Power loses championship lead

Guilsfield racing driver Ben Power has lost his lead in the MRF National Legends Car Championship after an unlucky weekend at Croft Circuit in North Yorkshire, when his car suffered brake problems and an engine misfire.

Power, aged 27, from Guilsfield, near Welshpool, still scored a race win, however, after arch-rival and defending champion John Mickel was penalised for contact.

Power also set the fastest lap in Sunday’s second race, and remains in a strong position in the championship – now second behind former world champion, Mickel.

“On Saturday we had problems with the brakes,” explained Power. “I had to pump them into every corner so we struggled to get the results we did.

“In Sunday’s first race I was leading into the last corner, but then [John] Mickel made contact – he was reprimanded though and I got the win. In the second race I had a misfire, like at Anglesey, and in the last race I was leading onto the last lap but Mickel made a move to grab the win.

“It’s not been the weekend we’d hoped for, but it could have been worse.”

Provisional points standings: 1st John Mickel, 4095pts; 2nd Ben Power, 3940pts; 3rd Jack Parker, 3370pts; 4th Steve Whitelegg, 3175pts; 5th Paul Simmons, 3070pts; 6th Miles Rudman, 2640pts.

Power made his debut in the Legends Car series in 2009 – finishing 8th overall and 2nd in the rookie table, having switched to the circuits after winning the Junior Rallycross crown in 2006 and Supermodifed Rallycross titles in 2007 and 2008.

His progress in Legends racing has seen him climb from a 10^th place finish in the 2010 championship to 6^th in 2011, 4^th in 2012, 3^rd in 2013,  2^nd in 2014, and 3^rd in 2015. Last year he only raced in one round, as he focused on his off-track career commitments.

The formula originated on the US oval tracks, and the cars have an American look, being 5/8-scale replicas of classic US models. Guttercrest Racing runs a Ford Coupe 1934 replica, with a 1250cc Yamaha motorcycle engine.

With identical cars and the fastest drivers having to start at the back of the grid, there is said to be more overtaking in a single Legends race than in a whole season of Formula 1.

Guttercrest Racing is backed by the family-owned aluminium guttering company Guttercrest, based in Oswestry. The team has further support from award-winning Cardiff-based PR and communications consultancy Weltch Media.