YOUNG GUN: JAY HANSON

Young Gun: Jay Hanson

TCR Australia driver Jay Hanson’s journey started on two-wheels, but a kart from Santa changed all that as Auto Action’s Young Gun feature returns.

By HEATH McALPINE

Announced as a TCR Australia debutant with Ash Seward Motorsport late-last year, Hanson is still yet to contest his first race due to the world’s situation in 2020, but he has completed a lot of miles leaving him well prepared for 2021.

The VCAL student at Gladstone Park Secondary College explained his early career was contested on motorbikes before making the transition.

“I’ve always been interested in going fast, but not on four-wheels,” Hanson told Auto Action.

“I started off on dirt bikes a little while ago and raced those for a couple of years, although my brother raced karts at that time. My parents were always split between us, one was at the kart track, one was at the motorbike track, but Santa ended up bringing me a kart and I was hooked from then on.”

However, the Hanson family didn’t have a background in motorsport prior to sponsoring their next-door neighbour in karting, which then led to greater involvement and plenty of learning.

“My next-door neighbour started karting, my dad actually sponsored him for a couple of years and that’s what got my brother into it, then it led onto me,” explained Hanson.

“It’s not a family thing, which has meant we’ve always had to learn as we go, especially in karting. A lot of people have background knowledge, but we’ve always had to learn as we’ve stepped up classes and worked hard for it.

“It’s a lot of family time and that’s what we love about it. You get to see the whole of Australia with your family.”

Hanson’s karting journey began in 2013 and hit success two-years later when he won the Australian Cadet 12 Champion Green Plate with a trip to contest the Roc Cup in Italy as the prize.

“It was an awesome experience to race against the top drivers from over there in a junior category, it was so much fun,” Hanson recalled about the trip. “I definitely took away a lot from that weekend.”

Hanson then continued through the ranks, finishing runner up in the Australian KA4 Karting Championship in 2016, winning a surfboard at the Gold Coast Race of Stars.

For 2017, Hanson went one better in KA4 by edging fellow Auto Action Young Gun Cooper Webster to the title, which was followed by a trip to compete in France.

Moving onto KA2 in 2018, Hanson was in the running for second in the title, but an incident at the opening corner of his final race dropped him out of contention.

The focus was now on Formula Ford.

Finishing as a 12-time Victorian State champion and two-time Australian title holder, Hanson went to renowned junior development team Sonic Motor Racing Services to begin his career in cars.

Hanson dabbled with Formula Ford during his last season in karts by completing test runs after his family purchased the ex-Max Vidau Mygale, which the South Australian used to take the 2017 Australian Formula Ford title.

“We took off with Sonic and had a very good 2019 where I had heaps of fun, while learning absolutely everything,” said Hanson. “I had such a great experience with Sonic, if I hadn’t of done that, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today.

Hanson credits the development class in teaching him not only the basics, but skills that can be utilised at higher levels.

“Without Formula Ford, I wouldn’t have learnt the close wheel-to-wheel racing and the car control that you require,” he said. “You never know where those skills will come in handy, the heel-and-toe for instance is similar to what is done in a Supercar.

“Those aspects from Formula Ford are what will hopefully help me later down the track.”

After finishing last year’s Australian Formula Ford title in seventh, Hanson was announced to race TCR Australia in an Ash Seward Motorsport Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR, but due to the pandemic the category hasn’t raced this season.

The attraction to TCR for Hanson is its international growth.

“With TCR running as a global category and also a world championship, it opens a lot of opportunities not only for myself, but also the other TCR Australia drivers,” Hanson said.

“It gives us a pathway to follow, there’s not many series that you can win a world championship in, so it would definitely be awesome to make it over there.”

Hanson has logged plenty of laps as he continues to discover more about the Alfa Romeo, which is very different to what he has experienced previously.

“It’s a big difference stepping from a Formula Ford to a TCR car, you have to definitely learn a lot of little tricks with the front-wheel-drive that I didn’t do with the rear-wheel-drive,” he explained.

“I’ve definitely learnt a lot. Ash and the Alfas have been working well so far, hopefully we can get out racing soon.”

This web edition of Young Guns aims to highlight some of the talent from within the junior ranks. If, like Jay, you fit the criteria please email [email protected] with a blurb about yourself, the categories you’ve competed in, some imagery to go with the story and contact details.

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