Ian to make his mark on both sides of the sea

Thomson is planning to help his dad, Ian Snr, with the running of Nutts Corner Raceway in Northern Ireland, where he will also compete, as well as taking his place on the grid at the Cowdenbeath Racewall when he can.

Thomson Jnr, who runs a car sales lot in Buckhaven, decided to focus his attention at both tracks after learning that his dad had planned to sell up.

He said: My Dad was thinking of selling the raceway after 30 years promoting because he had lost all interest due to the way the governing bodies had been dealing with certain situations.

“I found this to be a very sad situation as he had built the track from nothing, and I can remember as a kid growing up being involved at the track as it was built, sharing very fond memories throughout the years with close friends and family some of which are no longer with us.

“I also believe Nutts Corner Raceway has so much more to offer.

“We made a decision together to come up with a plan to rejuvenate the raceway and get things back on track. Things are looking more positive for 2019 and they have already started to upgrade the toilets and have plans to upgrade turnstiles and a few other areas at the track.”

“I have taken one of my formula II cars over to dad’s and I intend to race it there as often as I can.

“ I was down at Birmingham at the end of the season and I was quite impressed with the performance of the cars with the Zetec engines.

“I am going to change the car at my dad’s to take a Zetec and see how it goes.

“The other one I will keep at Kennoway for the Racewall and mainland racing.

“I hope to race as often as I can and my aim will be to qualify for the World this year.”

Ian, who picked up his 100th final win recently, has tasted success in the Formula IIs winning the World Championship at Bristol in 2008, the FII Challenge in 2003, 07, 08 and 2018 and the Nationals Championship in 2009.

Brought up in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, he moved to Kennoway in 2009, married Jacqueline Moodie and had a child named Maia in early 2010.

After taking a break from the sport he got into after watching his dad race stock saloons at Portadown in the 1980s for a few years, he rediscovered the bug again - and it would appear passed it on to his daughter.

“My daughter, Maia, is at an age when she wants a Micro F2 and we will see about her having a run in one of her cousin’s cars at Nutts Corner.

“If she likes it then I suppose I will need to get her one.”

Ian has thanked his sponsors and all who help with the running of his car.

“Without these guys it wouldn’t happen,” he said.