Teenage Mount Gambier racing sensation Kai Allen will take to the skies, travelling to Europe to work with leading driver coach Rob Wilson.

The Dunlop Super2 Series driver will head off after his first round which is the Thrifty Newcastle 500 on March 10-12.

Allen, 17, will be driving a Radical SR10 owned by Pilatus Australia chief executive Sebastian Lip at the Silverstone Circuit in England, a track which has been graced by racing royalty including seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

This will not be the first time Allen has been behind the wheel of Lip’s Radical SR10, previously touring the world-renowned Mount Panorama circuit last November in the Bathurst Sportscar Challenge where he claimed first place overall in the Australian Prototype Series category.

It is Allen’s friendship with Lip which earned him the opportunity to work with Wilson, who has worked with previous and current Formula 1 drivers.

“Seb’s been really good, he’s given me this opportunity to learn from the world’s best over there and have more experiences to build that knowledge,” Allen said.

“When it comes to the big races and the important races then I have got that experience and I can sort of learn from my mistakes over the years and obviously going to learn a lot more this year.

“It’s still a learning year in Super2, I want to see how I go and try and do as much as I can to make sure I’m doing the most for me.”

Wilson has notably worked with the likes of Supercars driver Thomas Randall, F1 drivers Valtteri Bottas, Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard and former Formula 1 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen as well as Moto GP champion Valentino Rossi.

Supercars drivers Cam Waters and Jake Kostecki also spent time in the United Kingdom with the super coach last year.

Kostecki’s brother Kurt engineered Allen last year in the Super3 series.

Allen said he was excited for the opportunity to learn from one of the best in the industry.

“He’s very good at explaining stuff and gets a lot out of the driver, so I’m very keen to get over there and see what he can teach me,” he said.

“I’m sure I’ll learn heaps, but I’m hoping just to get either a lot more understanding of what the car does and why it does this, plus trying to get a bit more speed out.

“I’m excited to see what I can get out of that, obviously take a lot of notes and then remember it all and transition it into the Supercar mould.

“I just want to go over there and learn as much as I can, take it all on board and then come back to Australia and try and do a couple test days and see if I can tweak it all into trying to get a bit more lap speed out of the Super2 car.”

Allen said he thinks the training with Wilson could give him an edge over the other Super2 competitors.

“It’ll be something different,” he said.

“Some people work differently and some people might get more stuff out of different people. I might get a lot out of Rob or I might get a little bit, so I’m just going to go over there and see how I go.

“It would be interesting to see if I get an edge from it, that would be really cool.

“I really want to put in the work early in the piece to then make sure I’m doing all the things right and make sure I’m on top of it to try and get those results later on in the season.”

Allen will drive the ex-Team 18 Scott Pye #20 Nulon Racing Holden ZB Commodore this season.

Despite holding 11 pole positions, Allen’s Super3 title dream came crashing down in Adelaide late last year when he careened into the notorious Turn 8, allowing rival Brad Vaughn to take the championship.

“Obviously last year did not end the way I wanted it to, so I have to put that behind me, eyes forward now, pressing on and trying to do as much as I can to make sure I’m ready to go,” he said.

“I would have loved to win the championship, but that’s a part of racing.

“You’re so close to the limit all the time and unfortunately I just stepped over it and that was the end.

“You have highs and lows in motorsport, it’s just how you ride them.

“It’s definitely been a big motivation and a learning curve.

“I just want to put in the work, so I do the best of my ability not to let that happen again.”

Vaughn has signed on with Tickford Racing in a Ford Mustang GT, making the switch from Anderson Motorsport.

The home-state rivalry will continue as the two competitors battle it out again this season.

“He’s stepped up to Super2 as well so I’m excited to see how he goes and obviously we battled it out in Super3,” Allen said.

“He’s South Australian as well so it’s good to keep that home state going, but I’m sure he’ll be very speedy because he’s had that Super3 experience.

“It’s going to be cool to see us young Super3 guys put it up against the older Super2 guys.”

Allen said he believes Vaughn will be one of his main competitors again this coming season.

“It’s unknown, but definelty he’s got the speed, he’s had the experience, he obviously knows what he’s doing so it’s a matter of how quickly he can adapt to the new car and myself as well,” he said.

“It’s a matter of seeing who can understand the car the best and that’ll be it really.

“It’s been good, we have had a few good races and also racing Super2 guys so now we have equal cars, and we can really put it to them now.”

Allen said he cannot wait to race in Newcastle as the start of the season nears.

“It’s going to be so good,” he said.

“The streets of Newcastle are pretty scary, I have never been there before but we’re going to try and go out there and have a bit of fun and see how we go.

“I’m very excited, the new car is very cool … it’s all new technology and everything so there’s a lot to learn.

“I’m keen to get in a couple of test days before the season and really understand it.

“I’m going to Newcastle with all that knowledge and see how we end up in those first couple of practices to then see where we are for qualifying.”