James Pickford
Encyclopedia
James Pickford is an English
race car driver, born 30 April 1979 in Macclesfield
, Cheshire
. As a child his interest was in motorbikes; his father Keith ran bike racing teams. However, as with Damon Hill
his mother led him towards the relatively safe world of car racing, beginning in karts in 1994. For a while he was coached by former BTCC racer Tim Sugden
. His interest in saloon and sportscars began when he won a test in a BTCC car after being nominated for the BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year award in 1998.
His start in car racing was in 1997, in the Formula Honda series. He won this 2 years in a row, and also did a single Formula Ford race in 1998. He was a midfield runner in Formula Renault in 2000, but spent the next 2 seasons largely sidelined due to a lack of funds.
After a year working on marketing within the prestigious Abt Sportsline
team in the DTM, he returned to fulltime racing in 2003, in the SEAT Cupra Championship
. He was fifth overall, but improved to win the title in 2004, with 11 top-four finishes in the 12 races including 3 wins. This earned him a factory British Touring Car Championship
SEAT drive in 2005. He came ninth in the series, with a podium at Snetterton
http://www.jamespickford.co.uk/latestnews/9jaugust05.html but did not retain the drive for 2006. For 2007 he is contesting the full Porsche
Carrera Cup GB, having done the later races in 2006, starting at Knockhillhttp://www.jamespickford.co.uk/latestnews/3septembert06.html. This means he has contested three of the five championships which support the BTCC and feature on ITV
's Motorsport UK programme, as well as the BTCC itself.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
race car driver, born 30 April 1979 in Macclesfield
Macclesfield
Macclesfield is a market town within the unitary authority of Cheshire East, the county palatine of Chester, also known as the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The population of the Macclesfield urban sub-area at the time of the 2001 census was 50,688...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. As a child his interest was in motorbikes; his father Keith ran bike racing teams. However, as with Damon Hill
Damon Hill
Damon Graham Devereux Hill OBE is a retired British racing driver. In 1996 Hill won the Formula One World Championship. As the son of the late Graham Hill, he is the only son of a world champion to win the title...
his mother led him towards the relatively safe world of car racing, beginning in karts in 1994. For a while he was coached by former BTCC racer Tim Sugden
Tim Sugden
Tim Sugden is a British racing driver. He is both driver and manager for his own racing team, Tim Sugden Motorsport.-Early career:...
. His interest in saloon and sportscars began when he won a test in a BTCC car after being nominated for the BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year award in 1998.
His start in car racing was in 1997, in the Formula Honda series. He won this 2 years in a row, and also did a single Formula Ford race in 1998. He was a midfield runner in Formula Renault in 2000, but spent the next 2 seasons largely sidelined due to a lack of funds.
After a year working on marketing within the prestigious Abt Sportsline
Abt Sportsline
Abt Sportsline is a motor racing and auto tuning company based in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany. Abt mainly deals with Audi, and the related primary Volkswagen Group brands - Volkswagen, Škoda, and SEAT.-History:...
team in the DTM, he returned to fulltime racing in 2003, in the SEAT Cupra Championship
SEAT Cupra Championship
The SEAT Cupra Championship was a one make series that ran for six years between 2003 and 2008, the last five of which ran as a support package to the British Touring Car Championship. The series will not continue for 2009, due to SEAT UK ending its racing activities...
. He was fifth overall, but improved to win the title in 2004, with 11 top-four finishes in the 12 races including 3 wins. This earned him a factory British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
SEAT drive in 2005. He came ninth in the series, with a podium at Snetterton
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
http://www.jamespickford.co.uk/latestnews/9jaugust05.html but did not retain the drive for 2006. For 2007 he is contesting the full Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
Carrera Cup GB, having done the later races in 2006, starting at Knockhillhttp://www.jamespickford.co.uk/latestnews/3septembert06.html. This means he has contested three of the five championships which support the BTCC and feature on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Motorsport UK programme, as well as the BTCC itself.