Karting: Jake Salvestrin wins Karting NSW State Title in maiden bid

The Tamworth resident took part in the first Karting NSW State Title of his life, in the tag restricted division, which was fortuitously held at his home track.

Just a week after his 18^th birthday, the young man admitted that he was nervous "the whole time". Those nerves didn't stop him from winning every race to emerge victorious. But initially, his self-belief began to grow throughout qualifying.

"When I was practicing out there with everyone, I was second overall, which was higher than we thought we would be," Salvestrin said.

"We made changes and it seemed to work in qualifying. We got first in that ... I'd say qualifying is about when [I started to believe I could win]."

Fresh from a victory at the regional championship earlier this month, Jake's father, Phil, said the team was "quietly confident" about his chances over the weekend.

Even so, they were aware that he was up against older, more experienced drivers who had competed in the division for years. But, Jake said, "I thought there was no reason why I can't [win]".

After running-up in practice, Salvestrin won qualifying and subsequently won each of his heats as well. Though on paper it looked like utter dominance, there were a couple of races where he had to overcome early disadvantages to wrest back the lead.

It is possible this ability (which is bolstered by many hours of hard work) comes somewhat naturally.

Jake's grandmother and grandfather raced stock cars "many years ago", Phil said, and his son looks to have inherited an aptitude for the sport.

In celebration of both his win and his milestone birthday, Jake will visit the Sydney Motorsport Park within the next month and drive a V8 supercar. When asked if his dream was to compete in the V8s, the teenager said driving "any sort of car is the dream".

"Winning [the state title] was the dream. I don't know what it is now," he said.

Salvestrin's victory is the latest in a string of good performances for the Tamworth Kart Racing Club, after his mechanic and fellow driver, Brad Cady, also took out a state title in Lithgow earlier this month. At the same event, 12-year-old Angus Maxworthy performed extremely well in a competitive field.

The club's burgeoning success bodes well for its future, and anybody interested in taking part can message them through Facebook or attend one of their regular come and try days.

As for what's next, Jake is eyeing higher honours.

"The next step up is either to go up a class [to the senior unrestricted class], or maybe the Australian titles if I can," he said.

Hopefully, the reality of his state title victory will have sunk in by then.

"The blue number one being up on my wall is still a bit weird," Jake said.

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