THE search for a future star of professional motor sport has entered its first lap.

The bearacingdriver scholarship, a unique scheme which offers motor sport fans the chance to fulfil their dream of becoming a racing driver, has got under way at Teesside Autodrome.

Over the next three months an estimated 500 people, of all ages, gender and driving experience, will challenge for arguably the biggest prize in sport - a career as a professional driver competing in a British saloon car championship.

More than 80 challengers took their turn to race against the clock around the South Bank Road circuit in a race-prepared Renault Clio, equipped with the latest PI data logging system to analyse the driver's performance.

Antonios Salmapanis, a 30-year-old construction worker, flew into Teesside from Athens after finding out about bearacingdriver on the internet.

He said: "It is my dream to become a racing driver. The only racing I've done is a one-day racing school in the UK, two years ago, and loved it. I've just been laid off from a construction project, so I thought it's now or never, and this is an amazing chance."

Chris Stavers, a 20-year-old business student from Houghton le Spring, had less far to travel, but was equally determined to impress the bearacingdriver instructors on a circuit where he has collected a number of junior karting titles.

"I've been racing karts for eight years and I'd love to progress into cars, but it is simply too expensive to do that privately. Racing cars is different to karting, but Teesside Autodrome is a good, fast-flowing circuit."

Now in it's eighth year, the bearacingdriver scholarship is open to anyone and, come February, will offer one driver a full season in the 2005 BRDC Single-Seater Championship, a road car for the year, a three-year management contract and an F3 test with Hi-Tech Racing.

For details on how to enter the 2004 Bearacingdriver Scholarship or to request a brochure, call the scholarship hotline on 0870 4024040 or visit the web site www.bearacingdriver.com.

Further information can be supplied by Bob Pope at Teesside Autodrome on 01642 231117