IT was fast and furious as children joined their dads for an early Father's Day event at the Artizan Centre.

It was looked on as something of a racing certainty that the dads would get competitive when they were offered the opportunity to get involved in Formula 1 event at the Dumbarton retail centre.

The family roles were reversed it was fair to say, as for a change it was dads driving their sons and daughters round the bend as the youngsters did their utmost to take up pole position and wrestle control away from their parents for a few laps of a giant Scalextric track.

The racing-themed event took place the day before Father's Day and was a roaring success as more than 200 people turned up for an opportunity to whizz around the massive track.

The model car motorsport enthusiasts and their children headed to the Dumbarton Drives event, which featured a 200ft-long Dumbarton Le Mans track, to compete for the title of fastest driver and take home the Jackie Stewart winner’s trophy.

Trackside, hilarious characters Murray Sprinter and Peter Pit Stop cheered on the racers, whilst information boards informed shoppers of fun facts about Dumbarton’s fascinating motorsport heritage.

Visitors had the opportunity to search for a bargain or two in the centre's retail outlets as they waited patiently, engines idling, for their turn on the grid.

Artizan Centre’s marketing manager, Ahmad Majidiasl, said: "Dumbarton Drives was a fantastic way to celebrate Father’s Day with the whole family. “We are delighted that we have been able to combine the town's interesting history of motorsport with our Father’s Day celebrations.

“The atmosphere at Artizan was excellent and we had lots of dads showing off their Scalextric skills, in our replica motor racing gear, whilst whizzing around Dumbarton Le Mans."