AN ABERGELE karting ace has raced to victory in a national championship event.

Ben Hingeley, aged 15, finished three seconds ahead of the field to win the Junior Rotax British Open Championship in Cumbria.
His father, Bonner Hingley, said: “It’s fantastic for him. He was obviously delighted and I’m very proud.
“He’s done amazingly well and it’s something I’m sure he’s now looking at as a career, be it as a racer or as part of a support team.
“The competition was tough for him in Cumbria and he had a lot of work to do from the heats, but he crossed the line in first place and it’s a great achievement.”
Ben qualified in second place, but managed to equal the pole time.
He made the most of the wet weather and slipped past other drivers struggling on the slippery circuit. Despite dropping to 16th position in one of his heats, he managed to finish in fifth place, putting him in hot pursuit of the leaders ahead of the grand final.
Mr Hingley added: “After winning the championship, Ben was quickly signed to a team so he’s going to be busy raising funds and finding sponsorship for a while now.
“He trains really hard and he’s always working on his fitness.
“He loves the environment he’s in at the moment, and I think now he’s mixing in the loop with racing at this level you get to mixing with people that could help him take his driving further.”