Aaron Morgan, the racing driver sponsored by CDW, has had a thrilling season in the British GT Championship. We asked Aaron to share some of his highlights for 2022.
What have been some of your personal highlights from this year’s racing season?
This year we made history as the first ever disabled driver pairing to compete in the British GT Championship. Driving out onto the track for the first race was a surreal moment for the whole team, knowing that we are setting new boundaries for other disabled sportspeople is something we are incredibly proud of – and has to be my personal highlight.
This season we wanted to demonstrate our strength as a competitive team, proving that last year’s success wasn’t a fluke. That being said, we did not underestimate the step up in competition that the British GT would give us. Along the way there has been plenty of opportunities for learning and growth – for both me as a driver and Team BRIT.
In terms of results, we have gone from strength to strength through the season. Bobby and I achieved our first Pro Am class podium at the first round and our first Pro Am win at Spa. At Spa we also gained our first GT4 overall podium finishing in third. This culminated with the team placing second overall in the GT4 Pro Am championship.
What about some of the challenges you have had to overcome?
This season brought a brand-new car for me and with it, brand-new challenges. Taking on a new car and championship was no mean feat but this is what I love about the sport – no two seasons are the same and with that comes opportunities to grow. In addition to the change of car, the level of competition became much higher too which forced me to raise my game.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the learning curve and getting to grips with how to best optimise the car’s performance – ultimately, it has made me a better driver. The change in championship also required the understanding of new procedures and rules but as a team we have collectively become stronger as we tackled these challenges head on.
How is Team BRIT changing perceptions within the racing community?
We have definitely changed perceptions this year as everyone within Team BRIT continues to push that bar further and further – for example, James and Chris became the first all disabled driving pairing to win a national championship with their Britcar Trophy win.
The whole team has put in countless hours of energy, passion, and enthusiasm, and we are seeing this come to life with the changing perceptions of disabled people within the racing community. British GT is the largest GT championship in the UK, the team’s commitment has put a spotlight on our sport and has shown fans that disabled people are more than capable of competing on a level playing field when it comes to motor racing.
One of my personal highlights has been participating in the pitlane walkabout. At British GT they hold a pitlane walkabout before the race where the public can come and interact with the drivers. More and more we are being approached by disabled youngsters who are fans of Team BRIT and the work we are doing. It’s during these conversations when I truly see the impact of the team’s commitment to raising awareness of opportunities for disabled people in mainstream sport. It makes me immensely proud that the work myself, Team BRIT and the other drivers do is genuinely inspiring the next generation.
CDW has been one of the key sponsors for Team BRIT this season, how has this benefitted you and the wider team?
It’s a real privilege to work for an organisation that supports Team BRIT and me in the way that CDW does. Without CDW’s support I wouldn’t be able to do what I do, both at work and in racing. The whole company has got behind us this season and their support has been phenomenal. From co-workers showing up and cheering us on at races, to the Team BRIT roadshow which gave me an opportunity to tour the car around the CDW office locations and interact with colleagues. CDW is a people-driven business, I feel a real sense that everyone that I work with genuinely wants to see me succeed and for that I am extremely grateful.
In addition, CDW has been incredibly generous by providing a new hardware setup for Team BRIT. With a higher specification and quality of available technology, the engineers gain increased visibility into how the car is performing and can therefore take action to optimise it off the back of these insights. This has allowed us to become more efficient with access to better data and ultimately perform to a higher standard.
How do some of the skills and learnings from your racing career translate to your everyday life?
One of the key lessons from racing has been learning to bounce back from set-backs and I see this transferring to my approach to my work at CDW. For me, bouncing back from lows is all about drawing upon the energy and experience of the people that I am close with, this includes my co-workers who are always there to support if needed. Taking advice and learning from tried and tested methods helps me to overcome challenges.
I am also now always looking for opportunities to learn and develop, CDW encourage all employees to take half a day each week for personal development, I have used this time to participate in partner accredited work that has developed my own industry knowledge and expertise. I am extremely grateful to work within a team and wider organisation that is genuinely invested in supporting my personal and career development, wherever I want to take it.
Tell us about your dream to race at Le Mans and the progress you made towards your goal this year...
This is both a personal goal and one that I share with Team BRIT. By stepping up the racing and cars that we drive, we have made the next step up in the journey. Bobby and I have both developed as drivers this season and got to grips with a higher level of racing. Le Mans will mark the next step up in our professional driving careers, so having the opportunity to participate in British GT has given us a taste of the higher level of performance required for professional racing.
What are you looking forward to next season and beyond?
As mentioned, one of my personal and shared goals with Team BRIT is to race at Le Mans. Having the opportunity to participate in British GT has helped us as a team take that next step up to the professional level and perform. Next season will be a new opportunity to build on our success from 2022, take another step forward towards Le Mans and continue to change perceptions in the racing industry.
Aaron Morgan"I am extremely grateful to work within a team and wider organisation that is genuinely invested in supporting my personal and career development, wherever I want to take it."
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