Karting: A trip to make dreams come true

Northland's leading junior karter Thomas McLean heads out of the country on Sunday, embarking on a trip to the US and taking a major step towards his goal of becoming a driver in the much celebrated North American Nascar series.

The 14-year-old Whangarei local is proving to be the most successful junior karter at the moment, with a list of impressive results, including winning the Top Half Series three years in succession.

McLean, along with his parents Murray and Carolyn, and sisters Emma and Alyce, will head to St Louis, Illinois, where they will be received as guests of Margay Racing who support McLean Motorsport by supplying kart chassis and technical support.

The aim of the tour is to reinforce current relationships there while also establishing new ones in American motorsport.

The McLean family hope this will aid Thomas' endeavours in New Zealand and open opportunities for him to enter the NASCAR series in the future.

It is his ambition to become NZ's first professional Nascar driver, the leading motorsport formula in the country and watched all around the world.

It has been a long, hard road leading up to the three-week tour which has included diligent fundraising involving the entire family, with sausage sizzles the general event of choice.

"After six months of hard work fundraising, the day has finally arrived for packing bags and getting ready to fly out on Sunday," Carolyn McLean said.

Thomas' first race meeting will be at Quincy, Illinois on April 14-15, and the second meet is scheduled for April 21-22, at Springfield, Illinois.