A MOTOR racing driver from Guiseley believes he has what it takes to win a prestigious competition after being handed another deal by one of the top teams.

Bradford Grammar School student Lorcan Hanafin burst onto the scene last year and has been rewarded for his fourth place finish in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with a contract extension at giants Joel Tandy Racing.

Going from junior racing into a 485bhp Porsche 911 GT3, as you can imagine, could be quite a daunting experience but this did not phase the teenager one bit.

Hanafin enjoyed a stellar debut season, showing wisdom beyond his years to collect four podiums (one second place and a trio of third places) at some of the toughest courses in the country.

"I felt it was a good way to enter the Championship," he said.

"In 2019, I was in junior racing which is a completely different machine to the Carrera Cup car. To take such a big step up and perform at that high level, I was proud of myself.

"I was one of the youngest in the field and it did not make a difference. All the cars are the exact same, and I was in the top four nearly every weekend.

"I made the odd rookie mistake but that is what last year was for, to lay the foundations to what this year will be."

On his new JTR contract, which he gained this past week, Hanafin added: "It is a real positive, they are such a great team. We went from strength to strength last year.

"This year we have already done some pre-season tests and we seem to already be well in the money when it comes to times and the car's set up."

The youngster will have to up his game considerably though to catch the man to beat. Harry King romped to the title in 2020, winning 12 out of the 16 races and finishing almost 100 points clear of Hanafin.

"He was definitely a season ahead of me for sure," the Leeds racer added.

"Now I have got a year under my belt I feel a lot more confidence in myself and my ability.

"We have been working on keeping my driving consistent, so I don’t get compliance mid-race which is what I was struggling with.

"My expectations are higher this year. I should be fighting for pole positions and race wins.

"I should be up there with Harry and Dan Cammish (a returning double champion).

"I think of myself as the underdog in that situation where Dan and Harry will be fighting it out and I can just slip through."

Hanafin is still having to juggle his racing career with schooling. The pandemic ruled out any A-Level exams taking place, students' mock results will instead play a vital role in their final grade.

Hanafin will take these just after the Easter holidays so should have plenty of time to hone his skills before the 2021 season kicks off on June 12.

As for the future, the boy racer added: "I have applied for university, but I want to pursue racing for the rest of my life, I cannot imagine doing anything else. Uni will be a good experience but, ultimately, racing is what I want to do."