took part in similar competitions in their earlier careers. This new championship has already attracted a great deal of interest from teams and individual drivers who will begin their racing season at Rockingham race track in April.

James Bailey, communications manager for Dunlop said; “Dunlop Autosport Young Guns is a niche championship and has been created specifically as a way for young drivers at a particular age and skill level to develop their craft in a competitive environment. It’s essential for young talent to be encouraged, nurtured and trained. In motorsport, the best way for this to happen is to give the ‘Young Guns’ the opportunity to learn by racing.”

“British motor sport has been having a fantastic couple of years and it’s clear that Brits lead the way in motor racing talent. For British success to continue, it’s vital that we maintain and improve the environment that allows fresh talent to flourish, turning a couple of years’ achievement into decades of success.”

“We expect Dunlop Autosport Young Guns drivers to be on a motor racing career path that may have begun with karting and be going onwards to something like Formula 3. Because of the 16-19 age range, it will most likely be happening at the same time as their academic path around GCSEs and A levels. The racing programme has taken exams and school term time into account and avoids racing in academically important periods.”

“There are as many routes to success in motor racing as there are competition and car types, but with more drivers in the UK racing on Dunlop tyres than any other brand, we get an over view of what makes drivers great and we believe this also gives us a responsibility to give talent a chance wherever we can. We are proud to be part of the opportunity that the Young Guns championship provides.”

Along with other great racing cars, a Dunlop Autosport Young Guns car will be on display at the Autosport International Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, which runs from 14th – 17th January. There will also be information available about the championship at the show.

ENDS

About Dunlop

Dunlop is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high and ultra high performance tyres with an impressive track record of motor sport successes. Dunlop’s extensive racing experience has led to innovative technologies for tyres designed for everyday motoring. Always looking to maximize driving pleasure, Dunlop offers all types of motorists the performance and durability of the latest tyre technologies, including tyres with RunOnFlat technology, which is fitted to award winning vehicles such as the BMW One, Three, Five Series and X5.

Many of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers’ fit Dunlop tyres as standard, which include premium sports cars such as Alfa Romeo, AMG, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and TVR.

For more information on Dunlop, visit www.dunlop.eu