‘Brave’ and ‘determined’ Bridlington teenage girl wins multiple karting championships
A teenage girl from Bridlington has been taking the karting world by storm this year, winning championships and leaving older competitors in the dust.
Gracie Thompson,14, from Bridlington, is celebrating a record-breaking NATSKA Championship (National Association for School and Youth Group Karting). She takes part in the Class 11 MSUK—which is one of the largest and most challenging karting classes in the UK. Together with her dad, who is her mechanic and biggest support, she has been racing across the UK winning titles wherever she goes.
Gracie races with Team NRD (National Race Developments, and this year has been a huge success for her. She has won the 2025 Class 11 Championship, the 2025 MSUK Sprint Championship and she currently holds the S Plate, which means she is the top-ranked driver in her class across the UK.
Mr Thompson, Gracie’s dad, said: “When I first saw Gracie on track, I knew she had something different.
“She’s brave, determined, and completely in control. As her mechanic I see her push limits every lap, and as her dad- it’s both exciting and terrifying! But I couldn’t be prouder.
“I’m the cleaner, the coach, the trailer driver, and sometimes even the chef—but most importantly I’m her dad. What we’ve built as a team is something I’ll always be proud of”
This season, Gracie has been travelling across the UK, experiencing a wide variety of different tracks for her to test her metal on. She has gained a wealth of new experiences racing on tight corners, fast straights, and tricky surfaces—and learning new tracks has helped make Gracie a better racer.
Gracie Thompson said: “I first tried karting at Hull Karting, and I was instantly hooked! “I loved the speed and the feeling of control. Pretty quickly, I noticed that I could keep up with—and often beat—older and more experienced drivers, most of whom were boys. That’s when I knew I wanted to take it further.
“My class isn’t restricted by age, it's up to 18 years old, which means I often race against drivers who are older and have been karting for much longer. With up to 36 drivers on the grid, the racing is fast, aggressive, and intense—but I love it. When I get podiums or win races, it means that much more because I know how tough the competition is.
“My dad has been by my side from the beginning. He’s helped me get into competitive racing, and now we run the team together.
“He’s not just my mechanic—he does everything from managing the kart to making sure I’m ready on race day.
“My dad and my brother used to race cars together, but he’s grown up now so I’m hoping in the future I’ll have the chance to race cars as well. That’s where I can see my future in motorsport.
“In the short term, I’m focused on defending my title, improving my skills, and growing my online presence to reach more people and sponsors. I’ve also started working on Sim Racing to get even more experience.
“In the long run, I want to move into bigger and faster classes—and eventually into racing cars. My dream is to race in a series like the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), the Vertu Mini Challenge, or the CityCar Cup.
“We regularly attend race meetings just to watch and soak up the atmosphere when we have time between my own racing calendar that is. I love the smells, the noise of the engines, everything. It’s literally my favourite thing after racing.
“If anyone would like to get involved—whether through sponsorship, local backing, or even just helping to share my journey—I’d honestly be so grateful. Every bit of support helps, from Engines, tyres and travel to entry fees and equipment and spares especially when you’re racing at national level.
“And it’s not all just about me. It’s about what we can give back to our sponsors too. We offer sponsorship packs with options for branding on the kart, suit, helmet, trailer, shoutouts on social media, sponsor spotlight videos, local appearances, and more.
“I love representing businesses that support young talent—and I always make sure my sponsors feel part of the team.
“Sponsorship with us isn’t just a donation—it’s a partnership. Together, we can show what’s possible when local support powers big dreams!”
Visit https://linktr.ee/Gracie_Thompson_RacingGFORCE71 to find out more and those interested in supporting Gracie can email [email protected].