YOUNG Suffolk Karter Jack Partridge came second in the Irish Grand Prix near Belfast last weekend, narrowly missing out on a win in the closest finish the track has ever seen.

YOUNG Suffolk Karter Jack Partridge came second in the Irish Grand Prix near Belfast last weekend, narrowly missing out on a win in the closest finish the track has ever seen.

Eleven year old Jack, from Bedfield near Framlingham, had never driven the track before and proved what a promising young driver he is by mastering the Nutts Corner race track, and leaving both the local and international racers in his wake.

The heats saw Jack take a win and a second place in his first two outings, before a broken chain in the third heat forced him to retire whilst leading. This forced Jack to start his semi final third on the grid, but he immediately forced his way into second in the first corner, before taking a lead which he held from the sixth lap until the end.

This result saw him start the final on pole position, which led to an intense battle with local driver Scott Finlay. The drivers were close throughout, with Finlay only nicking it on the line by 0.02 of a second.

Partridge was racing on new equipment for this championship, with his new Zip chassis, carbon fibre Iztech Seat, as well as a rebuilt 160cc engine, combining to allow him to reach speeds of up to 61mph on the straights.

Jack, who has been karting since the age of three, received his trophy from 1996 British Rally winner Gwyndaf Evans and he was very happy with his second place, despite being so close to taking the win.

Proud father Danny said: “Pole position in the final was such an achievement, but a second place finish for Jack here is tremendous, a real achievement, and we are all very proud of him. To miss out on the win by so little was a disappointment, but doesn't take anything away from his achievement. We are certain the win will come sooner rather than later, and we are all just focused on achieving the targets we set ourselves at the start of the season.”

In only his second season of outdoor karting, Jack's aim was to finish in the top ten, something Danny believes to be achievable.

He said: “I think we are almost certain to finish in the top ten now, and that is such a success for a boy of his age.”

“Jack is a very ambitious young man, and wants to go right to the top. People talk about Formula One, but while that is obviously an amazing dream to have, we have been very keen for Jack to know that any career earning money from racing cars would be fantastic. He is a very talented young man, and we are fully committed to giving him the best chance possible of achieving his dreams.”

Next stop for Jack is the Dorset round of the British championship, where he will look to cement his top ten place.