Driver of year award for Chloe, 12

Perth karting star Chloe Grant has raced away with the Junior Driver of the year Award from Stranraer’s Cults Kart Club.

The 12-year-old Perth High School youngster clocked-up four wins in five visits to the south west track.

Chloe was vice-champion at the East of Scotland Kart Club.

Like her older sister Lucy, who has also enjoyed success behind the wheel, Chloe credits Balbeggie’s Hamish Clark with steering her career forward. He has announced he’s bowing out of karting after nearly 30 years.

It’s reckoned half the engines on the Scottish grids have been built by Hamish.

Luckily, he plans to continue servicing the engines but his knowledge, spares back-up, tyre sales and experience at the track will be greatly missed by Scottish karters of all vintages.

Hamish’s son, Graham, retired from racing six years ago but he was tempted to give Lucy a helping hand with her budding track career.

As well as being Scotland’s leading Rotax engine builder, he also builds and maintains the Grant girls’ karts and prepares them for race weekends.

When Lucy began racing Hamish took her and her kart all over the country to ga inasmuch experience as possible. In addition to looking after the mechanical side, he also coached Lucy on her driving technique.

Chloe was inspired to follow in her sister’s footsteps at the tender age of seven, enjoying informal practice laps at the Golspie track.

In 2017 the girls lifted their respective championships at the ESKC, rewarding mentor Hamish for his time, effort and dedication.

Chloe said: “Hamish helps everyone at the tracks but Lucy and I are particularly grateful for all his help.”