HE MAY be in his 50s and diabetic but a motorsport veteran has roared off in his first full season on one of the UK's toughest grids.

Brian Webb, of Stansted Crescent, Bexley, made his debut in the Legend Cars formula championship at the weekend, finishing 24th at Donington Park.

The 51-year-old has figured in the garages and pit stops of countless race meetings since he was 17 but has only recently been able to start competing.

As a diabetic Brian could not compete but the rules were reviewed and amended six years ago allowing him to gain a racing licence.

He said: "Legend Cars is seen as a champion of champions competition. There are winners from many different disciplines in the sport.

"We've even got a former European jet-ski champion in the field."

His first race car in 1999 was a Diahatsu Charade which he entered into saloon car racing but while at a race meeting he saw the Legends Cars and was immediately hooked.

He said: "The cars look the part. They are fun to drive and race but it's easy to underestimate from their looks just how serious a race formula it really is.

"Legends is not for newcomers although it is newcomer friendly and cost effective.

"Financially it's not in the same league as single-seater racing or Touring Cars."

Brian added: "The main benefit is once you've bought a car, it's good for several seasons whereas in other forms of racing you have to buy a new car or parts every year to stay competitive."

He had his first outing in Legend Racing at Brands Hatch in November making steady progress in his Ford 1934 Coupe to be placed second in the rookie class.

Brian and like-minded drivers consider Legend Cars racing to be more entertaining than most formula genres you will see on track.

The grids are not based on qualifying as the drivers draw their starting position by ballot for their first race with the places reversed for the second.

Brian said: "There's probably more overtaking in one of our races than in a whole season of Formula 1."

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Legend Cars National Championship visits Knockhill in Scotland, Anglesey in Wales, Brands Hatch, Croft, Mallory Park and, for the first time, Croix in France.