The van's packed. The kit's laid out. And tomorrow morning, my 14-year-old son Ethan heads to Kart Silverstone for his first ever British Kart Championship weekend.
He'll be number 641, racing Junior Rotax with Dave Edwards Race Team against the best young drivers in the country. It's the highest level of karting in the UK, and the path many of today's British Formula 1 drivers took. He goes in as a rookie.
When we started out, I was told nobody sponsors karters and the audience isn't there. A few years later, Ethan is a Club100 North Champion, has been on BBC Midlands Today, and had pencilled in British Championship racing as a 2027 goal.
Then, a few weeks ago, Dave Edwards offered him the chance to race Rounds 5 & 6 this year. Since then it's been a whirlwind: a new OTK chassis, a new Aurum engine, test days at PF International and Silverstone, and a race weekend with the team last weekend. He's had to adapt to everything at once, and he's done it with a maturity that's made me very proud.
Thursday is practice. Friday and Saturday are race days, Rounds 5 and 6, each running through qualifying, heats, super heats and a repechage before the final.
Ethan's goal is to qualify for the finals. With a grid this strong, that's a big ask. But every driver on that grid was a rookie once.
Ethan doesn't get to Silverstone on his own. A group of local and regional businesses have backed him, along with family, friends, his coaches and people who've simply followed his story and cheered him on. When you see the logos on his kart this weekend, every one of them is someone who believed in him early.
As a dad, I'll be honest: I'll be more nervous than he is. But whatever happens, I couldn't be prouder.
You can watch live on the Alpha Live YouTube channel, and highlights of the championship are broadcast on Sky Sports F1. If you tune in, look out for number 641.
Follow Ethan's journey at www.ethanguestracing.co.uk or on social media via linktr.ee/ethanguestracing.
Steve Guest
