Karting sensation Kieran Tison will launch a new chapter in his promising career this month as he embarks on his first senior championship campaign

Karting sensation Kieran Tison will launch a new chapter in his promising career this month as he embarks on his first senior championship campaign.

Teenager Tison has made a stunning start to the sport since taking to the track at Mile End's Revolution circuit just two years ago.

The 17-year-old, from Cable Street, Wapping, won four championships in his first 12 months and finished second in the Junior Club series at the prestigious Buckmore Park, where Formula One stars Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button burst on to the scene.

Now Tison is aiming for more success as he steps up to two-stroke karting in the Senior Rotax Max Championship at Bayford Meadows.

The talented youngster, who has joined The Kart Shop race team, will compete in the Winter Series at the Kent circuit, which starts on October 25.

Tison took part in his first senior race a fortnight ago when he took part in the final race of the Summer Series in preparation for the new campaign.

He produced a series of impressive drives to finish as the top novice in the race and his uncle Joe Tison admits the East End prospect is now hoping to finish as the top novice driver in the forthcoming Winter Series.

"We don't expect Kieran to be challenging at the front of the grid yet, but as long as he beats the other novices in the championship, that's all we're interested in," he said.

"Some of the other drivers are 23 or 24 years old and they will have a lot more experience of two-stroke karting, they will be more familiar with the circuit and driving in different conditions, and they'll know more about the set-up of their karts.

"But Kieran will pick that up. When he raced last month, he was only a second off the frontrunners and he'd only been on the track four times.

"He still needs to get the hang of certain corners and that cost him a bit of time, but the more he's in his kart, the better he'll become. [His race manager] David Catt says the kart Kieran's got is quick enough. Now it's up to him to prove himself again."

Tison has been out of competitive action this year and has been confined to testing sessions while a sponsorship deal with electrical contractors R Dunham was being finalised, allowing the young driver to return to championship racing.

His uncle expressed his gratitude to the Barking-based company for funding the teenager's campaign, but believes the break from regular action will work in Tison's favour.

"We wanted to give him a little break from karting because that can actually help in the long run," he said.

"Michael Schumacher took a short break when he was a teenager, and when he returned to karting he was much faster because he was so hungry for it.

"We're very grateful for R Dunham for everything they've done for Kieran. We couldn't have done it without them.