MOTOR SPORT: A SOUTH Cheshire teenager is proving he has what it takes to become one of Britain's brightest kart racing talents.
James Griffiths, 13, of Willaston, is competing in this year's British Champion-ships after racing to victory in the 2003 South Yorkshire Cadets Championship.
The Malbank High School pupil currently lies 24th out of the 56-strong competition and already has a top-five finish to his name in the heats.
James has also entered the Minimax Club Racing series and, earlier this month, claimed the W-Plate Trophy after taking the chequered flag at the Womb-well circuit in Yorkshire.
Dad Paul said: 'James has shown he has the pace but not the racing craft as yet. Even so, he has had some good finishes and he has time to develop his racing skills.
'From his first eight races this season, he has had two wins and a pole position, so there is plenty to build on.'
The British Championships have already taken James up and down the country and so far he has raced at venues in North Wales, Lincolnshire, Dorset and Oxfordshire.
James started racing in February 2002 and enjoyed a number of successes in club events.
Last year's experience in the Cadet WTP Championships - the same series which launched the motorsport careers of David Coulthard and Jenson Button - are sure to hold him in good stead.
Willaston appears to have caught the karting bug with fellow villagers Douglas Crosby and James Appleton regularly bumping into James at events up and down the country.
'Douglas's dad Paul is a great help to James on the mechanical side and former kart racer Andrew Twiss is another great source of help,' said Paul.
'James in now looking forward to gaining more experience of the British Championships and this season will be a useful learning curve.'
