Motorsport: Cassidy heads to Europe

Nick Cassidy. Photo / Prosportmedia

New Zealand, in particular the Toyota Racing Series, is turning into something of a production line when it comes to turning out top-notch young racing talent. The latest Kiwi to pack his bags and head off to Europe for a fulltime single-seater gig is TRS and New Zealand Grand Prix winner Nick Cassidy.

The 17-year-old Aucklander led the five-round championship from the second round, winning five races out of 15 and making it to the podium 10 times.

Now he's signed to race for the highly regarded British racing team Fortec Motorsport in the Formula Renault Eurocup series.

"Fortec is a really great team and I'm really pleased to be placed with them this year," said Cassidy.

"They've got teams all the way through from Formula BMW right up to World Series Renault.

"I've been working towards racing in Europe from the moment I started karting, so to have this opportunity to race with Fortec is still hard to believe.

"Racing in the Eurocup is the first step in pursuing my ultimate objective. I'm under no illusions as to how hard it will be and how much work has to be done, but I'm determined to make the most of this great chance."

Cassidy won a chance to test with Fortec last year at the Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona, in a Formula Renault 2-litre car as a prize offered by TRS and Renault Sport for being TRS rookie of the year. Cassidy impressed Fortec boss Richard Dutton with his application and speed.

He was second fastest in the morning on old tyres but the mechanical problems ruined his chance to have a blast around the track on new tyres in the afternoon. "As soon as Nick started working with us we had a good feeling, and his morning performance in Barcelona left us in no doubt as to his potential," Dutton said.

"His outstanding performances in winning the TRS this year confirmed our initial impression during the test and I'm pleased that a budget has come together that will allow Nick to race in Europe this year.

"The Eurocup is a tough series, but I have no doubt Nick will quickly establish himself."

Cassidy's teammate will prove to be a good yardstick to see if he has what it takes to move up the ladder. He's paired with British driver Oliver Rowland, who was the winner of last year's McLaren Autosport Young Driver Award.

"It's one step at a time," Cassidy said. "Six months ago the challenge was to find the budget for the Toyota Series and to win it, so in a similar way I don't want to get ahead of myself by thinking too far ahead.

"I just want to focus on making the most of this chance to race in Europe." He joins an impressive list of young drivers who have graduated from the TRS and are now overseas, including Brendon Hartley, Mitch Evans and Richie Stanaway.

Hartley won the first TRS championship and also the Formula Renault Eurocup - the same series in which Cassidy is competing.

Stanaway is already a European national champion, having won two titles in Germany, and will now contest the Formula Renault 3.5-litre championship.

Evans has signed up for another year in GP3, a series he was challenging to lead until mechanical issues intervened.

Not since the halcyon days of the 1960s - when Denny Hulme, Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon were taking it to all-comers - has New Zealand had so much racing talent in Europe.

"Winning the TRS series has certainly given me a lot of confidence," Cassidy said.

"Those guys had raced Formula Three and other series and came here with a lot of experience.

"It was always going to be a hard ask and I think I might be racing against some of them over there."