Young Harri’s on the fast track to success
ONE of the youngest Welsh racing drivers, Harri Reynolds of Pembrokeshire, made his debut at the wheel of a top-line Ginetta sports racing car just over a week ago.
And not only was he driving at the fastest race track in Britain, the famed British Automobile Racing Club Thruxton Circuit near Andover in Wiltshire, but also in a Ginetta Junior Championship race that was part of the opening meeting of the prestigious British Touring Car Championship. Still only 14 years of age but with many karting race successes to his name, including being awarded the major trophy as ‘Top Rookie’ in the Rotax Karting Championship of 2020, Harri had a great first weekend racing at the circuit that evolved from a former WW2 RAF and USAAF aerodrome.
Racing began there from 1950 for motorcycles and later cars, though that ended by 1964, before the circuit was given a new lease of life by the closure of the Goodwood circuit near Chichester.
The 1968 re-opening of Thruxton saw it grow in stature, and drivers who would go on to Formula 1 glory appeared there, including Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Ronnie Peterson and Jaques Laffite.
This then was the hallowed ground that welcomed Harri, at the wheel of his Assetto Motorsport Ginetta 1.8-litre 120mph sports racing car.
Testing of the car was limited pre-race weekend, but Harri made good use of the available time, and sessions on a race simulator, to give him more experience of the fastest track in the UK, and the technique of slipstreaming to get a ‘tow’ from the car ahead.
Harri was faced with a very wet racing circuit, and given that his previous testing mileage was all in dry conditions, he took an understandably cautious approach to a first 15-minute practice session in torrential rain.
That saw him lower down the order than he wished, but in the following qualifying session he was able to increase his pace, seven racers behind his Ginetta despite Harri being held up in traffic during what should have been his best two laps as the session closed.
In race one he flew past seven competitors on his opening lap before a safety car was brought out after a few cars got into dangerous positions on the circuit after some dramatic off-track moments.
The safety car period over, Harri’s race battle resumed, and he was able to finish in a creditable 16th place on his rain-drenched debut.
Race two for the Ginetta Junior Championship took place later in the day, the Reynolds Fencingsponsored car began the race from an 18th grid spot, fighting through to take the chequered flag in an improved 14th place.
Pre-race debut Harri said: “We looked at joining the Ginetta Junior series last year but with the pandemic difficulties we concentrated on raising the budget for this 2021 season.
“I’ve had much appreciated support from my dad Julian, and indeed all my family, and I’m also appreciative of the help from Greenlight Sports Management which is run by racing drivers Guy Smith and Andy Meyrick, who have come up through the ranks and know the business of motor racing well.
“I’m also with a great team in Assetto Motorsport, headed up by Jim Edwards and run by Simon Traves, and my mechanic on the Ginetta is Liam Barnard from Cardiff, who knows the car inside out, and I think the paint job looks
amazing.
“People have asked me what my Championship targets are, but my answer to that is that I’m not setting myself any. Of course, ‘Top Rookie’ again would be nice, but this is a big learning year.
“I’m getting in as much simulator practice as I can, training hard on our family farm to keep fit, and avoiding the hot dogs and burgers at the circuits!
“There were no spectators at Thruxton but as the BTCC year progresses the hope is that they can return to the tracks, but each round will be televised by ITV4, so at least that helps.
“For myself, I’m used to competition from my karting years, and I first drove a car when I was 10 on the farm, sort of emulating my dad’s rallying talent I suppose (Julian Reynolds is a leading British and international rally driver), but I can tell you that two races in a Ginetta at Thruxton in the rain was quite a weekend for me at 14!”
THERE is debate over the drivers for the Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally team for 2022.
Welsh driver Elyfn Evans is currently the only ‘A list’ driver without a confirmed drive for next year. It also seems that his current teammate Sebastien Ogier has said he only wishes to drive part time in 2022, something the team has not
agreed to in the past but it seems will concede for next year.
If that happens, the team will need another part-time driver to step in for the events Ogier misses.
Team Boss Jari-matti Latvala said: “Elfyn’s experience and the way he is going forward means I want him in the team. Absolutely.
“I also want to have a driver in the team who is doing the development with the new hybrid car and who is the same guy driving the rallies next year.”
Although a seat back at M Sport could be an option for Evans, he said “I’m happy where I am. The team has been great, but you never know in this game what might happen.
“We are coming up to back-toback rallies in Portugal and Sardinia. Leaving Toyota after two years isn’t part of my thinking right now, and I’m concentrating on the two events as there is so little time and we are trying to do as much preparation as possible.
“I’m pretty relaxed about next year. We have new regulations coming and perhaps it’s more in everyone’s interest to have it sorted earlier than usual.
“But not a lot of talks have taken place yet, and only when we get down to evaluating everything will I think about it. The logical thing is to stay with Toyota and develop the car with the current team.”