As it turns out, one of the best go-kart drivers in the country is a nine-year-old from Lumsden, Sask. The pint-sized speed demon has earned himself a trip to Bahrain, to represent Team Canada on the racetrack.

Jack Klym was born to burn rubber. The nine-year-old says he’s been racing at the WF Botkin Racetrack in Lumsden ever since he first saw go-karts on the track.

Jack was just six-years-old when he was coming home from a dirt bike track located next door to the speedway.

“We saw go-karting. So, we came over for a day, and asked if we could test it, and we liked it. So, we tried it again – did a race the next year. We loved it, so we kept doing it,” he told CTV News.

“I think Jack was hooked after that – [he] was the always kind of a motorsport little kid,” Jack’s mother Christie Klym said.

“He has been riding around on little quads and electric vehicles since I think he was two — ripping around our yard, ripping around the farm. I think he’s been parallel parking since he was two. He’s a better driver than I am,” she laughed.

Now three years into his racing career, Jack has travelled across the continent to pursue the sport.

Training has taken him to Saskatoon and Chilliwack, B.C. — while the family has travelled as far south as Orlando and Phoenix to check out different tracks and racing styles.

He hopes to attend an upcoming race in Germany prior to travelling to the Middle East.

“Being able to try a race in Europe before going down, gives him a bit of a leg up,” Christie explained. “Canadian and U.S. racing is tough, but European racing is a little more aggressive.”

Much like full-sized auto racing – the sport is an expensive endeavour. As a result, Jack has acquired various sponsors.

“It’s not a cheap sport to be in … So, we have South Country Equipment, Syngenta, Conexus Credit Union, Next Seed and Echo Valley Motors … and then Journey Driving Academy has helped sponsor Jack as well,” Christie explained.

“Without those sponsorships this year, he wouldn’t have been able to go to the races and get the training that he’s needed to get to this point.”

Reaching speeds of more than 100 km/h on the track — the safety procedures for go-karts become even more important than the race itself.

“We have bumpers in front, we have a rear protector, a suit. You can have a balaclava, a neck protector and gloves,” Jack explained.

Christie says her heart races just as fast on the sidelines every time Jack goes out on the track.

“Its definitely high anxiety,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s ever going to get easier on my mom heart.”

The fourth grader will race against the fastest 7 to 10-year-olds in the world at the Rotax Grand Finals, in Bahrain this November.

Jack officially claimed his ticket to the international finals after winning big at the Max Karting Group Final near Edmonton earlier this month. The speedster stayed in the top three the entire weekend before clinching the title.

His mother says competing is a part of Jack’s nature.

“He’s always been highly competitive. Very coachable, very easygoing,” Christie said. “We’re pretty proud of him.”

While still years away from getting his drivers license — Jack has a dream of eventually breaking into rallycross racing.

“I don’t know if my heart can handle that,” Christie added. “But that’s where he would really like to go and so, any type of driving gets him to that kind of training.”

With the months quickly passing by, Jack is preparing to be at his best as he represents Canada on the world stage — halfway across the globe.

His mindset is simple.

“Just try to be smart on the track,” he said. “Being calm and making right decisions.”