Mid Wales racing driver Ben Power celebrated his 28th birthday with two race wins, as the UK National Legends Car Championship with MRF Tyres moved to the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent.
He would have been in with a chance of three wins but slowed down when running second with a lap to go, thinking the race was over.
Power, from Guilsfield, near Welshpool, was in second place in the opening heat as he crossed the line after the ninth lap, but mistakenly slowed down, which allowed others to pass, and he ended up finishing 10th.
“That was stupid – I just miscounted,” he explained. “It all started really well but then I made an absolute idiot, April Fool’s move and finished a lap early when I was in second! I fought back with two wins after that, though, which were great.”
The next day’s races were plagued by rain and delays, but started well for Power, who took second place in heat one after a huge wheel-to-wheel battle with reigning champion John Mickel and Steve Whitelegg.
He then placed fifth in heat two, and was second in the final, two seconds behind race winner Will Gibson, to finish as the day’s overall winner on points.
“There are so many quick guys coming through now,” he said. “The series is more open than ever, so it’s great to be at the sharp end, and enjoying some competitive battles.”
The points championship now stands as follows: 1st Miles Rudman, 1480pts; 2nd Ben Power, 1410pts; 3rd John Mickel, 1405pts; 4th Steve Whitelegg, 1345pts; 5th Jack Parker, 1315pts; 6th Will Gibson, 1225pts.
The meeting is due to be broadcast on Motorsport TV on a date yet to be confirmed.
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 10th place finish in the 2010 championship to 6th in 2011, 4th in 2012, 3rd in 2013, 2nd in 2014, and 3rd in 2015. In 2016, he only raced in one round, as he focused on his off-track career commitments, but last year he returned and finished second again, narrowly missing out on the championship title.
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.