Ruan Lowry
ON THE LADDER
Ruan Lowry
Born : Strathdon , 2nd December 2006 Academy Programme : Enhanced DiSE
Competes : Scottish Rally and Scottish Tarmac Rally Championships
Recent Results : Crail Summer Stages : 4th , Class 1 Mach 1 Stages : 7th , Class 2 Kingdom Stages : 7th , Class 2
What is your earliest memory of motorsport ?
When I was younger , I watched F1 on the BBC and set up a couple of screens so I could see different views and driving telemetry and that fired an interest . The telemetry helped me think about the driving in different ways , like how to tackle slippery corners .
What has been the highlight of your career to date ?
Coming fourth in only my tenth ever rally at Leconfield was the moment I realised I could make it in Rally driving . I had been a late starter to motorsport , and it was only the second event of my second season .
What has been the lowest point ?
In my first race as a senior , in the MG3 Challenge , I was third after Stage six but had to call it a day after a gearbox failure in the hire car . It was tough , but I had to quickly develop a maturity to deal with these setbacks and refocus straight away and look towards the next rally .
What has been the best opportunity ?
I don ’ t come from a motorsport background , so an introduction to the team at Junior Rally Scotland in late 2021 was instrumental in helping me to become competitive and secure a place on the DiSE course . All the team there were fantastically supportive in helping me get to where I am now , especially my co-driver Ian McRae . I was lucky enough to sit in with Gary Pearson , who gave me valuable pointers and advice which motivated me to keep pushing when sponsors are thin on the ground .
What are your aims and when do you want to get there ?
My goal must be WRC , but obviously you have to build up to it . I ’ m hoping the next five years will be good to me and I will
Revolution - March 2025
get the chance to show what I ’ m capable of in single make championships then join the JBRC .
If you could get career advice from one person in motorsport , who would it be ?
If I had to choose one driver , right now , it would be Chris Ingram . He ’ s come from a non-Rally family with no funding and achieved so much , so I ’ d love to hear how he managed to get through the rough patches to the heights of his achievements . I have found performance coach Enzo Mucci ’ s race driver coaching books and videos incredibly helpful . I took part in an international panel to question him and former Benetton F1 Team Commercial Director and Lola F1 Team Marketing Director Brian Sims , and they gave great advice from their fields .
What is the biggest thing you have learned from the Academy ?
It has been a great source of information and skill building , and training on the simulators has been invaluable . Spending time at the iZone Driver Performance Centre has been great for work on driving tactics and improving my driving response times , while talking through issues with my tutors has helped me build a wider understanding of the industry and make decisions based on their advice . Time in the workshop has reinforced things I ’ ve learnt in the garage with my navigator , helping me to fix things while out on stage and under pressure . And finally , learning business skills has made me appreciate how sponsors and industry see drivers and how to approach them .
What is your biggest challenge ?
The Border Competitions Jim Clark Rally in May will be my first big challenge this year . But … the biggest challenge of all , as always , is securing the sponsorship that will help me build up seat time to fulfil my potential .
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