Young driver proves his worth on track

The first selection event for the 2015 Fia Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy, which featured 17 drivers aged 16 to 25 from 12 nations across sub-Saharan Africa, has been won by 18-year-old Johannesburg circuit racer Jordan Pepper.

This year’s academy selection, which took place over three days at the Gerotek vehicle testing and conference facility near Broederstroom, west of Pretoria, involves a series of six qualifying events across the globe to give as many drivers as possible the opportunity to participate.

Fia National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) were asked to put forward their nominations, which were then assessed by the Fia Institute. ASNs in this region were allowed two nominations each. Minimum criteria were set which drivers had to meet, including the requirement to have demonstrated strong performance in national competition to date.

Competitors underwent rigorous exercises to evaluate fitness, driving performance, media expertise, teamwork and psychology. Six finalists were chosen, based on their evaluation and test results and participation in a driving shoot-out on Gerotek’s dynamic vehicle handling track, which determined the winner. Both South Africans made it to the shoot-out as well as both representatives of Namibia – Thilo Himmel (23) and Wilro Dippenaar (21) – both of whom competed in the South African National Rally Championship.

Pepper, who has already won the 2014 Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup in Europe with one round of this international series remaining, will now go forward to participate with five other regional winners and selected wild cards in the 2015 Young Driver Excellence Academy.

George Avvakoumides, chairman of Motorsport South Africa, which hosted the event added, “It was an honour for Motorsport South Africa to host this event for the second successive year.

“We are proud that the judges chose our own Jordan Pepper as the winner. Jordan follows in the footsteps of last year’s winner Kelvin van der Linde of Johannesburg, who went on to win the 2014 Fia Institute Young Driver Excellence Academy’s ‘Driver of the Year’ award.”