Great kart start for young racer Joseph

The family of a young kart racer who dreams of being the next Jenson Button say they have high hopes for his future after he was crowned a champion in his very first season.

At the age of nine, Joseph Hamblett, of Tipton, has already proved his mettle in the fast paced sport, reaching speeds of up to 50mph in his kart.

The youngster, of Kerr Drive, beat competitors up to five years older than him at the West Midlands heat of the National Karting Association Junior Championship. His winning time in the hired kart was a second slower than adult racers, who had vehicles with twice the power.

Joseph, a pupil at Wednesbury Oak Primary School, then battled it out for the UK title at the Daytona Circuit in Milton Keynes a fortnight ago, coming in 13th out of 75. His sister Beverley Hamblett, 18, said: "He's an absolute natural. He has always been completely obsessed with cars so as soon as he got the chance to get in a cart he did.

"We were all surprised with how well he's done. Outside the track, he's quiet and shy but put him in a kart, and he's fearless."

His parents, road worker David, 52, and Asda worker Patricia, 49, currently hire a kart for him from Cannon Raceway in Coseley which costs £250 a month. The youngster's dream is to get his own but at £4,000 he is looking at a long wait, Beverley says.

He has secured sponsorship from Renault in Birmingham, where Beverley works as a senior sales adviser. The company has brought him his helmet, gloves and race suit. Beverley added: "It is expensive but we are doing what we can. Hopefully, he can eventually achieve his long-term goal of being a Formula One driver."