MOTOR SPORT: STOCK car racers Mark Keeling and Carlos Perez are going for gold at the weekend.
Keeling, from Nantwich, and Perez, from Wistaston, have both qualified for the World Championship finals at Coventry.
Keeling is only in his second season in the sport but is now aiming for victory - and a coveted gold roof.
The 35-yar-old made a sensational start to his competitive career in 2003 by being named BRISCA Formula 1 Novice of the Year.
He has made the step up to Formula 1 almost seamlessly and after 17 rounds qualified for one of the two semi-finals.
He explained: 'I qualified for the King's Lynn semi-final and although I started on the fourth row in eighth place and had an outside position on the grid, the race went really well for me and I qualified for the World finals, which is a dream come true.'
A line operator at AstraZeneca, Keeling will battle it out with the leading names in the sport at Coventry this weekend and has every incentive to succeed.
'My family, friends and mechanics will all be there to cheer me on and I cannot wait.
'The winner also gets to ride with the sought-after gold roof on his car - that would be nice.
'There is £5,500 up for grabs for the winner but, to be honest, a place in the top 10 would be great and a top-three finish would be beyond my wildest dreams.'
Perez, who won his semi-final at Skegness Speedway, also expects a top-10 performance and has higher hopes still for the future.
'I'd like the world title eventually, maybe in the next three years,' he said.
After nine years in the sport, Perez, 27, has only taken the step up to Formula 1 this season, because of increased backing from his sponsors Kevin Armstrong and Geoff Parker.
'It is our first season in big-time oval track racing and it has paid off - I'm doing miles better than I ever thought possible,' added Perez.
He powered his Roy Howell Commercial V8 Chevrolet to victory in his semi-final - a performance which won him the Driver of the Day accolade and a rave review in Motorsport News.
Perez is also doing well in the national points rankings and a top-three finish could earn him an invitation to compete in New Zealand.
His father is Spanish but Perez is a Cestrian and he and mum Jane - nee Whitnall - live at Wistaston.
'My grandad took me to watch the races at the Crewe Stadium and Belle Vue and my love of the sport grew from there.
'I have won lots of races over the years and it is very exciting, but I never thought I'd be racing Formula 1, let alone taking part in the World Championships,' he said.
Perez and Keeling are among 34 drivers chasing the ultimate prize in stock car racing and will face the top drivers from across Europe, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Australia, including six former champions and all in front of a 20,000 crowd.
