GUTSY Sam Webster proved his mettle at the PF International Kart Circuit near Grantham to secure an invite to the World Under-18 Championships.

The European Qualifier was the Weymouth teenager’s first foray into international karting and despite going out in the third and final qualifying session at around 6pm, he still finished 24th out of 82 entrants.

The track had cooled and the sun had dipped below the large banks surrounding the circuit but Webster managed to save his best until last by jumping up the rankings on his final lap.

Webster said: “It took ages for the kart to come on as it was a lot colder that much later in the day.”

The bad fortune continued with Webster being inadvertently knocked off the track in three out of the four heats, mainly due to the do-or-die attitude of many of his rivals.

The talented driver was holding sixth spot and seventh place when he got taken out in two of those races, so a fourth-placed finish in the second heat was only a small consolation.

Despite his frustration, Webster was still confident he could do the business in the B Finals where the top nine on aggregate over the two races would gain qualification to the European Finals in Spain.

The 14-year-old lined up on grid seven and by the second corner he had taken third only for disaster to strike yet again when another pile-up behind him saw his exhaust ripped off the engine.

The youngster desperately tried to refit it at the trackside with no success, which saw his hopes of qualifying disappear, but he was still determined to prove a point in the second race.

Starting dead last (34th), following some minor repairs to his kart, Webster produced an unbelievable drive to weave his way through the pack and finish 10th.

It was clear that he may have probably qualified without such bad luck but his disappointment quickly disappeared thanks to a call from team principal Martin Hines of Zip Kart, who informed him that the Racing Steps Foundation had decided to enter him in this year’s World Under-18 Championships.

The foundation had been so impressed with Webster’s maturity and determination in the second B finals race that they felt he deserved such an opportunity, which will see him take part in three rounds in France, Italy and Bahrain.

Webster’s mother Kerrie said: “Sam now has a great chance to really prove his worth and we would like to thank all the RSF team for their assistance and continued support.”