WINCHESTER sports car ace Steve Hyde has moved up to third place in the Privilege Insurance GTO Championship after a brilliant podium finish with his co-driver Richard Stanton at Brands Hatch.

The Kent circuit staged a one-hour endurance race with an exceptionally strong field of Ferraris, Porsches, Listers and Lotus's and the heat was on TVR Tuscan pair Hyde and Stanton to maintain their superb start to the season.

But after a GTO class win last time out, confidence in the team was high and in the qualifying session they were fourth quickest, but with a Tuscan R and with two 'works' supported Porsches ahead, it was once again a case of David verses Goliath.

When Sunday's race got under way Stanton had to react quickly to a big pile up of GT Class cars going into Paddock corner for the first time. He brought the TVR through the carnage unscathed, however the pace car was quickly on the scene as the Brands Hatch marshals cleared the debris from the circuit.

After five minutes the race was under way again and after 30 minutes of high-speed action, Stanton came into the pits to hand the 4,000cc racing machine over to Hyde whose early progress was hampered by a slow, but determined, Ferrari ahead of him. After passing the Ferrari he set about the Porsches ahead and after some exciting manoeuvres on the infamous Grand Prix circuit secured a superb third place by the chequered flag.

Hyde beamed: "It's good to be on the podium again but it's even better to have moved from seventh to third in the Championship standings

"The TVR is a new car and to be showing Porsches and Ferraris the way at this stage is down to a fantastic team effort".

The Barclays/DeWalt Racesport are again in action this weekend at Donington Park.