RACING driver Max Coates showcased his Renault car ahead of his performance at Croft circuit this weekend.

Mr Coates posed for pictures at RMB Renault in Darlington promoting the car designed to compete in the Renault UK Clio Cup.

The Scorton-born motorist is sitting in second place in the championship but hopes he can take the lead this weekend, earning him the title.

Nearly 40,000 people are expected to watch the British Touring Cars meeting with numbers comparable to a Premier League football match.

The driver believes the North-East will get behind the race. He said: “It will be a decent crowd, there’s definitely a lot of love and support for motorsport in the North-East.

“It’s always great to race in front of a home crowd, there’ll be a good amount of cheers on the podium if we happen to be on it.

“For me it’s starting to become a bit of a profession now but if I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

Mr Coates took up the sport aged eight after riding go-karts for four years. He would encourage children to try the sport and work their way up through hard work and dedication.

In the future, the racer hopes to transition into British Touring Cars and race across Europe.