SINGLE seater racer Jonny Lang had to be content with second place in the North West Formula Ford Championship after being pipped for the title in a last-round thriller.

Heading into the 'double header' finale at Croft, the Barrowford businessman just needed to stay ahead of his arch-rival and team-mate Neil Boardman to take the crown at the first attempt.

But Boardman, who races in the same Infiniti Motorsport team as Lang, edged out Lang in both 10-lap races.

"It's disappointing not to win, but I'm pleased for Neil," said the 25-year-old, who is in his first year of Formula Ford racing.

"But I've had a very enjoyable season. In the ten races I've finished no lower than fourth and prior to Croft, won each of the last two rounds and won my class overall."

The opening heat saw Boardman lead the field with Lang down in third place behind Andy Meyrick, and although the 25-year-old company director was able to squeeze past, he spent the remaining nine laps unable to get past Boardman safely - and unwilling to take a risk that could see him eliminated.

The mathematics for the title shoot-out were simple, whoever won would be champion.

Although Boardman was on pole position, it was Lang's Van Diemen that led into the first corner.

Nose-to-tail the pair edged away from the rest of the field to such an extent that they were soon amongst the backmarkers, and when Lang got held up by a slower car, Boardman pounced to take the win - and the title - by just 0.6 seconds.

Acknowledged as the closest Formula Ford Championship in the country, the statistics speak for themselves.

Over the course of 20 laps of Croft, spread over two days, Boardman had defeated Lang by just 1.15s.

l WHILE Lang was competing for the overall championship, another businessman from Barrowford was battling it out for class honours.

Ian Parkington, who is also in his first season of Formula Ford racing, finished third in class D, for cars built between 1982-86.

And Ian, who is boss of Ballpark Engineering in Barrowford, took an unconventional route into the sport.

He explained: "I tried road rallying when I was younger, but circuit racing was something I always wanted to do. I finally decided last year to take my ARDS test to become a racing driver - then bought my instructor's car!

"But the first time I raced it, my smile was so wide I struggled to get my helmet off. It's relatively easy getting to within a couple of seconds of the average lap times, but then squeezing those last two seconds is very, very difficult - but that's what makes it so enjoyable."