WHEN Mark Davies left school at 15 to work as an apprentice at a Meltham garage, he dreamed of motor racing glory.

This week, that dream became a reality when he celebrated his role in Brawn GP’s Formula One World Championship success.

Now the 43-year-old, who left Newsome High School to work at the Beaumont Brothers garage in Meltham, hopes his story will inspire others to pursue their ambitions.

Mark, a wind-tunnel technician with Button’s Brawn GP team, was at home in Salendine Nook on Sunday to watch Jenson Button secure the drivers’ championship title with a fifth-placed finish at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The result also gave Brawn the constructors’ championship ahead of the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi on November 1.

He said: “It was a bit tense at times, but he came through eventually.

“It was a fantastic feeling and I want to encourage people, especially young people in apprenticeships, that normal people can achieve big things.

“There are lots of ups and downs, but you can do it.”

Mark has spent his whole working life with cars.

After leaving Beaumont Brothers, he worked for a Ford dealership in Brockholes before going to Prodrive motorsport company.

He had his first brush with F1, and Jenson Button, in the late 1990s, when he joined the Williams team.

“I go back a long way with Jenson, so it’s more satisfying to see him come good,” he said.

In 2006, after leaving the sport, he was part of a team which built the JCB Dieselmax car, which went on to break the land speed record.

He later joined the Honda team that withdrew from the sport last December.

His job was under threat at the end of last year as the team of more than 700 faced uncertainty over their future.

“It was a very difficult period, but we kept pushing on and believing,” he said. His future was secured when Brawn took over in March.

His work as a wind-tunnel technician involves testing parts under conditions that simulate what an F1 car might go through in a race.

“I’m one of about 450 people who make up the team now,” he said.

“We can all claim a little bit of the credit for the win.”