Interview With…….Tom Stanton
From the moment we started working with Tom we knew this was a man with a plan. It’s easy wanting to race but actually doing it is another matter. From his decision to race in the Caterham Academy, to the livery on the car, to his team wear it’s clear Tom knows what he wants. And that has been reflected on track with his debut season being a massive success.
Question 1 - Who are you and what do you race? - Hi, I'm Tom! This year I'm living out a long-held ambition by competing in the Caterham Academy Championship. It's my first season of wheel-to-wheel racing, and it's been an incredible experience so far. Every race weekend brings a new challenge, plenty of lessons, and some brilliantly close racing. I'm still learning every time I get behind the wheel, but that's all part of the fun.
Question 2 - What got you into motorsport? - I've always loved motorsport, but for years it felt like one of those things that other people got to do. That all changed when I bought a Renault Clio and started doing track days. After the first few laps, I was completely hooked. One track day quickly turned into another, and before long I found myself wondering, "What if I actually gave racing a go?"
Question 3 - What is your dream car, track and era combination and why? - For me, it's an easy one – the Ford GT40 at Le Mans. What a combination. The GT40 has always been my favourite car, and the story behind it is legendary. The Ford vs Ferrari rivalry, the history, the noise... it doesn't get much better than that. If someone handed me the keys to a GT40 at Le Mans, I don't think they'd be getting them back!
Question 4 - You are in your debut season, what's been the biggest shock vs what you were expecting? - The biggest shock has definitely been just how different racing is compared to track day driving. Everything happens at another level. The pace is higher, the focus has to be sharper, and you're constantly surrounded by other cars. Learning to trust the people around you while racing door-to-door has been a massive step, but it's also one of the most exciting parts of the whole experience.
Question 5 - Before you raced you had a trackday Clio. What made you choose Caterham for your first step into racing? - The Caterham Academy just seemed to tick every box. Everyone starts with the same car, so it's all about the driver rather than who has the biggest budget. The racing is famously close, the paddock has a great atmosphere, and there's a clear pathway through the Caterham championships. It felt like the perfect place to learn racecraft properly—and so far, it hasn't disappointed.
Question 6 - What's your favourite Rocked-IT product and why? - Rocked-IT have supplied some fantastic teamwear, but if I had to choose, I'd say the T-shirts and quarter zips. The quality is brilliant, they're really comfortable, and they're exactly how I imagined they'd turn out. They look smart in the paddock, and they're great to wear throughout the race weekend.
Question 7 - Motorsport looks like an individual sport but it requires a team behind you. Who deserves a special mention? - There's no way I'd be on the grid without the people around me. My family and friends have been behind me from day one, whether that's encouraging me, helping out, or putting up with endless motorsport chat! A huge thank you also has to go to the team at DPR Motorsport for preparing the car and making sure it's ready to go every time I head out on track. There might only be one person wearing the helmet, but motorsport is definitely a team sport.