We are delighted to sponsor a local youngster as he develops his talents on the karting track this year.
Motorsports driver Stanley Clark, aged 12, is an emerging talent in the sport and is hoping 2023 will be his best season yet.
Stan, who lives near Thirsk, became interested in pursuing karting as a hobby after trying it out at his 8th birthday party at the York Motorsports Village, when he beat all his friends in a race. It wasn’t long before he began visiting the outdoor track at Tockwith every couple of weeks to hone his driving skills.
Stan’s first competition was in May 2021 when he took part in a round of the national Cadet Kart Championship, with a second-hand kart and his mum Wendy as his mechanic. By 2022 he had finished seventh overall at national level and reached the podium many times including clocking up several victories.
He is now part of the Sam Pollitt Racing team, driving a bigger and faster kart, and with a specialist mechanic on race days. He also follows a strict fitness regime to keep him in shape for the physical demands of racing, and even has a performance management coach to help him develop the right mentality for competitions.
He has already had a cracking start to his 2023 racing season after finishing in the top eight at the Ultimate Karting Championships last month, holding his own against some of the best young drivers in the UK. This year he’ll be competing in a variety of races including the National Championships and the British Kart Championships alongside youngsters from all over the world.
Wendy said they are very grateful to all their sponsors, adding: “They really do make such a difference to Stan’s development in the sport; without them, it would be really difficult for Stan to be able to compete as often as he does. At Stan’s level there are two or three weekend meets per month, each costing around £1,500, so it can really add up. Even a set of four tyres costs £150 so any contributions we receive from local people and businesses are very much appreciated.”
Looking to the future, Stan says he’d love to become a British champion and ultimately make it to Formula One – although he’d be happy just being involved in motorsport in some way, perhaps racing in the British Touring Car Championship or working as a driver coach or a mechanic.
Follow Stan on his Facebook page here. You can also catch him in the upcoming TV show Driven Dreams which follows a group of the UK’s most talented up-and-coming drivers in grass roots karting.