Benn Tilley leads the way after opening round of the Superprix 2020 at Brands Hatch

Bourne’s Benn Tilley rose to the challenge of a new test to leave with the championship lead after the opening round of the Superprix 2020 at Brands Hatch.

Tilley was racing for the first time in the ex-Rupert Keegan British Air Ferries (FLY BAF) March 743 Classic Formula 3 car from 1974 which is owned by historic driver and top engineer Simon Hadfield.

It was Tilley’s maiden outing in a car with slick tyres and slight aerodynamics but, despite the steep learning curve, he flourished with a first and second place in his class.

Tilley explained: “I was very lucky to have the opportunity to race in such a car.

“But, having tested it pre-lockdown in March, I hadn’t done any driving at all between then and last weekend.

“With it also being on the notoriously fast and challenging Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, I had a lot to learn in qualifying.

“It was also cut short by a red flag but I managed to get a good lap in and qualify first in class but only by a 0.2 of a second.

“With quite a bit of learning still to do with the car, race one was a challenge.

“The more experienced driver who I qualified just ahead of got past early on, but I was in second all race long and improving my lap times by a few tenths of a second a lap each time.

“With a bit of luck on my side I managed to finish first in class which I was ecstatic with.

“When it came to race two, I felt much more confident with the car and could push more.

“I held first in class for a while until the guy behind got past. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get ahead of the other guy again and finished second in class but I was still very pleased with the result.

“With it being the first round of the championship, I came away from Brands Hatch with the lead heading into the next round at Oulton Park.

“Oulton Park is one of the most challenging circuits in the UK so it should be fun.”