An 11-year-old racing starlet has followed in the tyre-tracks of Lewis Hamilton by winning one of the UK's biggest kart events.

Clawing his way up from 15th place on the grid, Taylor Barnard, of Horsford, near Norwich, won the MSA Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix.

It is the biggest achievement of his young career, and comes in a year where he has been turning heads with some stunning performances.

His performance were that impressive he was awarded the Bruno Ferrari trophy by the family of the legendary kart racer.

His mother, Amy Barnard, said: 'Taylor has been racing since he was seven-years-old when after watching his dad race, he decided that he would like to have a go.

'We instantly knew he had something special when his dad bought him a bambino kart, so since then we have put everything into him.'

Taylor races for the AIM Motorsport team in the IAME Cadet Class in both the national British Karting Championship Super One series as well as the Little Green Man series.

So far this season, he has taken national level podiums and with only a few rounds left, is looking for a top five finish which will rank him as one of the highest seeds in the country.

However the sport comes with its dangers, and last month Barnard spent a night in hospital following a frightening crash in which his kart flipped over.

Mrs Barnard said: 'It was a scary crash as a parent, he suffered a concussion and at first we thought he had a fractured collar bone.

'But it did not scare him off and just days later he was straight back into the kart and finished in the top three.'

Speaking of his victory at the British Kart Grand Prix, Taylor Barnard said he was 'delighted' to win and follow in the footsteps of his hero Lewis Hamilton.

Barnard is part of the Young Racer Driver Academy (YRDA) which was launched in 2013 by sports management consultancy The Business of Sport.

Jamie Horner, CEO, of The Business of Sport, and brother of Red Bull Formula One team principle Christian Horner, said: 'We are delighted with the progress Taylor has made since he joined the YRDA.

'His victory at the Kartmasters rewards the effort he has put in on and off the track this season and has singled him out as a driver to watch going forward.'

Taylor's family are seeking sponsorship to take Taylor to the next level and would ask anyone who is able to offer financial backing to contact them on sandabarnard@tiscali.co.uk