16 year old racing driver Damani Marcano will be returning to the Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup in 2016 for his second season since making the move into cars in early 2015. Damani is entering his second year in a multi-year developmental programme with Team-HARD. Racing where he will work to further hone his race craft and driving technique and work his way up the grid.
The Volkswagen Racing Cup confirm that Damani holds the record for the “youngest driver to complete a Volkswagen Racing Cup Championship” – one of the most fiercely competitive saloon car series in the UK. Currently too young to hold a UK road driving licence one of the biggest challenges for Damani has been his lack of time and experience behind the wheel, especially as he had never raced a car before April this year. A key focus for 2016 will be to raise enough sponsorship to increase the amount of time Damani can spend on the track giving him the crucial experience he needs to accelerate his development.
In 2015 Damani scored points in his debut races finishing in the top-20 out of 27 drivers despite only having driven the car 3 times before and having driven any car on a track twice before that. This made him the youngest driver to score points in the opening race weekend of the Volkswagen Racing Cup. By the end of the season Damani’s pace was among the top-7 fastest drivers with Volkswagen Racing describing Damani’s season as “hugely successful” and recently said “Team-HARD. Racing’s teen sensation, Damani Marcano, has all the ingredients to be the next Lewis Hamilton.”
Team-HARD. Racing Principal Tony Gilham comments: “Damani developed so much in the Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup in 2015 and it makes complete sense for him to carry everything he’s learned into a second season. We have high expectations for Damani next year. The Volkswagen Racing Cup is one of the toughest championships in the UK and 2016 will be all about moving forward from where he left-off with top-10 pace. The higher up the grid you get in this series the tougher it gets, although given how fast he’s progressed this year Damani has shown us that anything is possible next season. We’ll be hugely impressed if Damani can achieve top-5 pace by the end of the season at this level but we’re not ruling out podiums.”
Damani’s first race of 2016 in the Volkswagen Racing Cup is at Brands Hatch 16-17th April, the same track where Damani had his first experience test-driving his Team-HARD. race car. Damani has already begun physical training and will be commencing work on the simulator from January, testing on track from February. Pre-season testing will be limited due to budget, subject to new sponsors coming on board.
Team-HARD. racing driver Damani Marcano comments: “I learned so much in the Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup in 2015 and there is still a lot to learn. It’s going to be a tough season because I’m now studying my A-Levels and will have AS exams in June. Somehow I also have to fit in learning to drive on the road too so I’m going to have my work cut out in 2016! I’m really excited to see if I can pick up close to where I left off and build on that over the season. I have a busy winter in front of me, with mock-exams and trying to get ahead on coursework to make room for my preparations for my first race in 2016.”
Team-HARD. recently highlighted Damani as a shining example of what companies can achieve with sponsorship based marketing – with The Clever Baggers, one of Damani’s own sponsors, naming him as a key factor in them achieving an 11% increase in revenue this year (find out more in Damani’s 2016 Preview pack: http://preview2016.damanimarcano.com).
To interview Damani or for more information & photography please do get in touch.
Watch some of Damani’s racing in this video from the final weekend of the Volkswagen Racing Cup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73ZuzqPBi-k
Ends
Editor’s Notes
Issued on behalf of Damani Marcano by In The Bag PR.
For further information please contact Pippa Gibb on 07970 441 046 or email pippa@inthebagpr.co.uk
Damani piloted a fully race prepared VW Golf GTI R Cup Car in the Volkswagen Racing Cup alongside regular proven and experienced racing drivers. Damani is the only driver in the series who was too young to drive on public roads. Racing in the VW Cup was Damani’s first step on a multi-year programme to eventually race in the British Touring Car Championships (BTCC).
Damani was spotted by Team-HARD. Racing in 2014 and became the youngest driver they had ever signed. Despite being too young to hold a driving license and never having raced a car before he went on to set records in 2015. He became the youngest driver to finish in the points in the first round of a Milltek Sport Volkswagen Racing Cup season. He ended the year in the top-7 on pace, challenging experienced adult drivers who had spent the season leading the championship. As a guest driver in the VAG Trophy, Damani also became the youngest driver to qualify on the front row and obtain fastest lap in a race.
VW Golf GTiR Cup Car: a 260 bhp race-prepared hatch-back capable of speeds of up to 150mph. These cars are based on a road car but stripped of all parts, not essential to racing, and fitted with a safety roll-cage meeting safety regulations of the VW Racing Cup. Additional differences include adjustable racing suspension and racing tyres that increase the amount of grip, and therefore cornering speeds that the car is then capable of.
For more information on The Clever Baggers please see: thecleverbaggers.co.uk/bags-for-business
For more background on Damani, please see: damanimarcano.com/about
You can follow Damani’s journey:
On Twitter (@DKMRacing)
On Facebook (www.facebook.com/DKMRacing)
On YouTube (www.youtube.com/DKMRacingTV)
2016, A Drive To Drive, Brands Hatch, Car Racing, Motorsport, Team-HARD, VW Racing Cup, Winter 2015-2016
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