The TrackDriver Team – Who are we?

Has been in the business of designing magazines and books for over 25 years – including Motor Sport and Motoring News in the ’90s.

As Track Driver’s editorial designer, is re-united with Mark Hales for the first time since their days together on the award-winning Fast Lane in the ’80s.

Having been trained in high performance driving, was fortunate enough to have sampled some of the most desirable production cars at the time.

Has raced and won on many of the UK’s major race circuits in 125cc gearbox karts, as well as having occasional outings in 250 Superkarts, Formula 500, Mazda MX-5s and TVR Tuscans when the opportunities arose.

Anthony is a performance driving instructor and professional racing driver with over 20 years experience in motorsport competition, having progressed from karts through to single seaters and nowadays sportscars. He has won races in every championship he has competed, most recently the 2007 Radical British Champion (SR3 class) and won the 2009 SPEED European Series driving a Ligier JS49 sports prototype with Barry Gates. He is competing again in the Radical UK Cup this year.

He has over 13 years of tuition experience, starting at Silverstone in 1997 as an ARDS instructor, he’s also an MSA Regional Development Officer (North East), a role which involves promoting motorsport by visiting schools in the area (8 to 16 year olds).

Although originally from Banbury, Oxfordshire he now lives in the North of the Isle in County Durham with wife (and fellow racer) Amanda Whitaker. They are expecting their first child in June.

Life long career in the industry and from a family who have been involved in motoring publishing for as long as many of us can remember. Brett has been there done it: Editor of the original Performance Car magazine, contributor, both as a photographer and writer for Pistonheads, EVO, Octane, Car, 911 & Porsche World, GT Purely Porsche, the list goes on.

His experience encompasses a multitude of cars tested for a multitude of top magazines, likewise his mastery of the English language is our asset as far as sub editing TrackDriver is concerned.

For more than a decade Ray has worked as an automotive test engineer for tyre and car manufacturers; what he doesn’t know about the development, construction, testing and ultimate performance of tyres isn’t worth knowing. During the course of his career Ray has tested and developed tyres in all conditions all over the globe, and he holds licences to drive on some of the world’s leading test facilities. But Ray is also one of us – a keen trackday and race driver. And thanks to this first-hand motorsport background he knows what’s important to those of us who are users of those round rubber things.

Evo, Octane, Cars and Car Conversions, Circuit Driver
Mark Hales is a highly successful racing driver, writer and publisher With over 30 years experience around the world as both a gentleman and professional racing driver, Hales has to his credit more than 150 race wins together with countless class victories and top three placings. A multiple national champion across several series, his international successes include a double win at the Le Mans Classic.

Hales distinguishes himself by having raced or tested almost every type of racing car ever built, ranging from NASCAR and Formula One, through to Touring Cars and rare classic machines. Some of the most prominent belong to Nick Mason’s Ten Tenths Collection, including the Ferrari GTO valued at £5,000,000 that he drove to victory at Le Mans.

Hales has established himself as a recognized writer and journalist over the past 20 years. A senior contributor to the broadsheet Daily Telegraph’s Weekend Motoring section, he also contributes to Evo magazine and Octane, for whom he is chief Track Tester. In addition, being a keen pilot himself, has been a regular contributor to Flyer magazine.

The book Into the Red which Hales wrote with Pink Floyd musician Nick Mason is a best seller and has been released as a second edition after three reprints. A third edition including new chapters on Mason’s Ferrari F60 Enzo and Alfa Romeo TZ Le Mans car will be published later this year and will also include a CD with the two new cars added to the original soundtrack.

As well as explaining his circuit technique via written articles, Hales has developed the Masterclass training course and a series of How To Drive DVDs which provide drivers of every level with a little more insight into what is required to extract the maximum from themselves and their car on track.

From before his competition debut in 1977, Simon McBeath’s enthusiasm for motorsport has seen him generating technical articles for a variety of publications, and writing a number of books in the Haynes Competition Car Series, including Aerodynamics, Composites and Data Logging. Formerly a regular competitor in hillclimbs and sprints, he achieved top six positions in two national championships, preparing, developing and (especially) tinkering with the cars’ aerodynamics. As well as writing, hillclimb driving instructing and promoting Gurston Down hillclimb, he also offers an aerodynamics advisory service to track and competition enthusiasts. He is also designing his own bike engined single seater to eventually return to hillclimb competition

A regular visitor to track days since 1993 and a racer since 1998 Stacy has notched up dozens of outright race wins and holds lap records at many UK circuits, some of which have stood for over ten years. He won the Motorsport News Classic Driver of the Year award in 2002, and was an Autosport "Top Ten" Club Driver of the year in 2009. He has won four UK Championships and has taken wins in; Group 1 Touring Cars, Pre-93 Touring Cars, Racing Saloons, Future Classics and was a class winner in the Britcar 24hr at Silverstone. Currently he is racing a Thunder Saloon Mazda RX7 and a 1965 Lotus Cortina prepared for FIA Historic racing.

Worked with cars and motorcycles since leaving school and has been writing for motoring magazines, in one form or another, for over 30 years: Technical Editor Motorcycle Mechanics magazine, Technical Editor Car Mechanics. Editor Your Car, Fast Car and Technical Editor on Cars & Car Conversions.

His goal as a writer has always been to find out about engine tuning and modifications from any available source and then pass on that information in a way that people can understand.

As an enthusiast however, and like all enthusiasts the world over, he wants to share his passion with like minded souls, and why being a true enthusiast he has been tinkering with cars in one way or another for over 50 years.