Willard Stanton

Willard Stanton (born 22 March, 1988) is an British race car driver currently racing in the Dash Cup Series. He drives the #16 Allianz STS for Interstellar Motorsports. He is also a driver in the British Touring Cars series (BTC), where he drives for Arctic Racing; he is the 2009 BTC champion. He was also a development driver for Interstellar Motorsport in their open wheel division, competing in several races in the lower-tier series. He hails from Leeds, England.

Racing Career
Stanton raced in regional Go-Karts from ages 10 to 16 and won several championships. He raced on numerous circuits around his hometown and was hired as a development driver for Interstellar Motorsport after proving his skills in a full sized machine. He competed in several lower-tier open wheel series for the team, performing very well during his tenure. He spent four years driving for Interstellar Motorsports, and his quick lap times, consistent performance, and agile driving style caught the attention of the British Touring Cars team Arctic Racing.

Stanton raced in the BTC for five years, and it was there that he made a name for himself, earning ten wins over his career and one championship in the 2009 season. Over the years, he kept in contact with Interstellar Motorsports and accepted an offer to return to the team to drive for them in The Dash Stock Cup series. He has announced via press conference that he doesn't plan on leaving the BTC or Arctic Racing team anytime soon, however, his commitments to the Dash Stock Cup forced him to run a limited schedule in the 2012 BTC season.

Stanton is often described as being very patient and cool-headed on the track, but not afraid to get aggressive if he needs to. He often works his way around his opponents using his very agile driving skills, and is very contemplative about his overtakes. However, if the race is on the line, or he is put in a bad position, Stanton is shown to have no problems nudging a driver out of the way in to make a pass.

Personal Life
Stanton currently resides in his hometown of Leeds, England. He is in a relationship with his girlfriend of three years, Ashley Baker and has never been married. He is an avid soccer fan and often sports his Leeds United A.F.C. jersey around the paddock and garage area. Stanton also enjoys the game of golf, but is often the first one to admit he's not very good at the game. He loves to travel, which he says is one of his favorite advantages of being a professional racer.