Kingham Hill Racing's standout driver AJ Arnold has impressed as an outstanding prospect in karting for several years. He is a multiple British national schools’ champion in different classes, and has most recently been racing in Junior X30 and Rotax both in the UK and Europe.
As a boarding pupil, his weekly programme will now include regular simulator training at Arden’s Banbury base, alongside a bespoke fitness and conditioning programme as well as mind-set coaching. The Arden-backed YRDA driver development programme is focused on nurturing and mentoring young karting talent to perform the highest echelons of motorsport in single-seater or sports car racing.
Arden International was founded by Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner and his father Garry in 1997 in order to pursue his own on track ambitions. A number of the current F1 grid came through Arden ranks. The aim of the YRDA is to identify talented young racing drivers and provide opportunities for them to develop the necessary range of skills, knowledge and level of confidence to fully prepare them to compete to the best of their ability in their chosen feeder series and move towards their ultimate goal of racing in F1 or other categories of professional motorsport.
"I am delighted," said AJ, "to have been selected to join the YRDA. Having Arden on the doorstep means I can pursue my dream of racing professionally alongside my current racing career and schoolwork”. Headmaster, Nick Seward is also delighted for AJ. "He has been the standout driver in our school motorsport team and an example to other boys and girls of the kind of dedication needed to get to the top. I know he’ll take this opportunity with both hands.”
Jamie Horner, co-founder of the YRDA, said, “I’ve seen enough of AJ on and off track to know that he is an exceptional talent, with all of the right attributes to succeed. He is a gifted, intelligent and mature young driver who has a great career ahead of him. We’re looking forward to working with both AJ and Kingham Hill to give him every opportunity of doing just that.