MSA Academy driver Max Coates, 17, from Scorton, North Yorkshire, has signed up to race in the Ginetta Junior Championship this year following last season’s success.

The signing took place at the recent Autosport show in the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, at which the teenager was helping out on the Motor Sports Association stand over the weekend.

The voluntary work forms part of Max’s advanced apprenticeship in sporting excellence, at Loughborough College, where he is studying, after being selected by the MSA as being a potentially elite athlete.

Max, who is also a student at Richmond Sixth Form College, said: “I am thrilled to have signed up to race in the Ginetta Junior Championship for 2011, as it gives me great satisfaction and a goal to aim for.

“After a successful campaign last year in both the main and winter series, I am hoping to be able to secure the title and will be putting everything into achieving this.

“I am currently training harder than ever and feel like my fitness is improving week by week.

I can’t wait to get back out in the Ginetta again and hope to start some testing as soon as my budget allows.”

The Ginetta G40 that Max raced last year will be upgraded ahead of the forthcoming season with a sequential gearbox and slick tyres, which should add to the competition in the series. The G40 also supports the British Touring Car Championship and travels around the UK, and will be at his local Croft Circuit on June 19.

Max also had other events taking place over the two days he attended the show.

On the Friday morning, he was at the Watkins seminar where he met Formula One legend Martin Brundle as well as F1 driver Christian Horner and his chief designer Adrian Newey.

After the Autosport show had finished, Max attended the Ginetta awards where he received an extra-curricular award for the “spirit of the year”

achievement.

On the Saturday, Max signed up with a new sponsor, 019 Race Wear, which have developed a new technology that allows them to manufacture seamless fireproof underwear which provides maximum comfort.

Max will be helping to develop the new range this year and he has also obtained sponsorship from locally-based Harron Homes which have committed to supporting him for another season. Also backing him are Oxy, which produce a specific range of skin products for men.

Next up for Max will be the Ginetta media day in March, followed by the start of the 2011 season at Brands Hatch, in Kent, in early April.

MORTON-ON-SWALE’S 2010 BTRDA Super Modified champion Jonathan Bean is to contest the 2011 Suzuki Swift Championship which will accompany the British Rallycross Championship.

Having taken part in the occasional rallycross meeting in a rally-specification BMW 325 in previous seasons, the Snigwig.

co.uk team committed to a full season last year after upgrading to a more powerful and improved specification BMW 325 where Bean went on to win the BTRDA Super Modified title at the first attempt.

Following that success, Bean turned his attention to progressing, with the obvious choice of the Suzuki Swift series, won by Northallerton’s Dave Bellerby last season.

“I was lucky enough to be offered the chance to take part in two guest drives for the new Suzuki Swift Rallycross Championship last season and took a podium place at the last round in Pembrey.

“I’ve also been to a couple of their open days, so this has been more than enough to convert me to this class.

“I have already sourced a Swift and with the backing of Snigwig.co.uk and Coach2.

com, we will be ready for testing before the season starts in late March, so I’m fully committed to the entire season,”

said Bean.

ENTRIES are steadily filtering in for the Procters Luxury Coaches 2011 Riponian Rally which takes place on Sunday, February 20.

About 30 crews have already committed to the Ripon Motor Sport Club-organised event and although the official closing date for entries is this weekend, late entries are being accepted until Saturday, February 12.

With last year’s winner Paul Bird unlikely to defend his title, it’s likely to be a battle between two former winners who are expected to be in the entry list.

Ripon dairy farmer Charlie Payne usually supports his local event and along with York travel agent Craig Thorley, they are expected to dovetail the event between the opening two rounds of the BTRDA Championship which they plan to contest in their Ford Focus WRC.

Payne has won the event five times, the first time being back in 1992, but local hero and event sponsor Kevin Procter will be going all out to add a third victory to his tally after missing out last year.

The Leeming driver, along with Northallerton co-driver Dave Bellerby, crashed their Subaru in Wass forest last year while leading, so will be going all out to make amends.

Also in the entry list is 2008 winner Tim Pearcey, from Thirsk, who will be in action in his Willowgreen Homes-sponsored Ford Escort Mk2.

The event will once again be based at the Thirsk Rural Business Centre and will feature 12 stages run in six of the forests on the western edge of the North Yorkshire National Park.

The competition will be a round of most of the championships of the Northern club associations together with the Motoscope Northern Historic Championship and is also the final round of the Just Ferries Winter Challenge.

Further information and regulations are available at www.riponian.co.uk