REDHILL racer Sam Thompson is in the top-10 after the opening round of the RLR Motorsport Elite class at Brands Hatch earlier this month.

The 16-year-old from Bournemouth, together with 50 other entrants from across the country, battled against the inclement weather.

In torrential rain, Sam rode his Suzuki 600cc bike to 12th place on the opening day, before improving to 11th in the first of two waterlogged races.

Sam, however, left his best to last as he finished with a creditable fifth place. It lifted him to eighth in the championship overall, with the second round at Donington Park on March 24-25.

“Hopefully, I can finish slightly higher if the sun comes out,” said Sam.

There is TV coverage on MotorsTV from today. Sam is number 50 in the 600 Elite class.

Sam is hoping to fuel his title hopes with more sponsorship from local companies.

Anyone wishing to help Sam with sponsorship should visit www.samthompsonracing.co.uk.