ONE of Worcestershire's best-loved sporting heroes is swapping his four wheels for filming in his latest challenge.

Racing driver Matt Neal, who lives in Hanbury, near Droitwich, is making his TV acting debut in a series of adverts to be screened as part of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC).

The 38-year-old, who drives a Honda Type-R in the championship for family-run Team Dynamics, based in Pershore, is no stranger to the limelight.

In 1999, he became the first driver from a privately run team, as opposed to a team run by one of the major car manufacturers, to win a BTCC race.

It netted the outfit £250,000 and catapulted Neal to fame in the world of motoring. He has also been nominated for the Midlander of the Year award, appearing on Carlton TV last year.

But the father of two said that his acting debut, which will be screened on ITV to promote the highlights programme of the championship, was definitely one of his more unusual achievements.

There was a lot of waiting around on set, but the filming was great fun, he said. "If it persuades more people to follow the championship on TV or live at the circuit- then the waiting around will have definitely been worth it."

In each advert, the drivers and their teams receive help from a breakdown recovery service, which helps them to go on and win the race.

Matt currently lies in fourth place in the championship standings, and has already won a race at Brands Hatch this season.

The next TV highlights will be broadcast on Sunday, May 30.