Ipswich racer Jack Ferguson hits top gear in Racing with Autism
Jack Ferguson of Ipswich, at the wheel of a kart with his Team RWA team-mates at Buckmore Park Picture: BERTRAND VESSIER - Credit: Archant
Ipswich teenager Jack Ferguson enjoyed a top 10 finish when he took part in an endurance karting event with a team of autistic racers.
Jack was part of a squad formed by Team BRIT, a team of disabled drivers, that finished sixth out of 35 in a six hour Britcar championship endurance race at Buckmore Park in Chatham, Kent.
Jack was diagnosed with autism when he was six-years-old and he also has arthritis in all his bones.
The team lined up as part of a grid of 35 karts, with a very wet start to the race.
The light weight of the younger drivers gave them a slight disadvantage on the slippery track, as they worked to keep the kart planted on the ground, but each of them pushed through and delivered against the odds during their stints.
You may also want to watch:
Jack's arthritis worsened by the cold conditions but this did not deter him from giving his all for over an hour of racing.
The team finished only four laps behind the leaders and a full lap ahead of their closest contenders.
Most Read
- 1 Concern over plight of homeless man living in tent beside Ipswich road
- 2 Suffolk braced for up to 10cm of snow as warnings upgraded
- 3 Analysis: Is lockdown finally working in Suffolk?
- 4 Did you get in the groove at Harry Palmers club nights back in 2003?
- 5 Ipswich council house rent increase agreed - here's how much your bill will increase
- 6 Volunteers needed to help leading attraction prepare for future
- 7 Teenager walking round every Ipswich street to raise money for charity
- 8 Ipswich man dies of Covid just 10 days after positive test - leaving wife of 61 years heartbroken
- 9 Coronavirus infection rates drop in every district
- 10 Is government considering longer working week post-Brexit?
Jack said: "It was really fun - it was great to race with RWA again as what we're trying to do in terms of raising awareness and understanding is a cause really close to my heart. I'm so grateful for the opportunity."
Team BRIT and Team RWA driver Matty Street said: "This was a fantastic event - a real challenge for all of us - but a race in which we were determined to give everything.
"Some of our drivers like Jack, are young, slight, and facing a number of challenges, but the determination they show on track is really incredible.
"We know that when we start a race we are seen as the underdogs, but by the end - we've shown what we're capable of, and that's exactly what happened at Buckmore Park."
