KEY POINTS:
Days after Scott Dixon's grand Indy500 triumph, the latest Kiwi go-kart prodigy was making the big move to follow in his superstar tracks.
Thirteen-year-old Nick Cassidy, from Whenuapai, secured the licence this week enabling him to compete in the four-race Formula First winter series at Manfeild.
The Cassidy
story is of a youngster who, after being initially inspired by his father Peter's love of motorsport, has set himself a big dream of becoming a Formula One driver and is dedicating his life to pursuing this goal.
There are obvious risks in bracketing a youngster alongside an international star such as Dixon, let alone suggesting this kid will graduate from the kart tracks of Mt Wellington and Rosebank Rd to roaring around Monaco in a McLaren or Ferrari.
But in this glorious week for New Zealand motor sport, anything seems possible and Cassidy is also a reminder of what Dixon negotiated to become a world star.
Dixon started go-karting aged seven, and made the headlines as a trailblazing 13-year-old car racer.
Cassidy is realistic about breaking into the big time, saying the road appears narrower as he gets older. He is undaunted though, and increasingly determined.
He first watched F1 races at the age of three, was driving a 5hp kart at four and leapt into a competitive kart at the minimum age of six.
At nine, he won the cadet (under-12) national sprint title, having won a North Island title two years earlier.
"I was big for my age and people didn't realise how old I was. When they found out they were quite shocked," he recalls.
Trophy after trophy followed, and observers say there is a Dixon touch to Cassidy's personality. He's also succeeded at a wide range of other sports and is a good student. He's one of those rare kids that seem pre-designed to race cars, reported one insider to the Herald.
Cassidy's parents recall that even as a mite he displayed an outlandish competitiveness. Teachers reported that he wanted to race and beat everybody at absolutely everything.
One told Paulette Cassidy her six-year-old son was delaying the start to his writing routines to turn the exercises into handicap races.
Cassidy says: ` I'm very competitive _ I never like to lose, but I always play fair."
Farm paddocks were the traditional breeding tracks which produced motorsport stars such as Chris Amon, but karting has taken over since it embraced juniors.
The go-kart world is studded with Cassidy-type stories. The first young star to emerge was Craig Baird in the 1980s, and many others including Greg Murphy and Dixon have followed.
Karting is a world of driven family sport, of camaraderie and the odd controversy, applause and even unsavoury accusations.
I
The karts are the high priests of racing efficiency, an engine and frame deal of instant acceleration. Added weight ensures all drivers are on an equal footing.
The 100cc to 125cc engines can average about 90kph around courses, and require stamina and strength to deal with powerful G-forces.
Cassidy broke a rib early this year after crunching into the hard seat _ padding would prevent a good feel of the kart's moves.
The karts are not geared and Peter Cassidy says one of his son's big strengths is a strong mechanical knowledge _ the drivers tune the engine as they go.
Cassidy's dedicated kart career is over however, as the Westlake Boys High student steps into the world of open-wheeled car racing at Manfeild in a fortnight.
He will be following his karting rival Mitchell Evans _ a son of the land speed ace Owen Evans _ who finished an impressive ninth in the latest Formula First series despite missing two races.
Peter Cassidy is a marketing manager and Paulette a contract accountant. They have one other son, 11-year-old Alex. By no means filthy rich, they have ploughed tens of thousands of dollars into their son's racing dream.
They are also nearing the point where the much vaster amounts of money needed to launch Dixon's career are coming into view.
There are various reports of what the Dixon backers invested to kick-start his career. Some say it was as high as $1m, others believe it was half that. Dixon helped the situation by succeeding early in America.
Dixon's American venture, which began in Indy Lights, was facilitated by the Kiwi motor racing legend Kenny Smith. Smith was inspired by a well-substantiated belief that Dixon was a star in the making and used old contacts to find a team to test him in return for a US$10,000 ($12,801) fee.
Smith has told Cassidy never to worry about money until the hour of need arrives.
So for now, the youngster concentrates on all the small steps in front of him, starting with the Formula Firsts.
He began promisingly in two test sessions, getting close to lap record times in an unfamiliar car while changing gears for the first time.
The Formula First series is about skill rather than power. While not the most exhilarating class, it is a chance to learn the game, including how to use drafting.
Cassidy's first hero was the hard-headed Michael Schumacher _ "he won his first championship the year I was born" _ and the youngster has an iron-willed determination as a major trump card to play.
He works out every day, and his training includes a little F1 steering wheel attached to a screen simulator that lets him race all the great tracks of the world.
"I live and breathe F1," he says. "Not many Kiwis have ever made it to the big time and Scott Dixon has given me extra hope. I would love to achieve something like that.
Confident but not cocky. "I plan to win at everything I do and I'm going to have to pick things up quick in the cars. The pressure is on and the other guys are very experienced ...
"Preparation, understanding, thinking _ I don't quite know how to say it but that's what being a good driver is about.
"I've read all the F1 books and one thing that stood out was something Lewis Hamilton said."He didn't come from a very rich family and his dad used to work three jobs."
Dad hasn't had to do that but we're not the richest family out there and reading that has given me more hope for my dream."
"Others might say they have the same dream, but I'd say that I want it four times as much."
