Sportscar sensation Sandy Mitchell will be taking his talent to famous tracks on both sides of the pond in a packed 2019 campaign on which the start flag is about to drop.
And the 19-year-old Angus racer has silverware very much in his sights for a second season behind the wheel of a 190mph Lamborghini Huracan as he heads Stateside for his debut US race outing in front of a crowd of 100,000 motorsport fans.
Lamborghini Squadra Corse junior driver Mitchell and making a return to the Blancpain endurance series in the Silver Cup of the prestigious championship which is fought over six rounds at circuits including Monza, Silverstone and Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps, where last year the Letham star secured second place in his 24-hour race debut, adding to a win at Paul Ricard in France.
After graduating to Blancpain from the British GT series, Letham’s Mitchell will be joined by teammates Jordan Witt and James Pull in the new Black Bull Whisky-backed Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo, prepared by crack British outfit Barwell Motorsport.
Monza in Italy hosts the Blancpain opener on April 13/14, but ahead of that the British Racing Drivers’ Club Rising Star is bound for Barber Park in Alabama for his debut in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series with the Prestige Performance Wayne Taylor Racing team.
Lamborghini bosses selected Mitchell for the seat with the championship-winning squad and the six-round US championship will involve outings at legendary tracks including Road America, Laguna Seca and the Watkins Glen F1 track where, in 1973, Sir Jackie Stewart drove the final race in his triple world championship-winning career.
Mitchell will run in the Pro class of the Super Trofeo battle, with the Barber Park round included on the Indy Car programme which is expected to bring a bumper six-figure crowd.
“It’s a great opportunity and it’s going to be a busy season but that’s what you want as a racing driver,” he said.
“America is new to me, but the tracks are really amazing and what you would probably call old school – tight and twisty, with no big run-off areas.
“That means you can’t expect to get away with any mistakes and you have to be neat and tidy, but that suits my driving style.
“I was in the Super Trofeo car at Barber Park and it’s a great track – it reminded me of a bigger Knockhill,” said Mitchell.
He added: “The new Evo we are running in the Blancpain feels very good, it’s a good step up and because it’s my second season I feel very comfortable in it.
“It’s going to be very competitive in both championships, but we are aiming for the top step this season.”
