Top New Zealand karter Nick Cassidy will graduate to cars this summer courtesy of New Zealand SpeedSport magazine's annual Star of Tomorrow Scholarship.
Each season the winner of the annual Scholarship - now in its eighth year - earns an all-expenses-paid drive in the New Zealand Formula FirstChampionship.
And this month, 13-year-old Westlake Boys High School year 9 student Cassidy fought off seven other hopefuls from around New Zealand to be that driver.
Commenting on the weekend's proceedings, SpeedSport's publisher Grant McDonald said competition this year was as tough - if not tougher - than ever, with Cassidy pushed all the way by fellow karter David Meszaros, 17, from Tokoroa.
"Nick was the dominant figure in his sessions, but in saying that it was exceptionally close this year. David really stepped up to the plate and it was really only towards the very end ... that Nicholas edged ahead."
This is not surprising, since from an early age Cassidy has marked himself out as a driver to watch.
In 2004 he won the Cadet class title at KartSport New Zealand's annual Sprint Kart championships and over the years he has also won four class titles each at North Island championship and CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher meetings.
And if the name rings a bell, it is for a good reason. When the Herald cast around for a current karter most likely to follow in the footsteps of 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon, Cassidy's was the name which kept coming up - he was the driver sportswriter Chris Rattue profiled.
Scholarship winner Cassidy is in good company. Since its launch the programme, run by Sabre Motorsport of Palmerston North, has unearthed talent such as Stone Brothers Racing's fast-rising V8 Supercar star Shane van Gisbergen.
