THE stress of owning his business, travelling the country and working long hours was bound to take its toll on Derek Johnston.

He needed a hobby to let off steam so after securing a racing licence back in 2006, he has been taking to the track to unwind.

And now it has landed him a place to race on one of the world's most famous tracks when he takes part in Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The 24-hour endurance race features the top racers in the world in Daytona Prototypes and GT-class machines in what is classed as the ultimate test of man and machine.

Johnston qualified by winning the inaugural 2009 Rolex 24 At Daytona Driver Challenge.

Johnston won his seat at Rolex 24, which will be held on January 30 and 31, having triumphed in a multi-race contest, the Sunuco Driver Challenge, held in the UK between April and October last year.

The challenge saw 98 racers in the Cooper Tires British F3 International Series, the Avon Tyres British GT Championship, the Radical UK Cup and the SPEED Sports Prototype Series pitting their skills against each other.

And through a specially-adopted points system, Johnston, who runs construction firm NSW UK in Long Eaton, came out on top of them all to win his stunning prize.

"I cannot believe it," he said, ahead of the 24-hour race. "I am not even a professional, it is just a hobby.

"And now I am going to be racing in one of the most famous races there is. It is just unbelievable.

"I think many expected the guy who won F3 to come out on top when the points were added up and he is now testing in F1. But it was me who won.

"The Americans love it and they cannot do enough for you out there. They are so proactive. I have a camera crew following me around and they are making a one-hour documentary. They love an underdog story out there.

"The whole experience is just phenomenal.

As part of the prize, all his flights, hotels and expenses have been covered and his wife Mandy and two teenage daughters will also be flown out to watch the race.

They live in Bunny where the couple moved 20 years ago from Newcastle because of their business interests.

But amazingly, the 47-year-old did not try his hand at competitive motor racing until 2006.

Yet he managed to record an impressive lap time of 1:48.5 on the celebrated Florida track – and on his first turn in a Daytona Prototype – during a two-day test session last month.

He said: "That's only a second slower than a lot of the pros manage.

"Daytona International Speedway was like nothing I have driven round before.

"I've raced at Spa, the Nürburgring, Dijon and many others, although Daytona is something else, especially pulling 195mph out of one of the 31-degree banks at just a foot off the wall.

"And at those speeds, it's not 'blink and you'll miss it', but 'blink and you'll hit it," he smiled.

Now he has gone back out to America for more testing and to get to know his team ahead of the spectacle.

Johnston is part of a four-man team, Doran Racing, and he will race six hour-long stints during the race.

"It is mentally and physically tough as you are flying round at 190mph," he explained. "But I cannot wait."