A HEREFORD Sixth Form student has described his latest round of the BRSCC Mighty Minis Championship as his best yet, even if he did suffer some ill-fortune.

The 18-year-old surprised his more experienced fellow competitors with blistering pace in practice – qualifying third fastest at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire.

But Young had a missed gear change on the first lap in race one, which saw him drop to eighth.

The teenager did recover well to eventually finish sixth before competing in the next race.

Young started sixth on the grid, but a pit-lane misunderstanding saw him pulled into the pits before the start when marshals noticed fuel coming out of his 1275cc Mini Cooper.

The fault was put down to a missing fuel cap and, after rectifying it, Young was forced to start the race from the back of the grid.

But he carved his way up the field from 19th at the end of the first lap to finish seventh overall.

"I was so gutted about the filler cap mistake, but the race was great fun," said Young.

"There were some hairy moments, but I am pleased with the end result."

With only more round left in the championship, at Donington Park on October 17 and 18, Young leads the Novice Championship.

"This year has been al about learning and I feel I have earned my place as a young race driver," added Young.

"I now need to push hard to see how far I can go.

"As far as next year goes, it's all about moment.

"If I can't get sponsorship, then I can't continue."