DEVASTATED Huntingdon racing driver Des Thresh has launched a desperate appeal for help after a fire gutted his garage and destroyed his race car.

DEVASTATED Huntingdon racing driver Des Thresh has launched a desperate appeal for help after a fire gutted his garage and destroyed his race car.

The fire happened last Sunday (April 10) at his home in Hartford Road, which was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

"The car is destroyed, we're gutted and we don't know what we can salvage from it," said Thresh.

"I couldn't talk to anyone for about a week because I was so upset. We think it was caused by an electrical fire which gutted the garage, the tools, everything.

"We're going to drag [the car] out of the garage this week and see what we can salvage from it, but it has been an absolute nightmare."

It's the latest setback in an unbelievable few months of bad luck for Thresh, whose hopes of defending his Kumho Tyres BMW Championship have now also gone up in smoke.

Persistent problems with the car during the winter months, coupled with specially-made parts arriving more than three months late, meant he missed the opening two rounds of the new season at Silverstone a fortnight ago.

He was then hit by the news one of his main sponsors had pulled out, before last weekend's garage blaze.

And now Thresh is launching an emotional appeal for a new sponsor to come forward to help him get back on the race track.

"After a sponsor pulled out, it is looking a bit grim at the moment.

"The main issue is finance, we need another sponsor. I think we're probably going to be out of the next two meetings at least, it depends on sponsorship really and what we can get sorted and how quickly we can sort the issues with the car."

Thresh's predicament meant he wasn't able to take part in rounds three and four of the championship at Snetterton over the weekend.

And the reigning champ admits there is a possibility he may not be able to get back out on the track competitively again this season.

"I don't know what would happen if we don't find a sponsor, we haven't considered that yet, but I think we would probably have to miss this year out altogether.

"We've got one hell of a mountain to climb. We've already had a shell kindly donated to us but there's a lot to do before getting back out racing can even be contemplated."

Thresh has appealed for any potential sponsors to contact him urgently on 07801 186888.