Go Ballistic Paintball

How can a country that struggles to make it mark on the international sporting scene have so many motor sport champions?

Brazilian champions Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet had a wealthy family to finance their considerable expenses as they climbed to the top of the prestigious motor sport ladder. But British champions had a much harder time. Damon Hill was penniless when he started racing, despite his father’s achievements on the track. Lewis Hamilton’s father financed his son by taking on several jobs to enable his son to practice on his local karting track and Jenson Button’s father’s pockets were not deep enough despite his forays into the world of Rally Driving

You would be right to look for the answer at your local go karting circuit where children as young as 8years, and on some tracks even younger, can get behind the wheel of a go kart and feel the thrill of racing at a very young age and their parents can see if they have any talent before applying for a loan or a second job to finance their rise to fame and glory.

We spoke to Karting Nation, the UK’s only network of karting circuits for their take on Jenson Button’s success.

“This country has a huge numbers of karting circuits, both outdoor and indoor. We have best of them on our network. Jenson Button, like Lewis Hamilton had the advantage of access to tracks up and down the country to hone their skills on their way to the top. Many countries only have tracks for an annual spectacular of motor sports so we are lucky here. A future champion will show their potential very early on and if it is there the atmosphere and the smells will get into their blood and they will be hooked. It is very easy to get your kids booked in just visit www.karting-nation.co.uk and check out the circuit nearest to you. Good luck!”

So British racing fans can celebrate the achievements of the last two world champions, and maybe be involved in the next generation training hard to join them. But, be warned, other countries are seeing the pattern of success too and will be getting their youngsters booked in to go karting at the earliest opportunity. Most of them have a way to travel to get to their local circuits but it is all about determination and persistence and for that the rewards will be great.

Congratulations Jenson!

KARTING sensation Kieran Tison is aiming to follow Lewis Hamilton’s slipstream – all the way to Formula One.

Teenager Tison has made a stunning start to the sport since he first took to the track just 12 months ago.

The 16-year-old, from Cable Street, Wapping, has won four championships in the past year and is currently lying second in the Junior Club series at the circuit where F1 stars Hamilton, Jenson Button and Anthony Davidson first burst onto the scene.

Tison’s career is picking up speed and his uncle Joe Tison believes that the talented young driver can emulate Hamilton by reaching the top in motorsport’s biggest competition.

“He wants to become an F1 driver and the talent is there,” he said. “Lewis is his inspiration and he drives just like Lewis did when he was a kid. Kieran has found what he wants to do in life.”

It is a remarkable rise for the talented youngster, who had previously shown little interest in sport and had never sat behind the wheel of a kart until last year.

Within six months, Tison had won two championships and set an all-time lap record at his local circuit.

“Kieran’s a very humble kid, very shy and very intelligent,” his uncle explained. “He hardly played sport – even when he was young he used to stay inside drawing pictures and playing games.

“But I wanted to get him involved in sport so I took him Karting.

“He really enjoyed it and started taking it quite seriously. Within three months he had won a championship.”

Tison’s success has not gone unnoticed. The teenager, who will begin a course in motorsport engineering at Thames Gateway college in September, has already caught the attention of Martin Hines, who owns the Zip Kart Young Guns team, which backed Hamilton when he was eight years old.

“He’s got what it takes to be the next Lewis Hamilton and I’m going to do everything I can to help him get there,” said his uncle.