AFTER dominating the British Autograss Series for more than a decade, a Burtonwood racing driver has at last landed the Champion of Champions crown.

Phil Cooper beat 2,000 drivers from across the country to win the prize for the best driver across all classes during the event at Hereford last weekend.

Despite winning in his own category for 10 years on the trot, the Champion of Champions tag had always eluded him.

“It’s quite an achievement to qualify for the event to start with,” said the 29-year-old engineer.

“I’ve won at the nationals but only in my class, so to win the Champion of Champions was a big thing.”

Especially as it meant going one better than his parents, who are both former national champions themselves.

“They have been racing a lot of years and mum has won the nationals lots of times while dad won it once, so it was a nice thing for all of us – we had a good night on Sunday,” he added.

Of the 2,000 drivers who start in area races, the top 400 go through across 10 classes to regional races.

That number is reduced to eight for each class final.

Come the Champion of Champions race, only the highest-ranked driver in each group can compete.

Cooper took on the best of the rest in his two-litre Class Nine single-seater and won.

“I’d been in the race five times before,” he added.

“With the 10 classes anyone can win; it depends on the track's conditions, which have a massive bearing on which type of car is quickest.

“It’s a staggered start around the track, so for example a mini had a lap-and-a-quarter head-start – the idea being all of the cars should cross the line at the same time.

“We were among those starting furthest back.

“I’ve been in it a number of times when the weather hasn't been favourable, but everything fell in to place and we were lucky enough to win."