HARRY Vaulkhard left Brands Hatch in happy mood after scoring more points in one weekend than he had all last season in the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship.

Tempus Sport driver Vaulkhard, from Newcastle, achieved a high of eighth position during a weekend where he matched the pace of 2001 champion Jason Plato in an almost identical Chevrolet Lacetti.

Vaulkhard scored also finished ninth and tenth over the three races.

In race one, Vaulkhard made up three places over the 27 laps, finishing eighth and under a second behind eventual race two winner, Rob Collard.

In the second race, Vaulkhard finished 11th after an exciting dice with Plato, who was also driving a sister RML-built Chevrolet Lacetti.

Vaulkhard got ahead of the experienced campaigner, only for Plato to regain the position, Vaulkhard crossing line just 0.2 secs behind.

In the third and final race, Vaulkhard started from 11th, with the top ten finishers from the second race starting in reverse format ahead of him.

He made up two places during the course of 25 laps, however his pace was blunted by out of line tracking due to contact from another driver.

“It’s all gone pretty well and I’ve scored more than double the points in my first race weekend this year than I did in all of last season,”

Vaulkhard said. “If anything, I was driving within myself as I wanted to get some solid points scoring results on the board rather than risk it and not finish a race.

“It’s pretty difficult to pass at Brands and I did get stuck behind Dan Eaves a couple of times, and he can drive a pretty wide car when he needs to.

“Race three was frustrating as someone decided to use me as a barrier, but that’s what happens when certain people can’t drive cleanly.”

Vaulkhard left Brands in 12th place in the BTCC drivers championship, and ninth in the Independents drivers championship. The next round of the 2009 HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship takes place at Hampshires high-speed Thruxton race track on April 25-26.