RACING driver Stevie Hodgson has been crowned champion of the 2004 Days of Thunder series.
The 31-year-old, from Mirfield, is a star of the high octane sport which sees superpowered cars reach speeds of 170mph on an oval track.
Hodgson, who races for team Torquespeed, won the championship with a race in hand on Sunday.
The race, at the Rockingham circuit in Northampton, saw him follow Torquespeed team-mate Ian McKellar Jr to the chequered flag.
Hodgson's second place finish was more than enough to secure the title.
He set the pace for much of the race, clocking the fastest lap of 35.9 seconds.
He said he always believed in himself.
"I knew I could do it all along. I just needed the right car and the right team to prove it," he said.
Hodgson began racing when just 11, encouraged by his dad, David, who is now 57.
He scored eight podium finishes this season, including two wins, from 12 starts.
He and his father run Automotive Electricals in Mirfield.
The talented Hodgson is no stranger to success and over the years has clinched ten championships as well as competing in American Nascar tour events.
The Days of Thunder series features V8 supercars similar to those seen in the 1990 Hollywood blockbuster of the same name which starred Tom Cruise.
