Twelve-year-old Hassocks race ace hopes to bring success in to 2021

Blake Ticehurst has received his trophy for winning the 2020 UKC National Karting Championship in the Honda Cadet Class. Pictures courtesy of Mark Ticehurst

The award was given a little later than normal due to Covid not allowing the normal presentation awards ceremony to take place.

Ticehurst started karting at the Angmering Kart Track when he was just five and very quickly progressed to National competition in the six-to-eight-year-old Bambino Class,

He became 2016 Bayford Meadows champion and was seeded sixth in the UK in only his first year at this level.

Ticehurst is now hoping to replicate last year's achievements in 2021

In the Covid affected 2020 season Ticehurst was a regular front contender at National level within both the UKC and MSA British Honda Cadet Championships. The events took place in all corners of the country against the very best young drivers from the UK.

Ticehurst won the UKC Championship and was seeded seventh in the British Championship.

The 2021 season sees Ticehurst step up in age category to the Rotax Minimax Championship for 11-to-14-year-olds.

His performances in 2020 caught the eye of multiple British Championship winning team Coles Racing, and Ticehurst has signed to the team for 2021.

He will race in the full MSA British Championship and other blue ribbon events such as the British ‘0’ Plate and British Kart GP.

Ticehurst said: “I had a great competitive year last year and was really happy to be UKC National champion but gutted with the problems I had in the British Championship.

“I always want to improve and I am working really hard with my new team Coles Racing to be at the front of the British Championship in Minimax this year.

“The Minimax is so much faster than the Honda cadet and I am loving racing it.”

The Rotax Minimax karts are a huge step in performance from the Honda Cadets he has raced for the last four years. They have a 125cc water cooled engine capable of 70mph.

In a normal year Ticehurst would have been testing throughout the winter but, with Covid lockdowns, he has only just been able to get underway this month.

The lack of tracktime does not appear to have held Ticehurst back. He already leads the Clay Pigeon (Dorset), Mansell, of Nigel Mansell fame, Raceway (Devon) Championships after the first rounds.

These events have contained elite drivers, all of whom are busy preparing for the first round of the British Championships to be held at Clay Pigeon in May.

Ticehurst attends Downland Secondary school in Hassocks who have shown great support in his achievements, for which he is very grateful.

He maintains a relationship with Mazda cars and is currently working on gaining further support and partners for his future in motorsport.