BE News caught up with James Townsend, co-founder of office consultancy Kontor, to find out about his motor racing career.
How did you get into driving?
I’ve had a passion for motorsport since my father took me to stock car racing at Foxhall Stadium in Ipswich when I was a boy. I knew from a young age I didn’t just want to watch I wanted to take part. It only took me 30 years to start! I finally got my race licence six years ago. It’s become my escape from work.
Can you give us a potted summary of your racing career to date?
I’ve been fortunate to race at national level from day one. I started racing Ginetta’s (purpose-built race cars manufactured in Leeds, UK) competing in their full range of cars from the smaller more nimble G40 through to their most powerful G55 GT4 SuperCup car. Most recently I have competed in Porsche Carrera Cup GB – one of the most prestigious and competitive one make series in the world.
How successful have you been?
As a FIA bronze rated driver I have competed in just shy of 100 races so far. I’ve been fortunate to have finished on the podium in every championship I’ve raced in and secured 15 class wins in total. I’ve finished third in the last three championships I’ve competed in. As a complete novice six years ago, to enjoy that success against many drivers who have been racing in karts and so on since they were kids, is something I’m very proud of.
Are there any parallels between being a race car driver and working in the property industry?
Team work – motorsport is not just about the driver, it’s about the platform and team behind the driver. Everything must be perfect to ensure success. The car must be set up correctly, you have to have absolute trust in your mechanics and feedback clearly. Mistakes can cost lives, bad judgement, poor workmanship, etc, can be very dangerous. It’s about taking calculated risks and being respectful of your competition.
What’s your future ambition in terms of motor racing – do you intend to give up the ‘day job’ or is racing more of a hobby?
Racing at the weekends is the easy part of motorsport – the many hours spent months prior to secure sponsorship and build relationships is key. For me I enjoy the ‘escape’ that motorsport offers, so if it became my day job, I suspect I would no longer enjoy it as much. Finding sponsorship would also become a lot harder. Right now my relationships through my work afford me several amazing partners such as Thirdway, The Boutique Workplace Company and Accomplished Contract Services who have been with me every step of this journey and have enjoyed some pretty amazing experiences along the way.
In 2023, I will be competing in the British GT Championship along side the likes of McLaren, Porsche, Aston Martin and Mercedes. It marks the start of my journey and dream of competing at Le Mans. At present I won’t be giving up the day job – it’s bricks and motor for the foreseeable!
