Hedge End car sprinter Neil Armstrong has just gone within an ace of taking the BARC Car Conversion Speed Championship - in a motor he uses to take the kids to school.

The 34-year-old motorsport all rounder, who has been competing in sprints and hillclimb events since 1994, took the Class 6 title in the championship but missed out an the overall crown by just 0.8 of a point!

Armstrong competed in the unlimited capacity class behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Lancer EVO6 which he prepared himself.

"The car has been absolutely superb," he smiled. "I took 13 class wins, broke the lap record for my class at Goodwood on two separate occasions and broke the hill record at Longleat."

He also took fastest time of the day at North Weald in Essex on the same weekend as Longleat.

Armstrong admits that the Lancer is not just a luxury racing machine. He explains: "I drive it to every event, from Lydden in Kent to Pembrey in South Wales and Harewood in Yorkshire. I even use it during the week to take my three children to school.

"It's a question of combining pleasure with practicality," he smiles.

Armstrong has been driving a like a champion since his motorsport debut six years ago behind the wheel of a Suzuki Swift which he gunned to a 1400cc class win.

He took another class championship title in 1996 then last year moved up to the 2000cc class and won the title at his first attempt in a Honda Civic 1.6VTi, which he built himself.

It had to withstand some pretty stiff competition from a field which included modified and rather rapid Lotus Elises.

His switch to the Mitsubishi Lancer for this season saw him go into the final round at Lydden with all guns still blazing. He powered to another class win and set the second fastest time in very wet and slippery conditions.

Those those successes resulted in him tying up the Class 6 Championship and narrowly missing the overall crown.

Armstrong also secured second place overall in the 7Oaks Marketing Machine Speed Championship and a class title in the ACSMC Guildford Tyres Championship.

"If anyone is considering buying a high performance car like mine then I'd thoroughly recommend they pop into March Motors, the Mitsubishi dealership at Bursledon who have been supporting me," he says.

Seems like they can get that and a good deal more...