BEN WHITE realised a childhood dream when winning the 1300 Stock Car Supreme Championship in SpedeWeekend 2017 at the Foxhall Stadium in Ipswich on Sunday.

White, 25, has been enthusiastic about motor racing from an early age, his father Dean is a multiple winner on the track, and has steadily progressed into stock car racing.

SpedeWeekend is a mecca for all petrol heads and White admits it was a massive deal for him to race against top competition, and with his friends and family watching on.

Despite suffering damage to his car before the main Championship race, the Langley ace managed to cross the line in third position before being awarded the title following the disqualification of the two drivers in front of him.

White told the Observer: “It was a massive deal to me. I wasn’t feeling two confident on the way there because, in the meeting previous, I rolled my car over onto its roof at Eastbourne, and I was not going too well.

“But, I had practised for a few weeks leading up to Ipswich and I’ve made a lot of improvements, so I did have a feeling that I could be there or thereabouts if luck was on my side and I got a good draw.

“Since I was a kid I’ve been watching SpedeWeekend world final. It’s a big deal to me and means a lot to have been there for a start.

“I’ve always wanted to race at SpedeWeekend but then to actually get a win was just a great feeling - the best feeling I’ve had in racing because everyone who is anyone in the short oval world was there.

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Ben White shows off his 1300 Stock Car Supreme Championship trophy, won at the prestigious SpedeWeekend.

“It is my biggest win in terms of the magnitude, 60 cars booked in for the meeting, and the fact that is was my first championship in the 1300 stock cars. You can stretch on when you’ve got a championship under your belt. It takes the pressure off you a bit going forward.

“I drove well and everyone was there so it was a really good championship to win and, being the new car out there, we proved it was good and I’ve droved I can drive in front of a lot of people.”

Commenting on his progress throughout the five-race weekend, White said: “I did well on Saturday and woke up feeling confident on Sunday morning, but I had a big crash in the first race which ripped the visor off my helmet, damaged my steering column and bars in the bulkhead area of the car.

“We managed to get it straightened out again and welded, three hours of working between races,. We didn’t stop and just about made it out for the final.

“I made a few adjustments to the tyre pressures and springs and the car was on it, it was flying and I managed to get the win, so I was really happy with that - over the moon.

“We did come across the line in third place, but the front two cars got disqualified for having illegal shock absorbers and wheel base of the cars.

“After all my checks I was clean and good to go.”

He added: “I was a bit frustrated that I got taken out in the second race and hit the wall relatively hard, and it did rattle me a bit when I saw the damage it caused.

“I had to work through those hours flat out to get myself back out for the final. It really got a bee in my bonnet, but it did actually help me, it spurred me on.”

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