KART racer Matthew Booth is racing to glory.

And the teenager has now landed a place on a prestigious motorsport course.

The Denby Dale 17-year-old is among the top 30 in the UK and has been selected to join the MSA Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence.

The performance-enhancing course aims to develop British students from all forms of motorsport to become elite drivers.

Matthew, an A-level pupil at Shelley College, only started racing aged 12 and has raced up the tables at the indoor karting track in Wakefield.

He is currently racing Karts in the Formula Kart Grand Prix class.

Matthew said: “I feel this will help me greatly in my racing career and also in higher education and eventually in employment, hopefully in the motor sport industry.

“It is a real honour to have been selected.”

His dad, Darryl Booth, said: “He started for social reasons when he was 12 and has developed from there.

“When he’s not racing he’s practising and being part of this course will help.

“He’d love to do it professionally but it’s an expensive game and he’d need sponsorship and support, but he’ll aim for it.”

But the talented teen has an option B, which would allow him to remain involved in motorsport, Darryl added: “He’s hoping to continue his education in motorsport and study motorsport engineering at university.”

Matthew lives in Denby Dale with his dad, mum Lesley and sister Rebecca, 18, a keen horse rider.

Matthew will join the UK’s top 30 young motor racers on the course, which teaches a range of competencies required in elite sport, ranging from health and safety to dealing with the media and learning more about nutrition, diet, fitness and tactics to improve their athletic prowess.

The skills will be vital to further his career as a motor sport competitor or as part of a motor racing team and he will get one to one tuition from a professional racing driver.

He will combine the programme whilst studying for his A-levels at Shelley College.