A Cwmbran man who now lives in California is making a name for himself as one of the America’s up and coming racing drivers. Lloyd Read, was a pupil at Henllys Church in Wales School before he moved to America with his parents as a six-year-old.
Now aged 22 he is doing so well as racing driver he has won a place on the renowned Mazda Road to Indy programme which aims to support drivers to eventually compete in the Indianapolis 500.
This season he has been signed to race in the 2013 Pro Mazda Championship. You can follow Lloyd on Twitter, Like his page on Facebook, visit his official website or watch some videos on his You Tube channel.
Watch this video filmed on his GoPro head camera and car from the 2012 Thunderhill Race.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4i-DkBRPMo?feature=player_profilepage&w=640&h=360]
He moved back to the UK for two years in his teens and raced motorcross bikes but got fed up with races being cancelled due to the weather.
He said: “At this time, Formula 1 was all the rage as Lewis Hamilton was taking the championship by storm. It was hard not to turn the TV on and not see something about Formula 1. I quickly got hooked on the sport and wanted to one day race on the same circuits as the greats. After some research, my dad and I found that there were a few circuits within an hour’s drive of us and they raced in the rain. We were instantly hooked.”
“I think my dad loves it more than I do. He loves going to my races and being on the radio communications with me. It really is a team sport so the more support I have from my family and friends the better. My mum on the other hand, she loves going to the races but when the green flag drops she shuts her eyes and covers her ears until the race is over.”
In 2011, his rookie year, he won the Formula Car Challenge Championship.
Lloyd said: “Going up against season veterans and not being anywhere near them at the first race of the season made it seem like an impossible challenge. By the end of the year I was winning with substantial margins.
“I am currently 9th in the championship. Every circuit I am going to this year is a brand new circuit to me and with only 40 minutes of practice before we race it makes it extremely difficult to get up to speed. Nearly all of the other drivers in the championship have raced on these circuits before so I am pleased with how I am doing and being in the top 10 is great.
“Right now, I am open to any opportunity that presents it self to me. I am currently part of a developmental series called the Mazda Road to Indy which is focused on promoting drivers into the IZOD IndyCar series.
“At this point in time though, I am focused on my next race and getting 110% out of myself and the car and leaving the circuit knowing I gave it my all. That being said, I have already began planning my 2014 season.”
“I am currently hunting for sponsors. I am fortunate to have the backing of my parents to help me get into the series but the costs to run this sport are astronomical. I have a couple of small, local companies to me that help me out with parts for the car. My current 9-5 job is hunting for partners for the 2014 season. Very tough but nothing is impossible.”
Here is Lloyd setting the fastest lap of the weekend at the 2012 GoPro GP.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mREEApiXQZA?feature=player_detailpage&w=640&h=360]
“My next race will be at Indianapolis at the end of May. It is an oval race which will be a completely new animal to me. Time to become a real American and learn from the NASCAR drivers how to turn left! After that we go up to Canada and race in Toronto, Trois Riveres, and Mosport. Between now and the Indianapolis race, I have private tests in Wisconsin, Ohio, Georgia, and Indiana.”
Lloyd enjoys the dedication, preparation and determation needed to be a top driver along with the excitement.
“Racing wheel to wheel with other guys at 160mph really gets your heart rate and adrenaline going. It’s a rush that is unexplainable and is extremely addicting.”
He hopes to visit his family in Cwmbran in the summer if he can get space in his racing calendar.
He said: “It’s always fun to go back and to catchup with old friends.”
Lloyd lives in the San Francisco Bay area of California.
Here are some pics of Lloyd racing in America.
