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THE WIRRAL RACING DRIVER TAKING ON EUROPE!

When most 21-year-olds are asked what they are doing with their life, they respond with a simple shrug. However, for one young man from Moreton, Wirral, the response is taking on Europe in 8 rounds of intense, adrenaline-fueled racing.

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The young man in question is Thomas Ikin, 21, who is set to take on the best that Europe has to offer over the course of the 2024 season. For those who are into motorsport and cars, locations like Monza and Spa are the stuff of legend but for Thomas they are merely a destination on a journey towards a hopeful Top 3.

This year comes as Thomas’ first season in pro-am GT Racing, having competed in multiple disciplines across his young career, and he’s got off to a flying start — achieving a podium finish in each of the first two rounds, at Portimao and Hockenheim respectively.

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His love for racing was there from day one, although he got into karting through his uncle. His uncle was competing in karting when Thomas was only just arriving at school, but that didn’t stop him from having a go. It was quickly apparent that having a machine under his control was merely second nature as he suddenly found himself amongst the best in the country and competing successfully for several years.

As with every young driver, the ultimate dream was always Formula One and it was this dream that led him to racing in Formula 4, his first attempt at racing in cars. While for most this is a big step up, for Thomas it was one he took in his stride, managing multiple podiums.

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Despite success, this was where the dream of F1 would reach a roadblock – a roadblock that unfortunately prevents so many from continuing up the motorsport ladder. Money. It can cost up to 1.2 million pounds for one season of competitive racing in formula 3, and this can increase by a further million for a season in formula 3. Not exactly cheap then.

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This is ultimately the reason a very promising journey towards the top of motorsport had to be put on hold – a hold that Thomas thought could last forever. This indefinite pause ultimately pushed the young man to go down the more traditional route of university. Yet sitting in a lecture room came nowhere near to the joys of throwing a car around a racetrack with nothing but a few inches of metal between you and the road.

This lack of adrenaline, coupled with his obvious natural talent behind a wheel, meant Ikin made the decision to leave university and give racing one more crack, starting in the UK Fiesta championship. Again, Thomas was successful, but he still wanted more. He still dreamed of racing the tracks he had watched the best in the world race around as a kid.

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Then, as if the stars had aligned, at the end of 2023 he was made aware of his old F4 team, Motorpark Group, had a few seats still open for the 2024 GT Open championship. Thomas got in touch and was able to set-up a test session. The results mirrored all the earlier racing he had done, with Ikin showing of his talent and ultimately getting a drive for 2024.

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While this is a big step-up from racing in Fiestas and F4, Thomas remains unfazed. He said: “I try not to think about how good the others are and stuff. At the end of the day, I have faith in my ability, and I think if you get onto the track and think of how big the occasion and stuff is then you won’t be able to compete at your highest ability.”

He continued: “While it obviously felt cool walking into the factory in Germany for the first time and driving around tracks, I’ve dreamt about since a kid, I like to focus on myself and try to almost block all of that out. I think F4 really helped me learn how to do all that as I was racing alongside BTCC which is a huge national championship, so I feel prepared to give my best this season”.

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Thomas is competing in the PRO-AM class of the GT Open in 2024, which means he shares the car with an amateur driver called Morten Stromsted, with whom he has already built a strong relationship. This strong relationship has clearly transcribed onto the track.

Ikin has spoken of his aim being to finish in the Top 3 in his first year, but with a promising start already he will be wondering whether a push for the title is on the cards.

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