Motor-racer Tim Sugden is one of Bradford's top sports stars. CHRIS HALL spent a day at Silverstone watching him compete and talking to him about his high-octane career

Hot rod Tim Sugden hopes to bring motor racing back to the masses after carving out a career in the select sport.

He is launching a competition to find a hot young driver - with a racing contract going to the winner.

Tim, from Wyke, grew up in modest surroundings.

But after a life of blood, sweat and gears he finds himself earning a living for pushing a Porsche 911 GT3-R through its paces as one of only 14 British drivers who are paid to race.

His passion for racing was first lit in his childhood during the mid-1970s and the blue touchpaper was quickly burned away as Tim exploded on the scene.

"When I was ten I read that you could start karting at 12 years old so I saved all my birthday and Christmas money," he said. "Just before my 12th birthday I had £200 saved up. During bob-a-job week I had a card for the Scouts and a card for me so all the money went in my pocket.

"My dad and I went and bought an old beaten-up kart for £110. We didn't have a clue what we were doing. When we took it to the races everyone else had brand new shiny cars but mine was a rusty old mess.

"We raced that day but then spent time working on the kart and started getting backing from sponsors. Eventually I became British champion and captain of the British team in the year that Johnny Herbert (now a Formula 1 millionaire) was fourth."

Sugden was given his big break in a BMW competition to find the three hottest young drivers in the country to race for their touring car team.

To coin a phrase, the rest is history with the 34-year-old having an overall GT Championship, a GT2 title and a fourth place at the Le Mans 24-hour race under his belt with this year's FIA NGT series leaders in his sights.

Now the affable Bradfordian, who still has a workshop in Cutler Heights Lane, is looking to open up the elitist world of motor sport to racers from all walks of life in his home city.

For a small fee racers from across the country will receive tuition from Tim himself and will be put through their paces on the track before the field of entrants is narrowed down to ten finalists. The winner will earn a fully-funded season's racing in the Tim Sugden Renault team in the Touring Car Championship.

"The BMW event was what really made the difference in my career so it's a great opportunity," said Tim. "Last year's scholarship winner, Nick Keynes, was a complete novice and had never raced before in his life but he's got a lot of natural talent and has come through very well.

"It shows that this doesn't have to be an elitist sport. With motor sport the general belief is that it's unachievable and like being a film star, but I'm just a normal lad from Bradford. If you can do the job then you can make a career out of it like I have."

Such a down-to-earth attitude amid a high-octane, high-profile Silverstone circus enables him to maintain his laid-back demea-nour throughout the pre-race build-up.

Even with the busy last-minute adjustments being made to his Porsche in a frantic pit lane environment Sugden keeps a calm watching brief from the sidelines and chatted comfortably with moments to go before taking his place on the grid.

"I don't often get nervous before a race," he admitted.

"A lot depends where we are starting from. Today we are starting back in fifth in our class so we can't really expect to win, but if we were in the top two then we would feel some nerves.

"But it's something I have been doing for so long now that it doesn't really affect me."

The race itself was something of a disappointment with tyre problems forcing an early pit stop and Tim pressing a little too hard in clawing his way back, spinning into the gravel trap to bring his challenge to an end.

But at fifth in the championship his season is far from waning. And even if his determination is not enough to take him to another trophy, it will help him guide a new protg to great heights.

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