SPEAKER_00 0:00

Lovely morning, the sun's shining down on us here at Donnington and there's a rather fabulous looking car here. What tell me all about this?

SPEAKER_01 0:06

Yeah, so I'm standing alongside the new junior car for next year uh built by PowerMax Racing. It's the PM1. Um it's a super little car, I mean it's getting a lot of attention already, we can see. Um you know it's uh it's the car that everyone has wanted, I think, for for many years now to see back on the toker package, and no doubt it's going to produce some spectacular racing next year, and it's going to be a great opportunity for those that get to drive it to um you know to advance use it as a proper stepping stone to advance themselves in their career.

SPEAKER_00 0:39

For the 2027 season, as you said, and it's taken a bit of time to get to this point, but it it's um it's well worth the wait.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, if a job's gonna be done, it's got to be done properly, and there wasn't really any point in rushing it, I don't think, to be out any sooner than than next year. I mean, relatively from when this car was announced, it's not actually that long to sort of where we are now, and we've got one here in the flesh. So um, yeah, I've no doubt that that the guys at Power Max, guys and girls at Power Max will do a fantastic job in producing many of these cars, and they will be, you know, they will drive as good as they look. And um, you know, it's uh it's it's the same technology and and designers that have put their efforts into this car as what they put into our Audi touring cars, so I think that should be um you know comforting to know for those that are looking to maybe race it.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

And it's important to have something like this, isn't it? Like you said, on the on the on the toker package, it's it's an important sort of series.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Yeah, it has. I mean, you know, without sounding too down about it, you know, I think the championship has uh sorry the the the package has had a bit of a hole in it ever since the the juniors left a few years ago. So it they pr they provide a lot of value to the to the weekends. The fans certainly miss the junior racing, and um you know they are the stars of the future, they're the names to watch out for. You know, you see some of the names that have uh that have raced on Toka before, you know, none other than Lando Norris that's gone on to be a Formula One world champion and and many many others. So hopefully this car will provide exactly the same opportunity for the future stars of the next 10-20 years.

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Absolutely, I I mean I remember some of the names going back, so interviewing them, let alone as a fan seeing them on the circuit, and you think I remember them when they were young and they were coming through, and it's a really special time.

SPEAKER_01 2:24

Exactly, yeah. I mean junior racing for most drivers is often looked back with the fondest memories for those that had the opportunity to do it because you know it's uh you're you're younger, there's there's less there's less, I guess, uh less stress going on in their lives at that point, they can just focus on the racing, have fun, you know, enjoy it with with their mates and that that they're their colleagues that they're racing with, and um yeah, it's just an amazing opportunity to be able to do it, and um you know you need to have a good car, and I believe this is the car that will provide um that next chapter for junior racing in this country.

SPEAKER_00 2:59

Absolutely, and talking about amazing opportunities, so we're standing here in front of it here at Donington, but an amazing opportunity for you at Croft because that's where you'll get in it and drive around.

SPEAKER_01 3:09

So I hear, yeah. I mean it's kind of news to me this morning, but I'm quite excited now, yeah. Um it's always a special moment to drive any new car for the first time, to be the first driver that gets to experience it. Um so yeah, no, really looking forward to that and putting on a show for everyone that's there watching and hopefully show everyone somewhat uh of what the cars are capable of.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Absolutely exciting times ahead. Thanks, Mikey.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Thank you very much.