Mat Newson, who builds, prepares and hires BriSCA F1 stock cars for a living – as well as racing them – was forced to borrow one of his own to win the World Championship qualifying round meeting final at the shale oval at Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield.

Newson, from Aylsham, had been so busy working on customer cars that a new shale car was still not ready to grace the track. So he accepted an offer to race a car he had built for B-grade driver Mark Sargent – and it proved a successful lease, with Newson winning his first final of the season.

With drivers competing in two of the three heats prior to the final, the meeting began with Stuart Smith Jnr – hot favourite to win the final from his star grade grid position – continuing his good run of form, winning both the opening heats.

After finishing seventh behind Smith Jnr in heat one, Newson improved to a strong third-place finish in heat two.

In the 26-car final, on a watered track to keep the dust down, the race was led in the early stages by lone C-graded driver John Wright until the race was stopped on lap six. It was soon clear from the green flag restart that Smith Jnr was going to struggle to take the final victory. The Milnrow star was shoved wide into the pit bend by the train led by Newson and world champion Frankie Wainman Jnr and dropped down the order after another yellow-flag stoppage a lap later.

Newson led and pulled out a comfortable gap ahead of Wainman Jnr, who did his best to close down the leader. Try as he might, however, Wainman Jnr couldn't make any in-roads on Newson, who went on to take a well-earned victory.

Newson was delighted, particularly as everything had gone to plan. 'I got a good start, then got held up but I knew the car was really good when the track dried out,' Newson said.

'I did a deal with David Morris to use my old car, and I built Scott Davids a new car, as well as Paul Hines a new Tarmac car. I have actually built myself two new cars, but it is the same old story – I build everyone else's first and mine is not quite ready. So the plan is to have the new shale car out ready for the British Championship at the beginning of June.'