COLIN NOBLE could well be the hardest working driver in motorsport.
Not only does the talented young Scot compete in the European Le Mans Series, with another race this weekend at Spa in Belgium, he has the Asian Le Mans Series starting in November – and all of this on top of his job working in the family business.
Colin, 23, explains: “It can be a full week away for many of the races. For the Asian series, I’ll fly off on Monday to be ready to start practice on a Wednesday, then there’s the race weekend before heading home again the next Monday. After that, it’s right back to work in the garage.”
The garage is AF Noble Nissan in Loanhead, Midlothian, and Colin is one of the team of mechanics.
This means starting work at 6am and Colin says: “I need to put in the hours as there’s no favouritism. So I start early and then often have Fridays off for the European rounds. I also head to the gym after work to keep fit as racing is so demanding.”
Those demands are something Colin has been used to for most of his life as he started racing when he was just nine. Since that age, he’s worked his way through karting into the Radical European Masters in 2012.
From there, he moved to single-seat Formula Renault racing in 2014 before adding drives in the Supertouring Championship to his impressive CV.
In 2017, Colin switched to the LMP3 Cup and his career progressed even more rapidly. Six wins and four other podium finishes were more than enough to seal that year’s championship. And he added another win and three podiums in the Michelin Le Mans Cup to 2017’s tally.
Last year proved just as fruitful with another title in the LMP3 Cup, plus outings in the Blancpain GT Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup and European Le Mans Series.
In recognition of his skill and work ethic, Colin was named as a Rising Star by the British Racing Drivers’ Club in 2018 and this year he’s been made a full member of the prestigious group.
For 2019, Colin has continued his focus on endurance racing, sharing the drive of his Nielsen Racing Norma M 30 that uses a Nissan engine with Tony Wells.
Supported by Merit Holdings, Colin and Tony have shown their determination in a season that has seen them endure more than their fair share of bad luck.
None of this bothers Colin as he shows impressive resolve: “I know I’m a consistently quick driver and my goal is to race at the Le Mans 24 Hours. It’s a massive step but I think we can be there within three years and my aim is to win it.”
When you learn how much hard work this charging young Scots driver puts in, you know he’s going to deliver.
