Blackburn's Jonathan Walker has moved up to third place in the Super 1 Series MSA British Karting championships.

Competing in the Senior Formula A class at Larkhall, in Scotland, he was victorious in both rounds of the championship and is now just 12 points adrift of defending champion Mark Litchfield.

"I qualified second, which I was very happy about," said Walker.

"Championship contender Chris Rodgers was just two thousandths of a second ahead of me and that meant that I started on the front row for the two of the days heats.

"In heat one, I didn't get the best of starts and finished third. In heat two, I got knocked off, restarted, and only finished 15th, which put me seventh on the grid for the first final."

The two 18-lap finals score points toward the MSA British Championship.

In final one, Walker battled his way to the front. He added: "I gradually worked my way through, taking the lead on lap eight. I then eased away from the rest and won comfortably."

In final two, Walker dominated the race, taking an immediate lead at the start. He was never challenged and led for the full race distance.

He added: "You have to be very smooth here and the tight twisty circuit really suits my driving style. The kart was set up perfectly and to win both races is fantastic."

Walker also competes on the continent and this weekend he will be racing in the Italian Championships at Garda in Southern Italy.

l Burnley karting brothers Mark and Thomas Balmer had disappointing days at the Larkhall event.

Both of the lads compete in the same class, Junior ICA, which is a 100cc fixed gear racing kart and is capable of speeds in excess of 80mph.

Eldest of the two, 15-year-old Mark qualified 25th and could only finish 19th and ninth in the heats. In final one, he managed 14th position, but in final two was back in 19th.

Thomas (13) faired no better, his ninth in qualifying proving a fairly creditable spot, but eighth in heat one was his best of the day, finishing 19th in heat two.

In final one, he was 21st, while in final two he finished just one place ahead of his brother in 18th.

Their next event is at Shenington, near Banbury, Oxon, on the July 8.