Promising young racer, Alisha Palmowski, has reflected on her experience after completing her first year in the Ginetta Junior Championship.

It’s been an intense year for St Philip Howard student Alisha, diving into car racing after mastering karts over the last five years.

Having secured her position on the grid after winning the most prestigious prize in UK junior motorsport, the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, Alisha remains overwhelmed with her success.

“I can’t find the words to describe how I felt receiving that prize, I still feel speechless talking about it.

“This time last year we didn’t even think we’d be on the grid, so to have won the scholarship and race this season, it still feels unbelievable,” she said.

Progressing from karts to cars is a tough challenge for any athlete, but Alisha feels she has grown confidence during the transition.

“In cars, everything seems to be different. The biggest element I had to learn was adapting to the weight transfer of the car.

“It’s been a huge learning curve for me, but I feel I’ve adapted really well, and my confidence has truly grown,” Alisha said.

From April, when the season commenced, Alisha has spent time perfecting her race craft, another component that differs from karts.

The bumper-to-bumper action during the race was incredibly thrilling for Alisha, who picked this up as the season developed.

“There are little things to learn with racing cars, it really is a different ballgame.

“But, being surrounded by the atmosphere of the British Touring Car Championship made the whole experience enjoyable.”

Running alongside the BTTC, the Ginetta Junior series has been a prominent fixture of the event for over a decade. This is an incredible asset for young junior racers, who are able to rub shoulders with some of the best in the industry.

“We have met so many amazing people, being in the paddock is unbelievable. Seeing the likes of Charlie Robinson and Mark Stevenson, ex Le Mans drivers was amazing.

“Even Tom Ingram, who has just been crowned champion, walked past my car. He started off in Ginetta Juniors so to see what he has achieved is incredible,” she said.

Travelling up and down the country and learning a variety of different tracks has been a superb experience for the Glossop racer, who finds it thrilling to explore courses.

Racing on iconic tracks such as Silverstone and Brands Hatch, Alisha says the atmosphere at these courses is like nothing else.

Alisha hopes to retain her place on the grid in 2023 and is actively seeking sponsors to make this happen. She says her 2022 partners, Proceed Group and Dansoft Aviation Services have provided immense support throughout this season.

A youngster with heaps of talent, Alisha is still undecided on her long-term route, but a career in motorsport would be her dream.

“Ginetta Juniors is amazing because it can lead you to any career path that you’d like to go down. This has been shown in previous drivers such as Lando Norris and Jamie Chadwick, who are now F1 and W Series stars.

“There’s of course also Tom Ingram in the touring cars, I’m not sure what I’d like to do long term, but I do know that I would love to be on then grid next year,” she said.

Using her debut season as a learning experience, Alisha has watched her confidence flourish and is excited to take everything she has learnt into her future in motorsport.

“If we can have a seat on the grid next season, I hope to start on a higher, stronger level and show what we’re really made of.

“It would be amazing to challenge for some outright podiums and allow my confidence to show.”

Alisha has proven a force to be reckoned with in the world of motorsport, someone that will undoubtedly go far in her career.

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