Caleb McDuff is a British racing driver. McDuff is profoundly deaf and uses cochlear implants to hear, but can not be use them while racing in a crash helmet.
McDuff began his racing career in the Super 1 National Kart Championships, driving for AllStars Racing Team, managed by Luke Hines. In 2022 - 2023 he raced in the Junior Saloon Car Championship, driving for Orex Competition. During 2023 McDuff was also linked with Team BRIT as he is involved in a project to develop and test equipment to allow Deaf racing drivers to communicate with pit crews whilst they are racing.[1]
In January 2024 McDuff announced he would be racing a BMW 1 Series in the Britcar Trophy Championship, driving for Team BRIT [2]
Racing
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From an early age McDuff showed an interest in cars and racing, and learned to drive electric-powered cars from the age of 18 months.[3] He had his first drive of a petrol-powered go-kart at age four.[4]
In 2014 McDuff joined the Bambino Kart Tour, a race series created by Darren Beavers to encourage children aged six to eight to enter go-kart racing. The tour takes place at seven tracks around the United Kingdom during the course of the year. McDuff raced on a zip chassis, powered by a 50cc two-stroke engine which reaches speeds in excess of 40 mph, whilst racing in Bambino class. McDuff moved to Honda powered Zip chassis for the 2018 Super One British Championship.
Whilst racing, McDuff is unable to wear the processors for his cochlear implants that allow him to hear. This means that he races in complete silence, and this inspired the team name he races under of 'Silence Racing'. McDuff relies fully on sign language and lip reading once his processors are off, and has learnt to adapt other senses to compensate for this, and 'feels' the go-kart and its engine rather than hearing it.[5][6]
In September 2014, McDuff received public nominations for Deaf Sports Personality of the Year (DSPY) 2014 (Young Player of the Year), and also Young Gun 2014 (under 13) by internet-based radio station DownForce UK.[7]
In January 2018, McDuff joined the AllStars Racing team, managed by Luke Hines. Hines, a former racing driver himself, worked with McDuff to prepare him for the 2018 Super One Karting Championship.[8]
In May 2019, McDuff became the first profoundly Deaf racing driver to step on the Super 1 National Championship podium, after finishing 2nd at Rowrah, Cumbria. At the time, McDuff was driving for the same works Zipkart Team that four time Formula One World Champion Lewis Hamilton drove for during his karting career.[9]
In October 2019, McDuff won the Super 1 National Kart Championships, making him first ever Deaf person to do so.[10]
in 2020 McDuff returned to the Super One Championship, racing in the faster Rotax Max class. In the opening race of the Championship he was involved in a serious collision, causing him to have a dislocated shoulder and rib injuries. Despite missing a number of races whilst recovering, he still finished 3rd in the championship. In doing so, he also became the first ever Deaf driver to win a Super One Championship race.
Later in 2020 he went on to win the Super One annual 'O Plate' race in Cumbria, driving for the M-Sport racing team. Winning the O Plate was another first for a Deaf driver.[11]
In April 2024, McDuff made history by becoming the first Deaf driver to step on the podium at the BRITCAR Trophy Championship, taking his Team BRIT BMW 1 series to 3rd after a mechanical fault caused him to drop from 1st place lead. [12]
Just two months later, in June 2024, McDuff became the first ever Deaf driver to win a race in the BRITCAR Trophy Championship, with team mate Bobby Trundley at Silverstone Circuit, and the first Deaf driver to win a major UK motor race.[13]
McDuff went on to take the overall class win in the 2024 season of the BRITCAR Trophy Championship. He ended the season with a step up in class for the final race of the season, driving Team BRITs BMW m240i, with new team mate Asha Silva.
In November 2024, McDuff was again nominated for the Deaf Sports Personality of the Year awards. He won the category for Young Deaf Sports Personality of the Year (under 18). In a press release following his success, he hinted he would be racing in GT4 class of cars in 2025. [14]
Sponsorship
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In February 2015, British Touring Car team, WIX Racing announced McDuff as a member of their driver line up as part of a sponsorship program. UK-based oil company Millers Oils also announced their support of McDuff's career development. At the time of announcements, McDuff was the youngest deaf racing driver in the world on a professional career path.[15]
McDuff is also sponsored by financial services comparison website Go Compare and house builders Taylor Wimpey, as well as several local businesses.[16]
In September 2020, McDuff announced that due to the global financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he had lost all financial support from his sponsors.[17]
References
edit- ^ "Motorsport expert joins Team BRIT to lead innovative technology project - TEAM BRIT". 5 April 2023.
- ^ "UK's only male Deaf racing driver joins Team BRIT - TEAM BRIT". 24 January 2024.
- ^ "Inside Line: Caleb McDuff | Racingist is a fresh, new, Motorsport site that's fuelled by YOUR passions". Racingist.com. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Silence Racing - Caleb McDuff - Cochlear Implant - Deaf Kart Racer on ITV Wales News". YouTube. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Deaf Caleb McDuff, 6, becomes top young racing driver with dreams of Formula One". Wales Online. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Pontypool pupil hopes to be first deaf F1 driver | Wales - ITV News". Itv.com. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Young Cwmbran Racer Up For Two Awards (From South Wales Argus)". Southwalesargus.co.uk. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- ^ "Pontypool racer McDuff to go full throttle in top karting championship". South Wales Argus. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
- ^ "An 11-year-old from Pontypool has become the first deaf racer to podium in a national karting championships". South Wales Argus. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ "Deaf Pontypool racer, 11, celebrates winning prestigious UK karting Championship". 9 October 2019.
- ^ "Profoundly deaf kart racer, 12, makes winning return to the track". South Wales Argus. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- ^ "South Wales Deaf Driver Secures First Silverware Of The Season And Makes BRITCAR History". Herald Wales. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "F1: Teenage driver with dream of being first deaf driver". South Wales Argus. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- ^ "Caleb McDuff wins at Deaf Sports Personality of the Year". Cwmbran Life. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
- ^ "Young Deaf racer secures major investor (From Free Press Series)". Freepressseries.co.uk. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ "Deaf Pontypool boy aiming for F1 gets first sponsor (From Free Press Series)". Freepressseries.co.uk. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ "Profoundly deaf kart racer, 12, makes winning return to the track". South Wales Argus. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 15 December 2020.