Source: BTCC.net
Liam MacMillan, aged only 18, is set to become the youngest driver on the grid in this year’s HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship when he and his family-run team Maxtreme enter the UK’s premier motor racing for the first time.
McMillan, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire will race a Super 2000-spec SEAT Toledo, previously campaigned by the factory SEAT Sport UK squad (2004-05) and latterly by the BTC Racing outfit.
The teenager, who has recently competed with notable success in the Spanish and European SEAT Cupra series, yesterday tested his Toledo for the first time – putting it through a simulated race distance – at his home circuit of Snetterton. The Norfolk venue will later this year host round six of the 2009 BTCC calendar (2 August).
McMillan is scheduled to continue his pre-season test programme next week at Brands Hatch with the Toledo that yesterday made its track debut in Maxtreme’s striking red and black livery (pictured – more images can be found in the Fans section of this website).
McMillan said: “The Leon I drove last year and the Toledo are very similar in speed, although the Toledo is a completely different car to drive. You really have to take the Toledo by the scruff of the neck and work hard inside the cockpit, because there is an awful lot going on!
“It was so cold at Snetterton that it was very difficult to get any heat into the rear tyres, but it was a good opportunity to get some miles under my belt. I’ve spent the last two weeks stripping the car down to a bare shell and rebuilding it, so it’s nice to finally get behind the wheel.
“The Toledo is everything I thought it would be. It’s fast, it handles well through the corners and it is physically demanding to drive. It’s like a big workout!”
This will only be McMillan’s fourth year of racing but he has already shown tremendous promise in his short career to date – notably he wiped the floor with the opposition in the 2006 Saxmax saloon car series for 14-17 year-olds, winning nine out of ten races. But now comes the big time and he is under no illusions about what he is up against as he prepares for his BTCC race debut at Brands Hatch, Kent on 5 April
He added: “My aim this year is to get a top ten result. We’re up against Vauxhall as a manufacturer entry and some top independent teams, so the competition is the best you can find. We have a five-year-old car and a small family budget, but we won’t use that as an excuse – we’re going out to do our best and challenge for good results.”
Liam MacMillan, aged only 18, is set to become the youngest driver on the grid in this year’s HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship when he and his family-run team Maxtreme enter the UK’s premier motor racing for the first time.
McMillan, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire will race a Super 2000-spec SEAT Toledo, previously campaigned by the factory SEAT Sport UK squad (2004-05) and latterly by the BTC Racing outfit.
The teenager, who has recently competed with notable success in the Spanish and European SEAT Cupra series, yesterday tested his Toledo for the first time – putting it through a simulated race distance – at his home circuit of Snetterton. The Norfolk venue will later this year host round six of the 2009 BTCC calendar (2 August).
McMillan is scheduled to continue his pre-season test programme next week at Brands Hatch with the Toledo that yesterday made its track debut in Maxtreme’s striking red and black livery (pictured – more images can be found in the Fans section of this website).
McMillan said: “The Leon I drove last year and the Toledo are very similar in speed, although the Toledo is a completely different car to drive. You really have to take the Toledo by the scruff of the neck and work hard inside the cockpit, because there is an awful lot going on!
“It was so cold at Snetterton that it was very difficult to get any heat into the rear tyres, but it was a good opportunity to get some miles under my belt. I’ve spent the last two weeks stripping the car down to a bare shell and rebuilding it, so it’s nice to finally get behind the wheel.
“The Toledo is everything I thought it would be. It’s fast, it handles well through the corners and it is physically demanding to drive. It’s like a big workout!”
This will only be McMillan’s fourth year of racing but he has already shown tremendous promise in his short career to date – notably he wiped the floor with the opposition in the 2006 Saxmax saloon car series for 14-17 year-olds, winning nine out of ten races. But now comes the big time and he is under no illusions about what he is up against as he prepares for his BTCC race debut at Brands Hatch, Kent on 5 April
He added: “My aim this year is to get a top ten result. We’re up against Vauxhall as a manufacturer entry and some top independent teams, so the competition is the best you can find. We have a five-year-old car and a small family budget, but we won’t use that as an excuse – we’re going out to do our best and challenge for good results.”
