A WYTHALL racing driver with leukaemia has put his life on hold to live for the moment.

James Prochowski cancelled a life-saving bone marrow transplant to compete in a race at Silverstone earlier this month.

He also travelled to Wales at the weekend to drive a Rothmans Safari Porsche at Rally GB before kick-starting his fight for life.

Mr Prochowski said: "Some people think I am mad, but I won the last Willhire 24-hour race held in Snetterton Circuit in Norfolk in 1994 in an Escort Cosworth, and I didn't want to miss the one at Silverstone this year.

"The event at the weekend was also special to me, driving the Porsche 911 Group B car to entertain the crowds."

He added: "The other reason I put back the operation was that I am concerned about my chances of survival.

"The transplant will involve an unrelated bone marrow match with a certain amount of risk.

"I have things to sort out to make sure my daughters are alright if I don't make it."

One of his two daughters, 18-year-old Kirsty, said: "Yes, he is mad but I am proud of him. I just want him to be happy."

Her 52-year-old father, who is separated from her mother, had been receiving treatment for leukaemia for five years, which involved lengthy spells in hospital involving chemotherapy.

Earlier this year, however, he suffered a heartbreaking setback.

He said: "I was bitten by a Jack Russell dog which ripped my right hand to pieces.

"The wound then got infected and my immune system collapsed."

Now he's at the end of the road for treatment and there is little option left for him but a transplant, if he wants to survive.

Mr Prochowski had been due to start his latest bout of chemotherapy at Heart-lands Hospital in August in preparation for an operation scheduled for this month.

He now expects his first of two bouts of chemotherapy to start in October with the transplant due to be carried out towards the end of November.

Mr Prochowski, who is also dad to 16-year-old Riona, said: "It was always my plan at the beginning of this year to do the race.

"I was actually very fit in March. Life was great before I got bitten.

"I was told I needed a transplant because I have relapsed three times now.

"Each time you relapse the time span before the disease returns gets shorter."

Mr Prochowski runs his own company, JP Motor-sports, which builds racing cars.

His philosophy on life, he said, was: "Live life to the full - don't look behind - live for tomorrow."

l Mr Prochowski's last drive at the Wales Rally GB before his transplant was sadly overshadowed by the death of competitor Michael Park from Herefordshire.

Mr Park was the co-driver in a Peugeot driven by Markko Martin, of Estonia, when it crashed on the final day on Sunday.

Mr Prochowski said: "Michael's death is a terrible tragedy but motor sports is a thrill- seeking, dangerous business and everybody, including the spectators, know that."