A 16-year-old from Ipswich who lives with autism and severe arthritis will be competing in a 24-hour endurance karting race this year.
Jack Ferguson is part of Team Racing with Autism (RWA) - a karting team made of young drivers with autism, which has announced its entry into the iconic Daytona 24-hour karting race.
The team, which is sponsored by Team BRIT - a team of all-disabled drivers that supports people with physical and psychological challenges in accessing motorsport - will field six drivers, captained by Team BRIT drivers Matty Street and Bobby Trundley.
Jack said: "I'm so excited to be entering my first 24 hour race. I know the team will do everything it can to really push for the win, and I'm looking forward to proving disabled people should never be written off."
Proud dad Pete Ferguson said Jack was very excited but also a little nervous at the challenge: "Off the track he can be quiet but when he gets in the kart it's like he comes alive. Get him on the track and everything changes.
"He's excited but maybe a little bit nervous too as it's a long time to keep it all going."
Jack is in his GCSE year at Holbrook Academy and also enjoys martial arts, partly as it helps with his arthritis.
He was diagnosed with autism when he was six years old and also has arthritis in all his bones.
He had a few taster sessions in karting at 12 and started racing at 13.
After winning his first championship he progressed to faster cars and more competitive races.
The endurance event is on May 8 at Daytona Milton Keynes and Team RWA will line up against more than 30 other teams, battling for a full 24 hours.
The team was formed last year, after Team BRIT founder Dave Player brought the drivers together to support them in competitive kart racing. Each of the drivers have found karting to have a positive influence on their ability to cope with the challenges autism faces.
Joining Jack will be 20-year-old Reece Harris from Redhill in Surrey, 12-year-old Sandro Ballesteros from Rochdale in Manchester and 16-year-old Sylvain Vessier from Bridgwater in Somerset.
Jack is looking for sponsors to help him continue racing. For more details, go to his website.
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