A life in the fast lane beckons for a 17-year-old from Congleton as he prepares to make his debut behind the wheel at Donington Park race circuit.
Jake Critchley has already had his name printed, along with those of his sponsors, on the side of his racing-standard Ford Focus.
The former student at St Mary’s Primary School in Congleton and All Hallows High School in Macclesfield is the youngest driver who will compete in the 2026 Motor Sport Vision Racing (MSVR) Focus Cup.
He will be competing on the country’s six best race circuits, including Cheshire’s own Oulton Park at Little Budworth.
Now studying for his A-levels at Sir John Deane’s Sixth Form College in Northwich, he is also a sergeant with 230 (Congleton) Squadron Air Training Corps.
Jake described himself as a rugby player turned racer, having played rugby for Congleton Bears.
As the rookie car racer said: “I’ve swapped tackles for tarmac and never looked back!”
He said he wanted to demonstrate that it was possible to compete in motorsport without coming from a rich background.
The teenager, who has his own “mission statement”, has already sealed his own sponsorship deals and is seeking more support as he shifts up a gear on his chosen track to success.
Jake said: “Coming from a non-motorsport family, I started my motorsport journey in indoor karting.”
He visited Teamsport Stoke karting centre in Burslem and, after the first session, was told he had “natural talent”.
After a year of practice, Jake entered his first British Indoor Karting Championship in 2022 and achieved his first pole and second place in local finals.
In 2023, his last year in the championship, he clocked the all-time track record at Teamsport Stoke before the track and karts were upgraded.
It was then time to move to competitive saloon car racing online, where Jake competed in the Junior Saloon Car Championship official E-series online championship and others.
He soon wanted to switch to the real thing, testing Ford Fiesta, Mini and Junior Saloon Car Championship models.
Now, he said, he was “fully focused” on the Focus Cup Championship.
Jake’s preparations for circuit racing included enrolling on the Veloce Driving Driver Development motorsport programme, which consisted of hours of simulator work, race craft, fitness training and mental toughness training.
He also gained the Association of Racing Driving Drivers School’s (ARDS) junior racing licence at Mallory Park racing circuit near Leicester.
He was on home turf in November 2024 when his first test day in junior saloon car racing was at Oulton Park.
The following month he had a lesson in what to do when things go wrong on the track.
Jake said: “I was back at Mallory Park again to test a Fiesta ST240 when I had an ABS failure going into turn one; luckily I was able to keep the car on track and bring it into the pits.”
Last year involved months of testing racing cars with some of the UK’s best up-and-coming drivers, including European champions Jenson Brickley and Josh Rattican, who is now a junior driver for McLaren.
This month it was announced that Jake will make his debut in car racing in the MSVR Focus Cup, the car bearing his name along with German sponsor Liqui Moly, which specialises in oils, lubricants and additives.
Jake said: “I would love to do a full season in the Focus Cup, so gathering sponsorship would be crucial. If there are any local companies who will be willing to sponsor me to keep me on the grid I would appreciate hearing from them.
“I’m still looking for local companies to team up with me in a sponsorship scheme so I can get back on track at Oulton Park, my home track.
“I would also love to increase my social media following so I can get my brand, goal and mission out to a greater and wider audience.”
To contact Jake, email jakeocritchley2009@gmail.com or spcritchley@hotmail.com.
Find him on Instagram at jakecritchleyracing32.
(Photos: Jake Critchley).
