Hillspeed’s James Theodore made the perfect start to his 2010 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship preparations at Brands Hatch Indy Circuit yesterday, Tuesday, 2nd March, after lapping some six 10ths of a second faster than his nearest rival during officially timed testing.

Telford-based Theodore, who is backed by Liberty Properties Plc, heads into the new season as an undoubted category front-runner. On the evidence of yesterday’s performance at the 1.2-mile Kent track though, the 18-year-old should be a true title contender in only his second full season in cars.

Producing a lap of 44.988 seconds (95.91mph) during the morning in bright and dry conditions to emerge as the lead BARC runner, Theodore improved by more than seven 10ths of a second during session two to end the day with a best time of 44.267 seconds (97.47mph) – six 10ths of a second to the good over his nearest rival, Fortec Motorsport’s Mitchell Hale.

Joining Theodore in the Hillspeed camp was former Formula Renault BARC racer Ash Davies, who has most recently been competing in Formula Palmer Audi.

Reflecting on the test, team principal Richard Ollerenshaw said: “We’ve enjoyed a good, solid day completing plenty of work with both James and Ash. Our pace was good from the start and James put in considerable mileage on a circuit he has only visited twice before.

“James was actually on used tyres when he set his best time, which was significantly quicker than our closest rival. He’s certainly showing he has what it takes to be a real contender in BARC this year. The main plan for Ash was for him to have some seat time in the car and get as many laps under his belt as possible. We’ve worked with him a couple of times now and it’s always a pleasure.”

Hillspeed currently has race seats available in its Formula Renault BARC squad for the 2010 season, interested drivers seeking further details are invited to contact Richard Ollerenshaw on 01433 650400 or via email to richard@hillspeed.co.uk