Rookie Ronan Pearson Makes an Impression
Scottish youngster Ronan Pearson had planned to chase top honours in the MINI CHALLENGE in 2023 but the opportunity to make the step up to the British Touring Car Championship with the BRISTOL STREET MOTORS with EXCELR8 team was one that was too good to miss.
One of a number of rookies to line up on the grid this year, Pearson’s debut at the wheel of the Hyundai i30 Fastback N supported by Macklin Motors would come at Donington Park on a weekend of hugely contrasting emotions.
Qualifying in eleventh, Pearson was on course for a top ten finish in the opening race before a trip through the gravel at turn one forced him to make an unscheduled stop but he then benefitted from an inspired call to switch tyres just ahead of race two to rocket up the order in wet conditions and take third place.
However, when his car then failed the ride height test, he was excluded from the results and sent to the back of the grid for race three, where he finished in 19th having been the victim of mid-race contact.
Showing strong pace at Brands Hatch, Ronan opened his points account with two top-15 finishes and then repeated the feat at Snetterton in round three to show his potential on track.
Another points finish at Thruxton followed before three tricky races at Oulton Park left the youngster 21st in the overall points, and fifth in the Jack Sears Trophy, at the half-way stage.
A productive summer test followed but when racing resumed after the summer break, multiple bouts of contact from others would leave him down outside the points in all three races at Croft.
Things would change for the better on home soil at Knockhill however, where Pearson enjoyed his best weekend of the campaign by far. Making the most of local knowledge, Pearson scored three top seven finishes and led a BTCC race for the first time, whilst he only missed out on a race three podium after letting team-mate Tom Ingram through late on.
He would also end the weekend as winner of the Jack Sears Trophy – which he was awarded in front of a partisan home crowd at the end of the weekend.
Pearson carried his Knockhill form into the following event at Donington Park, where a best result of 14th didn’t reflect his pace on track. What did however was a first fastest lap in the final race of the weekend, where he stormed from the back of the field after an unscheduled pitstop to fix a loose bonnet.
Another impressive showing at Silverstone saw Pearson pick up a third top six finish of the campaign and although there would be no points from Finals Day at Brands Hatch, Pearson ended his debut season as the second highest scoring rookie in 18th overall and fifth in the Jack Sears Trophy.
BTCC 2023:
Starts: 30
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Points: 69
Championship: 18th
Qualifying Average: 13.70
Laps: 508
Laps Led: 12
Fastest Laps: 1
Places Gained: 59