Autosport International 2020, Europe’s largest motorsport exhibition bringing together experts and enthusiasts to network, trade, discuss, explore and market their showpieces, saw the launch of Student Motorsport Racing with a display of the new-for 2020 Clio Cup car and support from team sponsors Engine Carbon Clean North West and Damar International with its Sonic Tools brand.
Student Motorsport, founded by JP Latham in 2001, is a network, website, resource, organiser of collaborative projects and placements designed to help young people take the right path to success and help them stay focused on their motorsport aims and future careers.
First announced in December 2019, Student Motorsport Racing has entered two cars in the 2020 Clio Cup UK championship. The 2020 Clio Cup car sports a 1.3L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine producing 180bhp joined to a 5-speed sequential gearbox. Cars should be arriving in the UK by the end of March 2020.
Student Motorsport founder JP Latham was present on the stand throughout the four-day event, accompanied by Operations Director Patrick Hathaway and team photographer Richard Adkin. Ben Wallace represented sponsors Engine Carbon Clean Northwest. Sales Director Michael Martin and sales executive David Martin represented Damar International Ltd. John Millett and Denise Trigg from Clio Cup UK were on hand to answer questions about the new car, chassis #01 and the first of the new generation cars to be seen in the UK.
JP Latham was delighted with both the opportunity to showcase the only gen-Clio Cup car and with the interest shown in Student Motorsport and the new race team.
“Autosport International 2020 exceeded my expectations!” said JP Latham. “Firstly, I must say a huge thank you to everybody who has worked so hard to make this happen. Denise and John at Clio Cup UK and Renault Sport worked against some very tight deadlines to get the new Clio Cup car on to the stand in time for the show’s opening and the car looked stunning in its all-yellow livery.
“Ben from Engine Carbon Clean Northwest and Michael and David with Sonic Tools were invaluable partners on the stand. We look forward to working with them throughout the 2020 season. Richard Adkin captured some amazing images whilst preparing for, and during the, show. Our fantastic stand would have been impossible without the hard work of Student Motorsport Operations Director Patrick Hathaway. Thank you to you all.”
“Thank you, also, to everyone who visited the stand over the four days. It was great to hear the positive reception for our plans and see the interest in the 2020 Clio Cup UK Championship.”
With Autosport behind them, the team now starts to focus on the preparing for the season.
“We’re looking forward to the delivery of our two Clio Cup cars in March and already we are looking at several sites for workshop space to act as a centre of operations for our 2020 campaign,” said JP Latham. “At the same time, we are gathering our team together and planning logistics and transportation. With a seven-round championship that includes two overseas rounds in France and Spain, there is a lot to plan! We intend to announce our first driver in the coming weeks, and we have received several enquiries about the second seat. We expect to field a competitive team when we arrive for the first round at Snetterton in May.”
At the same time as developing the race team, Student Motorsport is continuing to develop its community and on-line presence.
“We will be launching our new website on January 30th and will be continuing to build on our work placements scheme,” explained JP Latham. “We received a large number of enquiries at Autosport from organisations who are interested in working with us on our placements scheme as well as from students and young people seeking advice about their motorsport career plans. We are looking forward to a busy and productive year, helping shape tomorrow’s top motorsport industry talent.”
Announcements concerning drivers and sponsors for the Student Motorsport Racing Clio Cup UK team can be expected in the next few weeks.
