RILEY PHILLIPS
Age: 19
Class: UK VW Funcup Endurance
Hometown: Nr Bristol, Somerset
Studying: BEng Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes
Hobbies: Sim Driver, Karting, Car Designing, bike riding, surfing,
computer games, my dog!
Goals for 2021:
Most importantly .....to keep learning and having fun
Race in Funcup and defend our championship title
Improve my fitness
Continue working on broadening my skills in other cars
Goals for 2020:
Most importantly .....to keep learning and having fun DONE
Race in Funcup, challenge for the championship in 2020 DONE, DONE, DONE!!
continue working on broadening my skills in other cars.
Goals for 2019: Check
Most importantly .....to keep learning and having fun DONE
Race in Funcup, make the podium in 2019 DONE x 3
Improve my fitness DONE
continue working on my transition to cars. DONE
Future Goals
Race in British GT
Race in LMP3 series
Be a professional paid Racing Driver
Do a Motorsport Engineering Degree - Now in Year 2
Achievements:
BRSCC VW FunCup CHAMPION in 2020 with Axiametrics
Best New comer 2019
Youngest ever BRSCC VW Funcup WINNER 16 in 2019
Youngest ever Funcup driver 16 years + 14 days in 2018
Whilton Mill Junior Max Champion 2017
Whilton Mill Junior Max Champion 2016
Whilton Mill Minimax Champion 2015
Llandow Minimax Champion 2014
Celtic Challenge Minimax Champion 2014
Living and thriving with Aspergers
NKRA National Finals Sept 2013 Honda Cadet 4th
4 (of 5) Novice cups in 2012
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How it started
I used to sit on my Dads lap while he drove his race sim. It was a bit of Dad and baby time, with my Dad trying to do a few a laps on the side. I was soon steering while he did the peddles and by the time I was 3 years old I was driving laps of Spa on my own stood up. Its about the only time I right foot braked in my life! Pretty much my Dad lost his sim from then on.
"Hi Riley's Dad jumping in here. When Riley was about 6-7 things started to go wrong at school. It was the age that proper friendships were being forged and banter was happening, Riley didn't get it. Other kids realised that Riley just reacted no matter what the situation or who was there. They could sneakily pinch him as the Head Master was coming and he would just react. He had no understanding of authority so it didn't matter who was there, if he was upset he was upset... Duly he was expelled from school.
It wasn't a great time, he was explosive at home, hard to handle and obviously very unhappy. He thought he was useless at everything and the bullying had really effected him. We looked for an outlet, somewhere he could find some confidence. We went to Thruxton kart track and joined their training programme for 8 to 14 years olds. (He was still 7 ... well he was soon to be 8). Des the trainer said "He can do this..." I said "I was afraid you were going to say that"... as he won again... But we had our smiling boy back and that was priceless.
Changing to a more understanding school, with Head Master Paul Scarffe at the controls, Riley was soon on stage receiving karting awards instead of hiding under tables. We owe Mr Scarffe a great deal for rebuilding Riley.
By this time Riley had started racing MSA Honda Cadets in a not very second hand kart and had won 4 out of 5 novice trophies. We competed in the NKRA cadet series and came 4th in the National finals. However, Honda's had got a bit crazy and it was all about who could spend the most on an engine with the best being £7000+ there was also quite a bit of cheating. We were going to quit.
Riley had now moved on to senior school and it was going well all things considered, but the track was where he was alive. We tried out a Mini Max kart and that was it... grinning like an idiot.
So this journey wasn't started with a pair of loaded parents playing mini F1 games; it was born out of desperation and a need to find something positive - for all of us.
"Hi Riley's Dad jumping in here. When Riley was about 6-7 things started to go wrong at school. It was the age that proper friendships were being forged and banter was happening, Riley didn't get it. Other kids realised that Riley just reacted no matter what the situation or who was there. They could sneakily pinch him as the Head Master was coming and he would just react. He had no understanding of authority so it didn't matter who was there, if he was upset he was upset... Duly he was expelled from school.
It wasn't a great time, he was explosive at home, hard to handle and obviously very unhappy. He thought he was useless at everything and the bullying had really effected him. We looked for an outlet, somewhere he could find some confidence. We went to Thruxton kart track and joined their training programme for 8 to 14 years olds. (He was still 7 ... well he was soon to be 8). Des the trainer said "He can do this..." I said "I was afraid you were going to say that"... as he won again... But we had our smiling boy back and that was priceless.
Changing to a more understanding school, with Head Master Paul Scarffe at the controls, Riley was soon on stage receiving karting awards instead of hiding under tables. We owe Mr Scarffe a great deal for rebuilding Riley.
By this time Riley had started racing MSA Honda Cadets in a not very second hand kart and had won 4 out of 5 novice trophies. We competed in the NKRA cadet series and came 4th in the National finals. However, Honda's had got a bit crazy and it was all about who could spend the most on an engine with the best being £7000+ there was also quite a bit of cheating. We were going to quit.
Riley had now moved on to senior school and it was going well all things considered, but the track was where he was alive. We tried out a Mini Max kart and that was it... grinning like an idiot.
So this journey wasn't started with a pair of loaded parents playing mini F1 games; it was born out of desperation and a need to find something positive - for all of us.
