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Josh White: Meet Leeds’s own rising karting star
Josh White.
Boy racer Josh White is set to fly the flag for Yorkshire as he continues to pursue the chequered flag.
The 15-year-old rising karting star, from Ilkley, will take to the track this season after being made the youngest-ever patron of tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire.
It comes shortly after he followed in the footsteps of British ex-Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton by winning Formula Kart Stars (FKS) – seen as a breeding ground for potential F1 drivers.
Dad Nick said: “It’s a big honour. We’re Yorkshire born and bred and we want to promote the county as much as possible.”
Josh, who attends Ilkley Grammar School, was introduced to motorsport by his dad, who owned a kart racing track in Bradford.
He races at circuits across the country and last season won the FKS Mini Max championship for 13 to 15-year-olds. Started in 1996, FKS bills itself as the premier training ground for sports car drivers.
Josh, who has rubbed shoulders with world-famous drivers like Hamilton and Jenson Button, is already being touted as a potential star, but his family are keen to keep his feet on the ground.
Nick added: “He’s got great potential, but it’s not necessarily the best drivers who are successful – it’s the good drivers who have the financial backing. We will only go as far as the money will let us.
“Every parent would like their kid to become world champion and it may or may not happen.
“I’m realistic. As long as he’s doing something constructive every weekend rather than playing on PlayStation, that’s the main thing.”
As a patron for Welcome to Yorkshire, Josh will promote the county as a tourist destination.
Chief executive Gary Verity said: “Josh has an incredibly bright future ahead of him in motorsport and he’s already doing a fantastic job of proudly flying the Yorkshire flag as he flies past the chequered one on the way to another of his many victories.
“As a patron, he is in good company with other Yorkshire sporting greats, such as cricketer Michael Vaughan, Olympian Alistair Brownlee and tae kwon do champion Sarah Stevenson to name just a few.”
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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