Daniel Coutts is ready to take the next step in his pursuit of world glory.

The 16-year-old from Horsham has never made any secret of his determination to compete on the biggest stage in racing.

Next season Coutts will be stepping up from the British 125 Championship to the British Supersport 600 series.

It is a natural progression for someone with high ambitions in the sport and Coutts, who currently races for the Yorkshire-based Padgetts racing team, cannot wait.

He said: "It is ultra fast and ultra competitive.

"It is quite looking like I will be with Padgetts again. I have been with them testing once this year at Cadwell Park and I was only three and a half seconds off the lap record.

"My first outing on the 600 was overwhelming. I loved it.

"We have another test in a few weeks' time and after that we will have a chat with Padgetts and see what they decide. But I will definitely be doing the 600 Supersport."

Coutts has been doing motocross since he was six years old. In his first year he won the Mid Sussex Mini-Cross series and he went on to achieve reasonable success at national level.

He also tried speedway, as his father Rocky had done.

In 1998, Daniel suffered three broken bones in as many motocross meetings and that prompted the decision to switch to road racing and adult competition.

Aged 14, he capped his first season by winning the BEMSEE club's 125 Grand Prix class, claiming 15 race victories along the way.

Rocky said: "It was then we decided to take the plunge. Most people move on to the MRO Championship (from club racing) but we took the plunge by going into the 125 Championship and it has been good in the long term."

Last season Coutts, an apprentice electrician, finished ninth in the championship in what was considered a learning year.

This year he has secured two podium finishes, with a third place at Snetterton and a second at Thruxton, but a couple of crashes has not helped his cause and he is currently ninth in the championship after last weekend's round at Brands Hatch.

Coutts, who is backed by City Electrical Factors, feels the time is right to move on to a bigger bike.

He said: "The 125 is a great class but to make it easy for yourself you need to be 5ft and 5st! I am just over 6ft and 11st and my size counts against me. I am giving away so much in height and weight.

"I find myself losing so much on the straights and having to make it up going into the corners.

"The 600 series, with more power and bigger riders, makes things a bit more equal. It is a step in the right direction because it all comes down to talent rather than rider size or machinery performance."

Coutts' talent has not gone unrecognised. He is part of the ACU Academy which identifies the best 12 road racers in the country and teaches them a variety of skills including interview techniques, sports psychology and fitness as well as getting tips from an ex-world champion.

The world stage is where Daniel certainly wants to be.

He said: "Everything is going fourstroke and, on a 600, by 2005 I should be well equipped and well on the pace.

"I might step forward to World Superbikes or even the World Grand Prix series. I will take opportunities when they arise and I will take the best one.

"The world series is everyone's dream but it isn't just a dream for me, it is reality."