Heacham-based driver makes the switch ahead of new season

Willie Skoyles junior will realise his dream when he makes his F1 stock car debut at Lynn’s Adrian Flux Arena this weekend.

The Heacham driver, who has been one of the top two-litre stock car drivers in the UK over the past decade, has made the switch to a different formula over the close season.

Former European champion and silver roof winner Skoyles said: “We were all geared up for redoing the car and having another year in the 2L stock cars.

“I wasn’t really interested in having one unless I was going to go and compete. We saw a few older cars and they were fairly cheap, or what we thought was cheap, in our budget.

“We ended up with a car that was more than our budget, but hopefully we’ll be able to be competitive. It is one of Matty Newson’s cars.”

Skoyles is raring to go and looking forward to the new challenge and will initially focus on shale world qualifying rounds.

“I’m really keen and a little bit apprehensive as well but, you know, it is what it is,” admitted Skoyles.

“Hopefully there won’t be much pressure in these.

“If I’d have stayed in the saloons, there’d have been quite a bit of pressure to have another good year. It will be a massive learning curve this year.

“We’re mainly looking at world qualifiers on the shale.

“It’s a big ask, but if I can make a semi-final this year, that would be my target.

“There’s already been several rounds but it all depends how well we get on really.

“We want to do some of the travelling – Belle Vue, Stoke, Sheffield – and we may as well tie it in with a world qualifier.”

Whether this will be a long-term switch is too early to say.

Skoyles, who hasn’t ruled out some future outings back in two-litre stock cars, has only had a few laps’ practice at Swaffham and can’t wait to get going.

“We’ve put that much into the Formula One at the minute, we’ve really got to stick with it a couple of years,” revealed Skoyles.

“I’d love to be able to stay in them and end up being right up at the top end, but that’s a massive ask compared to some of the people that compete.

“I wouldn’t say I’d never be in a saloon again, if the opportunity comes along then we might have another go.”

Skoyles thanks his dad and all the family, Doubleday Group, Station Road Garage, Wayne’s Race Car Models, Pauline Jeffery, Saxon Motors, GB Services, Supreme Windows, APH Screens, SE Transit Spares, TA Phizacklea, North Beach Fish Bar, the Laughton family, Keith and Alfie Pearce, Foreman’s Barbers, Mat Newson Racing, Site Air Testing and Dan Klyn Signs for their continued support.

Racing also comes from the two-litre stock cars and the BriSCA MiniStox.