A Ron Dearing UTC student is living life in the fast lane, juggling school work whilst forging a burgeoning career in motorsport.

Year 11 student Harry Hadley is rapidly establishing a name for himself as an up-and-coming kart racing driver, now competing in national competitions.

The 15-year-old is balancing school work with his passion for racing, taking part in the highly competitive sport which demands time, focus and commitment both on and off the circuit.

Harry’s route into karting began in motocross, when he was just six-years-old, and after watching many of his friends move from riding motorcross bikes into driving karts, he decided to give it a try himself. Starting out in rental karts when he was 11, Harry gradually moved into owner karting and began competing at a higher level.

His first national race came relatively early in his karting career and placed him up against drivers with far more experience. Many of his competitors had been racing since early childhood, making the step up a challenging one.

Harry said: “Starting out in kart racing was definitely a big learning curve. Most of the people I race against started when they were five or six, so catching up on that experience has been the hardest part so far.”

Harry now trains regularly at his local circuit in Lincolnshire and competes at tracks across the country as part of national championships. Having recently moved into senior karting, he is preparing for his first full season at that level and plans to compete in the British Kart Championships from 2026.

Unlike many drivers at national level, Harry competes as a privateer, running his kart with support from his dad rather than as part of a professional racing team. With no motorsport background in the family, both have had to learn the technical and mechanical aspects of the sport along the way.

He explained: “We do it all ourselves. A lot of other drivers are in big teams with experienced coaches and mechanics. My dad had never raced a kart before, so we’ve had to learn everything as we go, but I think that’s made me more resilient and helped me mature.”

Competing at national level also relies on support away from the track. Harry is currently backed by several sponsors, including Kingstown Shipping, Prout Engineering, Paul Atkinson Ltd and Yorkshire Motorhomes, whose support helps cover the costs involved in testing, travel and race weekends.

Alongside racing, Harry is currently preparing to take his GCSEs and is studying engineering design and creative digital media, as well as maths, English and the sciences. Race weekends can mean missing school on Fridays, but he says the Ron Dearing team have been supportive, helping him manage missed work and balance his academic commitments with his passion for racing.

Looking ahead, Harry plans to continue progressing in karting and hopes to enter the Ginetta Junior Scholarship, which offers a pathway into car racing. Longer term, he is aiming for a career in motorsport, either as a driver or within motorsport engineering.

Sharing his advice to other young people looking to get into kart racing, Harry said: “Do as much rental karting as you can, get as much time in the seat as possible, and don’t rush it. It is harder in our area because we’re not close to many tracks, but if you’re committed and willing to travel, you can still make it work.”