Earlier this month, Palmowski emerged from a talented group of more than 60 young drivers as the latest winner of the coveted Ginetta Junior Scholarship. Becoming the second ever female victor of the contest, she earnt herself a fully funded season in the championship next year.
Following discussions with a number of teams in the paddock, the 15 year old from Manchester has selected to team up with Preptech UK for her debut car-racing campaign, having previously enjoyed testing opportunities with the experienced team.
After debuting with a partial campaign in 2020, Preptech UK contested their first full season in the Juniors this year. The Hampshire-based squad secured rookie class silverware with James Higgins and Fergus Chalmers, alongside winning races in the Millers Oils Ginetta GT4 SuperCup with Carlito Miracco.
Alisha Palmowski: “I feel really privileged to be in the position of being the 2022 Ginetta Junior Scholar and equally to be able to choose a team to work with. After reviewing the options with my parents, we are delighted to be selecting Preptech UK as the team I will join for 2022.
“I originally met Oliver [Barnard] from Preptech during the 2021 Scholarship and we kept in touch. I later had a test day with them in the week leading up to this year’s scholarship and the environment they provided was perfect for me. They were able to quickly help me build confidence, so that I was able to get the best out of both myself and the car with limited previous running. This I felt gave a good insight into how the team works.
“I am now raring to go for next year. We are in the process of establishing a testing plan with the team so we can start the 2022 season as competitively as possible.”
Oliver Barnard – Preptech UK Team Principal: “We first saw Alisha drive a Ginetta Junior during the 2021 Scholarship and immediately it became clear to us as a team that Alisha was a driver with genuine talent, but also one we could really enjoy working with to make her transition from karting to cars as successful as possible.
“Obviously as a team we are delighted to be chosen by the scholarship winner, and it further establishes our long term commitment to the championship. Even with the limited time we have spent with Alisha, we can see the work ethic and commitment to her racing. She is a fantastic asset to our team for 2022 and we will all be working hard to maximise this opportunity.”
The Ginetta Junior Championship is the UK’s longest running and most prestigious Junior series, offering the first step on the motorsport ladder for 14-17 year old racing drivers as they compete on the support bill for the British Touring Car Championship.
