AT an age when many men might want to move into a slower lane, one Redditch businessman has opted to step up a gear.

Business property consultant John Truslove, 57, who has been at the helm of Redditch based Neason & White for 25 years, was crowned Formula Junior motor racing champion at Silverstone last month.

He had already accumulated enough points in his 1959 Lola Mk 2 single seater to be sure of clinching the title in a series which has seen fierce battles in rounds on tracks in the UK and France.

Formula Junior has evolved into a class for classic racing cars from the 1950s onwards and because many cars and engines are still readily available, Formula Junior is now a popular category in historic racing.

Mr Truslove and his team travelled the length and breadth of the UK and France during a season involving rounds at Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Cadwell Park, Dijon, Donington, Oulton Park, Croft, Croix en Ternois and Mallory Park.

Mr Truslove said: "It's been a fantastic season and I will definitely defend my title next year.

"Inevitably the driver gets all the credit for his performance on the track, but I must stress the championship could not have been won without the preparation and hard work undertaken by Rob Kerkhoven, of RKR in Worcester, and Mark Clarke, of Avon Automotive.

"This year we had 100 per cent reliability and that speaks for itself."

This is not John's first brush with motor racing fame. He won his class in the Historic Sports Car Club classic single seater category in 2001 driving an Elva DKW and was 1999's Formula 750 Trophy champion.