Go karting

Go Kart champion Matty Street

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THE checkered flag is in sight for an Oldham racing sensation after landing a life-changing £30,000 karting sponsorship deal.

Matty Street (17) dreams of a career as a Formula One driver and is now a step closer after winning a national X Factor-style youth motorsports competition.

Matty went head-to-head with seven other young drivers to win the public votes on Facebook, with a two-minute video appeal explaining why they should be chosen to win one of three racing contracts.

The Blair Project Rising Stars competition is there to give deserving young drivers from less privileged backgrounds the financial support they need to compete in the very expensive sport.

Matty said: “This means so much to me. I really want to take my motoracing career further and become a professional racing driver.

“My family just couldn’t afford to pay for me to race competitively, so winning the competition has given me an important lifeline to keep my dreams alive. Thank-you to everyone who took the time to vote.”

Karting is the first stepping stone for young drivers chasing a career in motorsports — Formula One drivers Lewis Hamilton, Jensen Button and David Coulthard all started out in karting.