A teenage race ace who can’t even take to the roads yet is making a name for himself by burning rubber at up to 108mph on-track.

Sam Kirkpatrick, 15, of Brigham, has raced go-karts since he was eight but this year made the step up to car racing.

He has competed in the British Super One Kart Championship and in Europe in the BNL Championship in Belgium and France, but after a day testing a Citroen Saxo VTR, Sam immediately decided car racing was the way forward.

His parents, Bill and Michelle, found and spruced up a car and on February 26 he passed his ARDS test at Croft Circuit with flying colours.

Bill said: “I do and have raced cars very seriously myself home and abroad and since Sam was born he’s wanted to race cars too.

“The karting was our only option until he was old enough.

“I feel he’s probably going to be faster than me which would make me proud.

“Next year he’s going to start racing with me in my car and I’ll have my work cut out to beat him.”

Sam, who is a pupil at Keswick School, is getting his racing education from former British Touring Car Championship star Chris Hodgetts as he aims for the Junior Sports Car Championship title next year.

He has been on various track-days with Chris in the passenger seat to get him into gear for the season after racking up top-10 finishes and even a podium place at Knockhill in his first year.

“He’s taken him under his wing and they get along very well,” said Bill.

“He won’t just take on any kids, he’s quite selective so he must think very highly of him.

“Every time Sam’s been with Chris in the car he’s taken a step forward because he trusts him implicitly.

“The first time he stepped out of the car after a drive with him he had the widest smile.”

The championship is for drivers aged 14 to 17, some of whom have much more experience than Sam in car racing, but Bill sees no reason why his tenacious son can’t mix it with the best next year.

“We don’t have unrealistic expectations, even when we were karting,” he said.

“The road to the top is very expensive and torturous.

“We just want Sam to enoy it as a hobby and do as well as he can.

“His main aim this year is to get good exam results.

“He has no aspirations to be a professional or anything but he can go on very well in the style of racing that we want to do.

“Next year he’s got a realistic chance of winning the championship.

“There’s a lot of good lads in there but he’s one of them.”

Sam, who was sponsored this year by Isaac Moore, of Isaac The Barberman in Workington, is also supported by his car-mad parents.

They own the Wheatsheaf Garage on Low Road, Brigham, and travel all over the country with him to compete and make it a real family affair.

Bill said: “We take the car there, I prepare it in the garage and I mend it when we’re there. Michelle’s very hands-on as well.

“A lot of the drivers have professional mechanics and everything but we’re more of a family affair.

“Chris helps out too, particularly on the psychological stuff because there’s a lot going on in the head of a 15-year-old and he seems to know what buttons to press.”