Young racer Ben Power (right) has scored a top 10 finish for Wales in one of the UK’s top motor racing series, which is televised to a Europe-wide audience.
The 20-year-old from Guilsfield finished 10th overall in the CPC Legends Car Championship, thanks to a superb second-place in the penultimate meeting.
The former British Junior Rallycross Champion, said: “Our target was a top-10 finish this season, and despite some major problems along the way, it’s great to have achieved it.
“The championship gets tougher every year, with very experienced drivers including several ex-World champions in an entry of more than 30 cars. So I’m really pleased that we did so well.”
Guttercrest Racing started the season as a two-man father-and-son team, but dad Nick dropped out mid-way through the campaign to focus on his role as team manager and chief mechanic.
“I enjoyed the racing,” said Nick. “It was the first time I’d competed since rallying in the 1990s, but it became clear that I had to devote my energy to keeping Ben’s car competitive.”
The team suffered some mechanical troubles along the way, but recovered to clinch 10th spot in this highly-competitive championship, which has excited TV audiences throughout the year.
Among the highlights was a second-place finish in the final at Croft circuit – just losing a battle with series champion Lawrence Davey. The season ended with a fourth-place in the rain at Brands Hatch.
With the possibility of a winter championship series ahead of them, the team will then start preparing for the 2011 season.
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 reputedly more overtaking in a single Legends race than in a whole season of Formula 1.
Throughout 2010, Eurosport and Motors TV showed 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: Power play – Ben Power leads the pack in Legends Car action at Brands Hatch.