A NORTH-EAST man is close to achieving his dream of winning the prize of a full season as a professional racing driver.
Richard Featherstone, from Guisborough, east Cleveland, has reached the final 30, from a field of 450, in the 2001 Michelin Renault Scholarship.
The final will be held at the Croft Circuit, near Darlington, next Thursday, and the winner will get a motor racing season with Renault worth £80,000.
Mr Featherstone will be trying his hardest to impress the judges - Jason Plato, presenter of Channel 4's Driven and 2001 British Touring Car champion; 2001 British GTO champion Kelvin Burt; and the scholarship's creator, Tim Sugden.
Mr Featherstone said: "It's been a tough challenge. This is possibly the closest I'll ever get to becoming a professional racing driver. I've now got to really turn on the style and give it my best shot, and maybe it will be me sat on the starting grid in April, getting ready for the first professional race of my career.
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