Dyrdal crowned 2017 National Junior Saloon Car champion

Dyrdal, 17, enjoyed eight wins and 14 second and third-placed finishes during nine rounds and 18 races from March to September.

The former Fulford School pupil also remarkably went through the whole season without suffering a single crash.

Dyrdal went into the final round at the world-famous circuit of Brands Hatch needing to either beat Northallerton’s Ethan Hammerton or finish one place behind his North Yorkshire rival.

The former wrapped up matters in style, though, recording two pole positions, a pair of fastest laps and a couple of victories during the last weekend of a competition that also stopped off at other legendary tracks such as Silverstone and Donnington, with the new champion confessing: “It’s been a dream racing and winning at these places.”

Drydal’s success came during his second year in the series, as he placed 13th from 25 racers in 2016 after enduring a “bit of bad luck.”

The contest provides a level playing field as everybody drove Citroen Saxo VTRs, with Drydal switching to cars after gaining his junior licence at the age of 15, having enjoyed limited success during two years of karting.

“My dad raced all his life, but I started doing karting when I was 13 and that’s quite late, as most people start at eight,” Dyrdal explained. “I much prefer car racing though.”

Unsurprisingly, Drydal passed his full driving licence first time this year and is now attending Myerscough College in Preston studying motorsport, whilst also helping his father Paul run his garage.

Paul and Howden-based mechanic Tom Bell make up Dyrdal’s small team with the latter’s long-term dream to compete in either British Touring Cars, GT Cars or Endurance Racing.

The next natural step towards those goals, now he is too old for junior racing, is to compete in the UK Clio Cup, the Ginetta Championship of the JCW Mini Cup.

To assist with that target sponsorship is required and, anybody interested in helping out, should contact Paul Dyrdal on 07802 446175.