James Pickford

James Pickford, born on April 30, 1979, in Macclesfield, Cheshire, is a British racing driver with a diverse motorsport background. Pickford's initial interest lay in motorbikes, influenced by his father, Keith, who ran bike racing teams. However, he transitioned to karts in 1994 and received coaching from former BTCC racer Tim Sugden. A lost test in a BTCC car after a nomination for the BRDC McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year award in 1998 solidified his interest in saloon and sports cars.

Pickford's racing journey began in 1997 in the Formula Honda series, which he dominated by winning consecutively in 1997 and 1998. In 2003, after a year in marketing with Abt Sportsline in the DTM, he entered the SEAT Cupra Championship, finishing fifth overall. He then secured the title in 2004 with an impressive record of 11 top-four finishes, including three victories. This achievement led to a factory drive in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) with SEAT in 2005, where he achieved a podium finish at Snetterton and finished ninth overall. In 2007, he competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB. More recently, in 2019, he participated in the British GT4 series.