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Chris... 20 January 2008 My name is Chris Swanwick. I am just 14 years old, and I have been driving karts at local circuits for three years now. Last year I was invited to join a race team called ‘Strawberry Racing’ and complete in the British Super One Junior Intercontinental A (JICA) category, which was the top level of junior karts in the country for 13 to 16 year olds. At the time I was 8kg over weight for the category, but being determined to be even more successful this season, I started training three times a week and watching what I ate. Out went the burgers, in came the fruit. By the time last season started I had lost 4kg and now I am 2kg underweight and have started to work on building up stamina. The British Super One finished just two months ago and after the usual highs and lows in motor racing – finishing 3rrdat Larkhall, in Scotland, to being black flagged at Clay Pigeon, in Yeovil, I finished 17th out of an initial 50. At the beginning of October, my Team Director, Mr. Paul Spencer, decided to take a small team over to Parma, Italy, to compete in the Industrial Championship, and invited me to go. The driving standards were very high with some of the best drivers in Europe competing, 52 in all, from fourteen different countries. Despite a bad start to the competition, a strong performance on the final day resulted in me being invited to compete in the Bridgestone Cup in Lake Garda, Italy, the following weekend. This is an ‘invitation only’ competition for 3 to 4 of the most promising up-and-coming drivers from each country, for each category. On the final day, I had done sufficiently well to start 23rd on the grid and after a hard fought 28 lap final, with only 2 seconds separating drivers between 8th and 16th, I finished 14th. Last month I signed a one year extension to my contract to drive with ‘Strawberry Racing’ to compete in the British Super One next year, where my aim is to be in the top five and only last week I was invited to join ‘The Tony Kart Junior Race Team’, to compete in the World Karting Series in Europe, The Winter Cup in Garda, and The European Championships. The cost for last season was substantial as you can imagine, and I have my dad to thank for supporting me, but the cost for the forthcoming season is insurmountable without some form of sponsorship, therefore I am writing to as many companies as I can, so that I can fulfil my ambition.