DANNY Kent has come a long way since the days where he was practising on mini-motos at a go-kart track in Chippenham.

On Saturday, the 21-year-old became the first British motorcycle rider in nearly four decades - after Barry Sheene - to become world champion when he lifted the Moto3 crown at the final round in Valencia.

It has been far from an easy road for the Chippenham-born racer and he almost had to turn his back on the sport when he was just 14.

However, Kent was spotted by the MotoGp academy in Spain and earned his place in the Red Bull Rookies where he was just a point away from winning the championship in his first year.

“It was a very important moment for me,” the former Hardenhuish School pupil told the Gazette & Herald.

“For any rider it is difficult to get into the World Championship and there are only so many ways you can break through unless you have a lot of money.”

In 2013, Kent was given his chance in Moto2, the second tier of world motorbikes, but he struggled as his father, Martyn, who had previously given up his job as a mechanic at a stone masonry to become Kent’s mechanic at Red Bull, was diagnosed with two brain aneurysms.

“If it wasn’t for my family then we wouldn’t be where I am now and they have all sacrificed a lot to get me to where I am to this day,” added Kent.

“He (Martyn) is still in and out of hospital and 2013 wasn’t the easiest of years.”

However, after lifting the Moto3 trophy on Saturday, having won six of the 18 races, including a first success at his home Grand Prix at Silverstone, Kent is now hoping for a different outcome from his second crack at Moto2.

“It is well known that the bike I was using was not the best,” explained Kent.

“We can’t compare that year to next year, because next year we go into it with a great team and using the mechanics bike which, at the moment, is the best to be on.”

Kent, who was approached by three MotoGP teams after his flying start to the last campaign, has set himself no targets but is hoping that next season could be his ticket to pitting himself against the best in the world.

“We want to finish as high as possible, but the main thing is we need to work hard in the winter,” said Kent, who is now in Jerez, Spain, for two days of practice before returning home this weekend for a winter break.

“During this year, after the start I had, we has two or three options to go to MotoGP next year and of course this is a great feeling for any rider.

“It is a dream to go to MotoGP but we thought for my career in the long term it is best for me to do a year in Moto2 and try and get good results there and then hopefully go to a factory team in 2017.”

n More on Danny Kent’s Moto3 success: Page 83