Marlow teenager prepares for the unknown (From Bucks Free Press)

Callum on the road to deliver an Italian

2:27pm Thursday 11th October 2012 in Sport By Alan Feldberg

CALLUM Croxon flies to Italy next week for his first taste of international competition, after taking the UK Easykart Championships by storm in his first season.

The 13-year-old from Great Marlow School upset most of his older rivals to finish inside the top ten of the championship and book his place at the 2012 Easykart World Finals in Castelletto, where he will race against drivers from 15 other countries.

Callum, who has local support in the shape of Reliance Auto Test High Wycombe, said: “To finish in the top ten of the UK championships and to qualify for this prestigious event in my first year of junior karting is more than I expected to be honest, especially with the sport being so competitive.

“But I intend to race at the front end of the field over there too.”

Dad Kevin will travel to Italy with him, and admits the prospect is slightly daunting.

He said: “I’m a little bit worried. The nearer it gets the more I’m starting to worry. We’ve never done anything like this before.

“Callum has been overseas before but he’s not raced internationally. None of us speak Italian either.”

But he admits the teenager has earned his place on the grid.

He said: “He’s surprised a lot of people this year. He has had a podium and qualified in the front row too.

“He’s one of the youngest out there so I didn’t expect him to go quite as fast as he has this year.

“The top ten was as much as we could have hoped for.”

Testing starts next Wednesday, with qualifying and racing taking place on Saturday and Sunday.