TALENTED race ace Lennon Docherty is in pole position to land a major series in his debut year with just two race weekends remaining.

The 15-year-old, from Lochore, has moved to the top of the drivers’ standings in the HEL Performance British Junior Supersport Championship after a solid weekend at Brands Hatch, Kent.

Lennon, who is a pupil at St Columba’s High School in Dunfermline, went into rounds 11 and 12 of the series one point off the overall championship lead, and qualified for the opening race in fourth place, which he retained throughout.

It was a race he described as “very lonely” after the front three riders broke away on the first lap, creating a gap too great for Lennon to close down, but he himself also moved away from those behind him, which left him racing on his own.

That wasn’t the case in race two where, after starting in 14th, he put in a power of work to make his way through the pack to finish on the podium in third place, taking his points haul for the weekend to 38.

Lennon now leads the series, a support class of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, by 12 points on 222, ahead of Finn Smart-Weeden, with rounds 13 and 14, at Oulton Park, Cheshire, and Donington Park, Leicestershire, remaining.

His tally includes the points he picked up from a stunning weekend at Knockhill in June.

Previously, on his chances of challenging for the title, Lennon said that he would assess it when reaching the halfway point of a series he admits has been a tough step-up.

“I remember my first wildcard. You’re obviously winning races at club level, then you come to the British level, and those guys are mad.

“It’s just a different level,” he said.

“The tempo of the race is crazy, the lap times are fast, they’re really aggressive at the front and it actually takes a lot more fitness this year as well, because it’s really close at the front.

“I do a lot of training to try and keep myself fit.

“The bikes are, I think it’s 130-something kilos, and then you’re throwing that about for, say, 10, 15 laps, and you’re in the full leathers, in the heat.

“It’s pretty hard!”

The next weekend of racing takes place at Oulton Park over the weekend of September 15-17, before concluding at Donington Park on September 29 to October 1.