Autistic Racing Driver 14 Stars in CBBC Documentary
An inspiring fourteen year old racing driver from Rochdale is the star in a documentary following his journey from kart racing to cars.
Sandro Ballesteros was diagnosed with autism aged three, and his obsession with wheels led to his first drive in a kart age five. Racing quickly became his passion, and after competing in multiple karting championships he is now chasing his dream of becoming a professional racing driver. The documentary, "My Life; On the Fast Track", by award winning The Format Factory, is due to air on CBBC on March 31st at 6pm, and follows Sandros' journey from his first drive of a racing car through to competing in his first ever race in the Junior Saloon Car Championships' season finale in front of a huge crowd.
Director Ben Field said: "This film was a real pleasure to create; Sandro is a positive, driven young man with exceptional talent who sets an amazing example for young adults around the country.
"This documentary really is a coming of age story and watching him grow supported by his incredible network of family and friends is a joy to have been part of. I'm looking forward to seeing what he can achieve in the future."
Sandro was helped to gain his ARDS race licence by his friend and mentor Matty Street of X-Kart and TeamKarting who welcomed Sandro onto his grass roots ‘Karting to Cars’ initiative. In the short four months that followed Sandro was filmed as he raised funds and sponsorship to buy his own racecar, launched his website and clothing brand #OneNine, continued with his autism presentations in schools, secured a 2nd and 4th place in kart championships, then at the beginning of November, completed the transition from karting to racecar, joining the JSCC grid for his debut race at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit still with only a few hours experience in a car.
Sandro said " It has been a great experience which I will never forget. All the hours I spent sim racing under lockdown really helped me make the move to a real car in such a short time. The test for my race licence was still nerve wracking though, especially with the added pressure of a film crew watching over my shoulder. Very proud, and so grateful to all the people who believed in me and came forward with support. I am now working hard towards this years season opener at Silverstone on the 26th March, and hoping to raise the funds to complete the full 2022 season."
You can read the article here
https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/4/sport-news/145226/autistic-racing-driver-14-stars-in-cbbc-documentary
Comments