A TEENAGER has set his sight on becoming a future motor racing champion after a successful first year in a major racing competition.

Lorcan Hanafin, from Guiseley, only started racing cars last year, but has since joined the Ginetta Junior Championship in June this year, securing a number of fastest laps and top ten finishes.

The 15-year-old Bradford Grammar School student has been racing-mad since he was five-years-old, when his father bought him his first kart.

He has since raced in karting, before moving into cars aged 13 and now racing in the Ginetta series.

The rookie had to complete four test days in June, before going straight into a championship round.

Over the course of the season he has produced a number of impressive drives, including two top ten finishes and a rookie podium place in one round.

Lorcan, who enjoys tennis and clay pigeon shooting away from racing, said: “When I was five my dad bought me a go-kart.

“I was driving around the house until I was eight and then he took me to a major kart track.

“I joined a scheme where we brought our own kart, entered into a team, and I raced there until I was 13.

“After this, I relished jumping into cars. It was all new, exciting and much more efficient.

“It was a really steep but fantastic learning curve for us all. Since then I feel like I’ve gone from strength to strength.”

Lorcan said his aim is to become an endurance racer, and said Bradford Grammar’s sports staff are helping him become a better driver.

Without the support of Bradford Grammar and his other sponsors, he said he would not have gotten this far.

“I want to get into endurance racing which requires a lot of stamina and core strength, both vital for racing,” he said.

“You complete two-hour stints of a 24-hour race, with one car between your teammates to get the best possible results.

“So I’m looking to build on these using the BGS Performance Gym and tailored coaching from sport staff for strength and conditioning.

“When I’m racing I’m out there for 40 minutes at a time. It’s very intense and lots of pressure which I thrive in.

“The car gets extremely hot as it’s made out of fibreglass and I sit next to the gearbox so the heat expands into the air - you need the stamina to keep on going, as well as the mental drive.”

Oliver Rogers, director for sport at Bradford Grammar, added: “We believe that if you lay the right foundations for sport, it creates stronger athletes.

“It’s why it’s important for our pupils to focus on developing key skills which are transferable such as using the Performance Gym and experiencing a range of different sports.

“The right foundations provide solid grounding for longer sporting careers. We’re very proud of Lorcan and we look forward to watching his motorsport career prosper.”

Despite missing five race meets over the course of the season, Lorcan still managed to place a respectable 13th in the overall standings in his rookie year.

He races with Douglas Motorsport in the Junior Championship, which is run by sports and racing car manufacturer Ginetta, which is based in Garforth, Leeds, and is open to 14 to 17-year-old racers.