A BOLTON world champion stock car racer has put his car on display at the University of Bolton.

Lee Fairhurst was BriSCA Formula One World Champion in 2012 and won the Under-25s Championship this year.

The department of motor sport approached the Harwood driver about showcasing the car at the university after a student expressed his love of stock car racing at an open day and told them Bolton had their own world champion.

The car is known as the #217 Beast and was previously owned by Lee’s father, Derek Fairhurst.

The car has been a big hit with students at the University of Bolton and it is on show in a window to put it on full view to the public.

Lee repairs and builds stock cars for people when he is not racing, including the car that is on display in the university.

He first began stock car racing at the age of 16, after being released by Bolton Wanderers’ academy when he was 15.

He won the European Championship at just 17 then made history when he won his first World Championship, being the first person ever to come from the back row of the grid to win.

The race is regarded as having been one of the best and most action-packed world final races in history.

Lee and his father have been in New Zealand recently to race in the NZ Team Championships as part of Team GB.

Derek said: “We are looking forward to running two cars again this season and getting back to the top of the tree.

“We would also like to thank all our sponsors for helping us to compete in the manner that we do.”