Young Kilcullen driver wins British Kart Grand Prix

A Kilcullen 11-year-old has become the first Irish driver to win the Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix in the 30 years since its inception, writes Brian Byrne. He's Christian Coby, who has been racing karts competitively since he was six. 

A previous winner of the Irish Bambino Championships and the youngest Cadet driver to ever win the Motorsport Ireland Championship, his GP victory has given him the chance to compete in the IAME World Finals in Valencia, Spain, in November. There, he will represent Ireland against the best young drivers from around the world. 

Christian's family background is deeply rooted in motorsport. His father, Gary, and his uncle, Aaron, both have a history of karting successes — his father secured a podium place three decades ago at the inaugural Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix. His sister, Alyx, has competed in karting, Formula 4, and endurance racing at some of the most challenging tracks in America. 

Christian spends many weekends between March and September in the UK, where he races with Fusion Motorsport, one of the most successful Cadet teams in the UK. He also competes in events in Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany, and France. 

He credits his success mainly to the support of his family, who run a motor business in Dublin. His ambition is to be driving in Formula 2 within five years.

(The Diary has had a long chat with Christian, and we'll be doing a full feature later.)  

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