Former GP2 driver Adrian Valles did indeed seal the second Superleague title, but it was young Meltonian Craig Dolby, driving for Tottenham Hotspur, who captured the headlines with a barnstorming drive in race two.

Dolby went into the final round at Jarama needing Valles to fail to finish one of the two races to give him a chance of leafrogging him into top spot. And while this did not happen, the 21-year-old Dolby was the undoubted driver of the weekend, clinching a superb second spot in a championship packed with talent and experience.

He said: "I think I pulled off the moves of the year. I had to pull something special out of the bag and I just drove my heart out.
"Right now it is hurting. Just one mistake by another driver which forced me off (at Estoril) cost me the championship.

"You have got to look at second with this kind of field and say it's not too bad, but as a driver you always want to be the best."

He nursed a troublesome car to fourth spot in race one having started in 10th, but then came the fireworks. A reverse grid put Dolby in 14th for race two with his rival Valles starting from 10th.

A first corner collision brought out the safety car and took Dolby up to ninth, but it was then the former John Ferneley and King Edward VII School pupil went for broke.

As the safety car came in, Dolby attacked with trademark dash and dare and within a minute had raced past two cars, including that of a stunned Valles.

He then had the crowd gasping as he went wheel-to-wheel with Sebastian Bourdais, the Frenchman who just a few months before had been driving Formula 1 before his exit and decamp to Superleague.

Dolby nervelessly pulled alongside Bourdais through two corners before he had to yield to the Englishman's pace.

Within minutes Dolby flew past two more drivers and into third, and when the front two pitted, he was incredibly leading after just 17 minutes. Clear at the front, he pulled out a 30-second
lead, which would eventually only be overtaken by the Galatasary car when Dolby came in for his compulsory pit stop.

He added: "I said to myself under the safety car I will do everything I can to get past everybody. Anderlecht and Liverpool both defended so I did them both under brakin into turn one and thought 'there you go, have that!'

"Then I went around the outside of Bourdais. These guys are world class so to make moves like that on them was just unbelievable."

Dolby came home in second to snatch good points, but the hoped-for Valles misfortune failed to come, leaving the Spaniard to take the title. But his 49-point cushion had been slashed to 30, while the Melton man stretched his gap to third-placed FC Basel to 74 points.

He said: "I will get in the gym over the winter, work harder and come back 10 times stronger next season.

"There will be a few talks over the next couple of weeks about next season, but I probably won't know until next year.

"At the moment where does Superleague go to get the talent that we have already got in the championship? It is going to be interesting to see what they do over the winter and what kind of deal will be available for next year."

COMMENT by Sports Editor Chris Harby

SO what next for our ambitious young driver Craig Dolby?

At this former F1 circuit 25 miles north of Madrid, the 21-year-old, the second youngest in a high class, experienced 18-man field, showed what he can do with a fair wind behind him and a reliable car underneath.

His moves and bravura were astonishing and can only have broadened his growing fanbase at the end of a season of great exposure for the Melton man.

Second place in this championship marks exciting progress from the creditable fifth place achieved in Superleague's debut season last year while driving for Belgian team Anderlecht.

But aside from the points and statistics and the six podiums, his reputation as an out-and-out racer has seen him deliver exciting sport in spades and made him one of the most popular drivers
on the grid.

Off the track, his obliging personality and boundless, boyish enthusiasm for his day job has also won admiration from race teams and the media pack alike.

Even when understandably down in the dumps after finishing second to Valles in the title race on Sunday, Dolby made himself available for interview, for autographs, for photos whenever asked. Always uncomplaining, always willing - and that isn't easy.

Together the racing talent and the temparent should make him a very attractive package for many teams in the very top echelons of the sport which is not known for its outstanding characters.

A seat in Formula 1 is undoubtedly one of the toughest to achieve in world sport, not only for the millions of pounds which drivers need in backing to help secure such a prize.

But for his uncomplicated natural talent and pure guts and determination, more and more race fans will be hoping winter negotiations bring the dream to match a stellar ambition.