Tom Cockerill was born 19 years ago in York, where he grew up playing football for a local Sunday league and rugby for his School. He left college with A levels in Maths, Business, and Electronics, and moved this year to study Motorsport Engineering at Preston. Fellow engineer and teammate Paul Sinclair comments, "It's great to have an upcoming racer join the team, one who is fast on the track and has a great head on his shoulders." Tom says, “I chose to follow my interest in motorsport and take a degree studying the theory behind it. After leaving university I hope to get a job within the motorsport industry, ideally with an F1 team.” X Factory hopes we can coax this young driver into staying with 1/10 scale… Chazz Sinclair especially likes our newest British driver, "I absolutely adore his Beetle haircut. Paul McCartney would be proud!"

Tom discovered R/C Cars during a family holiday to the Ranch Pitstop track in the United States in 1994. However, it was not Tom who returned with a Losi XX – it was his older brother! His brother started racing after returning to U.K. and bought a new car several years later. Tom inherited his brother’s old car, and never put down his radio. Tom and his brother raced together until 2001, with their dad pitting for both boys. In 2001, his brother quit racing, leaving Tom and his dad to race alone. “I did my first full season of UK nationals in 2001, and although I wasn't particularly quick I really enjoyed myself.”

Since then, Tom has competed in the Nationals and improved his results every year. In 2004, Tom gained his F1 license and traveled to Italy to compete in his first European Nationals (finishing in the E and G finals). In 2005, he made his first national A final - but one of his best years was 2007, where he finished 7th in the European nationals.

Fellow teammate Chris Long says,” I have raced with Tom for several years now, and have become very good friends with both Tom and Mike (his dad) in that time. He has always been ultra competitive and his determination to win is very strong, yet his driving is amongst the cleanest and most calculated on the track usually – which makes his car one to be watching! Each year Tom has taken his racing to a new level and, I am very pleased for him becoming part of this team. Together with Dan, Ellis and myself, the UK team feels very much like a team which others should envy – and like with all teams, each one of us will be better for being part of it. Welcome aboard Tom! =)”

Starting 2008 with new cars, Tom has done wonderfully so far this season. Tom also made both A finals at the 2008 European Championships. Chazz says “Congratulations, Tom! You’ve had a fantastic year so far; keep it up!” He made the A final in the Indoor Finals with his X-6 and achieved his best result ever at Oswestry. Tom says, “The rest of 2008 will see me compete in all the UK Nationals and the North-East Regionals. I would like to achieve multiple A finals at the nationals and make my first 2wd National A.”

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