A DETERMINED karting driver from Cam has landed his first title at the age of 29.

Matthew Harris triumphed in the Senior TKM class of the Rissington Kart Championship, finishing 159 points clear of his nearest rival after eight rounds in a Tony Kart Viper.

He has been driving at the circuit, where a list of illustrious names such as Formula One world champions Lewis Hamilton, Nigel Mansell and Jenson Button have had success on their route to the top, since 2002 and the closest he previously came to taking the title was two years ago when he finished second, while he was also a runner-up at a club championship at Shenington in 2009.

Harris said: “It was a relief because we came so close so many times and to do it at my local club was a real bonus.

“They have got trophies there with Jenson Button's, Nigel Mansell's and Lewis Hamilton’s names on.

“I’ve finished second in a couple of championships but I finally managed to crack the top spot.”

Harris also took part in two championships that involved travelling to circuits all over the country and missed out on the TKM Northern Club Championship title by just one point as he finished second.

He also went into the final round of the TKM Midland Club Championships with a chance of winning it but crashed out at Whilton Mill near Silverstone, and dropped from second to fifth in the standings.

Harris also recorded fastest lap of the year at the Rissington track during his home round of the Midland Championship.

A relatively late starter at 16-years-old, Harris tried karting after responding to an advert from Dursley-based driver Wayne Poole and is now one of the oldest competitors on the scene.

He is now considering his options for next year and could enter the Super One Series, a televised national karting championship.

Harris competed at that level once before and finished 13th in Britain with one third-place finish at Buckmore Park, a circuit created by former motorcycle and Formula One world champion John Surtees.

However, most drivers in that series belong to established teams, whereas Harris relies on the support of his father Richard, who acts as his mechanic.

He said: “We do it off our own back. I wouldn’t be racing if it wasn’t for him so a lot of credit goes to him.

“It feels like we’ve been doing it forever. Once you do it, it’s in your blood.

“There is quite a bit of travelling and I’m away about three times a month.

“I would like to move forward but we don’t have the money to do anything bigger or better.

“There is potential to do the televised series but it’s about getting the money together because it would cost about £600 per round. We haven’t really spoken about it yet.”