Sixteen-year-old Caleb McDuff, the UK’s only male Deaf racing driver, has secured yet more silverware, finishing first and second in class, in the latest rounds of the Britcar Trophy Championship.
Caleb, who lives in Pontypool, South Wales, and is a student at Cwmbran High School, is a driver for Team BRIT, the world’s only competitive team of all-disabled racing drivers, and drives its BMW 1 series.
On Sunday 11 August, Caleb and his teammate Dom Shore, who has spina bifida, took part in round five of the championship at Donington Park Circuit.
The pair put in a fantastic performance in qualifying to place them second for the first of the 2-race weekend. Caleb took the first stint of the 50-minute race, pushing up to first in class. He was beaten by a Ginetta G40, pushing them back to second.
Dom took over for the second half and gave it everything but was just beaten, finishing second.
In race two, their efforts were rewarded, with a fantastic result of first in class. Earlier this year, Caleb became the first ever deaf driver to make the Britcar podium.
The weekend’s result follows a P1 and P2 at Silverstone for Caleb in June, who drove with Team BRIT driver Bobby Trundley. The team is currently first in class in the championship.
Caleb was diagnosed as Deaf when he was two years old, having suffered severe ear infections as a baby, but now has a moderate level of hearing thanks to cochlear implants. The team has created a technical solution to enable him to use his implants and communicate with the team pit crew, whilst wearing his racing helmet.
Caleb said: “What an awesome weekend! The team did an amazing job getting the BMW hooked up and on point, with perfect performance to get us our second of the season for the 1 series. With a constant rollercoaster of emotions throughout the 50 minutes of racing, it was my most exciting race yet with the team, and my favourite win of my career so far.”
Caleb will race again at Snetterton on Sunday 15 September.