Neil Purdie Racing: Biography

Racing History

Well, where do I start? I first saw the advert on television for the Exchange & Mart F1 Drivers' Challenge, so I sent in my application with my £5.50 entrance fee and the rest seemed to happen very quickly. The first hurdle was the fitness test. Luckily I had given up smoking a few months prior, which was just as well as the 1,000 contestants were going to be whittled down to 250 by day two. I was so desperate to get to the driving stages and decided to take each stage one at a time and not think too much ahead of myself. I had achieved my first goal and was off karting in Birmingham. I was working away from home and the driving back and forth and to the stages in between was a bit of a grind, but I wasn't going to let that put me off. As I passed each stage, the competition got much tougher. Eventually, down to the last twelve, I arrived at Pembrey in South Wales to sample my first experience in a Formula Renault and then the last six, in a Formula 3 car. Each stage was getting quicker & tougher and after two rain soaked, gruelling days, Tiff told me “you’re going to drive an F1 car” I just couldn't believe it. I was on cloud nine and as it began to sink in, I thought I needed to get some form of normality back, so I decided to get some more wet practice in by driving straight back up the road......450 miles......back to bloody Glasgow. Well all I wanted to do was drive after all. In hindsight I should have taken Tiff's advice, stay for a drink and kip down there. I just had to touch base. Another 350 mile drive and I arrived at the gates of Donington. By this time I had gathered some home support and I was going to need it. As I squeezed into the Tyrrell 012 my heart was trying to escape from my chest. I had never experienced nervous excitement like this before. Mark Johnston went first, followed by Paul Hopkins and they were putting in some decent lap times. By the time I went out, the sun was getting pretty low, I had two laps left and I had to come in to get my visor taped up to block out the glare. I realised I only had two laps left to prove myself and as I entered the chicane for the last time, I left my braking to the last minute. All my organs tried to follow my heart by spilling into the cockpit. This car's acceleration was unbelievable, but the braking...Oh my god! The engineer later told me if I had braked any later at all, I was going to take the wall with me. It was a long wait in the pit garage before Tiff and the rest of the judges would come back with the results. “Neil, the JCB driver that’s come down from Glasgow” ..........thats it I thought, ....it's over for me....... “is going head to head with Mark in Monza”. This was crazy. 39 years old, a wannabe racing driver all my days and here I am, getting the chance to drive a Tyrrell 012 around Monza.

Monza and Beyond!

My support followed me to Monza where Mark and I had the track all to ourselves to go head to head. Mark drew the short straw and went first. He went off like a man possessed and it was then I realised I was going to have to dig deeper than I had ever done before. I had to get to know this track very quickly. A few games on the playstation is fun, but it doesn't quite prepare you for the real thing. In the end I wasn't quite quick enough and was pipped to the post by 0.8 of a second. Mark was going to be in the race and I was going to watch from the stand. But how could I be disappointed. I had achieved more than I had wished for. I got to drive an F1 car around Monza and had met some great people along the way. But this wasn't the end, it was just the beginning. Thanks to sponsorship from Exchange & Mart, I was able to compete in the second half of the Sports 2000 Pro Series. My first race was at the fastest track in the UK at Thruxton. With no practice laps and with a car I had never sat in before, I was delighted to qualify eight out of 34. When the lights went green however, my inexperience showed as at the end of the first lap and in fifth place, I spun at the chicane and had to watch the rest of the pack filter through, so I could rejoin in last place. Then I just went for it. I passed about six people on the next lap and just kept making good progress, learning more about the car with each lap. In the end I finished fifth so I was pretty happy, but I was still kicking myself, thinking.....if only ! With each race I was getting to know this car a little better, although we never made any adjustments to it whatsoever. I knew it had potential, I just had to get more experience and then we could start tuning the car to our liking. I got some offers to drive a Carbir for the following season and also some European endurance racing. I have decided to stay with my team however and with a full season’s racing ahead, just see how we can compete with this little car I've grown to love. With help from Richard and Nolan of Exchange & Mart, Tim Matthews,and manager James Crofts, also Colin, who thankfully trusts me to drive one of his cars, and my great mechanics Chris, George and Graham, I've managed to start racing and next year should be an exciting action packed season for me. I would like to thank them all, for all their help.

For 2008 Neil is currently negotiating with a number of potential sponsors. Watch this space!