HEADLESS Cross ace Stefan Hodgetts stormed into the top three in his latest Formula 3 outing before a dramatic crash saw him roll his car.

The prodigiously talented youngster escaped with just a sore neck after being clipped from behind on the fifth lap but was bubbling after a promising start.

"We were heading for a podium finish against the best in the world," he said. "I'm getting more speed out of the car and we are 90 per cent certain to be with the team for the rest of the series."

Hodgetts has been told he needs to find £1,000 per race to pay for tyres for the last four rounds.

His new Motorworld team have been impressed with the F1 hopeful who qualified fifth on the grid at Rockingham.

Hodgetts climbed to third but suffered the crash after a car behind him clipped his rear wheel on a tight hairpin.

Round ten is at Oulton Park on Saturday, August 17, and Hodgetts will be out for a good finish on what will be only his fourth F3 drive of the season.