Home » Blog » News » DUMFRIES Star of Tomorrow Ross Wylie

12 December 2008 | Posted in News

Ross Wylie is following in the wheel tracks of hero and fellow Dumfries motor racing ace Allan McNish. The 17-year-old from Thornhill, secured the BRDC “Stars of Tomorrow” Junior Rotax Kart Championship and West Of Scotland Club Champion Junior Rotax titles this year.

Wylie came face-to-face with reigning Le Mans 24 race champion McNish for the first time at the prestigious Autosport Awards at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London recently (7 Dec).

Ross collected his BRDC “Stars of Tomorrow” silverware at the star-studded gala and in the company of former recipient and reigning Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton. Meanwhile Audi ace McNish was awarded the Autosport British Competition Driver of the Year – beating Hamilton to the Award voted by readers of the British magazine.

Allan, who attends the Scottish Motor Racing Club’s Dinner & Awards Ceremony in Edinburgh on Saturday (13 Dec), spent time with Ross, a former Wallace Hall Academy and Dumfries & Galloway College student, discussing the youngster’s future racing plans.

“My lifetime ambition since an early stage has been to follow in the footsteps of my local racing hero, namely Allan McNish, and it was an honour to meet him,” confirmed Ross who is sponsored by Buccleuch Estates Ltd.

“I follow Allan’s progress avidly in the local newspapers and via the internet. It was good to spend some time with him and he gave me some sound advice. Like every other teenage karter, it’s my ultimate goal to reach Formula One. However a career in motorsport of any kind is my dream.”

Despite recently testing a Formula Renault single-seater, Ross who is coached by Duncan White from Saltire Motorsport, is likely to remain in karting for a fifth season next year graduating to the Senior Rotax category.

“It’s good to see the tradition of Dumfries & Galloway is very definitely intact with Ross’s fantastic victories this season,” said McNish himself a three time British Kart and six time Scottish Kart Champion.

“Karting played a large role in building the foundations of my motor racing career – many skills I learnt back then I’m still using today. Our area has produced many fine drivers in recent times like David Coulthard and David Leslie as has Scotland as a whole with Dario Franchitti and it’s heartening to see drivers of the future like Ross making their mark on our sport at an early age.”

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