30/05/2003

Rob Collard and his team are confident of getting the Hampshire racer's Vauxhall Astra ready to race when the British Touring Car Championship visits Silverstone in a week's time. Severely damaged in a first lap at Shunt at Thruxton on Bank Holiday Monday, the team immediately started work on the car, and all concerned are doing everything they can to make sure the car will be ready.

The damaged body shell is currently with Triple Eight Race Engineering, who originally built the Astra, while the engine is currently with specialists in France to be checked over.

"We had the car in our workshop on Tuesday and completely stripped it down," explains Rob, "and had the bodyshell up to Triple Eight on Wednesday morning. They have it on their jig and have been working round the clock to get it sorted.

"We are hoping to get it back on Saturday afternoon all going well, and will have it in the paint shop on Sunday. Hopefully we get it back from there on Tuesday - the earlier the better - as that gives us two and a half days to rebuild the Astra from a bare shell and get it on the truck for Silverstone on Friday.

"The engine is currently with engine builders Sodemo in France, the inlet manifold got smashed and we were worried that it may have ingested some debris. All in all that was a very expensive crash.

"I'm still disappointed by the driving standards in the BTCC, and the lack of disciplinary action about them. These things shouldn't happen at this level of the sport."

Rounds seven and eight of the 2003 BTCC take place at Silverstone, Northants, on Sunday the eighth of June, with qualifying on Saturday afternoon.