Student Motorsport, the on-line community founded by JP Latham in 2011 and designed to help young people take the right path to success in their motorsport careers, announced it’s ambitious plans to launch a two-car Clio Cup UK team in December 2019.

A little over a month later the team is present at Autosport International at the NEC in Birmingham along with chassis #001 of the new fifth-generation, 180 bhp Clio Cup race car.

EnduranceandGT editor Andy Lloyd spoke with Student Motorsport Operations Director Patrick Hathaway about the race team’s progress and plans for the Student Motorsport community in 2020.

Patrick, the dream is fast becoming a reality. The car is here and the team is launched. How does that feel?

“I’m still trying to bring it together in my mind actually! To think that we didn’t have a race team two months ago and, just over that short time, that has happened, and the fact that we’re actually at Autosport International, it’s all moved very fast.

With other developments such as the website (www.studentmotorsport.com) undergoing a massive overhaul, there’s a lot to process but it’s extremely exciting.”

2020 Clio Cup car (Photo: Paren Raval)

Where is the team currently on announcing drivers for 2020?

“We have one to announce in the next few weeks and we have received a number of good enquiries for the second seat as well.’

And you’re working here at Autosport with your sponsor Damar International Ltd and Sonic Tools. How is that relationship developing?

“We are piecing it together. There are plenty of opportunities for both parties to work together. We’ve had a relationship with them for a number of months and there are plenty of other opportunities (to work together) cropping up including other events.”

Outside of the race team, the cars and the drivers, what developments we can look forward to in terms of Student Motorsport and the community?

“We are looking forward to the development of our website which will include more features and more integration with potential partners as well bringing content from other areas and people providing more value across the board.

“It’s not all about the website, of course. There is potential for events to be run as well and of course, the integration with the race team. We have had huge interest in our placements service while we have been at Autosport which we look building on over the next few weeks.”

Student Motorsport can be found at stand 3220 at Autosport International which runs until Sunday January 12 at the NEC Birmingham..