Rob Collard heads for rounds eleven and twelve of the British Touring Car Championship at Croft circuit in North Yorkshire this weekend, July 12/13, aiming to finish the weekend leading the Independents Cup category of the prestigious series. In dominant form at Rockingham three weeks ago, winning both races, Collard is now just three points behind the championship leader, and with 15 points available for a win, hopes are high that he will have a smile on his face for the long journey back to his Hampshire home on Sunday evening.

The Collard Racing Vauxhall Astra was the class of the Independents category at Rockingham, with Rob scoring a superb fifth overall in round ten, best finish all year for an Independent taking on the big-budget factory teams. Determined to keep the momentum going at Croft, Rob is well aware that the circuit has not been good to him in the past.

“Croft has always been a bit of an unlucky circuit for me,” says Rob, from Eversley. “I raced there in Formula Ford and broke down when leading, and had the same happen in the Vauxhall Vectra Winter Series in 1998 as I was leading in the final.

“We’re due a change of luck, as it’s a circuit I love with a variety of challenging corners. It can be very quick and demanding, has some very technical corners, as well as a ballsy flat-out section called the Clark Esses.

“I’m looking forward to taking more wins. No one has won both races at a meeting more than once in the Independents Cup so far this year, and I would like to be the first driver to do that. Some more top six finishes would be the icing on the cake - but the goal is to leave Croft in the lead of the Independents Championship.”

Qualifying for Sunday’s first race is on Saturday afternoon, with the two 25-lap races at 12.15 and 16.15 on Sunday afternoon.