Ash Hand had to overcome a series of obstacles in his latest karting outing at Kimbolton, but still ended up on the podium, leaving him in confident mood for the start of his national campaign at the same circuit in two months’ time.

The 14-year-old Nuneaton ace travelled to the Cambridgeshire track for a warm-up ahead of the opening meeting of the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow and with local specialists out in force and no practice time, Ash knew he would be up against it.

A succession of knocks left Ash 17th in heat one but a brave last-corner double-passing manoeuvre earned the George Eliot School pupil third place in heat two, which included the race’s fastest lap.

The Maple Park teenager began the final from tenth and got up to sixth on the second lap because of a crash ahead.

“I was lapping consistently two-tenths quicker than the leader, and I worked my way into third and caught Andy King in second going into the last corner on the last lap. I went to the inside but he turned in on me and I ended up nearly putting him in the fence, so I had to give the position back again.

“I was a bit disappointed, because I had pushed so hard to catch him, but I was still happy with a podium, considering how badly the day had started.”

Coventry Telegraph