Frankie’s Karting Journey to Pole Position!

At Hethersett Academy, we are celebrating some sporting heroes who are making a fantastic start to their careers. Frankie, only 13 years old and student here at Hethersett Academy, has forged a fantastic start to his karting career as he soon steps up into Junior Rotax and competes in the Club100 Cadet Southern Championship – an elite “arrive-and-drive” series that will take him across the south of England, with some of the races even streamed on Alpha Live’s YouTube channel! In preseason racing with Club100 he came 3^rd, which is incredible considering he hadn’t previously visited the track.

Frankie has managed to climb the ranks quickly, as he only officially started racing this year. Completing the “Youngstarz” programme at Red Lodge, the club’s five-level grading system, in just three training sessions. In 2024, he set the fastest cadet and junior category lap records at Ellough Park in Beccles. As part of this, he was able to attend his first awards evening at Ellough Park, a significant milestone in his karting career so far!

As of this year, he holds the fastest cadet category lap time at Cromer Kart Track in a blisteringly quick 31.6 seconds. The overall fastest lap at the track is only 30.9 seconds and is held by British Super Kart Champion, Jack Tritton.

In his debut race at Red Lodge, he earned his first trophy and recorded the fastest lap times, despite challenging wet and rainy conditions. This year, he steps up to a national level to compete in the Club100 Cadet Southern Championship that will take him to circuits across South Wales, Northampton, Kent, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset.

Dedicated to his sport, Frankie has 1-2-1 coaching sessions at Cromer and at Whilton Mill in Daventry to hone his skills, while making sure he is strength training to improve his abilities on the track and to support his mental health and wellbeing.

With five sponsors including NR Fitness Gyms, supporting his journey, he has recently been able to acquire a Junior Rotax kart allowing him to pursue even further racing ambitions as he progresses in his own go kart. The step up to Junior Rotax is going to be a big challenge as most of the karts he currently races in only reach top speeds of 38 mph, in his own kart he can now reach speeds up to 80 mph!

There is also so much more to the sport than just driving, there is the learning of each track, identifying with his data where he can shave off some precious lap time and being part of a fantastically supportive community where he is constantly making new connections with peers and rivals! Frankie is already showing massive progress and with his racing ambitions growing race by race, we can’t wait to see what he does next.

Motorsport is an exciting but highly demanding pursuit, both in terms of dedication and financial commitment. At Hethersett Academy, we are proud to support Frankie in pursuing their passion and talent in this competitive field.

To help Frankie continue progressing on this journey, we are actively seeking sponsorship from individuals, companies, and local businesses who share our enthusiasm for nurturing young talent. Your support can make a meaningful difference in helping Frankie achieve their dreams.

If you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact us for more information. You can also follow Frankie’s journey on Instagram, managed by parents, at @frankjonez_karting for updates, race highlights, and behind-the-scenes moments.