Motor firm to the rescue of Des Thresh’s driving career with help in restoring chassis of burnt-out race car

THANKS to an appeal through the Hunts Post, Huntingdon driver Des Thresh’s racing career looks to have been saved.

On April 20, we carried the desperate heartfelt plea of Thresh for a sponsor - after an electrical fault caused a fire at his home in Hartford Road, which gutted his garage and destroyed his race car.

And, on the back of that article, Murketts in Huntingdon have kindly offered to step in and save Thresh by offering to paint his new car, inside and out, free of charge.

“I was absolutely choked when Murketts rang me and said they’re going to do it,” Thresh said.

“Because of the article, Murketts have said they will step in to save me and, as soon as the new shell is ready and the cage is in place, they will paint it inside and out.

“It’s absolutely phenomenal.

“So I want to say a huge thank you to The Hunts Post for the article and Murketts for coming forward, because this is the difference between us getting back out on the track this year or next – or not.

“It’s a lifesaver, I was absolutely bowled over. It’s worth more than a few thousand pounds.”

As well as Murketts’ extraordinary generosity, fellow Kumho Tyres BMW Championship team BMD Motorsport have kindly provided Thresh with two new shells to build a car from scratch with.

He said: “We’ve been given two shells now.

“We’ve got a bare shell and a donor rolling shell, which has everything on it expect the engine and gearbox.

“And that will allow us take things like the wires and switches, lights and the exhaust from - the bits you struggle to get.

“We hope to have a shell, cage, altogether and a car painted within six weeks.”

Achieving that initial target would give Thresh, who won the Kumho overall and Class B titles last year - a realistic chance of returning to the track in 2011, having missed the entire season so far.

Even before the blaze on April 10, the reigning champion had missed the season opener, due to persistent problems with the car during the winter and then a main sponsor pulling out.

But now, with light at the end of the tunnel, Thresh has pencilled in a return at the penultimate race meeting of the season at Pembury on 10/11 September.

“There’s a realistic chance now,” he said.

“We’ve still got a massive mountain to climb, but it has now been made possible and we’re hoping, in about six weeks time, to have a fully-painted shell back ready to start building.

“And once we’ve got that close, it’s going to happen.”

On the track, Thresh’s Born Ready Motorsport team mates Garrie Whittaker and Paul Bellamy currently joint-lead the 2011 overall championship, as well as their respective A and D classes.