Toby Sowery getting ready to go out on the track
Encouraging your children to do their homework can be a hard task, helping them to do it may just be that little bit harder.
Shannon Brennan's son, Toby Sowery spends all of his spare time behind a wheel. The talented young driver has been crowned the UK EasyKart Junior National Champion for 2010 and plans to carry on adding to his gleaming achievements.
So getting him to spend that extra half-an-hour hitting the books can mostly likely seem Mission Impossible, but Toby knows that is he doesn't put in that extra bit of work, he will never achieve his dreams of racing professionally.
His mother, Shannon Brennan, accompanies him each week to races both nationally and internationally. She describes how he manages to find the balance between the sport, school and friends and the potential he has for the future.
"At the age of three when Toby was first taken to a Go Karting track on a family holiday, he has been captivated by the sport and the level of commitment, dedication and passion that he has applied to it has been really impressive," says Shannon. 
"Having a natural driving ability and seeing Toby give 110 per cent each week makes it a joy to support him, although it has become something we quite often live and breathe.
"Whereas many parents of a 14-year-old might be worrying about their child going out with friends and getting into trouble, my concerns are on how well Toby will do in the next race, what equipment and engines to race and how I will fund the next season - something I am determined to find a way of doing to offer him the best chance of success in moving further up the path towards Formula 1 racing.
"However, I love to see him switch off from racing and go out on his BMX with his friends where he socialises and does what normal 14-year-old boys do. I am so proud of him."
We took some time to speak to Toby to ask him how he juggles schoolwork, what hopes he has for the future and what he misses the most when travelling.
You've been racing for years now, do you still get the same feeling when you step into the kart?
Yes I still get a constant buzz even after all this time! Although I'm a bit nervous at the start of a race, the adrenaline overcomes any nerves and I just look forward to winning.
How much time do you spend behind a wheel each week?
I spend virtually weekend racing so this is usually between 2 - 3 hours racing over the weekend, which does not sound a lot but driving a kart at speeds of around 70-80mph is physically exhausting. When I'm testing in school holidays, I can spend a lot more time in the, but as I don't have to concentrate on racing then it isn't as tiring as a race meeting.
You're currently concentrating on winning two national kart championships, what sort of training do you carry out?
Last year my mum and I decided to enter two national championships to gain an even better reputation and we had to look at our calendar and budget to work this out, especially as the races are all over the UK. I am half way through both of the championships but I still have another 6 weekend to race (3 of each).
To keep up with my fitness I go to the gym three times a week and in addition I either cycle (with my mum) or jog about 4 miles. But before a race weekend I have a day off to allow my body to rest. Some evenings it is hard to get going, but at the end of the day I have to because you have to be extremely fit to drive.
What does moving into a single-seat car mean to you?
Moving to single-seat cars, such as a formula ford, is a natural progression from karting into cars and is something that I have always aimed to do. It also means that my mum is working really hard to try and raise funds so I can continue my career and aim for the top!
At what age do you hope to be a professional race driver?
The latest would be 22-years-old, but I would like to achieve this by the age of 19 - 20.
Who is your inspiration for driving? Any heroes?
Jenson Button is my inspiration, as he is an intelligent, consistent and smooth driver. But my hero would be Ayrton Senna, mainly because he was so dedicated and became the all time best driver.
How do you cope with this sport and all your school work?
It can be difficult to fit school work in, but I work hard to keep on top of this and my teachers really support me. School understand if I cannot complete work and give me extra time to complete my homework but only if I have big races- otherwise it’s up to me to get it done and if I didn’t my mum would kill me!
What's it like having to do school work whilst on the road?
It can be tough so I try to finish my course work after school that leaves me weekends to focus on my racing. But sometimes I have to still do some at weekends which can be tough but I understand how important it is to keep on top of it and so I always make sure that I do.
What do you miss most about school when you're travelling?
I really miss my friends but then I’m always dying to get back to tell them about it! Although, when I’m racing, I haven’t really got the time to think about school as I am so focused but I always look forward to getting back as I really enjoy school.
Tell us about what you like to do in your spare-time?
I don't get a lot of spare time, but in holidays when I'm not racing I go out on my BMX with my mates. The music I like is quite varied, so I like everything from Calvin Harris to Chase&Status to Usher. I also like Beyonce as she is pretty fit!! I have a PS3 and whilst I love racing games such as F1 2010 and Grand Turismo 5, I also like Call of Duty.
Do you have any message for you peers?
Work hard at school as you always need a plan B in case things don't work out, but have fun and always aim for your dreams
Femalefirst Taryn Davies
Encouraging your children to do their homework can be a hard task, helping them to do it may just be that little bit harder.
It [driving] has become something that we quite often live and breathe
Shannon Brennan's son, Toby Sowery spends all of his spare time behind a wheel. The talented young driver has been crowned the UK EasyKart Junior National Champion for 2010 and plans to carry on adding to his gleaming achievements.
So getting him to spend that extra half-an-hour hitting the books can mostly likely seem Mission Impossible, but Toby knows that is he doesn't put in that extra bit of work, he will never achieve his dreams of racing professionally.
His mother, Shannon Brennan, accompanies him each week to races both nationally and internationally. She describes how he manages to find the balance between the sport, school and friends and the potential he has for the future.
"At the age of three when Toby was first taken to a Go Karting track on a family holiday, he has been captivated by the sport and the level of commitment, dedication and passion that he has applied to it has been really impressive," says Shannon.
"Having a natural driving ability and seeing Toby give 110 per cent each week makes it a joy to support him, although it has become something we quite often live and breathe.
"Whereas many parents of a 14-year-old might be worrying about their child going out with friends and getting into trouble, my concerns are on how well Toby will do in the next race, what equipment and engines to race and how I will fund the next season - something I am determined to find a way of doing to offer him the best chance of success in moving further up the path towards Formula 1 racing.
"However, I love to see him switch off from racing and go out on his BMX with his friends where he socialises and does what normal 14-year-old boys do. I am so proud of him."
We took some time to speak to Toby to ask him how he juggles schoolwork, what hopes he has for the future and what he misses the most when travelling.
You've been racing for years now, do you still get the same feeling when you step into the kart?
Tagged in Parenting