AT&T Williams F1

AT&T Williams Team Principal, Frank Williams, lent his support to the BRDC’s Stars of Tomorrow Karting for the Disabled seminar held at the enABLE 08 show today.
 
“I fully support this initiative which is opening a new route for disabled participants to become involved in competitive motor sport. With the oxygen of publicity provided by British success in Formula One, it is a great time to be encouraging everyone, regardless of ability or capability, to enjoy full engagement in motor sport.”

Karting for the Disabled is a project between Karting Endeavour, a group of drivers who do not wish their disability to interfere with their love of motorsport, and BRDC Stars of Tomorrow, the karting championship from which Britain’s recently crowed FIA Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton learnt his craft.

The premier karting series has purchased 12 corporate kart chassis which will be specially adapted and transported to indoor kart circuits across the UK as part of BRDC Stars of Tomorrow’s promotional tour of schools, colleges and Sainsbury’s car parks in 2009, offering people with disabilities across the UK the chance to get in the racing seat.

Former Williams driver and motorsport legend Alex Zanardi suffered a massive accident during a Champ Car race in Germany in 2001 in which he lost both of his legs. Miraculously, Zanardi recovered and returned to racing in 2004 in the European Touring Car Championship in a hand-controlled car and currently competes in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. The highest level of expertise has been dedicated to developing the Karting for the Disabled karts which will feature hand-controlled steering wheels designed by Zanardi.
 
Carolynn Hoy, the Championship Director of BRDC Stars of Tomorrow, commented: “Karting for the Disabled is delighted to be invited to the first ever enABLE show. We hope that our seminar will help visitors by introducing a sport that many would just not have considered open to them. In reality, Karting for the Disabled offers them the opportunity to race on specially adapted karts against able bodied friends and colleagues. This project has really captured the imagination of the championship’s drivers, many of whom are under 16, who have dedicated their support and encouragement to the scheme.”
 
The project will run initially for drivers with a disability who currently hold a DVLA driving licence, however, it is hoped that BRDC Stars of Tomorrow will eventually be able to introduce the project to the under 17s.
 
With around 10 million people in Britain now classified as having a disability, the engaging free seminar programme in conjunction with the UK’s leading disability charity, Leonard Cheshire Disability, covered a wealth of topical issues at enABLE 08. The show’s content was underpinned by what is believed to be one of the UK’s largest pieces of research into the needs and aspirations of the disabled community, conducted by YouGov. For more information on the programme, log onto www.enableshow.co.uk