A RESPECTED figure in British motorsport predicts a teenage racing driver from North Yorkshire will be a future champion.

Tony Gilham, owner and team principal of Team Hard Racing, last weekend watched Ethan Hammerton make a highly impressive debut in the ultra-competitive British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) aged just 17.

Ethan, from Northallerton, has had a meteoric rise in motorsport, having only started racing cars two and a half years ago.

His success could not be ignored by team principal Mr Gilham, who chose the youngster to replace veteran driver and fellow Team Hard racer Michael Caine for the last two BTCC races of the season.

The first of those races was at the legendary Silverstone circuit last weekend and Ethan, the third youngest driver ever in the BTCC’s 60-year history, had to carry a mandatory ballast of 45kg as a new entrant for Race 1.

He also opted to get his slower, harder tyres out of the way in Race 1, knowing that he would lose the ballast and be on the softer, faster tyres for Races 2 and 3. He kept out of trouble and brought the car home in 24th place out of 31 cars.

Ethan said: “I’m really pleased with my performance over the weekend and delighted to have achieved my ambition to race in the BTCC. To line-up alongside some of my childhood idols was a thrill and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend.

“I’d only had one day testing in the car before the weekend and it’s a big step up to BTCC, but I felt confident and hopefully this is the start of my BTCC career.”

Ethan requires support from potential sponsors to continue his journey in the BTCC next season and anyone able to sponsor the 17-year-old via Facebook, Ethan Hammerton Racing.