HOOK kart racer Ricky Collard will be aiming to win the CIK FIA U18 world championship crown as he travels to Bahrain for the final round this weekend.

The 16-year-old will be supported by his father Rob Collard, whose British Touring Car Championship season has now finished.

The teenage karter said: “This year I have finished in a very frustrating fifth position in the British championship. I just have not been able to string things together, because of mechanical gremlins and crashes.”

It has been very different in the world championships, with support from Racing Steps Foundation.

After finishing third in the last event in France, the Hook karter goes into the final event fourth in the standings, but still in with a chance of lifting the crown.

Collard added: “It is not going to be easy and I’m definitely going to be seen as a dark horse going into the last round at Bahrain.”

His father Rob is looking forward to the trip and said: “I think Ricky has a great chance and really hope he does well as he deserves it for all the hard work he has put in this season.”

Collard senior, along with Odiham’s Nick Foster, suffered a disappointing end to their British Touring Car season at the Brands Hatch GP circuit as e-bay Motors missed out on the independent team prize.

Collard also saw his hopes of victory in the independent drivers’ championships dashed after he was knocked off the circuit on the opening lap of race two and had to watch Andrew Jordan take the crown.

The Hook driver finished sixth in the opening race, but moved up to third at the start of race two.

Collard was then hit and spun around by eventual overall individual champion Gordon Shedden, who had been hit up the back by Jason Plato as the three drivers came into Druids.

Collard said: “I had made the start and was in front of Andy (Jordan) when I got hit and that ended my hopes of taking the privateers’ title. I still finished fifth overall, which was my best so far so I am happy with that.

“I think I had a good season, it was just the final meeting that ruined it. I hope to be back with e-bay next year.”

Foster also had an eventful race two as he was taken out by Andy Welch on lap six. This forced him off the track and down to last place as he failed to make the top 10 in all three races.

He had to settle for 11th place overall and seventh spot in the independent title race.

Foster said: “We came to Brands after great results at Silverstone, but the wet conditions never really suited the car on race day. I would love to race for the team again next season as I think the team will have a very competitive car.”

The first race of next season’s BTCC is once again at Brands Hatch on the last weekend of March and the championship returns to Thruxton on May 4 and 5.