James Sutton (racing driver)
Encyclopedia
James Sutton is a racing driver. He won the 2007 Porsche Carrera Cup
championships for the Fortec Motorsport
team. In the same year Sutton became an accepted member of the British Racing Drivers' Club
(BRDC), as a 'Rising Star'. Sutton stayed with the team where he won his first Formula Renault race at the opening round of the 2006 Formula Renault UK series at Brands Hatch
.
In 2006 and 2005, competed in the Formula Renault
championships for Fortec winning the opening race of the 2006 season.
Sutton is campaigning for the introduction of guidelines, to be subjected to racing drivers involved in high speed racing crashes, that would regulate and control drivers competing and/or driving on the public highway.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/6293731.stm
team, which took Richard Westbrook
to the championship in 2004 and took Danny Watts
to 10 wins out of the 20 races in 2006.
On the 25th August 2007, Sutton was interviewed by Muriel Gray
for the BBC Radio 4
show, Saturday Live, describing how he has tried to come to terms with having been responsible for a road death.http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/saturdaylive/topical_stories.shtml
In October 2007, Sutton won the Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship in his debut season, making him the youngest driver to win the series. Having required only two sensible race finishes prior to the final weekend, Sutton was involved in a controversial penultimate race that opened the championship up to 3 drivers (himself, Steven Kane and Tim Harvey
). Requiring only a 3rd place finish, Sutton, having started 7th on the grid, managed to the secure a podium finish and with that the overall title.
In November 2007, in an interview at the TOCA Awards ceremony, Sutton stated that an early retirement from motorsport had previously been contemplated at the end of the 2006 Formula Renault season. In an interview of the January 2008 edition of the 911 and Porsche World magazine, he stated that he chose to turn to sportscar racing when he was unable to raise the £400,000 needed to compete in F3
. At this stage he had no definite 2008 plans.
Sutton returned to the series in 2009, enjoying further success, and despite missing the first round of the championship, found himself challenging Harvey and Tim Bridgman
for the title. A succession of double wins at Silverstone and Rockingham (boosted by non-finishes for both Tims in race 2 at Silverstone) left him 4 points behind Harvey and 4 ahead of Bridgman going into the final meeting at Brands Hatch.
Whilst competing in the British GT, Sutton also raced once in the Porsche Super Cup at Silverstone (starting 19th on the grid to finish 4th), and the Spa 24 hour race of the FIA GT championship (alongside Andrew Kirkaldy, Rob Bell and Dirk Müller in the CR Scuderia no. 56 car).
Official website
Early years
Before he embarked on a career in cars, Sutton raced in karting, winning the London Cup in 2000 before becoming the Junior TKM British champion in 2001, before moving onto Formula ICA and in 2003 racing in the British Formula A karting championships.Single Seaters
Sutton's single-seater career began in 2004 where he won two races in the Formula BMWFormula BMW
Formula BMW is a junior racing formula for single seater cars. It is positioned at the bottom of the motorsport career ladder alongside the longer established Formula Ford category...
championships for the Fortec Motorsport
Fortec Motorsport
Fortec Motorsport Ltd. is a motor-racing team that races in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, the British Formula Three Championship, and several junior formulae categories at a British and pan-European level...
team. In the same year Sutton became an accepted member of the British Racing Drivers' Club
British Racing Drivers' Club
The British Racing Drivers' Club is a membership body which represents the interests of professional racing drivers from the United Kingdom.-Early days:...
(BRDC), as a 'Rising Star'. Sutton stayed with the team where he won his first Formula Renault race at the opening round of the 2006 Formula Renault UK series at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
.
In 2006 and 2005, competed in the Formula Renault
Formula Renault
Formula Renault is a class of formula racing founded in 1971. It is popular in Europe and other countries. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it is a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to Formula Three, World Series by Renault, GP2 or...
championships for Fortec winning the opening race of the 2006 season.
Sutton is campaigning for the introduction of guidelines, to be subjected to racing drivers involved in high speed racing crashes, that would regulate and control drivers competing and/or driving on the public highway.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/oxfordshire/6293731.stm
Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain
In February 2007 it was announced that Sutton will compete in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB series for the 2007 season, with the Redline RacingRedline Racing
Redline Racing is a British racing team that is currently competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup and the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.Redline Racing, established in 1995, made its first entry in the arena of motorsport racing in April 1997 by competing in the Michelin Porsche Cup...
team, which took Richard Westbrook
Richard Westbrook
Richard Westbrook is an English racing driver from Islington in London notable for his success in racing Porsche cars. As a boy he attended St Joseph's College, Ipswich...
to the championship in 2004 and took Danny Watts
Danny Watts
Danny Watts is a British racing driver.Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins...
to 10 wins out of the 20 races in 2006.
On the 25th August 2007, Sutton was interviewed by Muriel Gray
Muriel Gray
Muriel Gray is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster.-Personal life:Gray is of partly Jewish ancestry...
for the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
show, Saturday Live, describing how he has tried to come to terms with having been responsible for a road death.http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/saturdaylive/topical_stories.shtml
In October 2007, Sutton won the Porsche Carrera Cup GB championship in his debut season, making him the youngest driver to win the series. Having required only two sensible race finishes prior to the final weekend, Sutton was involved in a controversial penultimate race that opened the championship up to 3 drivers (himself, Steven Kane and Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey is a racing driver from England. He was the 2008 and 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Champion. A household name in the 1990s, Harvey won the prestigious BTCC title in 1992, and was a frontrunner for most of the late 80s and early 90s...
). Requiring only a 3rd place finish, Sutton, having started 7th on the grid, managed to the secure a podium finish and with that the overall title.
In November 2007, in an interview at the TOCA Awards ceremony, Sutton stated that an early retirement from motorsport had previously been contemplated at the end of the 2006 Formula Renault season. In an interview of the January 2008 edition of the 911 and Porsche World magazine, he stated that he chose to turn to sportscar racing when he was unable to raise the £400,000 needed to compete in F3
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
. At this stage he had no definite 2008 plans.
Sutton returned to the series in 2009, enjoying further success, and despite missing the first round of the championship, found himself challenging Harvey and Tim Bridgman
Tim Bridgman
Timothy James Bridgman is a British race car driver from England.Bridgman was born in Harlow and educated at Felsted School. He raced for Jensen Motorsport in the Champ Car Atlantic Championship in 2006, finishing the season ranked 16th overall. He was the 2004 Formula BMW UK champion, and...
for the title. A succession of double wins at Silverstone and Rockingham (boosted by non-finishes for both Tims in race 2 at Silverstone) left him 4 points behind Harvey and 4 ahead of Bridgman going into the final meeting at Brands Hatch.
British GT
In February 2008, Sutton was announced as the fourth driver to be signed for the newly formed CR Scuderia. James partnered Michael Meadows for the whole of the 2008 British GT season.Whilst competing in the British GT, Sutton also raced once in the Porsche Super Cup at Silverstone (starting 19th on the grid to finish 4th), and the Spa 24 hour race of the FIA GT championship (alongside Andrew Kirkaldy, Rob Bell and Dirk Müller in the CR Scuderia no. 56 car).
Official website