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BIOGRAPHY
Name:Ed Pead
Team:Mardi Gras Motorsport
Date of Birth: 22nd June 1977
Place of Birth:St Albans, London
Nationality:British
Ed first started karting at the age of 12 years old. It wasn’t long before he took his first win in juniors for the Roy Motara Memorial Junior Championship at Blackbush just one year later.
In 1992 he moved into Europe and a finish in the top ten of the European Junior Championships at Vojens, Denmark led to a factory drive for PCR in the following years European ICA Championship at Salbris, France. His talent and ability shined through at this event taking five heat wins to put him on the front row of the grid for the final. He took a credible fifth place with the entire top six finishing within one second of each other. His confidence was growing stronger and stronger as he also endured success on home ground by winning the Autosport Vauxhall Karting Challenge and taking third in the British ICA Championship.
For the next two years he became a Fullerton works driver in Formula A with various national race wins but it wasn’t until the following year, 1996, that Ed blasted into the European Super A scene with a teaming that would last the rest of his karting career. Working very closely with team manager and mentor, Paul Jackson, his season of heat wins and podium finishes would see him placed twelfth in the FIA/CIK European Super A rankings.
Due to lack of financial backing his move to cars had to be delayed. He stayed in karts for a further four years achieving many successful wins culminating in him finishing second in the British ICA Championship in 2000.
The talented youngster impressed many but his most vital break came with a special recommendation from Bill Sisley, who often saw Ed race, when introduced to current manager Dennis Rushen.
Ed started off his campaign in the 2000 Formula Ford Winter Series with Haywood Racing and then the 2001 Formula Ford Championship with Continental Racing. The first year was very tough in the most packed field for many years but his ability and determination to succeed showed through to impress John Bintcliffe in his first outing in a Renault Clio.
At the beginning of 2002 his main aim was to finish in the top ten of the championship. As he got to grips with the car throughout the year, Ed became a regular finisher in the top six. A superb first lap at Silverstone saw Ed take the lead from grid seven and all year he was knocking on the door of the podium. Dicing with past championship winners he finished sixth overall in the championship and finished every race in the points, as one of only two drivers to achieve this.
In 2003 and 2004 Ed signed up with Mardi Gras Motorsport, a team whose involvement in the last decade included a magnificent top three in the Renault Spider UK Cup 1999 and the 1996 championship aswell. Ed won both races at the start of the 2003 season at Snetterton and was always fighting for the top spot at every race, finishing on the podium at virtually every race meeting. A season long battle erupted with Irishman Jonathon Fildes and the pair were hardly separated with Ed finishing vice champion. 2004 would prove to be a different tale of events. By mid season Ed had a strong lead in the championship, at the penultimate round whilst on pole position, pulling off on the green flag lap his driveshaft snapped and ended his run for the championship. Ed dropped down to third place but had to race hard to finish the championship in second place.
In 2005, Ed was offered another chance at the Clio Cup with Boulevard Team Racing, the Championship winning team the previous year. It was to prove another hard fought season and Ed claimed 5 wins and 17 podiums to finish in second place.
Ed returned in 2006 to Mardi Gras Motorsport as Team manager and driver coach in the Clio Cup. He worked closely with both drivers to finish third and sixth in the Championship. This would prove very valuable as it earned him a drive with Mardi Gras in 2007 in the new 197 Clio Cup race car.
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