Driving force

CHEQUE, MATE... Alex Walker shows off his trophy after winning at Snetterton.

MOTOR RACING: OLDHAM’S Alex Walker claimed his first victory since switching from karts to cars when he took top spot in the InterSteps Championship at Snetterton.

The 16-year-old, driving for Fortec Motorsport, won the first of three races after qualifying in fourth position on the grid.

An impressive start saw him jump two places on the first corner at the Norfolk circuit.

By the end of the second lap Walker had overtaken team-mate Ed Jones, whom he beat by half-a-second at the end of the 14 laps.

Walker finished third in the second race, despite setting the fastest lap.

And in the third contest he was runner-up.

A nip-and-tuck battle for the lead with team-make Jake Dennis ended in the second lap when the pair touched. Dennis was sent into a spin which bent Walker’s steering, allowing Jones to take the lead.

Despite the resultant handling problems, the Shaw youngster still managed to cling on to second place.

“It has been a mega weekend,” said Walker.

“To get my first win is a great feeling and of course I’m really pleased.

“We experienced a few problems with the car in the tests here so we weren’t entirely sure how strong we would be, but the whole team have done a perfect job all weekend.

“We had great pace and the car was awesome — the collision with Jake in the last race bent my steering, though, so it was difficult to drive for most of the race, and I had to nurse the car just to bring it home.

“We have narrowed the gap in the championship, but I am sure Rockingham will bring us new challenges so we must continue to work hard and keep focused but I'm already looking forward to it."

Walker, who sits in second position in the leaders’ board, is next in action on the weekend of July 2 and 3, at Rockingham.