RACING driver Bradley Smith has received an unexepected boost following another double race win at the weekend.

The 22-year-old driver from Billericay extended his grip on the Radical SR3 Challenge title on the Silverstone GP circuit and then found out be had been picked to join the British Racing Drivers’ Club Rising Stars scheme.

Membership means Smith will be rubbing shoulders with some of the top names in motorsport as he continues to build his career.

“The BRDC thing came out of the blue but it’s a huge thing for Bradley in terms of networking as next year will all be about budgets for him,” said dad Mike, who is the boss of Mectech Motorsport.

“It means he can get into the BRDC clubhouse at Silverstone and it’s literally about the people that he can get access to.

“We don’t know at this stage what his next step will be but joining the Rising Stars has certainly given him a big boost as there are only about 40 drivers on the scheme at any one time and they are there because of their performances on the track.”

Smith, who is sponsored by Japanese oil company Eneos, was recommended for the scheme by BRDC scouts who have been monitoring his progress. He had to attend an interview with club chiefs before being awarded Rising Star status and that meant he missed the last Friday practice session.

Qualifying was dogged by wet weather but Smith secured second place on the grid for the first race, although he was 10th for the second race.

But Smith took the lead going into Copse and despite dropping to second after pitting, regained first place to claim victory by more than 12 seconds.

Smith climbed up the field from 10th in the second race. He took over at the head of the field when race leader Tom Jordan ran wide to secure his second win of the day.

Mectech team-mate Lewes Plato bagged two race wins in the Radical Clubman’s Cup to leave him joint top of the championship with Swedish driver Jesper Westerholm.

Plato secured two poles but had to start 10th in the second race as the top 10 were reversed.

Plato overcame the challenge of Westerholm and Oskar Kruger to take the chequered flag in race one, before taking the lead in the second race from Kruger on lap eight and finishing four seconds ahead to complete his double.

Mectech’s other driver, Ely-based Paul Marsham, qualified 13th for both Clubman’s Cup races, finishing 12th in the first race and