Founder of Clapham North MOT to kickstart 50th Formula Ford Festival as son races and Top Gear's Stig appears.

Ex-racing driver and founder of Clapham North MOT Ronnie Grant has been invited to wave the chequered flag at the 50th Anniversary Formula Ford Festival this weekend as his son, George, competes.

George Grant, who owns Clapham North MOT, is set to race in the season finales for both the Mazda MX-5 SuperCup and the MX-5 Clubman Championship support races at the Kent circuit.

He said: "I'm really looking forward to being part of this event. The Formula Ford Festival is always an incredible weekend, so it's going to be great to race in both the MX-5 Supercup and MX-5 Clubman Championship at Brands Hatch. I've loved the season so far, there's been some great racing so to cap off the year in this way will be brilliant.

"It's also a great honour for my father Ronnie to wave the chequered flag for the main race. He's going to see a lot of friends that he hasn't been able to meet up with for a while, mainly due to the pandemic so it's going to be great to have him around at this event.

"We've got some other guests attending this weekend, with people from Mission Motorsport attending the event along with the guys from the Clapham North garage, so it's set to be a fantastic few days."

One of the most prestigious races in British motorsport, previous winners of the Formula Ford Festival include Formula 1 stars Jenson Button, Mark Webber and Johnny Herbert.

For its 50th anniversary year, former champions Roberto Moreno and Jan Magnussen are set to line up on the grid – 41 and 29 years since their respective victories.

Joining them on the grid will be Perry McCarthy, the ex-F1 driver who played the original 'Stig' on BBC's Top Gear.

Clapham North MOT will continue its sponsorship deal with the BRSCC in 2022, supporting the MX-5 SuperCup and MX-5 Clubman Championship.

The series offers a great opportunity for drivers to start their journey up the motorsport ladder, with the partnership a real source of pride for Clapham North MOT.