Ace Rory lands national third spot - four months after taking up karting

The BIKC is a Motorsport UK-sanctioned competition with participants drawn from all over the UK.

Rory, from Billingshurst was the youngest driver in the BIKC only having started driving indoor karts on his 8th birthday in July this year.

After putting in some great lap times at the Teamsport track in Crawley, he asked to enter the national indoor karting championship.

And after putting in some great times over the qualifying period, between July 1 and September 30, he set a good enough time to enter the local final.

He came first in the local final, allowing him to be put through to the regional finals held at Reading.

After some tough racing with karters from all over the south east, he finished in second place to secure his spot in the national final in Warrington.

Out of 600 cadet drivers entered, Rory battled his way through practice and three qualifying heats to end up in the semi final, starting in fifth spot.

After a tough race, he ended up crossing the line in third, securing his place in the grand final to start in third.

After an incredibly hard final, almost getting spun out on lap one, then recovering, falling down the order and fighting back to the last corner, Rory crossed the line in third to gain a podium and win a race weekend in the Total Karting Zero, Rob Smedley’s newly formed electric karting series.

Rory has long wanted to race and follow in his brother’s tracks – Benjamin, aged 12, is an excellent karter holding the all-time lap record at Crawley, and also qualifying into the BIKC local and regional finals.

Sadly he was knocked out at Reading on the same day his brother went through to the nationals.

When he’s not racing, Rory likes to make videos for his YouTube channel covering karting as well as his love of maths in the form of Times Table Rockstars.

He also loves swimming, running and spending time at the local pump track on his bike.