PETROLHEAD Ben Conolly has launched a charity to give drivers with disabilities the thrill of powering around a race track.

The 17-year-old's ambition to be a professional drifter, and his plans to share the buzz of driving with others, is giving him a new lease of life, after he was diagnosed with blood cancer in October 2013.

He is still in a wheelchair and having chemotherapy but last weekend at the launch of his charity, Go! Inspire, he was tearing around the track at Castle Combe with Grand Prix driver Dino Zamparelli.

Ben's mum Suzi said it was scary for her to watch her son in action, but said: "I just want Benjamin to be happy. He's getting so much joy out of being in this racing world. I love to see him smiling.

"In the last few months I've seen him grow in confidence and mature incredibly."

Dave Gallop, the owner of Track Developments near Norton, decided to donate a kit car to Ben after seeing a video posted online of him going round Castle Combe circuit with fellow racing enthusiast Ed Pollit, a friend of the Conolly family.

Bristol Kit Car Club, of which Mr Politt is a member, then offered to build it with special hand controls for the charity Ben was trying to get going.

Go! Inspire was launched on Saturday by Zamparelli at Castle Combe, which is going to provide a venue for the charity events.

Ben, of Malmesbury Road, Chippenham, said: “The plan is to get other disabled people and anyone who hasn’t got use of their legs to get back into motorsport.”

Zamparelli, who drives a Porsche, said: “I will raise the profile where I can.

“Ben and I did a few laps at Castle Combe on Saturday. There were a couple of scary moments for both of us.”

Ian Tapping, of Bristol Kit Car Club, said they hoped to have the car ready to go out on the track by next spring. He said: “I was inspired by Ben and we wanted to help him and everybody like him.”

Mr Politt said: “It will be great to get them out of the wheelchair and into a kit car to give them this great sense of freedom.”

When Ben was 14, his dad Sam took him to Donington Park and they saw demonstration drift driver Steve ‘Baggsy’ Biagioni. “We got talking to him and he took Ben around the circuit," said Mr Conolly. "From there on he’s been absolutely bonkers about it.”

Keep checking www.goinspirenow.org to find out how to help.