A YOUNGSTER was airlifted to hospital after a smash in his racing car.

James Taylor collided with another car during the ministox final at the stock car track in Warton on Sunday.

The roof and roll cage of his car had to cut off to free the 11-year-old.

Races were stopped as the North West Air Ambulance landed on the circuit to take the Preston lad to hospital.

He suffered a badly bruised back and slight neck injury but was released from Royal Lancaster Infirmary later that day.

Writing on the club's website, James says he hopes to be back on the racing circuit soon.

Val O'Brien, of Warton Stock Cars, says: "This is his first year he has been racing, but when something like this happens for the first time, youngsters get frightened.

"The air ambulance was called straight away because we treat any accident on the course as a worst-case scenario.

"The accident happened while he was racing and he collided with another car. There was nothing underhand about it - it was just an accident."

Val says Warton Stock Car Club has raised more than £1,200 for the North West Air Ambulance this year.

"We like to support them because we never know when we are going to need them. We do benefit from it as we saw last weekend," she adds.