HAMPSHIRE'S former British karting champion Gary Catt has made a great start to the new season.

The Andover ace took a seven-point lead in the Formula A class after a winning drive in the first round of the Renault UK-sponsored series at the Three Sisters Circuit near Wigan.

The 2003 title winner took victory in the first points-scoring final of the weekend and backed it up with second place in Final Two behind young charger Riki Christodoulou from Sutton Coldfield.

Catt looked to have the race under control in Final One but by mid-distance reigning champion Mark Litchfield began to pressure him from second place.

Several laps later, though, a train of karts headed by David Gregory (Sheffield) had caught Litchfield, giving Catt the opportunity to edge away at the front.

As Gregory took second place, Litchfield began to fall down the order and another former champion, Chris Rogers, also staked his claim for a podium finish. Late on Rogers made a move on Gregory for second place with the Sheffield driver pushed down to third and Catt taking an impressive win.

Final Two was a different story with youth getting the better of experience. Christodoulou took a hard-fought maiden race win in the premier class of the British Championships, placing himself firmly in title contention early on in the season alongside his seventh position from Final One.

He was made to work hard by eventual runner-up Catt, but the victory was even more rewarding for Christodoulou, who had to claw his way through to the front from seventh on the grid. At the end, though, there was just a tenth of a second between him and the Hampshire driver.