Former Melksham racer back on the track after supercar win

A Former Melksham racing driver, who retired from the sport after 20 years, is back on the track after winning one of the fastest road cars in the world in an online competition.

Melksham resident Rob Ballard had his racing career cut short when he was diagnosed with kidney disease in 2006.

He spent three years fighting for his life on dialysis until close friend Janie Kenward found out she was a biological match and could donate one of her kidneys.

Despite returning to racing, Rob realised his track times were not up to speed and made the difficult decision to retire from the sport he loved after 20 years.

Rob, who won a Porsche 911 GT3 RS in an online competition which cost him 5p to enter, says he can now get back on the track where he belongs.

He said, “I thought I had driven my last track car but winning this Porsche means I can now book a session and revisit my passion for racing.

“Obviously, I have had experience driving cars like this but I can feel this Porsche is super impressive and can’t wait to get it onto a track.”

Rob’s new ‘lizard green’ Porsche has a top speed of 193mph and can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in three seconds.

“I’m not materialistic,” Rob added. “I’ve got lovely things but they’re meaningless to me in the scale of life and what’s important.

“When you’re stuck on a dialysis machine for three years and you’ve got no life really, then a friend like Janie gives you the gift of life, your values change.

“Suddenly a light comes back on and you’re able to enjoy things at a higher level. That’s what I plan to do with this car.”

The online competition was run by Elite Competitions. Chief executive officer Alex Beckett said, “Rob’s story is incredible. After everything he’s been through with his health and his long history in motorsport, seeing him win a car like this is truly special.

“The GT3 RS is as close as you can get to a race car on the road, so it feels like the perfect match for him.”