We’re back once again with another instalment of In The Spotlight and this time we welcome Formula Vee driver Emil Kostadinov!
DT: “Hey Emil, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little about the types of motorsports you participate in?”
EK: “Hey there! I’m Emil and I race in two quite varied types of motorsport, radio-controlled cars and Formula Vee. It’s a lot of fun and keeps me busy.”
DT: “That sounds like a blast! Can you share a fun fact about yourself, though it doesn’t have to be motorsport-related?”
EK: “Sure thing! Well, besides racing, I also own a luxury fashion brand called James Crawley. And when I was around 9 years old, I started saving up to buy my very own Dodge Viper. I am afraid to say I still haven’t gotten around to getting one yet, but it’s still a dream of mine.”
DT: “I’m sure you’ll get there eventually! How did you get into motorsport?”
EK: “My dad is actually the one to thank for that. He always wanted to race RC cars himself but didn’t have the opportunity to do so in his youth. One day when I was 7 years old he came back home telling me that on his way back to work he’d seen people racing RC cars and enquired how we may get involved.
I remember him enthusiastically asking me if I’d like to race. As any sane 7-year-old would, I instantly jumped on the opportunity and the rest is history.”
DT: “That’s a brilliant story. Some might think he only asked as he wanted to race them more! Who are some of your inspirations or idols?”
EK: “I draw inspiration from many sources at different times and to achieve different goals. I can’t say that I have an idol or a particular person that I strive to be like. However, I do have a multitude of people who inspire me to always do my best both on and off the track.”
DT: “Very interesting! What would you say is your biggest motorsport achievement to date?”
EK: “Hmm, that’s a tough one. I would probably say that during my last R/C race, up until 5 minutes before the end, I was leading and had lapped the driver in second. Even though a glow plug died in the last 5 minutes, I managed to keep focused and still finish on the podium which I’m very proud of. It also shows the resilience of my character.”
DT: “Congrats on the achievement! So, how has the Demon Tweeks Sponsorship Scheme (#TeamDT) helped you over the last year?”
EK: “Motorsports can be expensive, and that is true for every category in existence. This means that apart from optimizing your track performance, a driver needs to also optimize budgeting.
The Demon Tweeks Sponsorship Scheme helps me reduce my expenditure and, therefore, allows me to invest more in my car or racing gear. Moreover, last year I won one of your monthly photo features which meant I got to replace some old gear for free, which was amazing!”
DT: “That’s fantastic to hear. What are your plans for next season?”
EK: “My main priority for next season will be solidifying the already great leap I’ve taken this year. I want to be a regular top 10 finisher and hopefully, also get a few top 5 finishes. On top of that, I’d want to put more effort into my internet presence to increase my following. My hope is that in turn, this will allow me to eventually move to another category, perhaps Formula 1000.”
DT: “That sounds like a great plan. Hopefully this can help you in that process! What are some of your lifetime goals that you hope to achieve?”
EK: “There are quite a few goals, and I have found that as I grow older, my priorities often change. I have quite an entrepreneurial character and my craziest dream is defiantly starting my own F1 team.
Aside from my professional pursuits, I recently took up an advisory board member position at a charitable organisation called RC Vision. What we do is help children from all backgrounds get into STEM subjects through racing. I hope to continue supporting the next generation of racing drivers by leveraging my business skills and motorsports knowledge.”
DT: “That’s fantastic! Keep us updated on your progress with RC Vision. Right then, if money was no object, what vehicle/car would you buy tomorrow?”
EK: “That has to be the toughest question yet! I’m a huge James Bond fan so I’d have to say an Aston Martin DB10 (the car that was made specifically for Spectre). There are only a few in exitance and I got to see one of them in real life.
Oh my, that was a fun experience! Back when I was still in my undergraduate degree, my dad sent me a link about a DB10 tour happening in the UK. Apparently, it was a VIP-only event, but I didn’t know that. So, I asked one of my mates to come with me, and we drove all the way down from Colchester to Brentwood at 6 in the morning, knowing that we had to present our big coursework at 10 AM.
When we arrived at the showroom, the manager saw two 18-year-old kids and took pity on us. She decided to let us see the car! It was such an unforgettable experience. Seeing the car up close was definitely worth the drive, even if we had to rush and present our work sweaty as we barely made it in time.”
DT: “Haha! That’s incredible! You definitely owe her one. As we come to the end of our chat, where can people continue to follow your story?”
EK: “The best places to follow me are Instagram and LinkedIn.”
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