Dream Florida race will be big Day for Stuart
BRITISH motor racing sensation Stuart Middleton has clinched a dream drive at the famous Daytona Beach circuit in Florida.
The 17-year-old from Ashington - who won the British GT4 Championship title this autumn in his first season in the discipline - has been confirmed as the 2017 winner of the prestigious Sunoco Whelen Challenge.
That earns him him a prize outing in January’s Rolex 24 race.
Putting the icing on the cake of a truly remarkable rookie season in endurance racing, Middleton will line-up on the grid at Daytona International Speedway over the weekend of January 27/28.
Not only that, he will become part of a truly formidable quartet at the Whelen-supported Action Express team.
The talented teenager will share the No 31 Cadillac Dpi-VR with exFormula One racer Felipe Nasr, exIndycar racer and Toyota LMP1 factory driver Mike Conway and 2016 American IMSA Champion Eric Curran.
Middleton starred throughout the 2017 British GT4 season with HHC Motorsport team-mate Will Tregurtha, the pair chalking-up two outright race wins and seven podium finishes.
Four victories in the silver class also enabled the pir to win the Silver Championship title and they then entered the record books as the youngest combination to ever win the overall GT4 crown.
Of his Daytona drive, British Racing Drivers’ Club Rising Star Middleton said: “I am ecstatic, speechless to be honest.
“This is such a huge prize and an incredible opportunity for me so early in my career.
“I cannot thank Anders Hildebrand and everyone at the Anglo American Oil Company enough.
“Being part of the Action Express team with Felipe, Mike and Eric will be just amazing - it has not quite sunk in yet.
“My first season in GT4 with Will was just amazing, we could not believe how competitive we were right from the first round and that was without hardly any testing before the season started.
“The year just got better and better for us and as well as the GT4 title the Sunoco prize started to become a possibility too.”
He added: “To win the championship in our rookie year was more than we could have hoped for.
“For me to now win the Sunoco Whelen Challenge is the icing on the cake.
“I really want to grab this chance with both hands and do the very best I can.
“I will be starting a rigorous training programme immediately with lots of virtual practice on the sim too, ensuring I willl be in the best physical and mental shape possible and as ready for the 24hour race as I possibly can be.
“It is going to be amazing driving at Daytona - this is such a special moment for me and I am absolutely delighted.”