EASTLEIGH teenager David Watts has emerged as one of the shining new lights in national kart racing.

The 14-year-old schoolboy is ready to step up into the British Championships after amassing an impressive collection of silverware during 2002.

Highlight of the season for Watts was winning the Junior Clubman Championship in the National Kart Racing Association's grand final at Fullbeck on a circuit he'd never raced before!

He'd finished second in the south regional championship after a relatively slow start.

A broken chain cost him a top three finish in the first round at Lydd then he raced to fifth in the second round at Dunkeswell despite a broken brake pedal.

After that Watts demonstrated true class in his 100cc Vortex-engined TonyKart with two wins and a second in the last three rounds moving him to within five points of the leader.

The grand final at Fullbeck brought together the leading qualifiers from the north and south championships and although it was Watts' first visit to the Lincolnshire track, he proved he's a fast learner by setting the quickest time in practice.

Then he went on to win two of the qualifying heats, finishing second in the other to grab pole position on the grid for the final.

Watts knew his biggest rival would be another up and coming Hampshire driver Richard Puddle, and so it proved.

But while Puddle took time to dislodge second-placed James Locke, Watts, who had led from the start, pulled out a gap on the rest of the field.

It took Puddle nine laps to catch him but Watts explained: "I just had the edge to fend him off. Although he was quicker down the straight, our engine and overall set up was better."

The NKRA title was the icing on the cake for Watts in a season when he won the Two Counties Kart Club title then followed up with the South West Championship at Dunkeswell.

He earned the prestigious Junior Clubman O Plate with a victory in their race meeting at Hullavington early in the year and was second in the prestigious Lashmore Cup Challenge after putting his slower Leopard Kart on to pole position.

Watts says he's earned a lot from his mentor, the Southampton-based former British champion Biff Harris.

Next year he hopes to race in the JICA British Championhship class but stressed "it depends on how much sponsorship we can get because it's a bigger and more expensive series.

"I wouldn't have been able to do it this year without my sponsors Jim Fox of Economic Insulations, Dudley George of Wessex Windows, Aviation Rentals of Winchester, Blue Diamond Bearings and last but not least, my dad."

If anyone is interested in a sponsorship deal with Dave Watts, his dad Mike, who restores historic aircraft for a living, can be contacted on (023) 8061 0785.