A GREENOCK-BORN driver is preparing to defend a national motor racing title on Sunday.

Steven Gray will be at Knockhill racing circuit in Fife for the start of the Scottish Motor Racing Association season.

Last year he won the Scottish Ford Fiesta XR2 Championship contested over eight meetings, with two races at each one.

But the 37-year-old had to battle all the way because of car problems.

The season started well, and Steven was leading the points table until mid-way when he had a bad accident which not only lost him points but did a lot of damage to the car.

This seemed to set off a trigger, and for the rest of the season he was fighting engine issues in almost every race up until the second last round of the season, where the engine eventually blew up and a replacement had to be fitted for the final meeting.

All of these problems meant Steven’s lead was reduced drastically, and there was a very real possibility he would lose out.

It came down to the very last race, but Steven kept his nerve and won by only 19 points.

He recorded eight wins and five runners-up places, and also set the fastest lap record for the new modified track at Knockhill.

The official award of the trophy was at the annual Scottish Motor Racing Club (SMRC) dinner in Edinburgh, attended by the cream of the Scottish motor racing scene.

Steven now lives and works in Aberdeen, but has family in Greenock including his grandfather, George Gray, who is well known through Telegraph stories about campaigning for a medal for veterans of the World War Two Arctic Convoys.

George, who will be 89 tomorrow, also featured in the Tele last week when he received a unique, commemorative watch from the Russian Government for his wartime help in getting vital supplies to Russia from Britain.

Steven lived in Ardgowan Street as a youngster, but his family moved to Aberdeen for employment reasons.

His dad, also named George, said: “Steven has been involved in the motor racing scene since he was 19, and took part in a residential driver training course at Silverstone, where he was trained in driving techniques, car set-up and the rules and regulations for going racing.

“After this he scraped together the cash to buy his first car, a Ford Fiesta XR2. He joined the SMRC, which allowed him to take part in its races, held mainly at Knockhill with the occasional one in England.

“He works as a project manager with an information technology firm in Aberdeen, and had to take time off driving for eight years when he was based in America, London and Angola.

“During this time, however, he kept his car at Knockhill and managed to give it the occasional run.” Steven said last year was the first in a while that he managed to complete a full season, and it proved to be an eventful and expensive one.

He said: “I’m looking forward to the new season...it’s the old problem of mixing work and pleasure. I’d like to move up into the higher class, racing the newer Ford Fiesta STs, but that all depends on what the budget allows!”