MEDIA INFORMATION
29th March 2016
MARCANO SEES PROMISING START TO 2016 SEASON
− 17yr old racing sensation returns to the track with best result yet −
Teenage racing sensation Damani Marcano, competed in his first race of 2016 over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend with his best results so far. Marcano began racing in cars last year at the age of 16, and has just begun the second year in a three-year driver development programme with Team-HARD. It was the VAG Trophy that, as a guest driver in 2015, Damani became the youngest driver ever to race in the series, the youngest to qualify on the front row, and the youngest ever to obtain the fastest-lap in a VAG Trophy race.
Returning to Oulton Park on Monday 28th March, still as the VAG Trophy’s youngest driver, Marcano took a strong stance in the opening laps of qualifying showing a provisional P2 on the drenched circuit. An incident elsewhere on the track then caused the session to be temporarily suspended. As the session restarted and just as Damani got enough space on track to put in an even faster time, another incident caused qualifying to be suspended again – terminating his lap early and leaving him now in P10 as other drivers found a clear track.
Race 1 of 2 started out wet but with a drying track, Damani’s inexperience in tyre management showed. As the track dried and his wet tyres overheated, the grip he had available to him rapidly disappeared. He kept the car on the track and most other drivers at bay, just, to finish in 11th. After the race the result was changed to 13th due to a 5 second penalty for exceeding track-limits when the lack of grip saw him run wide in a couple of corners. Mixed conditions and gaining this experience in tyre management are all part of Marcano’s driver development.
Race 2 saw dry conditions and Damani starting where he left off in Race 1 now on slick tyres. Despite challenges getting enough heat into the rear tyres due to the cold conditions, Damani made up 5 places to finish in 8th place, his best finish in car racing so far. In the 2015 season Marcano’s best finish was 9th place; he has already topped his best result in his first race back on the track in 2016.
Team-HARD. Racing Driver Damani Marcano comments: “I’m really happy with this start to the 2016 season. Being able to top my highest finish from last season really shows that I’ve progressed over the winter. I have never experienced such mixed and tricky conditions or such close racing before and it was a massive learning experience. I feel like I learned more in this one day than probably 3 whole race weekends from last year. Also to achieve 8th, my best finish so far, against even tougher competitors than I saw in the VAG Trophy last year is a massive confidence boost!”
Throughout the day Damani remained one of the few drivers to keep his car on the track through qualifying plus both races, avoiding the collisions caused by the difficult conditions.
Team-HARD. Racing Principal Tony Gilham comments: “This weekend was a great learning experience for our young driver in terms of both conditions and tyre management. Damani showed impressive skill and race craft under these extremely tricky conditions, which provided a great opportunity for him to gain valuable experience. His confidence and natural ability really shone through and I’m excited to see what the rest of the season will hold.”
Damani’s next race will take place at Donnington Park (23rd-24th April) with his first race in the Milltek Sports VW Racing Cup the following weekend at Rockingham (30th April). Alongside attending school, studying for his A-Levels, Damani will practice on the simulator at Pro-Sim and test at Donington in preparation for these next races.
To interview Damani or for more information & photography please do get in touch.
See Damani’s karting to cars story in this 1min promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuSaNcXxzug
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 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. Aged 16, 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 hot-hatch 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 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, Featured, VAG Trophy, Volkswagen
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