‘Amazing year’ for 16-year-old Fife motorcycle marvel Keo Walker

Keo receives Millar Buchanan memorial trophy from race marshalls (Pic Flat Out Photography)Keo receives Millar Buchanan memorial trophy from race marshalls (Pic Flat Out Photography)
Keo receives Millar Buchanan memorial trophy from race marshalls (Pic Flat Out Photography)
Fife motorcycling marvel Keo Walker, 16, of Kinghorn, has just completed a sensational 2024 season which has seen him excel in numerous competitions when reaching up to 165mph on his Triumph Street Triple 765 vehicle.

The former Balwearie High School pupil - who is now doing a mechanical engineering course at Fife College - won the Knockhill Supersport Championship, came second in the Scottish Supersport Championship and was third in the British Supersport GP2 Championship at various tracks around the UK. The races - across 17 weekends - ran between March and October, with RD Racing rider Keo being backed by his dad Clint, mum Debbie and 24-year-old brother Ty, all of whom travelled together in a truck with sleeping capacity.

"We have had an amazing year," his proud dad Clint told the Fife Free Press. "We probably travelled 11,000 miles this year in the truck going to races and the whole family were thrilled with Keo's performances.

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"Sometimes we were travelling for eight-and-a-half hours to get to places like Brands Hatch or Thruxton after working all week and then travelling back on the Sunday night, arriving home at 2 or 3am on the Monday and then going back to work, although Keo's obviously back at college.

Keo celebrating a win at Brands HatchKeo celebrating a win at Brands Hatch
Keo celebrating a win at Brands Hatch

"So it's really hard and stressful but very rewarding from the season that we've had because of the results.

"We always weigh up the benefits of it and the stress and the hard work pays off when you're spending 17 weekends of the year with your two kids that are 16 and 24. You would never really manage to do that in any other normal type of life.

"The fact that we get to go away with them, working together to try and achieve something and we all have a task and a job in that weekend is really rewarding.

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"Keo broke the lap record at Knockhill as well. He also broke the lap record at East Fortune but them somebody else broke it at the same race afterwards.

Keo reaches speeds of up to 165mph when competing (Pic Camipix Photography)Keo reaches speeds of up to 165mph when competing (Pic Camipix Photography)
Keo reaches speeds of up to 165mph when competing (Pic Camipix Photography)

"Keo was also nominated to receive a Millar Buchanan Memorial Trophy by the marshalls for the rider of the weekend at Knockhill on September 1. Keo won three races out of the four. He was leading in the fourth round when he had a little crash when he was probably going to win as he was topping every session pretty much that weekend.

"That was a really nice touch because Millar Buchanan was a young boy who was sadly killed in a motorbike accident at Crail about two years ago. Keo knew him and I used to race with his dad Andy who we are really friendly with.

“Since he was seven, we did the mini motos and then in 2020 when he was 12 he went onto the big bikes.

"We moved into the British Championship in 2022.

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“In the class he's competing in now, you have to be a minimum age of 16, up to any age. So he's probably the youngest in the class.

"There are two classes more or less - Supersport and Supersport GP2 - but they race together.

"And this year's overall British Supersport championship title winner Jack Kennedy was racing in that class in 2006, before Keo was born in December 2007. Jack has won that title three or four times over the years I think.”

The current British Championship race meeting schedule for Keo - whose main sponsors are Findlater's Fine Foods, Koku Shi, Time For You Fife, Fife Painters, Martin Wight Electrical and Arena Gym - now sees him do two practice sessions on a Friday, qualifying and a race on Saturdays and a warm-up and race on Sundays.

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Unsurprisingly, the costs of these commitments on several weekends during the year mount up, with Keo relying on financial help from family members and a large group of loyal sponsors.

"We have probably spent £48,000 this year," Clint said. "So any sponsorship we can get we are very grateful for.

"We do a club - called Keo's Club 81 - as well where individuals can join for £81 and they get their name on a board outside, they get a T-shirt, a pen and a signed photograph. And if they come to any of the races they can get tea and coffee.

"And we do a draw offering free tickets for every round which has been really successful this year. The details of how to join this club are on Keo's Instagram and Facebook pages.

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"There has been really good support from people and businesses.

"Keo has had a great passion for motorsport for a number of years.

"He gets a great adrenaline rush out of competing.

"You can see that the people he's racing against now have massive amounts of experience."

To inquire about providing sponsorship for Keo, email Clint at [email protected] or phone him on 07762 357325.

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