Читать книгу Andy Priaulx: The Autobiography of the Three-time World Touring Car Champion - Andy Priaulx - Страница 5

WHEN I WAS TOLD BY BMW GB that they wanted to sign Andy Priaulx for their assault on the European Touring Car Championship I must admit I had not heard a great deal about him. I was soon to learn about his challenges to get recognised in the motorsport world and how he would go on to be a great ambassador for motorsport and BMW.

Having brought home four titles for BMW his success for the Team has been well recognised, and in securing matching manufacturer’s titles we too have proven our status in the competitive world of touring car racing.

What this book spells out is the unrelenting resolve of Andy to achieve the very best results from not only himself but his team and those around him, ensuring that everyone is working to the aim of winning.

Andy has had a fantastic grounding in finding his own sponsorship to survive and pursuing self-taught disciplines to gain impressive results. These qualities allow him to pass his experiences on to our young drivers in Formula BMW, where he has been a chief instructor, and also to the many around the paddock to whom he is always giving encouragement.

After visiting his home in Guernsey on holiday and thoroughly enjoying the experience, it was even more evident to me the work that Andy has put into motor racing. He has come from an island with no race circuit but a great grassroots motorsport heritage; his raw talent developed on the Val des Terres hillclimb amongst granite walls and unforgiving barriers has flourished on the international stage as Andy has risen to become World Champion.

Andy has had to work hard and sacrificed almost everything to achieve his goal. However, he has maintained a personable and totally approachable demeanour and continues to be a terrific mentor for the young drivers of the future, backed totally by his family and a loyal group of friends. His story opens your eyes to how dreams can be achieved.