NOT many 12-year-olds can say they are walking in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

But Great Dunmow school child Owain Rosser can.

Go-Kart racer and Formula One enthusiast Owain is the holder of the Mark Hines Memorial Trophy which puts him in an elite bracket.

The award is given to young drivers who show the most promise and sense of sportsmanship – past winners include F1 superstars Hamilton in 1995 and Button in 1992.

The year eight student from Helena Romanes School has a host of other trophies and medals and says that he takes part in races for the “excitement and the sense of winning” He lists his main hero as Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen.

“I first got into racing when I was eight after I saw Formula One and rallying on TV,” he said. “I thought ‘I want to have a go’.

“It is so much fun and so exciting when you are low to the ground in a kart doing between 40 to 50mph. I love that feeling of not knowing what is going to happen it makes me want to go faster.”

Owain’s parents Sally and Nick are playing a major part in the young racers bid to become a professional driver and are fellow motorsport fans.

Nick builds the karts to race specifications despite not being a mechanic and both go to watch him race at the weekends every month of the year.

Sally said: “It has been quite a steep learning curve for both of them. Nick has only been looking after the karts since Owain took up the sport. He had no previous experience.

“The races are fun to watch but you can’t help but be nervous and scared because of the speed – sometimes I cannot even look. But I have to turn and watch because I want to see how he is doing.”

Owain currently races at two circuits, one in Rye House, Hoddesdon, where at

the moment he is leading the championship for cadets, and the other at

Whilton Mill near Rugby.

Usually he is up against between 20 and 30 other competitors in each race and the standard is very high.

Last weekend, and for the second year running, he was invited by the Hoddesdon Kart Club to represent them at the Ace and King of Clubs competition, held at Whilton Mill.

Only open to the top two drivers in their class from each club across the country it provided a stern test but Owain managed a good mid-pack finishing position.

Sally added: “We are so proud of him, he really has a natural talent.”

For more information on Owain visit his website at rosserracing.co.uk.