The recipient of the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow prize in the NatSKA championship tell all about himself and why he is looking forward to racing in Stars in 2009

Nicknames: “Speedy” (its in his name GTI Heath!) or “Stub”...big brother Harry is called “Axle” after bending four rear axles in one weekend when he was a new novice NatSKA driver, so as the “little brother” George was christened “Stub” by Tarporley School Team Leader Richard Percival!

Date of Birth: 24-01-1996

Hometown: Tarvin (just outside Chester, Cheshire)

School: Tarporley Community High School (and they have the world’s largest kart team with approx 50 drivers! – so competition is fierce)

Interests: Guitar, football, and speedy or dangerous things – has had a go at rock climbing, quad biking, surfing,

Pets: Cat called Heskey, and a Springer Spaniel called Monty (aka Kart Dogtor!)

Karting career:

Why karting? It all started with the boy next door! When we moved in 11 years ago, Mark Jones was a 13year old NatSKA (National Schools Karting Association) driver. George’s big brother Harry was fascinated by all the “tinkering” that Mark and his dad Mike completed and declared that when he went to high school he was going to start karting.....so that’s how the family started!

The school team rules permit siblings in year 6 to start (a year early) and so George started karting in September 2006 with NatSKA – under NatSKA rules you have to complete a certain number of meetings in novice practice sessions (definitely NOT racing!). NatSKA rules also mean that you complete four heats, with your best three counting (rather than the heats and final route completed a most club meetings).

First time out in a kart? Had a go in brother Harry’s Raket in May 2006 – first lap time 3minutes 30! Spent most of the day trying to keep out of Max Maguire’s way

(George did improve that time significantly and he did get to within 0.1sec on his brother’s best ever time just six months later ....no mean feat, his brother had come 2nd in the NatSKA National Sprint Championships!)

First race meeting “proper” was at Camberley on 31 March 2007 when he came 4th from the back of the grid in Junior 4 Stroke!

First heat win came at Glan y Gors 28 April 2007 (Junior 4 stroke).

First overall win came at Whilton Mill in a NatSKA / F6 dual permit meeting (2/6/07) (Junior 4 stroke).

September 2007

Switched to Raket 85 class and took an overall win at Rye House (29/09/07) and followed up with a string of consistent results through the year.

July 2008 – NatSKA National Sprint Championships, Llandow. George takes the National title and his prize for this and his consistent results over the course of the season is awarded entry in to the 2009 series of “Stars of Tomorrow”.

This is what the “champagne bit” feels like! (oh, and by the way, this is alcohol free champagne, and it smells DISGUSTING!)

The future?

Since July, and knowing about entry into “Stars of Tomorrow” George has been racing Junior TKM at local MSA club meetings to ensure that his licence is up to the required standards.

....and if you are talking about ambitions, well in karting terms his answer is simple ....he just wants to enjoy it (and perhaps to win!)

...and in life? – when he grows up, he wants to be a stuntman

(and the people who know him aren’t surprised by that answer!)