A drag racer hopes to become the fastest ten-year-old girl in the country.

Kaitlan Deevey, who lives in East Finchley, began drag racing more than a year ago and is already competing in UK and European championships.

Last week she raced in her first Junior Dragster championship at the Santa Pod Raceway’s Festival of Power, where she only lost to the 16-year-old British number two by a hundredth of a second.

Kaitlan, a pupil at Martin Primary School in Plane Tree Walk, East Finchley, said: “I used to be a bit scared but now I love doing it.

“And last week’s result means the best racers now see me as a threat. But I want to go even faster.”

Kaitlan began drag racing, which is a type of motor racing, after her dad hired her a practice car at Santa Pod – and that same day she was offered her licence.

Her father Richard Deevey, of Lancaster Gardens, East Finchley, said: “I used to be involved with drag racing many years ago and took Kaitlan to the track last year.

“She saw all the cars and said, ‘Dad, I want one.’ I suggested maybe she would rather have a horse or something but she said no, she wanted this.

“She’s a bit of a sissy and looks so little in her car, but then she does one of the world’s most dangerous motor sports and takes to it like a duck to water.”

Due to her age, Kaitlan cannot currently race at over 80 miles per hour, but the high speeds were initially a concern to her mother Jodie McGee.

She said: “I had to go and watch her about six times before I was okay with it. But there are lots of other children so I got talking to their mums and now I’m more comfortable with it.

“Obviously I’m a mum so I still worry, but what with the helmet, suit, neck brace and everything, the safety measures are amazing. Bumper cars are more dangerous than these cars.”

Next weekend Kaitlan will compete in the Big Bang show’s Junior Dragster championship at Santa Pod Raceway, and she hopes to compete in Finland and Germany later this year.

Mr Deevey said: “I think we need more women’s racing as a lot of girls want to take part. Some people might criticise, but we don’t really care. It’s a great little sport and Kaitlan loves it.”