SINGLE Seater star Tom Bradshaw has got this year's Formula Palmer Audi title firmly in his sights.

The series kicks off at Donington Park this weekend, and Bradshaw, 18, is considered one of the UK's brightest young talents, having won the 2006 North West Formula Ford Championship.

"I'm relatively inexperienced, most of the other drivers have been racing since they were seven or eight years old," said Tom, who lives in Blackburn.

"To finish sixth, with five podiums after a troublesome start last year, was really good. There is no reason why I can't win it this time."

And the teenager has clinched a deal for a second year of sponsorship with Accident Exchange, the UK's largest accident management provider, to help him with his bid.

Rated by many as one of the best young prospects in British motorsport, Bradshaw eschewed the traditional racing route, winning the North West Formula Ford title in his first full year of racing.

He originally took up racing so that he could compete against his father John in classic Formula 3 cars, but his blistering pace has stood him out as a potential star of the future.

Bradshaw now hopes one day to emulate the nine previous FPA graduates to progress to Formula 1.

Entering its 11th year, Formula Palmer Audi has re-established itself as a hot-bed of future motorsport talent.

Nine FPA graduates have progressed to Formula One, with many more racing in premier international championships such as Champ Cars, DTM, Japanese Super GT, British Touring Cars, LMES and World Touring Cars.

The battle for the prestigious FPA crown will be fought over 20, condensed into eight rounds at tracks such as Brands Hatch, Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.

Supporting prestigious events such as the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport and the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the 2008 FPA season kicks off at Donington Park on April 12/13.

l David Leslie and Richard Lloyd will be remembered and honoured with a period of applause on the grid for the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship's first race at Rockingham on Sunday.

Hugely successful and popular within the BTCC, David and Richard tragically lost their lives in an air crash near Biggin Hill last month.