A talented young karter discovered his love of the sport after attending a friend’s birthday party at Buckmore Park.

Fast-forward several years and George Cole, from Leybourne, is going great guns as he gears up for what will hopefully be a big 2025.

The 13-year-old, who is the nephew of British Truck Racing driver Simon Cole, has had a season to remember after competing in two championships.

He finished runner-up in the Medway Valley Kart Club Championship over six rounds at Buckmore Park.

Competing in the Junior 2 stroke category, he was just four points behind first place.

The teenager went one better in the 10-round Bayford Meadows Club Championship, celebrating title success with a clean sweep on the final day.

He started karting about three years ago with monthly hire sessions at Bayford Meadows and progressed into owner-driver racing towards the end of 2023.

He’s looked after by the Bayford-based Project One team and has benefited hugely from ex-British karting champion Lee Jenner’s coaching.

“George has had a great year,” said dad Jody. “He’s done really well. He’s been competitive from the start.

“He’s done a lot of intensive training with his driver coach, which has made the most difference and set him in a good standing point for next year.

“We met Lee quite early on and his input has been amazing for him. Where George was quite late to the scene, he’s got hold of him and moulded him into a driver.

“I was taking George down to the track but after we met Lee, he said, ‘It’s going to take me two sessions to get him back from the bad habits you’ve got him into!’”

Cole, who reaches speeds of up to 75mph, has a smooth driving style but knows he must mix it in the ultra-competitive environment that is karting.

“We go to some of these tracks and there’s a lot of contact,” said Jody, who is on spanners for his son.

“George has always been very smooth but he’s having to adjust slightly because he knows it’s going to be more physical. I see him as more of a Formula-style driver than a Touring Car driver, where there’s a lot of contact. Lee’s keen to develop that side of him.

“There’s a lot of fast kids going round the track and it’s holding your nerve to be late on the brakes to get the overtake done, knowing you might not make the corner. It’s fine margins, isn’t it?”

Next year, Cole will be competing in the six-round Junior Kart Championship, which will take him all over the country. It’s the next step to a national championship.

“We’re not trying to look too far ahead,” said Jody.

“If all goes well and he progresses towards the top 10 of the grid - there’ll be 34 karts every weekend - he’ll still have another year in the juniors. It would be our hope that we could do the British Championships if he’s at that level but you don’t want to get ahead of yourself.

“We went into last season thinking we’d be able to compete for the top six and he’s come second and first in his two championships. Hopefully he’ll have a similar trajectory next year.”

Anyone interested in supporting or sponsoring Cole for the 2025 season should email jody.cole@live.co.uk for more information.

Current backers include Neil Yates Recovery, Bigger Living Lofts, Denmaur Paper and SmileShines Dentist.