SIX Winchester students will be putting the pedal to the metal this summer after securing a spot in the national finals of a national karting championship.

The pupils, from Peter Symonds College, won a place in the National Final of the British Schools Karting Championship (BSKC) 2018, where they will compete against the best school and college teams in the country.

Jack Trillo, Dom Cousins Sam Pooley, and Sam Woodhams, all 17, along with 16-year-old Tom Hastie and Wilf Carter, 18, earned their place in the National Final by achieving first and fourth in the South and South West Regional Final at Thruxton.

Kitty Yarwood, college sport maker from Peter Symonds, said: “This is the first time we have ever had both teams at regionals qualify for nationals. We are very much looking forward to competing at the final stage of the competition.

“We have high hopes of placing in the top ten.”

The British Schools Karting Championship (BSKC) is a nationwide karting championship that brings competitive, cost-effective karting into UK schools. The championship has been running for ten years and already nearly 12,000 students have raced in the BSKC and competed for the title of British School Karting Champion.

Adrienne Watson, championship administrator, said: “Congratulations to the team from Peter Symonds College, Winchester. It is a great achievement to qualify for the national final.

“The preliminary events in this year’s championship have been fiercely competitive so just getting to the national final is to be applauded.

“The BSKC is designed to introduce young people to competitive karting. As well as offering a sport that is not always available at a school level, the BSKC provides a simple route for talented students to take part in the exciting world of motor sport.

“Schools use the BSKC in many ways but many have told us that participation has helped to increase their students’ motivation and confidence and enabled them to develop skills that they need both at school and in the workplace.”

The final will take place at Whilton Mill, in Northamptonshire, on June 30 – just two weeks prior to the British Formula 1 Grand Prix at nearby Silverstone.