YOUNG grasstrack racer Tom Brennan claimed the 50cc ACU British Championship title at the Youth Nationals at Winchester.

Son of the renowned National Hunt horse racing trainers, the eight-year-old from Kingston Lisle used a different type of horsepower as he powered to victory on his KTM machine.

In only his third season of racing, the Uffington Primary School pupil quickly mastered the fast 400-yard grass oval, finding the form that has made him the dominant force in the class this year.

With the event being run over four heats and a final, the young racer was to meet his fierce rival, Exeter's Henry Atkins, in heats one and four.

The tapes went up for heat one and after four blistering laps, Brennan, pictured, took a convincing win as he left the competition trailing in his exhaust fumes.

Two more wins followed in heats two and three as the diminutive rider cemented his points lead.

But the fourth heat did not go to plan and threw the title race wide open again, as Atkins took top spot.

The track was now considerably dried out, suiting the set up of Atkins’ machine much more than Brennan’s.

Tom’s brother Ben, his mechanic, decided to gamble with the gearing ahead of the final.

Disaster struck as Tom produced his worst start of the day and found himself down in fifth after the first lap.

But digging deep, he picked off two more places on lap two and lined himself up behind the leaders.

On lap three, Brennan produced his winning move as he dived under the two front-runners to take the lead in spectacular style.

And with a clear track ahead, the new gearing served him well as he took the title to much applause.

Brennan has emerged triumphant in events around the country in recent times, picking up an impressive five club championships along the way.

He has also won the well-known Wimborne Junior Whoppa national meeting.