Driver Profile – Adrian Burge

We figured we’d do our 2020 driver announcements and give you a little insight into what makes them tick.

First up is Adrian Burge racing in the Mk1 Championship as No.7.

Adrian is going to be racing a brand new build for 2020.

Background

Adrian has been a lifelong petrol head and motorsport lover. He spent many weekends over the years camped at various UK circuits with his son and daughter, being a loving husband and giving the wife a weekend off (or so he says). A friend’s son (Stuart Hall) competed in Formula Renault and they avidly followed and supported Stuart with Adrian’s own son Charlie being his number one fan. This got them access to the BRDC drivers lounge at Silverstone for touring car events where they got to meet some racing heroes like Jensen Button amongst others.

A love of all things mechanical and fast saw many 2 and 4 wheel toys come and go throughout the years and a few were taken to the track to release the inner “racing driver” and show everyone what a superstar he was. Inevitably he learned that all the years of watching how it should be done hadn’t rubbed off on him quite as much as he would have liked, so the engines and aftermarket parts bills got bigger to go that bit faster. It was his now grown up son that suggested “How about we go racing!”

At that time Charlie had an MX5 Mk1 and had used BC Cars for some mechanical knowhow, so it seemed a logical place to go to get the low down on racing. Brian can be very convincing at times and within a few weeks they were the proud owners of their first MK1 race car and had both done their licences at Snetterton whilst tracking the car for the first time!

Brian suggested they compete at the last round of the 2016 season at Silverstone to get the first race experience prior to a first full year, also helping to get the newbie out of their systems. The plan was to share a car and alternate races throughout the season to keep the spend low but have fun… Great we all thought until Charlie put the car on the podium in the B race and from then on Adrian started looking for his own car to pootle around at the back whilst Charlie mixed it up in the A races!

Three full seasons later and Adrian can proudly say that he is more often than not an A racer, “but it takes us old gits a while to catch on!”

“What can I say, BC is the best team in the paddock. I have made some new lifelong friends from racing, something I will cherish!”

Last Season

Was not a full season for Adrian due to two missed weekends but on the whole a good solid year.  The high point was an epic drive after a disastrous qualifying of P18 in the B race to finish on the podium, 3rd at Oulton Park. The low point, throwing away a P14 finish in the A race at Donington Park at the old hairpin without any help from his fellow competitors. That would have been his best ever finish… the one that got away!

This Season

He hopes to continue where he left off being a consistent A racer and if everyone in front would like to crash, chase down that elusive top 15 finish in an A race.

Favourite Track

To date, Cadwell Park, the mini Nürburgring (although I haven’t driven the big one yet to compare). Shame it’s not on the calendar in 2020.

Race Number

Lucky 7, easy as that!