Karting’s new wonder kid aims for Schumi’s stars

This young boy is a fan of Michael Schumacher. At the tender age of nine, he has shown qualities of a future racing superstar.

In fact, his amazing stint in the TRS-PIKA Kids Karting class of the 2004 Shell Superkarting Series impressed a lot of race aficionados that he’s now tagged as "Karting’s New Wonder Kid".

"I want to be like him (Schumacher)," so says Javi Benitez who, once on the racetrack, transforms into one fierce warrior who doesn’t give up to the very end just like his idol.

That dream may not be too far away. In fact, Javi started fourth in the first heat of the kart race but finished a close second in the finals, posting a fast laptime of 40.894 seconds.

"It was a very close race. It was quite a challenge but I’m still happy I made it second," said Javi, a Grade Four student at Xavier School.

Like any ordinary kid, Javi loves to play. He’s very much into sports and just recently, he made it into the semifinals of the Smart Kid Badminton Challenge.

But his keen interest on racing is undeniable. It all started at age five when he watched a Formula One race on TV.

"Ever since that day, I’ve been a big fan of Michael Schumacher. I want to be like him."

Only last year, his father Albee Benitez enrolled him at the Tuason Racing School founded by former Karter of the Year and Asian Formula driver JP Tuason.

To Albee’s surprise, his son showed impressive skills on his first try and gave in to Javi’s wish.

"I would not have allowed him to join karting races but I myself am impressed with his skills despite his young age. I believe he has a future in this sport," said Albee.

There’s one hitch though.

"My dad wants me to focus more on studies. I guess as long as my grades are high, he’ll still allow me to race," Javi replied.