Mini-moto star Mason Johnson has got his knee down and is revved up for glory.
The nine-year-old from Highburton is proving he could be the next Valentino Rossi after a strong first season racing on two wheels.
The youngster showed he could be a future pro when he won two out of his three first races.
Mason’s motorbiking talents saw him eventually finish as the runner-up in the 2015 FAB Racing British Championships, prompting an invitation to ride at the world famous Silverstone track.
The Skelmanthorpe First School pupil started on the miniature trials motorbikes when he was just seven.
Dad Ryan, 36, was so impressed he took the youngster to the only place in the country to offer training for young children – some 200 miles away in Swindon.
After his experience at the centre backed by British motorbike racing star Scott Redding, Ryan decided Mason had the skills to battle the country’s best on the FAB championships.
The competition, held all over the UK, is regularly featured on Motors TV and was the starting ground for many professional motorbike racers including Scott Redding – now a Moto GP star - and Danny Kent, the current Moto3 world champion.
And Mason got plenty of air-time finishing on the podium five times out of eight and completing the 2015 season in second place.
Said Ryan: “There’s three races in each round, two which aren’t televised and one which is.
“He actually won his first two ever races but then in third one he came off and landed on his head, which knocked his confidence a bit.
“He still did really well to finish the year as runner-up as he had one of the slowest bikes.
“But he loves it – he doesn’t want to do anything else.
“He can’t sleep for a week before a race he’s so excited.”
The impressive debut saw Mason invited to demonstrate his talent at Silverstone ahead of the stars of MotoGP – motorbike racing’s equivalent to Formula 1.
Proud dad Ryan added: “He was invited because his lap times were equivalent to the next class up even though we have slower bikes.
“We had a lot of fun but we didn’t do very well due to a lot of bike problems – but it was a great experience and to see all the MotoGP stars.
Mason is now preparing for next season where he will step up a level to the “pro class”.
