Motor racing driver Rowan Campbell-Pilling has been uniting Yorkshire businesses on the racetrack to raise cash for charity and compete for a coveted trophy.
Sheffield-based Rowan, a 17-year-old Motorsport UK Academy driver, is a rising star of British motorsport. He organised the inter-company karting event at Parkwood Karting in the city.
Following an initial two-day event at the outdoor track in June, teams that qualified were invited back to compete in the grand final.
Going from 100 drivers in qualifying to 24, the final saw teams from Gripple, Mattress Online, Cobra Sport Exhausts, Irwin Mitchell and H Harrold & Sons Locksmiths battle it out for pole position – as well as enjoy networking, pizza and refreshments off-track.
The F4 superstar, Rowan, also joined the businesses on track, racing alongside Gripple’s team and, unsurprisingly, he set the fastest lap of the night.
Rowan said: “It’s been great to see the businesses come back for the second leg of this year’s Steel City Cup and compete to be crowned winners of the final.
“Massive thanks must go to all of them, and those that took part in the qualifying rounds too, for helping us to raise such vital funds for The Children’s Hospital Charity.
“Being able to both boost the charity’s funds and introduce people to karting is brilliant.”
After 175 laps and nearly 100 minutes of racing, the winner of 2024’s Steel City Cup was H Harrold’s and Sons Locksmiths, with Irwin Mitchell only just behind them in second place and then Mattress Online in third place.
A total of £4,000 was raised during the final, helping Rowan to reach his £25,000 fundraising target.
Since the start of 2022, Rowan has been an Ambassador, and more recently, a Children’s Champion for The Children’s Hospital Charity. He has consistently raised funds for the charity between an intense F4 training schedule and school.
Not long into 2024, Rowan surpassed his initial target of £10,000 and, now, another six months on he’s thrilled to have raised over £25,000 in total.
“I am over the moon to be able to say we’ve raised over £25,000 for The Children’s Hospital Charity after almost two years. I can’t wait to see what our final total will be at the end of 2024,” Rowan said.
“My family and I know first-hand how important the services at Sheffield Children’s are, so it means a lot to us.”
The money Rowan has raised by hosting and taking part in various events will go towards many life-changing projects currently ongoing at Sheffield Children’s, including the National Centre for Child Health Technology (NCCHT) which will be run by Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust and based at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park.
Caitlin Hallatt, Philanthropy Manager from The Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The Steel City Cup final was brilliant, thank you to all the businesses that came out and took part in the events and to Rowan for hosting.
“Rowan is very supportive of the charity and plays an excellent role as one of our Children’s Champions. We’re delighted to have him as a committed member of Team Theo and the money he’s helped to raise will make a huge difference to the lives of our patients, families and staff.”
Rowan is currently competing in his first Rokit British F4 certified by the FIA Season, driving for the Phinsys by Argenti team. This is seen as the first rung on the ladder towards Formula 1.
He joined the F4 grid following a successful karting career, where he competed in the Daniel Ricciardo Series and IAME X30 in both the junior and senior classes.
The Steel City Cup Final will return in 2025.
