ADD Motorsports – More than just driver management

ADD Motorsports announced its 2012 driver line-up this week, with talent ranged from karting through to Formula Three. The young company has racers geared up to take titles both in the UK and in Europe in 2012 and is out to taste success.

The company, owned and run by former kart racer Fraser Sheader and successful kart team owner Mark Berryman has been created to assist young drivers with every stage of their careers, with the focus on the leap from karting to cars, where a great many talented youngsters stall.

“We spotted the gap between karting and cars is where a lot of very capable and talented drivers are falling down and we decided to do something about it, as a lot of other people don’t,” said Sheader at the launch.

“Mark was pointing some of the best kart racers he’d had towards car teams and noticed that they weren’t as well prepared as they should have been after long careers in karting. They were missing various elements to make the best of their opportunity. I was already noticing it from the car side. I’d suffered exactly the same thing myself after a good career in karting, failing at that point in your career is tough and we’re trying to stop that happening to other young drivers,” he adds.

“We do manage drivers, but what sets us apart is that predominantly we’re a driver development company. We set out to highlight every part of a young driver, analyse their weaker points and work very, very hard to make them their strongest ones. We aim to help boys and girls in karting get the very best they can from the moment they step up, maximising what they’ve got available to them.“

Sheader launched the company three years ago and had already had success helping British F3 racer Jack Harvey during the later stages of his karting career and as he made the transition to Formula BMW. Berryman, who has guided drivers to multiple karting championships with Team JRP over the years, came on board last season.

The pair are keen for the new season to get fully under way as they’re eager to show the racing world what their drivers are capable of, with one of them already tasting glory at the very start of 2012.

12 year-old Lando Norris currently leads the Rotax Mini Max class of the Formula Kart Stars Series. Along with his brother, 15 year-old Oli. The pair are driving for the RL Racing Development team and are just two of five drivers under the ADD Motorsports umbrella this year.

Racing in european KF2 karting this season is 15 year-old Indonesian racer, Sean Galael. ADD Motorsports are already overseeing his development in readiness for 2013, when he will make the leap to cars, something they have very high hopes for.

The two ‘senior’ ADD drivers are Australian Mitchell Gilbert and Swede John Bryant-Meisner. Both are driving for the Silverstone based Performance Racing team in the German F3 Championship. Pre-season testing has shown both drivers are on course to challenge for the title.

Mark and Fraser are keen for the elder drivers to support the kart racers throughout the year too. Mark especially is keen to see the younger pair develop further as the season progresses and has already seen the fruits of their labour.

“I was at the first FKS round at Kimbolton last weekend and although it was great to see Lando pick up his first national race win, it was Oli’s comeback drive in his first final that was just as rewarding. He drove a fantastic race after rejoining last and was bang on the pace of the leaders. Seeing a difference in drivers, both personally and in their racing is brilliant,” he says.

“Obviously we’d like to take a driver all the way into Formula One eventually. That’s the ideal, of course. However, the important thing for us is to get our drivers to their maximum and do a good job. We’ve got some great talent coming through karting in Lando and Oli and it will show other youngsters just what we can do. In fact, looking into the garage today as the guys were chatting I realised just what a strong line-up we have,” he adds.

The pair has a hectic 2012 season ahead of them, but they’re both looking forward to it and already have their eyes on 2013 and beyond.

Info & © Photos Adam Proctor – AAD Motorsports