British Kart Championships debutant Jacob Jack can get great family racing advice from double Le Mans 24-Hour winner Jonny Adam

Jacob, a pupil at Capshard Primary School, will contest the 10 to 12-year-olds Rotax Intermax class during this season's five-round schedule, starting from April 19 to 21 at Paul Fletcher International, with his dad Joshua – race star Adam’s cousin - mum Chantal and younger sister Macey (6) in tow for meeting one at the UK's largest outdoor karting centre in Grantham, Lincolnshire.

Joshua, 38, whose dad Mike was East of Scotland Superstox champion at Cowdenbeath in 1976, told the Fife Free Press: "Jonny has won the British GT Championship four times which makes him the most successful driver in its history, in addition to the two Le Mans 24-Hour wins.

"At Jacob’s last race down at Whilton Mill (in Northamptonshire), Jonny – who lives with his wife in London – came along and had some conversations with Jacob.

"The main message that Jonny is saying to Jacob just now is for him just to enjoy it.

"It’s important at that young age that Jacob doesn’t take it too seriously and let the pressure get to him too much.

"Jonny thinks that Jacob has great potential as a driver. He’s always commented on how well he’s doing and had quite a lot to say about Jacob’s performance at the Ultimate Karting Championship in Larkhall last year because it was broadcast on You Tube and he was really impressed with the driving that Jacob was doing there in the wet.

"With it being Jacob's first year racing down south, this is going to be his biggest racing challenge to date.

"He will essentially be racing against the best drivers in the world in his age.

"He is really excited about it. He is really coming to grips with the kart and really enjoying the challenge.

"We aren't setting the bar too high for him at the moment, but Jacob can surprise us. I think the target for us is a top ten.

"If he can attain that this year then I think that will be a very, very good building block for 2025.”

Jacob’s British debut will feature a Friday practice day, followed by the Saturday heats (which are eight minutes of racing plus one lap) and the Sunday finals (10 minutes plus one lap), to sort out the final placings of around 35 competing drivers.

Although it is a male dominated sport, more and more female drivers have been taking part and excelling.

"It's terrifying to watch Jacob race as parents," Joshua said. "But I think the package as a whole, the family time that we have together, seeing the progress that Jacob is making and the enjoyment that he gets out of it is great.

"But it's nerve-racking, especially for his mum.”

Joshua has witnessed a significant development in Jacob's driving abilities since the youngster first tried karting with East of Scotland Kart Club at Crail in July 2020.

"In 2020 I got Jacob a cheap kart just to see how he got on,” he added. “And since then we have changed his chassis every season because they take a fair beating throughout the year.

"At the start Jacob obviously didn't understand the racing lines. Trying to keep the momentum going around the track, he was accelerating too late, he was breaking too early.

"As his dad, from that perspective it's amazing to see the progress that he's made over four years.

"He's a lot better now. Last year in the Association of Scottish Karting Championship Honda and East of Scotland Kart Championship Cadet class he got six podiums and a win and the year before in 2022, he got a win.

"And I think this the reason why we want to put him into the British Championships, because you only become as good as the drivers you drive against.

"Staying in Scotland, there aren't really a lot of opportunities for him to progress.

"But putting him into the British, you're putting him up against the best drivers in the world essentially.

"A lot of drivers come from overseas to race in the British because they recognise that it is one of the best fields of kart drivers.

"It's just trying to get him to climb the ladder and progress.

"I would say Jacob is ready. He's up for the challenge, looking forward to it.

"With this new class it's a different chassis, different tyres and a different power unit. So he's still got a little bit of training to go to iron out the creases.

"But we've got another race down at Paul Fletcher International on the first weekend of March and that is just like a training round to get him prepared for the start of the British in April.”

Joshua was encouraged by how his boy performed when contesting a round of the Ultimate Karting Championship - said to be the UK's second biggest karting championship - at Larkhall last April.

"Jacob won the super heat and he came second in the final after posting fastest lap," he added. "I think that performance made us think that he has got the potential to race in the British.

"We thought this year we wanted to give it a shot to see how he gets on.

"The first time I took him out in this new kart last November, he was smiling ear to ear after he came in. He said it was amazing and did enjoy the experience very much."

After the opening meeting at the Paul Fletcher International is done and dusted, the second round of the championship will be at Larkhall from May 17 to 19, with the season ultimately ending at Whilton Mill from September 6 to 8.

Joshua, who is covering half of Jacob’s expenses for competing in the British Kart Championships, is also grateful for the support of sponsors Repair Renew Replace Fife, Angle Park Sand and Gravel and Selbrae House.

Further sponsorship would be greatly appreciated – please email Joshua at [email protected] if you are interested or for further information.