Pupils came in during their half term break to see the Nobby Hills team display their 6,000bhp 'funny car' at Warwickshire College's Trident Centre in Poseidon Way.

The Chevrolet Camaro-bodied racing car is driven by 21-year-old Simon Hayward, who comes from Daventry and studied mechanical engineering at the centre.

Mr Hayward, whose father Owen also drove for the team until 1984, works for Formula One team Force India, and was among those giving a presentation before students were taken to the workshop to look at the car.

The team's founder and manager Nobby Hills, who has recently published his autobiography Nobby's Quarter Mile, said: "I think the students are interested because it's a modern day type of sport - it's fast and all over quickly so you don't need a long attention span."

The college's motor vehicle lecturer Jim Nutt said: "I feel privileged that they chose to give a presentation to our foundation degree students."