A ROSSENDALE racing grandmother is hoping to take the chequered flag when she competes in a gruelling "Elimination Cup" in her bid to become the fastest motor racing pensioner around.

Daredevil Jean Neville is off to Leicestershire on Wednesday in a bid to reach the final rounds of Formula Women, a contest which has allowed women from across the UK to become racing drivers at tracks around the country.

The competition involves several rounds of tough tasks testing contestants' abilities from controlling fear to pushing their endurance levels.

Jean will join 100 other women but that number will be whittled down during the eliminating rounds.

The summer boot camp, in Brunting-thorpe, near Leicester, will decide the last 16, who will then battle it out for the championship crown.

The 68-year-old, from Balmoral Road, Helmshore, who has three children and four grandchildren, said: "I've been training hard since the beginning of February.

"We've had a fitness programme devised by a personal trainer and it's been tailored to our personal needs.

"I've had both hips replaced but I've done the best I can. Hopefully I'll be ready.

"I think I'll get through the earlier rounds and hope make the final 24, if not the final 16, but that will be tough because there's some good racers out there.

"The last time they did the Eliminations the women were taken to Hull and put in a helicopter which was submerged in a tank of water then they had to escape.

"Some of the girls were absolutely panic stricken.

"It is designed to test the ability to cope with fear which is something you need to be able to do as a racing driver.

"When you're racing the fear comes into it and you have to control this."