BOLTON youngster Joe Haines is on the fast track to success.

Joe, a pupil at St Peter's Primary School in Smithills Dean, is a British champion at the age of eight.

His chosen sport is grasstrack bike racing and he has his uncle to thank for his already impressive successes.

James has been obsessed with bikes since being a baby, according to his mum, Linda, and wanted to race ever since watching his uncle hit the track.

This is Joe's second season and he has been racing for 18 months, since the age of seven.

Joe rides for the Lancashire and Yorkshire grasstrack clubs and has just won the AUC Challenge in Cornwall to add more silverware to what could become a very valuable trophy cabinet.

Joe rides a New Track Kawasaki bike which costs more than £2,500 and has a 60cc engine which was added later.

The bikes have gears and it is looking like Joe is still in the first gear of his fledgling racing career.

The youngster's meteoric progress has been helped by sponsors Houseman Racing, NuTrack and Doug Hacking.