SINGLE-SEATER rookie John Bennett showed strong pace as a sixth-place finish in the most recent meeting of the season at Snetterton 300 circuit last weekend helped him climb the GB3 Championship standings.

The Salisbury-based star qualified eighth on the grid for race one. He quickly moved up to sixth, which is where he finished, with any further progress halted by dirty air given off by teammate Tom Lebbon in front.

Bennett began Sunday's race from 12th on the grid, before ending 11th in a tightly-fought contest.

Motorsport UK Academy talent had one final chance in the third race of the weekend, but he ended in 16th, one place below where he started in the reverse grid contest.

"I think qualifying went really well and the car felt good throughout that session," said Bennett.

"But it was amazing how close it was throughout the whole field all weekend.

"In any other weekend that would have been possibly challenging for the top three. I think race one was personally my best performance of the season yet.

"The pace was really good and I made up a place at the start, but once I got up to the back of Tom Lebbon I couldn't do much about it in the dirty air."

He continued: "Race two was okay, but the result was only caused by being stuck in a train where it was so hard to overtake.

"The important thing is that we know we're still quick, we scored good points in a race where a lot of the drivers fighting around me in the championship had a bad race, and now we'll look forward to Spa which will be a good experience."

A strong start to the weekend and more crucial points did ensure Bennett solidified a top-eight position in the Drivers' Championship as the GB3 party heads to Belgium's Spa-Francorchamps circuit across the weekend of July 23-24.