From 30mph to 198mph – swapping country lanes for racetracks

With farming and motor racing in his blood, it was almost inevitable that Cornwall-based Alex Quinn would end up as a pro-racer.

Years spent driving tractors and working with sheep provided him with the ideal skillset, plus the mental strength and tenacity required to succeed on the racetrack.

That will be tested to the full this weekend (14-15 June) when he takes on the 24-hour endurance race at Le Mans in France.

See also: Farming brothers are youngest ever British sidecar champions

Early career

Alex took the traditional route from karting to junior single-seaters, getting started at Dunkeswell Raceway, near Honiton in Devon – the closest semi-professional racetrack for the then eight-year-old budding racing driver.

Despite it being a three-hour round trip, Alex says, his dad took him regularly to practice.

“Dad is a farmer, but he also loves his rallying, coming from Ireland. That’s where my love for the motorsport came from,” he says. 

Starting at club level, Alex raced his way up to British championship level, eventually racing all over the world.

“It was a case of Friday or Thursday lunchtime at school, Mum and Dad would come and get me, and then I’d be off for the weekend.”

It was a commitment that took him away every weekend, which he says made for a busy life for an 11-year-old, but it was also a rite of passage.

“It’s kind of something you have to do if you want to do well at racing,” says Alex. “Professional racers like Lewis Hamilton all started with go-kart racing.”

Alex Quinn © Alex Quinn

Farming life

When he’s not going at top speeds around the world’s tracks, Alex farms at his uncle’s holding on the family farm, near Camelford in north Cornwall.

The arable and sheep enterprise is home to about 300 North Country Mules and spans 1,200ha.

Juggling racing and farming, Alex says he loves his two very different lives.

“I’ve never worked anywhere else and am very lucky that I’ve got two lives. It’s like flicking a switch – on the weekend I’m racing, and then I come back to farm.

“I’m doing 198mph top speed on the weekend and then, on Monday, I’m back doing 30mph in a tractor. I really wouldn’t change it at all.”

Away from racing, his life is very different compared with his teammates’, he says.

“When they’re not racing, they go to the gym or practice on the race simulator. For me, it’s tractor time when I get home. I’ve got the two best jobs in the world – farming and racing.”

Some lessons for the track can even be learned from gathering sheep, Alex suggests.

“Looking around you from the cockpit, seeing what’s going on, is similar to making sure you’ve got your sheep.

“There are 50 other cars in the race, so you have to always be on top of your game.”

Going pro

Before making pro level, Alex honed his skills in Formula 4, where junior drivers get the opportunity to progress from karting to the world of single-seater racing.

He completed two seasons in the FIA Formula 4 British Championship, which yielded seven wins, 17 podiums, three poles and four fastest laps, as well as the 2016 Rookie title.

He also took to the track in the BRDC British F3, Formula Regional European and USF2000 Championships.

“I was teammates with Oscar Piastri in the F4. He beat me by one position and is now in Formula 1. He’s a very good driver and it was nice to be teammates with him.”

Alex was crowned 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup Rookie Champion with two outright race victories, five podiums, one pole and a fastest lap to his credit.

He also made an instant impact upon stepping into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2023.

From there, racing took a different turn and Alex joined Portugal-based Algarve Pro Racing.

He was relatively new to endurance racing when he joined the team’s 2024 European Le Mans Series LMP2 Pro-Am effort.

Now with another year of experience under his belt, sights are firmly set on taking pole position this year.

Coming up

Having started the year in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, attention is now turning towards Le Mans – a major highlight in the racing calendar.

“Staying awake and focused for 24 hours is hard, but farming prepares you for hard, challenging work like nothing else.”

Talking about the upcoming race in Le Mans, he says: “Last year we finished second. So obviously I want to win it this year, and I think we have a good chance.”

For those who want to see Alex and the team in action, they will also be burning rubber at Silverstone on 13-14 September.