Last year, teenager Nathan Blok of Beachburg brought his racing go-kart to show Bonnechere Manor residents.

This year, the youngster brought his new F-1600 to the same long-term care facility in Renfrew, while beaming with more confidence and talking about new challenges in his racing career.

Speed is a major part of the sport he's played for several years, but nothing yet compared to when he reached about 212 kilometers per hour on one of the staightaways at the Calabogie MotorSports Park just a few days ago.

CMP, whose logo is splashed across the bright-yellow Ford, is among the sponsors for this young talent who was itching to race in the July 25-26 Ted Powell Memorial in Calabogie.

The speeds he'll now travel pale in comparison to what he reached in his go-kart, although it was not turtle, often reaching more than 100 kilometers per hour.

But there are distinct differences once one moves behind the wheel of a racing car, instead of a go-kart. "You have to do all your braking before the turn. In the go-kart, you can do all your braking into the turn ," says Blok.

After breaking the 200 km/hr barrier last week, Blok says" "There's no word to describe it. It's just a thrill like none other".

He didn't reach or intend to reach, high speeds while driving his race care around the parking lot, in front of the Bonnechere Manor July 22.

I just hope to entertain them and share my passion with them, Blok told The Mercury after reading a prepared speech to the residents at the manor where his mom works.

After racing go-karts for eight years, the Fellowes High School student told residents the presence of the F1600 was evidence he has bigger aspirations now.

Given a used go-kart for his birthday by parents Steve and Sandra, he raced that very same year at the National Capital Karting Club of Ottawa.

Since then he has been exposed to many levels of kart racing, before being exposed to the junior Rotax class, in which car speeds reach 165 km/h and the opportunity to try out for the 2009 Formula Academy Euro Series.

To his delight, he qualified for the series. Unfortunately, the series was later cancelled, but not before Blok had already been exposed to favourable reviews by such seasoned stars as former Formula 1 Driver Jacques Villeneuve.

Now Blok is racing with support from Mortimer Racing, the largest car-racing team in Canada. One of the team's six drivers in the Formula Ford class, he said he was proud to introduce Nigel and Adam Mortimer who made the trip from Ottawa for the benefit of the Bonnechere Manor residents.

After hearing and touching Blok's race car, manor resident Paul Bidgood said with a huge smile while imitating the revving of the engine: "I'm just thinkign rrrrrrrmm, rrrrrrrrrrm"

To which another resident chimed in, after seeing how low the car sits from the ground: "I don't think he's going to go through too much snow."

No, but Nathan Blok's summers may never be quite the same from some time to come.