TEEN SNAPPED UP FOR LE MANS TEAM
AN AUTISTIC teenager has been signed to the most inspirational team in British motorsport.
Bobby Trundley, a student at Berkshire College of Agriculture who is from Wokingham, has been announced as part of the latest driver line-up of Team BRIT.
Comprising disabled drivers – many of whom are injured military troops – the team is aiming high. It wants to be the first all-disabled team to compete in the world famous Le Mans 24-hour endurance race.
Diagnosed with autism when he was four, Bobby said that he has found motorsport to have a profound impact on the way he copes with the condition.
The 19-year-old first sat in a cadet go-kart when he was 10 while attending a friend’s birthday party. Having been reluctant to go as he hated noise and crowds, he found that he had a natural flair for racing.
His passion was ignited and in 2011 he was awarded the Charlie Parker Memorial Trophy at Buckmore Park, as the most promising driver.
Three years later, he was a finalist in the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, having only minimal experience.
Then, in 2015, he raced in the Daytona Dmax Endurance Championship, starting two rounds down but narrowly missing the podium by just three points.
He is now the reigning Dmax champion, holding five titles, three times Endurance and two times Heats Champion in 2017 and 2018.
As a result, Bobby’s trophy cabinet is bulging and he has taken part in charity events including the Damon Hill Kart Challenge in aid of the Halow Project and the Back on Track Charity Kart Race.
His success isn’t just confined to the track. His exploits have meant that he has been awarded the Anna Kennedy OBE Autism Hero Award for outstanding achievement in sport and the ANCA World Autism Festival Excellence in Sport Award 2017.
Team BRIT driver Warren McKinlay saw Bobby race at the Halow Project event with Damon Hill and contacted him to see if he might be interested in learning more about the team for Le Mans.
He was then invited to take part at an assessment day at the team’s HQ in nearby Dunsfold, Surrey. Bobby was successful and is now a Team BRIT rookie, ready to compete in his first race in the BMW 116 Trophy at Brands Hatch in April. In a statement, Bobby said: “I love endurance racing. When I’m driving, everything falls into place and I am 100% focused.
“Joining Team BRIT is a dream come true. I have endured bullying and disbelief from many people who have said I would amount to nothing.
“To be part of such an inspirational team as they forge a path toward inclusion and equality in motorsport is such an honour.
“Raising autism awareness has been an important part of my life and I hope that by sharing my story as part of the team I may inspire others to believe in themselves and push themselves to achieve.”
Team BRIT is competing in the BMW 116 Trophy and the Britcar Championship in 2019.