JOE Talbot has made a strong start to a new chapter in his motorsport career.

While at Lymm High School last year, then aged 15, he won the Thundersport GB Superteens after leading the championship after every round.

He finished 200 points clear of the runner up and decided to take ma big step this season.

Talbot, now 16, has moved into the British Superbike Championship, riding in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship and got his first taste at the weekend.

He was involved in testing all over the winter on his new bike, the JR Performance Racing Kawasaki ZX6-R 636.

And he completed the official test at Silverstone on July 17, finishing 14th fastest on what was his first experience riding the famous track.

“What an experience,” he said.

And he featured in the second official BSB test on July 28, finishing third up against the best riders in the country.

Moving on to his first races of the season, though, he was back at Thundersport GB in the Elite 600 and “The Duke Of Donington” races – a mix of 600cc and 1000cc machines.

Qualifying for grid positions was held on Saturday morning and he qualified in 11th place.

The following day he was eighth in the Elite 600 race and 13th overall in the big race – fourth 600 home.

On the Sunday he had four more races, clinching fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth positions.

That all led to his debut in the Pirelli National Superstock 600 Championship at Donington Park at the weekend, when he finished eighth and 10th in the practice races, 12th in qualifying, 15th in the warm-up and then ninth in the Championship race to collect seven points.

He will head to Snetterton in Norwich for the second round on August 21-23.