When I was 9 years old I went to watch a kart race meeting at Wombwell with my Dad and as soon as I saw the kids racing the cadet karts I was hooked.  We were introduced to someone who's son was racing and they kindly allowed me to have a go and I absolutely loved it, so much so that Dad went and bought me my first cadet kart straight away.  Initially we just raced at Tockwith, near York, but once my confidence and ability grew we started racing at RAC approved tracks such as Wombwell, Fulbeck and Warden Law and I raced in their club championships before moving into National and eventually European karting.

Obviously I enjoy the thrill of being in a racing car; the feeling of being alone in the car pushing for that perfect lap is like no other! I have also been lucky enough to travel all over the world racing, visiting countries I had never been to before, experiencing different cultures and meeting new people – many of whom remain friends to this day.

Three spring to mind - winning the 2007 ICA British Karting Championship, winning my first Elf Renault Clio Cup race at Snetterton in August 2009 and making my debut in the BTCC at Brands Hatch in October 2010.  Winning the ICA British Karting Championship was such a thrill as going into the final race of the season only a handful of points seperated the top 4 drivers in the championship; any one of us could have won it but I beat all my rivals to take the title.  Winning at Snetterton in the Elf Renault Clio Cup was such a fantastic experience as I started from pole position and led every lap of the race with the top 3 drivers in the championship right behind me.  The fact that the race was live on ITV4 also meant that a lot of my family and friends were able to see me win which made it even more special.  Finally, racing in the final round of the 2010 BTCC Championship at Brands Hatch in the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra was an incredible experience made even more special by qualifying in 8th position and then taking a top ten finish in the final race.

So many people have helped over the years but a small number of people have had the biggest influence.  My Dad, John, has been there for me right from the start. As anyone in racing will tell you, it’s a rollercoaster of highs and lows but we have always experienced them together. We have always been a team and this will always be the case, even if it is me that ultimately has to go out and get the results! Ricky Flynn is, in my opinion, the best team manager in the world of karting; what he doesn’t know isn’t really worth knowing. He’s fantastic at getting the best out of his drivers by coaching and developing them in a very relaxed but effective manner. He never puts his drivers under pressure, is always calm and cool and is usually the proudest person in the team when they do well – all in all a great guy!  Since my move into car racing Lee Brookes at TCR has been a huge help.  Like Ricky he is a great team manager and always gets the best out of his drivers.  Driver Coach Malcolm Smith and BTCC driver Jonathan Adam have also helped me to improve my driving significantly and finally my manager Tim Sugden has made a big impact in a relatively short space of time and was instrumental in getting me into the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra in the last round of the 2010 BTCC at Brands Hatch.

As far as karting is concerned, in the UK I would have to say Larkhall, Scotland. I have fond memories of the place and have always been relatively quick there. In Europe I would have to say La Conca in southern Italy where I raced in the 2008 World Championships; not just the track but the whole infrastructure of the place is unbelievable, something every karter should aim to experience at some point in their career. As for car circuits I love the 'drivers' circuits like Oulton Park, the Grand Prix circuit at Brands Hatch and Zolder in Belgium.

The main aim for last year was to win the Elf Renault Clio Cup championship which I failed to do; the 'DNFs' I suffered early on in the season really put a dampner on things and affected my confidence.  However, driving in the last round of the BTCC at Brands Hatch was an amazing experience and I was delighted with my performance - 8th in qualifying and 10th in the last race.

This year I'll be racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB with Team Parker Racing which is clearly a massive step up from the Clio Cup;  the car is amazing to drive and the quality of the drivers I'll be racing against is incredible.  However, I'm hoping to be on the pace and challenging for a podium or two.  Beyond that I'd love to be a professional racing driver one day and the Carrera Cup will give me an excellent chance of getting into Sports Car racing both at home and abroad.

Since leaving University I'm living in a rented house with my brother in Leeds.  We both work in the family business, JCT600, which gives us a shared interest and I'm studying to become a Management Accountant which takes up all of my spare time. 

As I've been racing since the age of 9 I have had plenty of time to work out how to balance my time between my education and racing.  I chose Accountancy as a means of giving me the business acumen I will need for the future and although the studying is hard work at the moment, once it's done I'll have years of racing to enjoy ahead of me.

I discovered Indian food at University, so I would have to say Chicken Jalfrezi - as long as its not too hot and spicy !!

Ferrari 355 – still an iconic car and definitely a 'must have' for my car collection !

Winning the Porsche Supercup race at Monaco, followed by watching the F1 Grand Prix from a yacht in the harbour with a drink or two to celebrate !!

Ayrton Senna - the best racing driver that ever lived

Car keys – even when I’m not even driving!

Probably pursuing some other sport – I’ve always wanted to be good at golf.