Go-kart prodigy from Leeds to be followed by the Amazon Prime cameras for new series

A 14-year-old go-karting prodigy from Leeds is to be followed by Amazon Prime cameras for a new series - as he dreams of winning the championship.
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Sam Stoner from Rothwell first got into a kart aged just nine for a birthday party.

Having loved the day and been spotted as having a natural talent, Sam - with the help of support from his dad Paul, 46 - spent hundreds of hours developing his track craft and beating all competitors before him at TeamSport Leeds.

Karting driver Sam Stoner from RothwellKarting driver Sam Stoner from Rothwell
Karting driver Sam Stoner from Rothwell
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Just five years after his first sit in a kart, Sam - who competes at both indoor and outdoor tracks - has now developed into one of the fastest of his age and is dreaming of a life in racing.

Sam's dad Paul has set up and manages social media accounts for his son.

His journey - which includes hundreds of GoPro action videos live from his kart - has attracted many followers eager to track his progress.

Now, Sam is due to compete in the Junior Kart Championship.

Karting driver Sam Stoner from Rothwell with dad PaulKarting driver Sam Stoner from Rothwell with dad Paul
Karting driver Sam Stoner from Rothwell with dad Paul

Paul said: "This will be our first major competition since starting out in karting.

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"The JKC has eight race weekends, at different tracks around the country, one per month starting in March.

"The main part of the JKC that stands out from other competitions is the restriction on tyre usage, most championships would permit unlimited new sets of tyres, the JKC only allows six sets of tyres for the whole competition, two sets of those are for wets races.

"This is perfect for us for cost and one that I believe Sam can utilise from a tyre wear perspective."

Karting driver Sam Stoner from RothwellKarting driver Sam Stoner from Rothwell
Karting driver Sam Stoner from Rothwell

Sam is set to be followed around the country by the Amazon Prime cameras for a new series named 'Driven Dreams' during the championship.

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"Eight race weekends will be streamed live via Alpha Timing", Paul explained.

"The idea is to help tell the story of grass roots karting by following 16 main characters throughout the competition and a handful of secondary characters.

Sam will be one of the secondary characters.

"If Sam does well in the competition or has some good back stories, then we could get more air time."

Sam has more than 10,000 followers across social media.

He can be found on Twitter @SamStonerRacing.

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