Words by: Andy Lloyd
Images by: Bernice Bradley - Lead Photographer, Isabel Clark - Assistant Head of Media, Andy Lloyd
Pitlane Development, the team led by experienced motorsport professional Ollie Walsh, has announced that it will entering a second car for the 2027 Student Motorsport Competition, part of the BRSCC Nankang Tyre CityCar Cup Championship.
The team made its debut in the world’s leading motorsport competition providing real world trackside experience for the next generation of industry professionals in 2026 with its #25 Gen I Peugeot 107. With driver Reuben Lowe, who is also competing in his first full season of car racing, Pitlane Development is currently ninth in the Competition standings after nine rounds. Lowe had his best weekend of the season last time out at Croft Circuit, finishing seventh in class or better across all three 15-minute contests.
Above; PLD Team Principal Ollie Walsh instructing students - Croft Circuit - July 2026 (Photo: Isabel Clark)
“Expanding to a second car is about much more than adding another entry to the grid,” said Ollie Walsh. “It represents another step forward in our mission to develop the next generation of motorsport talent. By running two cars, we can significantly increase the number of aspiring drivers, mechanics and engineers who gain genuine, hands-on experience in a professional race team environment.
“Trackside opportunities are incredibly difficult to come by, and this expansion allows us to develop skills, confidence and industry experience that employers across motorsport are looking for. At the same time, it strengthens our engineering capabilities as a team, allowing us to gather more data, develop our processes further and continue raising the standards of everything we do.”
Pitlane Development offers a Trackside Mentoring programme where students get involved with real race weekend operations including supporting mechanics during car preparation, working with data systems and observing engineering decisions and race strategy. Students interested in exploring opportunities for 2027 should contact Ollie Walsh at [email protected] or visit www.pitlanedevelopment.co.uk.
Above: The Pitlane Development awning - Brands Hatch - April 2026 (Photo: Andy Lloyd)
The Student Motorsport Competition, now in its fifth season, provides a platform for schools, colleges universities, student-led teams and teams, like Pitlane Development, who are staffed by aspiring mechanics and data engineers, to compete in a national championship and provide trackside experience for students, many of whom are studying for motorsport engineering and automotive qualifications.
Registration for the 2027 Competition is now open and interested teams and educators should contact Competition Organiser John Paul ‘JP’ Latham at [email protected] for more details or visit the Student Motorsport awning at Cadwell Park (08-09.08.26), Snetterton (19-20.09.26) or Silverstone (10-11.10.26).
