Wallace following in father's footsteps at Cowdenbeath Racewall

Wallace, a motor mechanic at T &J Wallace in Macmerry, will celebrate the 10th anniversary of his racing debut next year, and says it was his dad Jimmy’s heroics behind the wheel that made him fall in love with the sport.

"I started my racing career in 2012,” he says, “I hadn’t raced before and I had never sat in a Formula II car in anger although I used to watch my father, Jimmy race.

"He had returned to the racing scene at the Cowdenbeath Racewall the year before primarily to set up the car for me and had been the World Champion in 1988 and 1989 – both times down in the south west of England.

A resident of Haddington, Wallace says his first competitive race was a big wake up call.

"The speed was something else and when a car passed me I would try to tuck in behind them to learn the racing line.

"My first win came at the beginning of May and was at the Racewall. It was a great feeling – a dream come true.”

Wallace’s best season to date was in 2017 where, after winning a few trophies and titles, he took the British Championship crown at Bristol.

Following that win he added the World Championship semi-final, the Geo Mac 100 final and then the National Championship all at the Racewall in quick succession.

The World Final though, didn’t quite go to plan.

"It was a disaster, he says, “it was on shale at King’s Lynn, a surface I don’t normally race on.

"I was pushed wide on the opening bend, hit by a couple of cars and was on the sidelines before I had completed a lap, but my consistency at the Racewall saw me win the Track Points Championship. clinching the title a month before the end of the season.”

Wallace is now waiting patiently to get back on the track, and is especially to try out his new car which he hasn’t been able to race yet.

"We built the car ourselves and it has sat there all ready to be raced.

"When the racing starts this year I intend to race as often as I can and hope to perhaps race a bit more often south of the Border.

"I will certainly race at the championship events.”