After clinching an eleventh-hour deal with MGR Motorsport to make an unexpected return to the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship, Stowmarket’s Josh Webster claimed a win and two second places last weekend.

Racing at Snetterton at the weekend, the MSA Team UK racer had undergone no preparation prior to the opening three rounds of the season, but last year’s vice-champion overcame set-up issues in qualifying to star in all three races.

Rising from third on the grid in Saturday afternoon’s opening round to take a richly deserved win in tricky, damp conditions, the Suffolk One student was runner-up in Sunday’s second and third rounds to enjoy a hugely successful start to the new season.

“To win on Saturday was great and if I’d known before the weekend I’d have a win and then two second places I’d have taken that,” said Webster after round three.

“Huge thanks to MGR and to all of my sponsors, if it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have been on the grid at all this weekend.”

The Suffolk racer was due to compete in the Certina Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship this year but a decision to postpone the series only three weeks ago – due to low grid numbers – left him with few options.

After a race against time, and thanks to the continued support of his portfolio of sponsors headed by Nine Telecom, Admiral Managed Networks and Integra ICT, he was able to secure a deal in the days leading up to last weekend’s action.

“MGR did an amazing job to put the car together in two days flat before coming here as the deal was so late, now we’ve got the chance to strip it down completely and improve it for Rockingham”, said Webster, who sits first in the championship on 88 points.

“Hopefully we can have an even better weekend there and really show what we’re capable of.”