Dan Zelos has been tipped to enjoy a bright future in motorsport after concluding the 2013 national karting campaign ranked third in the country – with his team manager describing it as the talented young Norfolk speed demon’s finest year to-date and predicting that ‘the sky is the limit’.

In his sophomore season in the Mini Max class, Zelos has been nothing short of a revelation – and in the fiercely-disputed British Super 1 Series, he has by common consent been one of the most consistently classy performers.

The rapid Dereham-based hotshot tallied a trio of heat race triumphs aboard his Tooley Motorsport mount in addition to five further top three finishes, and only twice was he outside of the top ten when the chequered flag fell in the 12 finals. Indeed, six podiums secured Zelos a superb third position in the end-of-season standings amongst the 55 supremely high-calibre contenders – denied the vice-championship laurels by a mere two points.

Along the way, there was a defensive master class at Three Sisters, where he somehow staved off a marauding pack of faster karts crawling all over his rear bumper race-long to grittily snare second place.

The 15-year-old Northgate High School pupil replicated that result in the prestigious annual Kartmasters showdown at PF International – a frenetic, non-stop encounter in which no fewer than 13 drivers had a realistic shot at glory. He went one better still in the ‘O’ Plate outing at Rowrah with a commanding performance as the heavens unleashed their worst – so there is plenty to look back upon with pride.

“It’s been a successful year overall,” Zelos acknowledged. “Finishing inside the top three in the country was our stated goal, and we achieved that in the face of some extremely stiff opposition. We knew we couldn’t afford to do as much testing as many of the other drivers, so it was encouraging to be able to take the fight to them in the manner that we did.

“It was particularly satisfying to win the ‘O’ Plate, having come so close in 2012. Rowrah is one of my favourite circuits and Tooley had never won the Mini Max ‘O’ Plate before, so that made me even more determined to pull it off – and made it even more special when we did.

“There is still a tinge of disappointment at having just missed out on the ‘GP’ Plate at Kartmasters, but it was probably the toughest race I’ve ever been involved in, so we couldn’t be too unhappy to finish second and come away with a trophy.

“I feel I’ve matured as a driver and am now more confident in my own ability. I’ve definitely improved in terms of handling the pressure when I’m in the lead; last year, I would get a little bit nervous in those situations and that resulted in some costly mistakes, but with a season’s prior experience under my belt and feeling more established in the class, this year I have been a lot more composed. I’ve been one of the few drivers to have been up at the front almost every single time – and now I’m ready to take the next step.”

Those sentiments are echoed by Tooley Motorsport team manager Andrew Tooley, who is quick to praise the eye-catching progress made by the promising East Anglian teenager.

“Dan has really stepped up a level this year,” he affirmed. “The racing in the British Championship has been particularly hard, and that has taught him a lot. He has toughened up, both physically and mentally, and in his second season in the Mini Max class, he truly came into his own.

“That did wonders for his confidence, too. Before, Dan had always considered himself to be the underdog, whereas this year, he knew he was capable of competing right at the sharp end week-in, week-out – and that conviction has shone through in his performances out on-track. He demanded respect from his rivals, and he deservedly earned it.

“The biggest highlight was definitely winning the ‘O’ Plate at the British ‘Open’ Championship, up against practically all the top Mini Max drivers in the country. That was a real standout achievement, but throughout the whole year, Dan has consistently been on the pace and a leading contender across the board, at every circuit we have visited.

“He very nearly won both Kartmasters and the Super 1 round at PF International, he finished a competitive second at Rowrah and with just a few more laps, he may well have won at Glan Y Gors. He was unfortunate to be so narrowly pipped to second position in the standings in the last round at Shenington, but that does not take the gloss off what has been an excellent year for Dan – his most impressive yet, without a doubt.

“His only fault has been that he is sometimes guilty of trying too hard – but that is just an indication of his desire and hunger to succeed in this sport. Providing the budget can be found for him to take the next step, with everything Dan has learned this year, I genuinely do feel the sky is the limit.”

If you are interested in getting involved in life in the fast lane by sponsoring Dan as he prepares to take the next step in his burgeoning career, please contact his dad Andy at andy.zelos@weselltyres.com