Walmsley on track for Porsche Sprint Challenge GB

A racing driver who became the first woman to achieve a podium finish in the JCW Mini Challenge Championship is set to race in a new competition this season.

Lydia Walmsley, from Kesgrave, near Ipswich, will compete in the Porsche Sprint Challenge GB for the first time as part of the Graves Motorsport team.

The series sees Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport models driven across some of the UK's most recognised racetracks, starting at Donington Park in April.

The 22-year-old said she was "proud" to be joining a new team.

While competing in the JCW Mini Challenge Championship, Walmsley relied solely on her parents and her mechanic Dave Barber for assistance with her car.

The three-time JCW driver of the year will now have access to a driver coach and a wider range of track support with her new team.

Asked about what this would mean for the involvement of her parents and Mr Barber, Walmsley joked: "They are certainly not redundant yet. The job's not over."

She added: "I'm told the Porsche pretty much runs itself. They will still be supporting me and my Dad and Dave will still be running my car for me.

"But obviously we are under the Graves Motorsport umbrella now."

Despite the backing of Graves Motorsport, Walmsley is still on the search for sponsors to help with the cost of maintaining the Porsche.

"The jump from a Mini to a Porsche in terms of a budget is, as people would imagine, quite a jump," she said.

"I've got some amazing sponsors from last year who have continued with me and a lot of new ones for this season already. I can't thank them enough.

"At the end of the day, my sponsors get me to go racing, if I didn't have the sponsors, I wouldn't be racing."

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.