Omar Jackson of Ealing, West London is working towards reviving his motorsport career as part of SV Racing’s Renault UK Clio Cup roster, after injury put a halt to a promising single-seater career.
His uncle’s participation in the now defunct Rover GT Series was the catalyst for Jackson entering Karting competitions at the age of seven. He spent his childhood touring the United Kingdom’s best circuits, such as Rye House, PF International and Kimbolton prior to graduating to cars.
Injury and budgetary constraints curtailed a promising single-seater career in Formula Ford, Formula Renault and Formula 3, but, determined not to let his talent go to waste, Jackson is now turning to ‘tin-tops’ and has dreams of reaching the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).
The Ealing resident, who has family in Dubai and originally hails from Langley, Slough, is currently on a charge to raise funds for a partial campaign in this year’s UK Clio Cup, with the view of committing to a full season in 2016.
Jackson will make use of the professional driver coaching provided by Danny Buxton’s Champion SV Racing operation and will balance motorsport with his commitments as a semi-pro boxer, honing his driving abilities, further improving his physical endurance and quenching his thirst for competition all at the same time.
However, there are many facets to the 23-year old Londoner’s life and he’s particularly passionate about his ambassadorial role for the Ealing-based PACE Charitable Trust – a voluntary organisation promoting the inclusion of young disabled people in sports and leisure activities.
Jackson also gets a lot of satisfaction from managing his business interests as the director of a Business Management Consultancy and a bar owner, but the entrepreneur is primarily focused on reviving his motorsport career and making a success of himself on the racetrack with the help of SV Racing.
“I’ll mainly be testing this year with the view of going all out next year in 2016, as I want to be fully prepared for the challenge that awaits me in the Renault UK Clio Cup,” said Jackson. “The championship is well-established as the primary BTCC feeder series and is known for producing very close, competitive racing due to there being only minor differences between each car. This makes it a great platform to develop as a driver and I think there should be plenty of scope to further my career from there.
“Working with SV Racing is an exciting prospect, as the team is highly experienced and well managed, although the biggest draw for me was Danny (Buxton) himself, as he was very welcoming and has a lot of knowledge and experience to impart to his drivers. He’s a great leader and he has some skilled driver coaches too, which allows you to solely concentrate on the driving.”
Jackson added: “I will do everything I can to ensure I’m as fit and focused as the best of them so I can conquer the UK Clio Cup and continue my ascent up the motorsport ladder. I realise that nothing is guaranteed and I have to continue working to live, but my target is to make a career out of motorsport. I have a lot of responsibilities, but my racing comes first. My ambassadorial role with the PACE Charitable Trust inspires me greatly. I think we’re all guilty of being ignorant towards disabilities and it has certainly opened my eyes to the challenges people face, providing disabled youngsters with a platform to succeed in sport. What’s nice is my motorsport activities motivate them, which in turn motivates me even further.”
For more information on SV Racing, please visit the www.svracing.co.ukwebsite, ‘like’ the team’s Facebook page or follow @SV_Racing on Twitter andInstagram.