Speed king David Guy is within touching distance of fulfilling a life-long ambition to become a professional racing driver.

Having learned to drive when he was just six years old, the Laindon racer has put his experience to good use.

The 20-year-old is today in the semi-finals of the Michelin Renault Scholarship and just two drives away from a season racing in the Renaultsport UK Cup.

Croft original - Laindon's David Guy was hoping to be at the front of the grid at Croft today

"I've always been interested in cars," said Guy. "Anything with an engine and I'm there.

"When I was six or seven we used to live out in Australia and there's so much open land my dad could teach me how to drive.

"Then we came back to England and I used to mess about with cars in the fields behind his workshop."

If Guy makes it into the top 10 of the 30-strong field racing at Croft, near Darlington, today he will be back for the final and in with a real shout of bagging the £80,000 top prize.

That would carry on a family tradition set up by mechanic father David Snr. He used to race mark one Ford Escorts, and David Jnr was close to following in those tyretracks when he reached the finals of the Formula Ford challenge.

Published Thursday, March 7, 2002