Motorsport: Conwy Valley driver set for European honours

Jul 7 2011

A RISING motor racing star from North Wales is second in line to win the biggest prize in European motorsport.

And if Marcus Clutton, from Glasfryn, near Cerrigydrudion, ends up winning the Sunoco Daytona Challenge he will secure entry into one of the world’s most famous endurance races.

Clutton, 22, is a driver in the Avon Tyres British GT Championship alongside team-mate Peter Belshaw. The pair drive for ABG Motorsport in a KTM Xbow.

The Avon is one of the UK’s most exciting motor racing spectacles, with grids of mouth-watering sportscars such as the Mercedes SLS, Ferrari 458 and Audi R8.

The premier racing series is contested over 10 rounds with a combination of one, two and three hour endurance race events.

Clutton currently lies second in the Sunoco Daytona Challenge.

The Welsh racer has had a fantastic three wins out of four so far and is also leading the British GT class 4 championship.

The Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge allows drivers from selected Sunoco UK fuelled championships to compete against each other across the season for arguably the most valuable prize in UK motorsport – a seat with a top team in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The Rolex 24 is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway at Daytona Beach, Florida. 

It is staged on a 3.56-mile (5.73km) combined road course, utilising portions of the NASCAR tri-oval and an infield road course and is one of the most famous – and most arduous – endurance races in the world.

The winner of the challenge receives a free race seat in a Daytona Prototype (DP) with a top team in the Rolex 24 and pre-event testing in the US at the Daytona International Speedway (DIS) to familiarize them with the car.

This year’s challenge is open to drivers in three high-caliber Sunoco fuelled race championships: the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, the Cooper Tires British F3 International Series and the Britcar MSA British Endurance Championship.

As each eligible series have a different number of races the individual points will be averaged over the total number of races in each to create a level playing field.

Clutton currently works locally as a welder and is a not a professional racer like many others in the challenge so to earn the opportunity to race at Daytona could provide a massive career break for the 22-year-old.

“Going to Daytona for the Rolex 24 is a massive opportunity,” he said.

“It could really open a lot of doors with so many people and teams to meet. Being in the running is a dream come true and hopefully I can keep my winning form up for the rest of the season.

“I love being able to race in the Avon Tyres British GT, my aim is to eventually race at Le Mans which would be amazing. My long-term aim is to become a works driver for a manufacturer.”

The next UK round for the Avon Tyres British GT’s will be at Rockingham on September 3 and 4.

For more information on the challenge see www.sunocodaytonachallenge.com and for the latest on the British GT visit www.britishgt.com