NOVICE driver Robert Springate gained pole, third and first positions at the RSA round at Brands Hatch, as well as the two fastest laps.

In his first race, a slow start by the Bromley ace resulted in an initial drop to fifth.

But he moved up the field rapidly, only to be baulked by superb defensive driving in his duel with second-placed Florentino, allowing JJ O'Malley to gain a relatively comfortable first place result.

In the second race, O'Malley had an electrifying start to take an early lead, followed by seasoned competitor Graham Johnson.

Springate pressured Johnson for the first third of the race and his persistence paid off.

With Johnson dispatched, Springate hunted down O’Malley with a stunning pass in the closing stages of the race and a red flag finish saw the Bromley man become the first man past the post at the crucial moment.

He said: “Having built and set-up the car myself, it was up to me to deliver on track.

“At DPR Motorsport we put in a lot of effort to ensure the car preparation and set-up is optimum for each circuit.

“For Brands, the handling and balance of the car was perfect and I had the race winning pace in both races.

“To get pole, two fastest laps, third and then a 1st in what is only my 5th race weekend since I passed my ARDS late last year is a truly fantastic and satisfying outcome.”

DPR team principal David Rowe said: “The one-make nature of Caterham Motorsport results in close racing requiring both man and machine to be 100 percent.

“During testing we use on-circuit data acquisition to fully involve the driver in optimising the car set-up for each circuit in a manner which reflects individual driver style and preference.

“Robert's form at Brands fully demonstrates the benefits from this unique approach.”