Results

James Corban Racing has bought an FT40 as the next stage in this journey to provide significant track time and experience driving and racing high-powered single seater wings and slicks race cars. This will be a stepping stone for James to prepare for CTFROC in January.

James had the opportunity to gain professional driver coaching from Daniel Gaunt and other professional drivers, while also comparing his driving/track data with a Formula One Driver. It was a welcome encouragement for James to see how similar he was.

James embraced an opportunity and was more than capable of accepting a last-minute challenge to compete in an unfamiliar car and series. He was fastest car on semi-slick tyres, despite the obvious lack of upgrades and disadvantage in comparison to his competition.

After a lethal qualifying on old wets, James managed to outperform everyone in his class and the majority of the people in the faster class. James gained 18.5 seconds on 1st place in 6 laps in his handicapped race on slick tyres in the wet. Showing his car control, confidence, and natural ability. James went from 12th to 5th in a 10-lap multiclass race, narrowly missing out on 1st-in-class by losing a drag race to a more powerful car on the final straight.

He did exceptionally well. James was 2 seconds quicker than 2 other F4 drivers on the same day with this being his first time in a Formula 4 car. He was also very consistent. James’ highlight was doing three identical laps in a row. As a result, James got the drive. The team invited him back to race in with them. However, James is pursuing opportunities elsewhere.

James won the BMW Open C Endurance Championship in his rookie year on February 18 2024. These races showed his consistency as well as his competency in on-track battles.

James won his race at Taupo on January 6th, 2024, in his fourth race meeting. He secured victory by a 9 second margin but had to slow down in the final laps due to overheating. Upon review, it was evident he could have finished 15 seconds ahead without the need for precautionary measures. It was an extraordinary race for his spectators as he made his way up through the field to an exhilarating finish.

There were multiple external things that caused James to lose over a minute of time during the race. However, James finished only 1.5 seconds behind 1st and gained 3 seconds on him in the final 8 laps after his pitstop with clear air.

Car had electrical issues in 2 of 3 races but it was a great experience for James. He learnt lots about motorsport and racing in cars, and enjoyed his time racing with Zero Seven Motorsport.

Further showcasing his adaptability, James stepped into a Formula First car in mid-2023 in Fielding. Despite only three sessions, in unfavourable wet conditions and competing against drivers with two days of practice, his lap times rivalled those of previous scholarship recipients in DRY conditions.

In March 2023, James participated in a Hampton Downs Racing Academy Day. In his second-ever race car experience driving a Toyota GT86, he matched one instructors lap time of 41.9 in his first session. In the second session at a laptime of 41.45, he outpaced the quicker instructor by three-tenths, breaking his own record by half a second. Both instructors are recognised international race winners. Despite being told that he would not go any faster due to a slowing track, he broke his laptime and clocked an impressive 41.30, just four-tenths off Shane Van Gisbergen's lap record. This remarkable debut led to James getting on a racing team.

James' introduction to race cars was in August 2022 through the BMW Race Driver Series Scholarship, where, in his first-ever race car and track experience, he secured a commendable 3rd position against seasoned drivers.