Aussie kid Dexter Warren wins motorsport world championship

At just 10 years old, Australian Dexter Warren has become one of the youngest ever motorsport world champions after victory in an off-road kart race in the US.

Rocking a strong mullet, the South Australian youngster won the UTV World Championship in Barstow, California, last week and celebrated by spraying apple cider, doing a shoey* and giving the crowd an “Aussie, Aussie Aussie, oi, oi, oi” shout.

He is the first Australian youth and first ever international youth driver to win the title.

Dexter said it felt “pretty cool” to be a world champ.

“I have had a lot of fun in my career so far but it feels pretty cool to be a world champion,” he said.

“I am happy that I have been able to travel around the world to compete because I’m only 10 years old. I hope this can be my career for a long time.

“I stood up on the roof of my 170 race car and sprayed the bottle (of apple cider). Then I took off my shoe as quickly as I could and poured the rest of the apple cider in my shoe and sculled it.

“I will definitely keep celebrating like this, it makes whatever I pour in my shoe a little bit tangy.”

Dexter, who was born in Tasmania and then moved to Two Wells in South Australia, started racing in 2019 and has won many titles and major races.

He said his passion for racing began when his parents, Rob and Mel Warren, bought him a ride-on car when he was a toddler.

“I used to race around on it everywhere and I loved it,” he said.

“When I was three I started driving a basic go kart around the Two Wells football oval.”

At the age of five, Dexter started racing dirt karts. He said he was “pretty good” so his dad looked into racing and found American Jimmy Owens from Xtreme Machine and Fabrication who builds 170 SxS vehicles.

“He invited us to come over to Phoenix, Arizona, and we started racing 170s,” Dexter explained.

“I had potential* so we came back to America to continue racing because Youth SxS is not yet in Australia.

“I raced as much as I could and got better with more seat time.”

This year was his third attempt in the UTV World Championship. He crashed out in 2019 and came second in 2021.

Currently living in Phoenix, Arizona, Dexter and his family will return to South Australia in November and he has his sights set on developing a full-time youth off-road race series.

GLOSSARY

• shoey: a celebration made famous by Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo that involves drinking from your shoe after winning a race
• potential: having or showing abilities that could be developed and lead to future success

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What race did Dexter win to become world champ?
2. What three things did he do to celebrate his victory?
3. Where was Dexter born?
4. What started his passion for racing?
5. What does Dexter plan to do when he returns home to South Australia?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Design your own race kart
Dexter races a SxS (or side-by-side) vehicle. Consider the features of this type of vehicle and then draw a design for your own SxS. Label some of the features, giving information about how those features make your vehicle suitable and safe for racing.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Design and Technologies

2. Extension
Create a 3D model of your SxS design.

Time: allow 40 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Design and Technologies

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during Dexter’s race and the celebrations after his victory. Create a conversation between you and Dexter. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.