JUNIORS

B100H - Aisling Bryan – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Bredon Hill Autograss Club

Ash, as she’s known to all and sundry, has risen impressively through the ranks of the Juniors at the wheel of the well known B100H Mini, although the car has to work very hard for its living, driven by Brian Herridge in the men’s Class 1 and Debbie Rhys-Jones in the Ladies.  Ash had a successful finish to her season, including winning the Junior class at the South Somerset club’s Autograss Grand Prix event.

IK43 – Luke Saunters – St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex
Invicta Kent Autograss Club

Luke’s just completed his second season of Junior racing, finishing a close second in the Invicta Kent club championship, and was very proud to be selected to represent his club in the Live Arena. The Invicta club, racing at Ivychurch on Romney Marsh, is the south-eastern outpost of National Autograss and has enjoyed something of a revival in the last two years, attracting many new members, including a strong field of Juniors.

NW35 – Arron Sharp – Chester
North Wales Autograss Club

Arron’s completed two full seasons in the Junior ranks, and has the distinction of having qualified for the National Championship final in both of those years. He’s following in the footsteps of brother Scott, who was successful as a Junior before becoming a leading contender in men’s Class 1, while the boys’ father, Les Sharp, is one of the top names in Class 8 Specials racing.

PAC2 – Alice Bevans – Cosheston, Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire Autograss Club

The younger Bevans sister appears for the first time at the NEC, but sister Michaela is very familiar with the Live Arena having performed in her Class 7 car for the past three years. Alice has completed four years in Junior racing now and had a successful season in 2009, which is only to be expected as her grandad (Gordon Harries), grandma (Shirley Harries), mother Joan, father Mike and of course Michaela are all past and present National Champions.

SN288 - Hayley Empson – Elsworth, Cambridgeshire
St Neots Autograss Club

The Empson family name is synonymous with Autograss in East Anglia – Hayley follows in the racing footsteps of grandad Bob, dad Mark, mum Linda, uncle Paul and older brother Andrew, and is usually seen in the Junior races battling with her cousins Emily and Kirsty! During the 2009 season she was chosen as test pilot for the budget Falken road tyres, which are expected to be used by all the Junior drivers in the Live Arena.                                                       

SP15 – Shannon Ellis – Spalding, Lincolnshire
Spalding & District Autograss Club

The son of top Class 2 contender “Bouncing Bob” Ellis, Shannon has completed two full seasons of Junior racing and has already notched up an impressive list of successes, including being Winter Series Champion in 2008. He won the prestigious North of England Championship at York in 2009, before taking third out of 112 competitors at the Junior National Championships and also winning the East Anglian Open title.

ST141 – Nicola Mackenzie – Manea, Cambridgeshire
Sturton & Stow Motor Sports Club

Nicola’s reaching the end of her Junior career, following in the footsteps of her brothers Dan and Mike, who are both now established stars in Class 8 and 7 – and no strangers to the NEC’s Live Arena. The Mackenzie siblings are yet more examples of third generation Autograss racers – dad Vernon and uncle Aaron have been prominent racers since the mid-1980s, while granddad Dave was a hero of the early days of East Anglian racing.

Y12 – Beth Tomkinson – Micklefield, Leeds
York Autograss Club

Born and brought up in Autograss, Beth’s earliest memories will be of dad Ian and mum Diane racing all over the country, often to the background of her granddad George Capper’s inimitable commentary! As soon as she was twelve, late in the 2008 season, Beth was out on the track and she’s shown great promise during 2009. Her mum, as well as racing, rules the York club with a rod of iron and also brings her organisational skills to the Live Action pits each January.

National Autograss Sports Association
www.national-autograss.co.uk