Kart-mad Steven Bennett was one of only 18 karters out of more than 17,000 who qualified for the chance to race in the UK-wide BP sponsored event.

Steven (20), from Canniesburn, Bearsden, said it had been tough qualifying but worth all the effort.

The motor sport engineering student at the University of West of Scotland based in Hamilton, has been involved in kart racing since an uncle introduced him to it.

He said: "Racing is my passion and I've been karting as a hobby since I was 12. We used bog standard single engined Pro-karts powered by Honda that are capable of about 45mph."

In order to qualify for the final, which takes place in December, Steven completed three laps of the track at Scotkart's Cambuslang circuit.

The former Bearsden Academy pupil added: "My overall Iap time was 30.4 seconds around the 600m track which was good enough to qualify for the final."

Steven's ultimate ambition is to work for the McLaren F1 team as an engineer, but he admits it's very hard to get into the team.

He said: "This would be my ultimate dream job. At the moment as part of my studies I am designing the front suspension to a Formula student car. Many engineering colleges design these cars. They are a prototype car that looks a bit like an F1 car, but obviously not as complicated."

For more information and to keep up to date on the Ultimate Karter competitions log on to www.ultimatekarter.co.uk