A teenager from Suffolk will be one of the youngest on the starting grid for the upcoming racing season after a brilliant 2022.
Thomas Lee is two years younger than the legal driving age in the UK but has gone on to become one of the best drivers in his field since first sitting behind the wheel of a car when he was 13.
The 15-year-old from Otley first started driving karts when he was eight, but due to the Covid pandemic, when all the karting tracks shut their doors, he thought he would try having a go at getting behind the wheel of a race car.
Now, Thomas can race up to speeds of 120 miles per hour, with the average being 70.
He said: "There is a massive rush behind it.
"When you get in the car, there are some nerves, but as I have grown up doing it, it just feels really natural."
Thomas had a brilliant 2022, gaining 14 podium finishes out of 17 races, and coming out on top on nine occasions.
He has also raced on some of the best tracks in the country, including the home of British Grand Prix, Silverstone.
Thomas's mum, Katie Davey, said: "I'm just a terrified spectator.
"I can deal with the start of the race, and the end of the race, I would rather not watch the middle. I just sit there and pray"
For the 2023 season, he has joined Excelr8 and will become one of the youngest starters in the headline JCW class following his first full season of racing in the BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship.
He said: "To be appreciated by someone of their calibre is just amazing.
"Knowing that someone can accept you into such a prestigious championship and team at such a young age is just great and builds my confidence."
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