Ben has got the Power

Young racing driver Ben Power achieved a podium finish at Brands Hatch in the opening round of a top UK motor racing series.

 

The 21-year-old from Guilsfield, near Welshpool, took his new-look car to third place in the final at round one the televised CPC Legends Car Championship.

 

Following an early crash in the first heat, the former British Junior Rallycross Champion finished down the order in race two, after the car was hastily patched back together.

 

In the final, however, he held on for third place, after starting on pole, due to the Legends’ handicap system.

 

“Overall, it was a disappointing start for us,” he said. “Third place at Brands Hatch is a great achievement, of course, but we failed to pick up many points in the heats and that is a setback early in the season.”

 

In round two the following day, Ben finished outside the top 10 in both heats but managed 9th place in the final.

 

When the team got the car home to Powys, the front corner of the chassis had been bent in the crash, which might explain its lack of performance through the weekend.

With the car now repaired, the team is set for the next outing at Donington Park on April 23 and 24.

 

Guttercrest Racing is managed by Ben’s father Nick, who also raced part of last season in a second team car.

 

Legends racing 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 1937 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. Throughout 2011, Motors TV will show every round of the series.

 

Guttercrest Racing is backed by the family-owned aluminium guttering company Guttercrest, based in Oswestry. The team has further Welsh support from Cardiff-based PR consultancy Weltch Media, as well as Ripla Designs.

 

CAPTION: Ben Power in action at Brands Hatch